As I walk down the darkened alleyway, I listen to the even clunk of my combat boots as they echo off the eerie wall. The dark brick damp with droplets from the rain only hours before, the hours I drowned in my self-pity, I glower up at the sky, were the stars should be. Unfortunately all that was there was heavy darkness, just waiting to swallow me up. I was angry at that dark pit. I had no reason to be maybe it was the fact that the darkness represents just how angry, hurt and lonely I was. No I was beyond all that, way beyond, and all because they had taken my Gunter. No he wasn't dead...just gone.
Hugging the heavy leather of his Jacket, I wish for the 50th time that night, wishing for the 50th time that he hadn't gotten into the drug dealing business, that he hadn't desperately need the money, I felt it was my fault, my fault that I depended on him and he had to do something illegal to support us. Why couldn't In have just gotten a job, I'm sure somebody would have hired me, sure I never made it through High school, but it wasn't because of my grades.
It was because my parents had left me. No they hadn't gone on vacation, and they hadn't just left me home all alone to go out and have fun, They had left me in the worst possible way, A drunken death, Yah that's right, The got into a car accident while they were both drowned in a drunken stupor and left me on the streets alone, that was over 4 yrs ago. I had since used up my sources. I had been wandering the streets looking for spare change and a warm meal when Gunter came across me.
At the time he had been 19, I 16. He worked as a bar tender and, had a nice small apartment in the rougher part of town, sure it sounds all happy, but it wasn't, I guess you could call it a crush. For the longest time I'd sit in the same place every day, wrapped in the ratty wool blanket Id found and watched him pass on his way to work.
He was the total opposite from me, he had money (even if it was a small amount), and he wore a leather jacket and baggy jeans with a chained wallet, and his dirty blond hair always spiked neatly and his face cleanly shaven.
I on the underhand was a dirty 'street rat' with matted hair and grimy ancient jeans, a dirty cotton shirt, and no money at all.
Though a strange miracle happened one day, I had been quietly sitting in my place, I had recently given up gawking at him as he passed and was absent mindedly humming a tune to my self when he stopped, I was in a fairly good mood, the weather had warmed up the day before and I had finally gotten a good nights rest with waking up every few hours to numb toes and fingers. He had stopped and looked at his wrist and sighed. He had then turned to me.
"Hey kid, you know what time it is?" He had asked, checking his other wrist, me being in my good mood let my sarcasm loose.
"Nope cant say I have for the last year, haven't had a working watch for about 11 months. With that I had returned to my humming ignoring the annoyed look that crossed his face, but I had only gotten the last millisecond of pity that crossed his face before he turned and continued into the bar that was less than half a block away.
About and hour later he was standing in front of me again. I looked up and he had a Styrofoam cup from a near by Tim Horton's steaming with hot chocolate. He had handed it to me, and the blank look I gave him started our friendship.
Now he was gone. He never took any of the drugs, just dealt them. I always thought wed be fine, he'd deal drugs for a couple months and wed have money and he'd stop, boy was I wrong. He'd been busted. I had been returning from a near buy corner store about 6 blocks away and as I near I noticed cop cars speeding down the road. When they pulled into our ally I ducked around the corner and went through another ally to watch what was happening from the other end, he was being seated in a cop car when it all finally came into view, his jacket lay carelessly across the ground pockets hanging inside out, obviously searched through.
I had been left to wander the streets alone, again. I watched the whole occurrence from behind a dumpster, my beloved Gunter had been put in a car and driven off. I can vaguely remember curling up in the still warm corner with his jacket pressed to my nose, inhaling the faint cent, buy the end of the 3 hour it had began to get dark, the tears were wiped from my face, though they continued to spill, after pulling on the jacket I had wandered aimlessly from one ally to the other. Searching out at least a slightly familiar face, non-had been found.
Snapping back to reality as I reach the junction where the latest ally I had turned down met the street. The soft glow of the street lamps spilled gently into the entrance of my dark haven. Shying violently back into the shadows when the soft mumble of approaching men reached my ears, my attempts at calming to soft hiccupping sobs were feeble... A group of three men pass the alley and I couldn't hold back the cough that had been tickling my throat. A large burly man looked in my direction, because of the light being behind him, his face was shadowed and his reaction was unreadable. But just to be safe I soundlessly stepped back into the welcoming dark, allowing my damp hair to fall into my face.
