Graffiti Boy

Chapter 6 - The Alleyway Incident

I tried to think of which direction I had come from, but then I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

I snapped my head to the source and found three men. Buff. Full grown. Men. The looks they were giving me made me feel uncomfortable. They sent each other smirks. I tucked my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and felt for my pocket knife.

It wasn't there.

Oh, crud.

That was when I began to panic. Sure, Dad had taught me self-defence and how to throw a couple punches. And yeah, I could probably tackle one man and manage to get away. But facing off three full grown men? I had better luck winning the lottery and I wasn't even old enough to enter the lottery.

One of the men spoke up, "Hey, pretty girl. What are you doing out all alone? Do you need help?"

This wasn't happening. For every step I took back, they took two towards me. I had been commented on before, but I had never been approached. Then again, usually, I wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust in a backstabbing "friend".

The men didn't seem to be backing away anytime soon. My fight or flight instincts kicked in.

That was when I started to run.

"Hey! Get back here!"

I heard their footfalls hot on my trail. I turned left, then right, then right again. I had never been so far into an alleyway before and I was terrified. My lungs burned but I pushed myself until I couldn't breathe. I stopped for a moment. The men were nowhere in sight but they probably knew their way around and could appear at any moment.

One of them did.

He grabbed my arm from behind and pulled me against his chest. I went limp for a moment, he relaxed his grip slightly, thinking I had given up. I wasn't about to let that happen.

I kicked his shin using the heel of my foot, causing his grip on me to loosen further.

He yelped out in pain, "Stupid bit-"

I elbowed him in the nose, hearing a satisfactory crunch.

I managed to get out of his hold but he managed to hold onto my arm. I thrashed around trying to get out of his grip.

I could see his nose. It was a bleeding mess.

I felt it before I saw it.

The man had plunged a blade into my arm, "That should teach you better than to try to run away."

I let out a scream. The pain was agonizing. Tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision.

I needed to get away.

Fast.

I kneed Nose Bleed Man in the groin forcing him to release his steel-like grip on me and then I was off.

I didn't know how far I had run, but my legs were ready to give out. I was never the best runner. I felt sick, and I could feel my heart throbbing in my head. My arm was bleeding horribly and I could feel the stickiness of my blood. I stopped again and tried to catch my breath but then I heard the approach of more footsteps.

For god's sake, give me a break!

I tried to run again but my body wouldn't move as fast as I willed it to. Someone grabbed me by the waist from behind, I was ready to let out a blood-curdling scream but the person covered my mouth and pulled me against their chest. I licked their hand causing them to let go and yelp in disgust.

Before I could scream, I was turned around to face the person who had grabbed me.

"Val! Val. It's me. It's Eli."