a chained heart

7 | blood

Adam focused on the feeling of the cold bricks against his back. Anything to slow down his heart before it exploded. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him.

Her long, brown hair cascaded slightly over her eyes, and her eyeliner was thick as always—still visible in the dark of night and making her look all the more threatening.

Amanda.

"I thought you'd never get out of that car," she flashed a sinister smile, pressing her hand onto Adam's mouth harder.

He let out a yelp as the back of his head scraped across the concrete. Pulling her hand away from his face, he whispered in disbelief and disgust, "Redsparrow43?"

"I was worried you wouldn't fall for it, but thankfully you're dumber than I thought. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to trust strangers on the internet?" she smiled again.

Her sarcatic smiles were pushing Adam. He was getting angry, ready to fight back and escape, but he immediately stopped. Amanda quickly pulled a shiny blade out of her pocket, pressing it close to Adam's throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she cooed evilly into his ear.

Adam threw his hands up and obliged, "What do you want." He closed his eyes and cowered.

"It's not what I want," Amanda's smile was gone and replaced by a stiff jaw. "It's what John wants. And John wants you."

"Why," Adam was trying to stay calm.

"You broke the rules." Amanda breathed into his ear just above a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Adam's eyes popped open and he gasped as he felt a cold sensation in his stomach followed by a warm ooze. Looking down, his jaw dropped as he watched Amanda pull the small blade out of his abdomen and a red stain grew quickly across his white t-shirt.

Before he knew it, his face was being held down on the pavement. Amanda's voice boomed from above him, "Don't fight it, just come with me."

Adam wriggled underneath her, trying to escape her grip before he lost more blood.

"You didn't win!" she shouted, pushing his face down harder. "The doctor did! And if you make this any more difficult for me, he might just have to play a round two," she taunted.

This threat shot an unbelievable amount of adrenaline through Adam's veins—for a second, he didn't feel his fresh stab wound. Screaming in anger, he pushed Amanda off him in one fell swoop.

The clattering of the pocket knife echoed in the alley. Adam numbly followed the sound, leaping across the ground and grappling at the blade desperately.

As soon as he clutched it in his hand, Amanda was towering over him before he could stand. Adam swiped the blade across her leg and she clutched at it, letting out a light whimper.

"You fucking bitch," she shrieked. Amanda grabbed at Adam's throat, pressing down hard. The knife clattered to the ground beside him and he let out a strangled cry as her fingers tightened over his larynx.

A purple hue overtook his lips as he watched Amanda through foggy vision. She reached into her back pocket, pulling out a syringe.

She was going to drug him.

In this moment, Adam knew that if that needle entered his skin, he would wake up in the bathroom again. But this time, he wouldn't get out. Ever.

Adam reached to his side weakly, fumbling around to find the knife. Grabbing the blade, he quickly swiped his arm in an upwards arc without thinking or looking.