Hearing the click of the men's shoes fading into the night I slowly step out of the shadows and look into both directions, with the reassurance that the cost was clear I made my way out onto the silent street.
Walking down the silent street I feel as if the darkness of the world around we would come down and swallow me up. The few stores along the small downtown street were closed and only the faint hum of the open clubs could be herd, A soft shuffle in the ally I had just passed draws my attention and as I turn to look and hand is clamped roughly clamped over my mouth.
Feeling the hard calluses against my face I can't help but shudder. The damp pavement bite into my ankle where my pant leg had managed to ride up my chest starts to tremble an I can feel the damp tears streaming down my face, feeling the hand loosen on my mouth I try to scream only to feel the soft cotton of a bandana shoved between my teeth. Somewhere in front of me stood my attacker, aiming a kick high I feel it connect with the offender and a painful grunt reaches my ears, all of a sudden my head snaps to the side hitting the wall beside me. A slow warm stream of blood begins down the side of my head from where the treads of his boots have connected with my face. A dull throb begins and I can't help but kick out again. This time connecting with what felt like a shin. A sudden and share pain in my side wipes away the little hope I had gathered, feeling the other side of my face bite into the rough brick another kick is aimed for my ribs. Sobbing uncontrollably the pounding my ribs were taking suddenly stop and I can feel my jacket being ripped from my back. Another round a sobs comes up my throat and they're mumbled past the now quite damp bandana, with on claps to go on my bra my attacker is all of a sudden gone. Praying when I open my eyes Id see the kind caring gaze of Gunter. What a stupid wish, Gunter was gone.
Opening one eye tentivly and I'm met with a shocking sight, Only feet away stood my attacker, pinned against the wall buy a man that looked a lot like a wrestler.... it was the man from earlier, but his time alone, watching the seen unfold before my very own eyes, the young attacker was dropped and he scrambled up and out of the ally his footsteps echoing softly to nothing down the street,
Noticing the man approach tentivly I can't help but duck into the corner more, but feeling the sharp stab of pain in my side I jump forward and grimace.
"Miss, Miss? Are you okay? I'm Marcus, Miss are you ok? "Shrug back as the large man approaches I realize, I had almost nothing on my upper body and frantically glance around for my shirt.
"Miss, you side looks awfully purple, would you mind if I took a look? I have my first Aid" Glancing up and the concerned eyes, I sharp stab a pain again this me, but this time not in the side...in the heart, his eyes were the same soft brown as Gunter's. Sighing I nod. His soft warm hands trail down my side feeling along the large purple bruise that was quickly spreading. Breathing in a sharp intake of breath I can practically feel my face drain of all colour. It hurt.
"Miss I think you may have cracked a few ribs, what your name Hun?"
"Hailey Black, its hurts" the feeble few words leave my mouth and I can feel a dull pounding begin in my head.
"Well Hailey, I don't think your going to be going anywhere soon, I think you should see a doctor, and I'm feeling obligated to make sure you see one, SO I'm going to hand you your shirt, Id like you to put it on and then I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the car, ok?" lancing again at the concerned face I nod, and pull my shirt on, feeling an arm under my knees and one behind my back I stiffen as another shot a pain sears through my body, a soft whimper passes my lips and the man carrying me shifts trying to make me more comfortable. Snuggling into the warm embrace I imagine, just for a moment that I was back in Gunter's arms. But I wasn't, It's wasn't the same, Gunter was always humming something, and smelled like soft soap, While the man carrying my, Marcus walked quietly and smelt like and expensive colon.
"Hailey I'm going to put you down, for a moment ok?" Nodding I feel the ground beneath my feet, struggling to stay standing, Marcus opens the door to the Black BMW before me and motions for me to climb in.
Staring out the window, soft music from the radio plays in the background; I felt like puking, I felt dirty abused...Like an object not a human being....
(At this point in the prologue and through out the rest of the story it will be written in 3rd person (I think that’s right))
The car had come to a complete stop in the emergency room parking lot. Marcus made his way around the front of the SUV at a jog and wrenched open the passenger door a little to hard causing a soft moan of pain to escape Hailey’s lips.
