Run While You Can

 

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Chapter One: Shoot Me, I Dare You

 

There is just something about the smell of expensive car oil mixed with burning tires on fresh dirt that makes my shiver with pleasure. The lights burned my eyes but warmed my thin racing gear. I slipped on my aviators, feeling a little like James Dean, and stepped into the crowd.

Kyle Brooks was hiding somewhere in the crowd with his cousin, Matt, and my keys. Matt paid me to race his cars because he can’t control a car to save his Xbox score, let alone his investments. Plus, a female driver amongst the over-bleached dirt bags and Hooters rejects made me popular and bets were high.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the British Invasion. Hello, Julia.” I heard in a cocky voice that could only belong to Collin Poole, a fellow racer. King of the Kings, they used to call him, until the Queen of England arrived. I smiled lazily, lowering my glasses a little.

“Is that what they’re calling me now?” I asked, my fake accent slipping in. His neon green and black tracksuit was putrid under the lights.

“Don’t act like you don’t love it. You certainly invaded the tracks. And our wallets. Nearly knocked my boys in debt.”

“Well, maybe they should bet on a better driver. Speaking of which, I need to find my sponsor. See you around, eh, Collin?” I winked, lifting my glasses back and strolling past him. I nearly choked on his aftershave. I’m not entirely sure why he wore aftershave considering he had facial hair that covered his entire lower facial region and never really shaved. Maybe he thought it was attractive.

“Julia!” Kyle shouted to me. I perked up and made my way over there. Matt, classy as always, was dressed from head to toe in black. It made his blue eyes almost glow.

“How’s my favorite troublemaker?” He asked, pulling me into a hug. I smiled, adjusting my blonde wig as he pulled away.

“Well, I’m here, at this illegal street race, ready to steal all these lovely people’s money as a fake persona. So brilliant.” That deemed a laugh from both Kyle and Matt.

“You ready for tonight?” Kyle asked, handing over a pair of keys. I leaned over to eye my car, well, Matt’s car and grinned. He got a new paint job on the Audi, a deep purple, and damn, did it look good.

“Racers, please, take your marks near the track!” The loudspeakers came on. Kyle clapped excitedly and Matt patted my back.

“Alrighty, lots of money riding on you tonight, babydoll. There is another female racer tonight so, don’t lose.” Matt whispered as he walked me to the car. I laughed confidently, sliding into the seat.

“Do I ever?”

“That’s my girl.” Matt screamed engines roared around us. I fired up the car and pulled around to the start line. Collin was eyeing me from his car, revving his engine. I rolled my eyes, glancing around for this other female. There was a black dodge charger four cars down with a thinner driver. It looked like there was long, dark hair coming from under her helmet.

Suddenly, a girl in a skimpy bikini, despite the temperature, came

prancing out with our flag, looking mildly terrified. I would be too if I had that many fast, crazy drivers aiming their cars at me. Her hand went up and mine tightened on the wheel. I took a deep breath and as she let her arm down, I released the air and slammed the gas, zipping off. The track was a double infinite sign and dangerous because you often crossed paths with other cars coming the other direction. Fear doesn’t exist in this world. Insanity does.

The turns were sharp and one car flipped in the beginning. Traction. Good tires means you live. And Matt makes sure I stay alive. After all, I am only seventeen. Wouldn’t want the death of a minor on their hands.

I zipped in and out of the track, watching two cars collide in my review mirror, causing another to flip. I don’t see Collin. I do see the finish line.

The crowd is going crazy and Matt looks ecstatic beyond it. Another victory for the Queen of England. British Invasion indeed.

I break the ribbon, hit my breaks slowly and do a few donuts to spin up some celebratory dust. I’m damn excited. I am also late for my next gig.

“Congratulations!” Kyle screams, hugging me tightly. I hug him back, letting him spin me around. Matt is off sealing the deal on prize money.

“Hey, you still driving me to that one house tonight?” I whispered. Kyle smiled slyly and nodded.

“You and your naughty little nightlife.”

“Shut up. At least this is a good deed,” I said, smacking his chest. He rolled his eyes and ushered me to where he was parked. As soon as we were heading deep into the Valley, past anything that could be race related, I stripped the wig.

