It was cold out and I shivered as the cool night air brushed my skin. A sudden pan of nausea hit me and just as quickly went away. My hand flew to my stomach when the wave hit me and it wasn't for a while that I realized Leon was watching me. He had been doing that a lot ever since I got back to him and I worried he knew I no longer was under his control. He dismissed it to hail a cab. When a black town car pulled up both Leon and I looked skeptic. Town cars weren't just out and about this time a night without some rich pump already in it. Still, we climbed in. I was losing all hope of escaping. That is, until I saw who our driver was. The tattooed vocalist. Only now you couldn't see his many colorful tattoos. He wore a suit and the most ridiculous hat to cover his features.
"Where to?" He asked and looked in the rearview mirror at me. I felt relief and I think it showed too much because I felt a hand full of my hair get gripped so tight I feared the chunk would come clean off my scalp. I gasped then felt my neck ring the slightest when Leon yanked me back against the seat with as much force as he could muster in his drunkenness. I cried out in pain and clawed at his hand.
"I knew something was wrong."
He hissed, anger spitting in my face. Leon yanked me back some more and it made my neck ache. I was thrashing around, desperately trying to loosen his grip, but to no avail.
"How did you escape my control, bitch?" He was screaming in my ear now and just as he was getting ready to punch me square in the face the car came to a screeching halt. The hold on my hair looked as he stumbled back and I gripped the seatbelt. Leon landed right between the two front seats and the vocalist drew out something shiny. The blade glinted from the city lights and then a wet, twisted sound filled the air. Leon gurgled and jerked in place as his neck was sliced too deep. I thought it ended there but a tattooed arm wrapped around Leon's head and pulled, detaching it from his now limp body. The scream I'd been holding on all night ripped through the car and I heaved, but nothing came out.
Before I knew it I was being pulled out of the car and into the street. It was cold and vocalist guy shimmied out of his suit jacket to reveal a leather jacket I hadn't seen before. I felt the heavy fabric over my shoulders and an instant warmth I was all too grateful for. We walked quickly across the street and onto the sidewalk where another car waited. A 1980 black stingray, which I thought was too flashy for this man. I hesitated. Did I really want to get in a car with yet another strange man? One capable of murder? He seemed to have read my mind because he leaned against the car with his legs crossed at the ankles. We got into some weird staring contest that had me shifting my weight and clearing my throat. Then he broke the silence.
"By all means, you are free to go. Im just offering a ride home, but if you want to walk the streets alone this time of night. That's fine too."
I made a face. He had a point and I hated it. He grinned in satisfaction and opened the door for me before slipping into the car himself. I looked at the open door and considered my options. It was so dark and cold and just a few blocks down was that awful nightclub. With a groan I slipped into the car and slammed the door closed. We drove for a while after I gave him directions to my place. Or at least somewhere near my place. He might have saved my life, but I don't trust him.
"What's your name?"
"What's your name?" I shot back.
He chuckled. "Connor."
"Lyza."
Fists name basis seemed good, safe. It might have been an hour or so before the roads slowly became familiar. It brought a sense of relief when we passed my favorite cafe. My eyes looked over at the clock on the dash and winced. 3:45am and suddenly I was tired. We came to a stop just blocks from my place and I worked quickly on getting out of the seatbelt. When I opened the door and had one foot out Connor slapped a strong hand over my arm. Startled, I froze and turned my head towards him. He had a serious face now and those lilac eyes contrasted with his rough expression.
"Anything you need to tell me?"
I shook my head. I didn't trust him not to kill me too. In all due honesty I wasn't even sure of half the things that happened between tonight and yesterday afternoon. I wasn't even sure of what happened the night before. Connor didn't seem to convinced but let me go all the same. I nodded and mumbled a thank you before stepping back onto the sidewalk. He must have gotten the hint because I stood still in place while waiting for him to leave. He gave me one last questioning glance and drove away. I blew out a breath of relief and started walking up the street.
When my place came into view the lights were on. It was late, but I wouldn't put it past Lore to be up. Coming closer I could hear more than once voice coming from inside. The gates that blocked our porch were open when they would usually be locked and I frowned. Our neighborhood wasn't the safest and Lore had a habit of always closing it behind her at all times. Outside my front door there were two pairs of shoes. I recognized Lore's running shoes and then another pair, much bigger and beat up. I jiggled the knob and found it open as well, when I pushed it I was greeted with hostility as Lore pointed a bat at me. That is, until she realized it was me and her eyes widened and the bat slipped from her hands.
