CHAPTER NINE
It was well past midnight when I awoke. My head was throbbing insanely and for a moment I forgot about all my other problems as all I focused on was the hurting of my head. Then it all came flooding back, and I realised something really strange. I hadn't had a nightmare. I usually only woke up when I had particularly violent, horrifying dreams. So what woke me up then?
I sat up bolt straight as the sound of voices registered in my mind. My eyes easily adjusted to the dim light of the night and I saw the group of drunken teenagers that was making their way up the street in the direction of the park. This was not good.
I shrunk back against the wall on instinct, trying desperately to shrink into the shadows. There was a chance the teens would just pass by without entering the park and then I'd be fine. And if they didn't notice me here, it would be even better.
But as ever fate decided it would be a nice idea to work against me. The light from the street lamps shone brightly in my direction, making any attempts to blend in and disappear pointless.
One of the drunk guys in the group veered off the street and stumbled into the park, vomiting not-so-gracefully into a bush. Another of the group stayed behind to laugh and yell incoherently as he slapped the vomiting guy on the back. The rest of the group moved on; they hadn't noticed their friends lagging behind amongst the raucous noise they were making in their drunk states.
My breath caught in my throat as I realized how close the drunk teens were. They couldn't have been more than a few years older than me. But they were drunk, and I of all people knew how stupidly people could act when under the influence. I'd witnessed enough of my parents parties to know well the effects of alcohol.
Even if these guys were usually nice people, in this state they could and would do anything to me, especially as drunk as they were.
So when the guy finished hurling and looked up, I froze. It was too late, he'd seen me. With a chuckled remark at his mate, they were quickly both moving in my direction with lustful smirks plastered on their faces.
I reached down and picked up my bag, clutching it for reassurance. My feet seemed stuck to the ground; I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried. It was shock, I guessed. Despite all the bad things that had happened to me already, it was hard to believe this was happening.
I pressed myself against the tunnel wall, as if that would help protect me from molesters. The guys were approaching fast and I started to hyperventilate.
"Hey princess!" one mockingly called. "What are you doing out so late at night?"
A snarky response crossed my mind but I squashed it down, knowing that if I tried to talk I'd probably pass out. And this situation was not at all one to be unconscious in.
"It's alright, darling." the second boy drew out the offensive noun teasingly. "We won't hurt you." he finished with a wicked smile etched into his features.
I squeezed my eyes tight for a brief moment as they grew closer. I felt trapped. I was scared The only exit I had was the other end of the tunnel, which was overhung with branches that I would certainly get caught up in if I tried to escape. And the drunk guys were still advancing each moment.
Keeping them in my sights, I edged slowly along the wall. I didn't have a plan, I just knew that I had to get away. I almost tripped over a stick on the ground and I glanced downwards just for a moment.
That was a mistake.
A meaty hand grabbed my wrist and I felt steaming breath on my neck. I turned my head, feeling petrified, to see one of the men standing as close to me as humanly possible. I tried to shake off his grip but he just redoubled it, chuckling darkly.
The other guy came up beside me, pressing into me as well.
"Things are going to get pretty wild tonight." he slurred, still managing to sound evil.
Panic suddenly overcame me and I screamed loudly, in the most ear piercing tone that had ever left my mouth.
Both guys cringed, relaxing their holds on me for but half a moment. It was thankfully enough for me to kick them hard and pull away.
As soon as I was free I started running, away from the park and away from the teenagers who tried to assault me. They immediately picked up the chase though.
It was as if the world had grown darker in a matter of minutes. Despite the bad living conditions, I'd always thought of the streets as safe; the only place of that kind I had left. Now I had nothing but the bag that swung wildly as I fled. I considered ditching it as well, thinking it was slowing me down, but decided against it. After all, that bag held all of my possessions in the world.
The young men were drunk and so were easy to lose. I was pretty sure I heard one collapse as I turned a corner, and the other disappeared soon after. I still felt vulnerable so I didn't stop, I kept sprinting until I was out of the residential part of town and in the industrial zone.
I would have stopped there if it weren't for the big, creepy warehouses and the long shadows. I wanted somewhere that wasn't enclosed but sadly I was out of luck.