"Jeez I'm sorry, are you okay?" The soft murmur of Marcus could be heard as he pulled her out of the seat and into his arms. A strangled grunt was all he got for an answer. The limp lifeless body of Hailey lay loosely in his arms and her face began to turn a pasty shad of grey. Panicking Marcus dashed for the door kicking at the handy cap button frantically as it swung open slowly a small nurse dressed in green scrubs meet him halfway to the desk.
"Can I ask what happened?" ask the nurse whose nametag read Sue.
"I found her in the ally, another man was ripping her clothes off. I think he may have placed a few good kicks at her head and ribs." He replied. Laying Hailey out on a stretcher that had been wheeled over by a younger looking nurse, more likely and intern, whose soft blue scrubs wear neatly pressed.
"Kerry-" the nurse said addressing the intern. "Note-laceration to left temple, X-rays to determine rib status. And also put her through a rape kit procedure. Sir I ask that you go to the front desk and fill out a form on the young lady please, then remain in the waiting room Ill be out shortly."
"But I don't really know her, Marcus replied looking slightly upset.
"Fill out what you can she'll fill out the rest later." Watching the nurse walk to the door, he heaved a heavy sigh and headed for the registration desk. Waiting patiently for the lady to finish on the phone his eyes wonder about the room. Falling an all the different people, an old lady, with a baby in her lap that was bawling madly was busy eating crackers with the rapper still on while completely ignoring the upset infant. A man sat in the corner wrist wrapped tightly in an ace bandage trying to sleep, and another lady sat with her daughter trying to stem bleeding from her daughter’s knee with a huge wad of Kleenex.
"What can I do for you sir?" the secretary suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He turns around to face the lady; the sun was rising in the window behind her.
"I’m supposed to fill out a form on a girl who I just brought in, I found her in an ally, the thing is I only know her name."
"Well son, what’s her name?" A slight grin crossed Marcus's face, the young women was in no place to call him son, she looked just out of university and he only about 6 yrs short of being her father.
"Her name is Hailey Black, at least that's what she told me. A nurse named Sue just wheeled her back a few minutes ago.” He replied grin vanishing at the thought of the dark purple bruises on her side. The scratchy sound of a radio filled his ears and his attention was quickly focused back on the secretary.
"Thank you sir that will be all I guess. I ask that you remain in the waiting room though, police will most likely want to speak to you, I was just told that I am needed to call the for Hailey Blacks case. You may have a seat"
Heading towards a vacant seat away from the others in the waiting room, Marcus slumped down fiddeling mindlessly with his watch. A half h9our passed and he saw the police enter, the same moment his cell rung.
"Hello" his groggy voice said into the cell.
"Marcus where the hell are you, you never came back last night and we’ve got and appearance in 2 hours and I kind of need you hear." The irritated voice came over the line.
"Calm down Justin, your going to need to stick with one of the other boys for now, I cant make it, I’m in the hospital."
"What the hell happened did you get in a car accident?” and panicked Justin sounded over the phone.
"No, I found a girl in the ally, a man was trying to rape her, and I need to stay to talk to the police. I’ve got to go the secretary is coming my way."
"But-"Justin annoyed voice was cut off as the phone clicked off. The secretary reached Marcus moments later.
"Sir, Miss Black refuses to answer anything with out you there. I’ve been asked to take you to her room." Following the nurse down the blank white corridors that smelt strongly of disinfectant the hums and beeps of many different machines filled his ears. Stopping out side a room with and big 7 painted on the door, Marcus was let in.
Entering the small white room, his eyes quickly fall on the small chalky figure lying in the bed, taking the seat emptied by one of the two officers beside the bed, his hand is gripped in a death grip by Hailey. The two officers stood along the wall. Question after question was asked of Hailey. Each time her grip tightening. At last the police left and a nurse entered.
"Miss Black you will be able to leave in a couple of hours," Do you have somewhere safer than the streets to go?" came the soft voice of the nurse, its was Sue again. As Hailey's head shook no a though came to Marcus' mind. She could stay with him.
"Come on in Hailey." Marcus said stepping back to allow Hailey to pass him in the door way. As the two stepped into the confrence room Justin looked up from his breakfast. His eyes met Hailey's and he stopped mid chew.
"Hey!" he said with his mouthful, waving her over. She obliged and sat gingerly in the seat.
~© Drea @ Kufunk Fiction 2002-2003~