“There’s my Alex.” Kyle said softly. I yanked at my dark hair, pulling it down in thick waves in a deep sigh and slipping out the contacts.

“I’m stuffing this in your car.” I warned, shoving it in the glove box before stripping out of the racing jacket and into my hoodie in his backseat. By the time we got close enough to my destination, I was a completely different person.

I kissed Kyle’s cheek goodbye and hopped out, eyeing the house down the street that I needed. It was quiet and dark. I gently opened the car door with my lock pick, fetching my handy dandy flashlight from my pocket.

The December air wasn’t as nippy as it would be in most places. The temperature sat peacefully around the sixties, the air dry. It was a typical occurrence in the Valley. The moon was gone, leaving me no light. My nose still felt numb though, my skin dried with every second with the lack of moisture. I gripped the flashlight between my teeth harder, sniffling. The cold was making it harder to concentrate on the colored wires beneath my fingers. I was twisted at an odd angle, trying to see under the wheel where the wires were located too. It made things even more complicated. Newer cars were so much harder to hotwire.

“Come on, baby, come on!” I murmured. I dropped the flashlight to the floor. Annoyed, I struck the wire against the opposite end. The car revved to life beneath me, a loud purr. I let out a cry of victory, immediately clasping a hand over my mouth. I was usually quieter on my raids but it had been a while. I was getting too rusty. The door of the trailer creaked open. I ducked but it was too late. There was yelling and banging before they trailer door swung so hard it hit the side. Ah, crap. Here we go.

“Whose out ‘ere? ‘Ey! Whatchu think you doin’?” A Hispanic voice called in scratchy English. I looked up from the wheel in panic. Three large men are coming out of the trailer, shrugging on jackets and grabbing makeshift weapons. One holding a gun. It was dark, but the gun didn’t look very impressive, a small hand pistol. I cursed and just barely closed the door before I quickly took off down the darkly lit neighborhood. It was the usual trash-tastic neighborhood with trailers and worn down houses from the fifties. Tires holding down patchy roofs and jazzed up cars and junk lying across the dead grass. You won’t find girl scouts knocking door to door round here.

I get to the flickering light pole a block down before the one with the gun shoots at me, hitting the back windshield. I listened for the bang but it never occurred. The engine was too loud to hear the small pop from a silencer. I slammed on the brakes instinctively. The inertia nearly tosses me out the front window. My moment of panic gives the man a clearer shot. One. Two. Three. The glass shattered. It scattered across the backseat like glass rain.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I can feel the glass in my hair. I thought about yanking the screwdriver from the key slot and chasing down the jackass with the gun. He had to run out of bullets some time.

I floor it and make a swift u-turn to face the way of the men. The dim porch light reflects off their faces. They looked stunned. I can’t quite tell them apart from here, especially in the dark.

“You really shouldn’t have done that.” I muttered angrily, stomping the gas. If there is one thing I hate, its guns. There is no emotion, no connection, no passion. You don’t even have to get close and personal. That’s where the thrill is. You just point and pull. Shooting someone is cowardly.

It wasn’t like I had never been shot at before. My line of work meant I saw lead frequently. But it still never failed to rattle me as I realized how close death had come to dragging me away. I wasn’t invincible like I wanted to be.

The car barreled towards them, like I was an angry bull. The man on the far right even wore a red sweatshirt.

“How appropriate.” I snorted, tightening my grip. The one with the gun aimed again, firing shakily. He was new to this game of black powder and metal, that I could tell. I’ve been shot at a lot and he had no experience with the gun, especially when firing at someone. I was more worried he would cause the gun to implode than him actually shooting me.

They stepped into the middle of the street. Perhaps for a better aim. I jerked the car. It made him nervous and he shot too far to the right. It wasn’t hard to see where he was aiming and he was slow to pull. One bullet hit the light pole. The light suddenly flickering on as if the bullet caused it. The man pulled the trigger. Nothing happened though. He stared in horror at his gun, rapidly pressing the trigger. Well that’s what you get, I smirked. He was out of bullets and I was out of patience. I swerved the car so it would slide towards them. The men jumped out of the way, realizing I wasn’t messing around. I swerved again, knocking down trashcans and boxes that in front of their unattractive trailer. One of the men yelled in Spanish. Even though I know hardly any of the language, I understood that.