I was drenched in cold sweat by the time I actually stopped, at the edge of town where there was bush. I crawled under a non-poisonous-looking bush and lay there shaking for the rest of the night. Sleep evaded me but I was too scared to relax anyway.
I'd been in some tight spots before now but this was definitely the worst.
Thoughts pricked my mind about what could have happened if I hadn't gotten away. I tried to suppress them but it was impossible.
Instead they overwhelmed me, great waves of crashing nausea and fear throwing me into constant jolting shock until my body literally couldn't take it anymore, and I fell into darkness.
It was a week before I went back to my spot in the park. I didn't plan to sleep there any longer, I just wanted to see it again.
As I approached, I saw there was a hobo lying there completely passed out. I cringed at the sight before realizing that I was technically a hobo myself. How ironic.
I entered my tunnel nonetheless, stepping over the person's motionless body, and was surprised to see a message addressed to me on the wall.
It read: Destiny, where are you? I've been checking everyday but still nothing. Are you okay? Has something happened? If it has I doubt I'll know but if you are fine and you see this please leave something to tell me you've been here. I'm worried Dest, and I'm sorry that I was such a meany to you before. Lots of love Laura.
The first thing I thought was that it must have taken Laura a lot of courage to graffiti a wall like that, then my senses kicked in and I scrabbled around for a writing implement. Coming up with none, I scrounged on the ground for a rock and then scraped my reply into the wall under Laura'a message.
'I'm fine, just shaken. Love Dest' I managed to inscribe, which I thought was pretty good considering I used a piece of stone to do it.
I stated at the indented words for a moment before adding a rough smiley face next to them, drawing a tear underneath one of the dotted eyes. I thought it represented pretty well at least how I felt on the surface.
Tightening the strap of my backpack on my shoulder, I moved off again, trying to ignore the strange looks of people I passed on the street. I will admit, after a week of essentially slacking off, I did not look great.
I had still gone to work on Saturday, but this time I hadn't bothered to dress well for it. I'm pretty sure my boss had noticed that I was looking and acting differently, but to be fair I had been recovering from the shock of almost being raped.
You'd think that I would have escaped from bullying, not being in school anymore, but then you'd be wrong.
Kids who knew me shoved me around when they encountered me, called me names and abuse, so much worse than ever before that it made me want to start bawling. Of course I didn't do that, but it was times like these that I thought that life could literally could not get any more torturous.
One night I lay shivering in a dimly lit alleyway, obscured from sight but still feeling the rain as it poured down on me, and suddenly the scraps of metal sticking out of the nearby dumpster looked really appealing to me. I stood shakily up and made my way over, but as soon as I heard the sounds of people walking by I sprinted away and didn't look back like the coward that I was.
I spent my days unhappily avoiding everyone as much as I could, apart from going to work. Eventually I even got fired from it, and for days my money dwindled and I continued to spiral down into sadness.
Since I was rationing my food for each day, I was pretty much starving, and I honestly thought that this was the point where things could not get any worse, no matter what happened.
Oh boy, was I wrong.
One night I was lying on the grass in an enclosed park, contemplating life miserably, when I fell asleep before bothering to hide myself.
Blearily the next morning, I woke, my eyes squeezed shut in resistance to the glaring sun overhead. Someone was shaking me roughly.
"Wake up!" A voice was yelling in my ear.
"Mm I don't want to." I murmured, rolling over.
That was when I got slapped in the face, hard.
I cried out in pain, clutching my face and opening my eyes. standing above me was a stern, furious looking lady in a government uniform. She had mousy brown hair, spectacles and was looking down at me with her lips pursed in annoyance.
"You will get up right now or we will be obligated to use force!" she ordered me, nostrils flaring.
I sat up straight, clutching my backpack tightly beside me. Stationary on the road next to the park I saw a government vehicle, a van with a large storage compartment.
"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.
The lady smiled an evil smile, and I gulped.
"You are homeless." She informed me. "And we're taking you where all the homeless go."
And with that, she grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me up straight, thrusting me towards the van.
____________________
Just in case anyone's wondering, there IS an actual point to this story, it isn't just going to be a conga of one terrible event after another. I'm getting to the main plot, these first chapters are just establishing really.
Thanks for reading :)