The Rubys

17| c h a s e d

Narrowly dodging a dumpster, Leon tried to regain his footing, but the momentum had him tumbling down in a whirl of flailing limps. A long string of profanities flew out of his mouth as the skin on his arms scraped open from the harsh fall.

"Bitch," he cursed, angry at the stinging pain and his own carelessness. He could not risk slowing down. Whoever after him was surely out for blood.

Quickly pushing himself up from the ground, he started running down the long row of container boxes again. However, he had not even covered a few several yards when a shrill grating sound tore through the night, past his heavy ragged breathings.

Wary and confused, Leon slowed down to a jog, narrowed eyes darting around nervously, before coming to a complete stop.

What had broken the silence of the empty warehouse complex was the undeniable sound of screeching metal as though someone was scraping something along the container boxes. And that very obnoxious sound was coming from just a few meters away ⏤ rapidly getting closer.

The realization shot his heart into a frenzied mess, and without missing another second, Leon broke into a hefty sprint. His stomach churned with a horrible sense of foreboding, as if he was in a fucked up horror movie, except this was real. Too real.

As he rounded a corner towards the parking lot, Leon stole a quick glance backwards, and what he saw sent an onslaught of chills down his spine. A few yards away was a hooded figure clad in black, silhouetted under the dim overhead spotlights, charging straight towards him. Once he saw Leon looking back, the man slowed down in his power run, moving the crowbar in his hand away from the container box. The whole yard was immediately relieved of the sinister screech of metal, but for Leon, it felt like the world itself had sucked in a deep breath, waiting in wary anticipation for what was about to happen.

A new wave of indescribable terror washed him whole, and with a speed he thought he never possessed, Leon sprinted straight towards his truck that was sitting alone in the empty lot. He never felt any happier to see his beat-up red Ford ranger which looked like it would tumble down any second.

Fueled by fear and the sole intent to survive, Leon could barely register any pain when his body slammed into the rusty car as he braked himself to stop. His hand immediately shot out to the knob, pulling it open, except the door wouldn't budge, the rusty hinges only making creaky noises.

"Fuck!" He slammed the windows with balled fists, exasperation clawing his insides. I'm going to die! Beats of sweat rolled down the side of his face and his breaths came out in short ragged gasps. Where is the fucking key?!

Leon couldn't think straight; the adrenaline pumping in his veins had taken full control of his thoughts and decisions. He leaned against the truck for support, legs wobbling beneath him. Damn the key! Calm the fuck down first, Leon!

Gulping in lungfuls of rigid cold air, Leon desperately tried to clear his muddled mind. He fumbled through the pockets of his jacket, his jeans pockets, and amidst the search, he wondered if he had left it at the office. The mere thought had his heart racing into a marathon for a second time.

No! Keep your shit together. Focus, Leon. He patted his jeans again and a short wave of relief washed past him as he felt the metal lodged inside his back pocket. Quickly taking it out, Leon inserted it into the key hole with trembling hands, only for it fell onto the concrete with a clang.

"Oh goddamn it!" Leon growled in vexation as he dropped down to his knees. The only light came from the lone streetlamp a few feet away, its feeble, orange glow not helping to ease his nerves or to help find the lost key.