They fumbled to stand up, shouting at each other in Spanish. Honestly, they look like chickens with their heads cut off, running around like that.

“Thanks!” I shouted, sticking a camera out the window. There was a bright flash as it snapped a picture of the stunned men. I laughed as I drove away, high off of adrenaline. I began weaving through the darkened streets, smiling. I was particular to the night.

The dash clock read 12:59. Damn it. I was late. Really late. Will, my brother, would be so worried, I’d be lucky if he didn’t call the cops. I hurried as fast as I could without pressing speed limits. Wouldn’t be in my best interest to get pulled over in a stolen vehicle.

I doubted the cop would even understand that I was stealing back the car for a nice older lady who reported it stolen two days ago from Peoria and I was just doing everyone a favor. Yeah, big doubt.

The sign for the Circle K came up shortly and I breathed out a sigh of relief. I was alive, not too much damage. I parked, wiped my prints clean and shook the shards of glass from my mane. There. Job well done.

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Chapter Two: Crime Spree

Crime Spree Runs In The Family

I could see Will watching me sprinting across the parking lot. He looked fiercely annoyed. Usually he could tell it was me by how nondescript I was. Black hoodie. Black boots. Black pants.

I slide easily into the passenger’s side of my brother’s car. He started the car, setting down his book and drove off calmly without a word. It was silent in his car all except the music playing in the background. I turned it up a little, smiling. Once Will was on the highway, I sighed in silent relief and my brother scowled at me.

“Everything go okay?” He asked me. I knew Will’s line of thinking, as long as I was in one piece, he felt okay. But by my silence, he knew automatically something had happened. He knew nothing about my going to the race, but the time it took would cause suspicion. I cursed myself silently for waiting too long to answer and spoke up.

“All right actually. I wish I could have kept the car.” The lie slipped through my lips with ease. Will gave me a look. I sighed again, not even bothering to play innocent games.

“Oh that’s good. There was a police scanner for gunshots in that area. I got worried.” Will smiled at me. I bit my lip, an apologetic smile written across my features. His face darkened and his knuckles tightened on the wheel.

Will didn’t scare me but he sure could be threatening. He was a big guy, much larger than me and I’ve seen him crack nuts with his hands subconsciously.

“Did you get shot?” Will panicked. My chest sunk heavily, realizing he wasn’t going to kill me. Not just yet, anyways.

“Do I look like I got shot? No. Only the back window got shot at. The glass only broke a little. I’m fine really.” I said, lifting down his mirror. Will huffed, going to look at me, then snorted realizing I was putting on Chap Stick.

“What?” I asked innocently, shutting the mirror closed. My lips smelled like cherries and vanilla. Delicious.

“Only you would put on lip gloss after stealing a car and making a safe getaway.” He said, leaning on his free elbow, taking the backstreets home. Too many drunks drove the road he was previously on and we preferred not to get in an accident.

“They were dry, okay? And it was Chap Stick. Not lip-gloss. Get it right.” I muttered back, picking up his discarded book. Waiting for me was monotonous sometimes and he always kept a book around somewhere. I flipped through a few pages, the words worn by age.

“My apologies, Alexandria.” Will grinned at the reaction he knew he would get from calling me by my true name. I hate it; I always thought it was too feminine for me, too classy. Sure, I had some manners, but that didn’t mean I was about to slip on a dress and call myself Cinderella.

“Shut up, William.” I retorted, flipping through the pages some more. I knew his name hardly bothers him but I was past good retorts. The book began to bore me, my head rolling back as I flipped it like a fan.

“You and these books, I swear. What enjoyment do you get from these biography on generals and stuff?” I asked, throwing it back down. Will picked it up, setting it properly like it was precious.

“It’s not boring. It’s historical and captivating.” He retorted proudly.

I rolled my eyes, kicking my seat back. I was tired. All that excitement had come crashing down really fast and I wasn’t sleeping well anyways.

“You know Mom is going to flip again because we are late.” Will said, turning into the apartment complex. I snorted and Will resisted a sigh.

