Chapter #8
Stuck in Hell
My back was stiff, and I litterally felt like some-one stuffed me in a freezer, and took me out 5 seconds ago.
"Ugh." I looked over to Nick, and found him facing the other side of the car.
"Nick. Dude, wake up." I nudged his shoulder, but sadly he was a heavy sleeper. Damn heavy. I nudged his waist this time, and instead of him waking up, he rolled over, and hugged me. I smiled and giggled. I wonder what he dreams about...
As I positioned myself in a comfy half-lay-half-sit, I heard a peice of paper kind of crumble underneath me, and I reached back to see what it was.
"Oh, yeah, that damn thing." I mumbled under my breath. "Ugh, I'm not dealing with this right now." I stuffed the paper in my pocket again.
I tried waking up Nick again, but it resulted in me being hugged even tighter. I giggled again, and didn't resist, 'cause it would end up me being squished to death.
"Alex."
"What?"
"Oh, good, you're up."
"So?"
"So, I'm hungrry, thirsty, sweaty, and I think I'm catching clausterfobia."
"Catching? I never knew that people could catch clausterfobia."
"Normal people don't. But I do." Alex laughed, and I mentally smiled.
"Okay, fine. I'll stop by a FFR-"
"Make it MsDonald's."
"McDonald's - and buy something to eat."
"Yay!"
"Can you check the news in there and tell me if there's any recent news that I don't know. M'k?" Before he could even open his mouth, a groggy voice came up.
"Yeah, and while he's inat it, can you tell me what this is Gracie? I asked you once, but you didn't say anything."
"It's...a note." I knew my response didn't work, 'cause he gave me a no-duh look.
"Ugh, I'll tell you later."
"No, now."
"Fine. Alex, can you go now to get the food?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Thanks." Alex left without replying, and slammed the door harder than usual. "Nick, this note I got from my dream. I actually think it was half real, becuase one, you know how I alway forget my dreams before I even wake up. And two, this note came back with me." I showed him the little paper. But Nick just stared at me. "You... don't beleive me, do you?" I took the riskful question, knowing the answer.
"No." His responce wasn't more thana whisper. I dropped my head down, knowing there was nothing I could do for me to convince him. It's more like he's convincing me that I'm stupid, that this isn't more than my imagination."But Gracie, if you want to beleive what this thing says, I'll beleive it too. 'K?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I'm back!" Alex streched out the 'a'. "No reason to panic, I am here."
I replied back dully. "Dude, no-one cares," I rolled my eyes andI streched out the 'a' to mimick him. "And, nobody was panicing. There was no reason to." Alex just stared further back than me, just as a low, whining sound began to appear.
"There is now."
"What do you-" I stopped Nick from asking his question.
"Coño! (Damn it!) Cops!" Alex dumped our food on my lap, but I wasn't hungry anymore. Nothing was more important right now than getting away.
I couldfeel my heart trying to leave me here, to get caught, and most importantly, to get Nick caught. I don't want that. I want to fight. I will fight. No-one can tell me to stay behind, to not fight.
"Gracie, if things get out of hand, I want you to leave, escape, let us do the fighting." Wow, total opposite of what I just thought, 5 seconds ago.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no. I'm not going to let you get caught." I looked him in the eyes, not flinching when he stared right back.
"I'm not going to get caught." I rolled my eyes.
"Yea, fighting trained cops isn't going to get you caught." His jaw locked, and I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut. He only does that when he's annoyed. Really annoyed. Annoyed enough to throw a punch even to me. But I don't care.
"I say you stay."
"And I say I'm going."
His next word wasn't whispered, it wasn't said. It was yelled. Loud. "No!" But that doesn't scare me.
"Yes!" I yelled right back, not giving in.
"You freakin' persistant red-head!" I locked my jaw, and I got even more annoyed than I already was. He knows how much I hate being called a red-head. Kids at school used to call me that, and I literally tried to rip their throats out. But I had to settle for black eyes, stiches, and casts.
"I... do not have... red hair!" For me, if you say red-head, it's like calling me stupid, a dumbass. Nick's eyes turned from annoyance to regret instantly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"You didn't what? Care enough?"
"Think. I didn't think. I'm sorry." I just turned my head, but he turned it right back. "Listen, that was just my anger talking" I rolled my eyes again. "I'm sorry." He breathed.
"You know, there's a thing called 'think before you speak' right? Use it sometime, 'k?" I still glared at Nick, and wouldn't let him get away with this. "I'm going."
"Can you atleast only fight when you have to." Nick wasn't happy, but he had to pay me back. But something I came to realize was that assulting a police officer wouldn't help me, it would go against me.
"Ugh, but I can't. I guess I have to fight only when you need me. Like, seriously, badly need me." I pouted, sad about this. Nick started to laugh, and I elbowed him in the gut. The police sirens incerased, and so did my heart rate. Why does this happen to me? Why am I the one that has to go through this? I could hear my heart loud and clear, sounding like a hammer against cloth. Our problem was literally a race against time, heart against skin, guns against fist, 3 cars against 3 people, a sociaty... against a girl.
I felt the police car at the left of us smack into the car, and I jolted to the right. I hit me head against the handle of the door, just a few inches from the glass. I was disoriented for a while, and saw doubles. Another hit sent Nick ontop of me, and the impact was hard enough to swing my head back, this time centimeters from the center of the glass. Nick's elbow jabbed into my chest, and I couldn't breathe. Since I couldn't breathe, by vision became blurry, it always did when I got short-breathed for a long time.
"Stop the car, and nobody will get hurt." That sturn voice filled the air again. Instead of slowing down, Alex hit the gas pedal harder, almost flooring it.
"Alex! What are you doing? Stop!" I tried to reason with him, but he just hit the gas pedal more. "Alex! St-" I didn't finish, 'cause if I even did, no-one whould hear. The only thing heard was a loud crackling sound, coming from a shot. They fired, I thought. They actually fired. They're going to kill us, and no-one can stop them.
It's like the shot got Alex back to his senses, and he slowed the car.
"Get out of the car, hands on your heads, and drop to the ground!" A bunch of cops surrounded us, guns aimed and ready to shoot.
I got out with my hands on my head, and got on the ground on my belly. The cops did a quick drug search, then a test. They yanked us up, no mercy, and then the cop holding me said the words I never ever want to hear again.
"Altagracia Maria Alvarez, you are being arrested for one homicide, and two attempted murders."