Rell and The Rose

Ch. 24, Fools!

Bastien

"Crap," I whispered. The wall was flat three stories up. "It's okay, it's okay-" my mind ran a million miles an hour, frantic with all the ways this could go wrong, "I'll just give them my wallet," I said frantically, thinking as fast as I could, "maybe if we apologize... what are you doing?"

I stopped and stared at Rell as she kicked over a trash can, the lid spinning and crashing on the cement, trash falling everywhere. Then she picked up an old wine bottle, and smashed it against the wall. The sound of breaking glass echoed in the alleyway, the same moment a rumble of thunder boomed overhead, and the voices grew nearer.

She looked at the razor sharp ends and then lifted it. "We can take 'em." She planted her feet wide, staring around the corner.

I almost couldn't speak. Did they raise Amazons in Antarctica?

Then I heard the voices. They were almost here.

"Rell! Just put the bottle down! WE CANNOT TAKE THEM!! There's at least five of them and two of us."

"More glory for us!" She brandished the wine bottle, and then stepped in front of me as the men came into view. "Don't worry, I will protect you."

This was not happening.

This was absurd.

This was not real life. I'd been possessed, or drugged or...

Noise filled the alleyway, and at almost the same moment, the first drops of rain began to fall.

"There she is! Come on!" The men turned the corner, and I lifted my hands, fear twisting my stomach. What if they actually hurt her? "Listen guys, look, I'm sure we can settle this reasonably..."

But Rell didn't lower the jagged edged bottle, and the men didn't stop. I had only one card left to play.

"BACK UP!" To my surprise my voice echoed down the alleyway, powerful and deep. But it wasn't me the men were looking at.

It was the black gun clutched in my hands.

The men suddenly froze. "Hey we just wanted our money back..."

"I said back up!," I shouted, and then grabbed Rell with my free hand, who suddenly seemed disappointed we weren't about to get in a brawl.

I dragged her out of the alleyway, backing up from the men who glared at us but made no move to grab either of us.

"Get ready to run," I whispered to her.

"Why?" she whispered back.

"Cause this thing is fake," I threw the gun at the men, and there was one wild heartbeat where everyone stared at each other. Then I grabbed her hand, tugging her after me and we both sprinted back up the road.

Rell laughed, and together we ran through the first drops of rain. I'd never seen a girl run like her. It was like she got stronger with every stride. I almost wondered if she could outrun me. But even if she could, I knew this city better than her and wasn't about to get cornered again, so this time I led us down streets, through alleyways, splashing through puddles, running through crosswalks as the rain began to fall faster and heavier. Finally, when there was absolutely no way anyone could still be following us, I led us up to the awning under a bagels shop, its light casting a warm glow through the night.

I leaned back against the brick, my chest heaving up and down. Rell's breath also came heavy, my first proof she was actually human. The rough texture of the brick pressed into my back, and the end of my jeans were heavy and soaked, riding low. We'd made it just in time. The rain began to fall in sheets now, pounding away everything, spraying up from the cement, so that we both pressed closer, our bare arms just brushing as both our chests heaved, connected by the smallest of warmth between us.