I don’t really care about what our mother asks of us. She went a little crazy when Dad died and never came back to sanity. We never really were close, always slamming heads like mountain goats. All I wanted was excitement and she wished my life would dull down a bit.

I was always close to my father, when I knew him, and never bonded with my mom. She never really tried to bond with me either though. Cassie, our youngest sister, and Will are her golden children, responsible and everything any parent would want. And I, well, I steal cars.

“We snuck out technically.” Will knew well enough I was ignoring him. He glanced over at me. I felt him tug at my hair.

“Glass. Really, Alex? You didn’t get shot.” He scoffed. I ruffled my hair, a few spare pieces tumbling out. “Come on, let’s get it over with,” He said, annoyed that I had partially lied.

I followed Will cautiously up the staircase to our apartment. They were rickety and rusting from the rare rain we got in here in dry Arizona. We hadn’t always lived here. I remember trees and a cabin and my father, swinging me around in spring flowers. I remember friends, kids my age running through the halls.

But now, it seems like a dream. That man, my father, long gone. Died, murdered, when I was just four. That house and those kids, never spoken of again. Those trees, lost beneath the sands of Glendale, Arizona. I even remember snow, but everyone knows it doesn’t snow in Glendale where the summers shoot past one hundred every day and you can wear shorts on Christmas day.

Now all that exists is my siblings and my mother, who only counts on good days.

Our neighbors houses are silent. Mrs. Windalynn goes to bed at 6pm, 7pm if she’s feeling crazy. The Rogers have a 3 year old daughter and usually are quiet before 8. And then there’s us. Loud, late, obnoxious teenagers in the middle.

“Alex? You okay?” Will asked, nudging my foot with his. I shook my head out of my thoughts and ran after my brother into the apartment. The house was silent. Everyone was, hopefully, sleeping. Despite my desperate tries at keeping my house from becoming dirty, stacks of junk mail, bills and magazines covered every open surface. The house phone blinked with four messages on the machine and the smell of the Chinese take-out we had early in the day was still strong in the air. The sound of claws scrapping against tiles signaled our faithful German Sheppard mutt was coming to greet us.

Dakota, the dog, was Will and mine’s thirteenth and fourteenth birthday present. His tags jingled as he jogged the small space from the kitchen to the front door. I rubbed his ears in a welcoming way. He had attached to me right away, only barely caring for Will. It doesn’t bother him really. He isn’t an animal person anyways.

“Guess Mom is asleep.” Will said, peeking around the corners and up the stairs. Our apartment was more like a Condo, it was two stories tall but incredibly thin.

I sighed in relief, patting my dog’s head happily and went to go to Cassie and mine’s shared room. Since it was only a three-bedroom apartment, I got stuck sharing a room.

I bid Will goodnight and Will nodded. He was pawing around for snacks in the dark as quietly as could be. I had only gotten to the base of the stairs when I heard a different shuffle.

The light flicked on suddenly in the living room. My eyes shot over to the couch where a rather pissed off women was glaring at me.

Oh hell.

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Chapter Three: Mother Knows Best

 

The woman was our mother, Marie. Marie had worry lines evident beside her faded green eyes and her hair was the dark brown I inherited but it had silver streaked in it. It was just as curly as mine but more frizzy from lack of care lately. Her face was puffy from her weekly half-gals. She looked like hell dragged her down a waterslide.

She was tucked in a ratty, faded pink robe, her arms tucked in the sides. A mug sat beside her, the strong of scent of coffee and rum now burned down my throat. She had been ready to wait all night for us.

It seemed hard to be scared of a woman wearing Pooh-bear slippers but it’s quite possible.

Will glanced worriedly at me; he knew my temper level was lower than the amount of water in Death Valley. Fights with Marie ended with cookies from Bridget next door due to thin walls and slammed doors and all of evacuating the house for several hours so Mom could drain her anger in a bottle.

“Where have you been?” Marie snapped at me. I didn’t find this fair; both of us were caught past curfew. But you’re always behind the trouble. I thought angrily. I quickly tucked my hands into my hoodie, peeling off the gloves that I hadn’t bothered to remove earlier. Too late.