She hugged me and as she did I looked past her shoulder. Noah stood, just recently gotten up from the couch. He looked at me with a mixture of disbelief, relief and possibly fear. Suddenly he took a step back and I realized it was because of me. I could feel my face had contorted into something angry, ugly and filled with hatred.
"Listen Lyza, I was drunk..."
Lore let me go and looked between us confused.
"No one is drunk enough to do what you did unless they mean to do it. And you meant it." My accusation was harsh and venomous in tone. I took a step towards him and something snapped. Deep inside me there was this bubbling heat that had me heaving all night and now it was serving as fuel to the utter disdain I had for Noah. My knuckles cracked when I curled my hands into fists and though I wanted to pound my fist into his face I held back. Waiting for him to have a decent response was futile. What he said next brought heat to the back of my ears and a clammy feeling washed my face down to my chest.
"I didn't mean to. I swear." Noah shrugged a shoulder, like he thought the whole thing had been a great, big joke. The strings in my brain that held me back, kept me sane, and restrained all the feelings that had built throughout the night snapped one by one. Before I could throw myself forward Lore stepped between us facing Noah. I had't realized how much I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until he turned purple. Just now I also noticed the searing headache that came along with the thought.
"What did you do?" Lore asked him, but he wouldn't answer.
"He tried to force himself on me. Tried and tried and I hit him before running off. He followed me, angry and ready to do god knows what. I kept running and hid in a house party. That's where-" I stopped myself. I couldn't say much else because how could I even begin to explain what happened in the last 24 hours?
"You what?!" Lore looked at Noah accusingly and then pointed at the front door. "Get out. Now. You sicko."
Noah seemed unable to contain himself. He burst into laughter, complete with head thrown back and hands covering his stomach. "Are you serious? I knew you wouldn't let up. See I thought at the very least Lyza would spread her legs for me. Considering she's had a ridiculous crush on me. The bitch hit me though. I really wanted you though." He gave Lore a full head to toe look, a sleazy one at that. "I thought I could get in your pants, but your loyalty to Lyza had you turning me down left and right. So I went to the next best thing." He looked at me then.
I was angry. I was fuming actually and my hands were again balled into fists. The trembling that took over my body was out of my control. The feelings of hate, disgust, shock were bordering on homicidal. Warning signals were going off in the back of my mind, but I was clouded by the intense need to rip Noah apart. It was a complete contrast to what I felt the past 24 hours. The sick, bubbling heat was again raising in my stomach and suddenly I was launching myself past Lore and at Noah. He had a smirk on his face and as soon as he saw me coming he stumbled back He landed on the couch and I atop of him with one hand curled in his hair and the other punching his nose repeatedly. Lore was screaming behind me but all I saw was red, literally. Noah was gushing blood onto the sofa and when my hands aimed to kill a searing headache kicked me back. I screamed and curled into myself as I held my head. I gasped and panted violently as the headache grew stronger.
Lore dropped beside me, yelling out my name. From what little I could see Noah was in no condition to get off the couch and Lore was hysterically battling with herself over what to do. I rolled onto my side and heaved and this time red spilled from my lips. I vomited blood and bile until I shook. So much was spilling around me and I was stained of blood. When I took a look at my hands they were shaky and pale white with the exception of the blood now covering them. Again I was on my hands and knees as more blood spilled from my lips. The worst part was, I could feel all of it leaving my body, rising and clogging my throat enough to have me purge.
When I thought it was all over my head spun. Weak and shaky it was pointless to get back on my feet. Lore was screaming, now shaving her own trembling hands against my shoulder to get my attention.
"Lyza! What's going on? Get up, please." There were tears in her voice and a struggle to get them out. I could barely hear her now though, the sound was far and muffled by something much greater. My own beating heart was slowing despite the fact that I panted for air. All the while u thought that this seemed just about right. What had I expected? I'd come home and it would all be back to normal? Something was done to me tonight and I was paying the price. Tears, mixed with what could only imagine was blood, rolled down my cheeks. Dying, and I knew I was dying, was a scary thought. I found Lore's hand and squeezed it. She had to know how much I loved and appreciated her, even if I couldn't get the words out. Her voice was filled with more tears, hiccups, and a plead that asked of me to get up.
"Please, Lyza. No. What's happening?" She begged for an answer but I couldn't answer. I fell into a deep sleep that swept over me like a freshly cleaned sheet feathering over my body. All black, quiet, and an understanding that I was gone from the world.