“Why are you wearing gloves?” Her eyes seemed to burn holes through my pocket.

“You weren’t—.” Will couldn’t keep it together. His eyes downcast and he grimaced. I wanted nothing more than to punch his stupid face.

Mom pulled the middle name card, hard and fast. She slammed her mug down hard, sloshing liquid onto the table.

“Jesus, help us all. Not my middle name. Should I start running now?” I muttered. A muscle jumped in my mom’s jaw. I thought maybe for a second she would slap me this time.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” She exclaimed loudly, standing up. She sounded overly exasperated tonight. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, avoiding my mother’s hard looks.

“Ship us off? I’ve heard military academies are nice. Perhaps one in Texas. Or Georgia!” I suggested beneath my breath, watching dust bunnies scurry across the high ceiling.

“Alexandria. You know I will not tolerate that. You two are to stay in this household until I say so.” Our mother demanded, staring at both of us with accusing eyes, this time directing some of her anger at her son who had been silent as a statue this entire time.

Will could have started to argue. I would have. Technically, he can leave in a few days. Pack his bags and run to New York if he wanted. He’d be an adult. But he still had one year left of high school and no money to buy an apartment. Plus, he couldn’t leave me here alone, could he? Horrible things would happen. Who would ration with me, calm me down, drive me home? I need someone sane to level me out that I won’t punch--- most of the time.

“How do you expect to go about that? Going to chain us to walls perhaps? That’s always fun. Oh, or lock us in the broiler rooms! I could use a nice facial.” I announced louder this time, switching weight to my other foot. Marie let out a rush of air, her mouth opened wide at me. I let my head roll back to give her a steady go-ahead-and-ground-me look.

“I would never—.”

“Yeah. I know. ‘You would never think of such a thing’.” I mimicked my mother’s voice perfectly. I’ve had years of practicing her voice, especially her angry one.

Will glared disapprovingly at me. I ignored him. I didn’t care what I said, if it hurt her or not. It was past that point. She’d drink it away and it’d be a distant, drunken memory tomorrow.

“Mom. Really. We’re both tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” Will said quickly, trying to save the situation. I huffed.

“Fine. Get to bed. But I don’t want to catch you out late anymore, doing—whatever—illegal activies you’re up to. I know it’s dangerous and it’s going to get you killed. You are not superheroes.” Marie said superheroes like it was a curse word.

“Whatever.” I turned on my heel sharply. Dakota followed, head ducked down. My feet slammed down on the stairs as I climbed to the top. I had a point to make. I was still angry.

After the dog’s tail was safely in the door of my room, the echo of the slamming bedroom door made me wince. It was louder than I was expecting and I probably woke Cassie up. But Cassie wasn’t in trouble of my anger, she never was.

I practically raised Cassie, since Marie didn’t invest time in her adolescence as she did ours. Probably for the better, since Cassie was seemed rather put together and rarely in the house. She avoided our mother like the plague and had a fascination with our father. He died—murdered—when she was just a baby so she never really got to know him. I have some little kid memories, but I think I made up most of them to comfort myself. Marie saw it happen, they were mugged after a movie and he was brutally stabbed. The news article said compared it to Satanic ritual, or Julius Caesar, he was practically unrecognizable. So she drinks—a lot.

It must be horrible…Relieving that almost every night. Seeing those images behind your eyelids when you slid them closed. I thought.

I was just glad I didn’t have to deal with those images.

I flicked on my night lamp beside my bed, seeing my little sister sitting up sleepily. I must have woken her up for she seemed slightly irritated.

For never knowing our dad, Cassie looks just like him. Blonde hair the color of wet sand and blue grey eyes like right after the sun goes down and everything is a silhouette. Her hair was in a messy, half slumped ponytail and she was blinking rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

“Ugh. What time is it?” Cassie mumbled as I slid my jeans off, not bothered by my audience. I glanced at my watch.

“It’s 1:36.” I said, exhaustion suddenly sweeping over me. Cassie groaned and flopped back down. She had gymnastic practice in six hours and had to be up in four. Cassie ran to the gym, four miles away and did pre-warm ups there, but liked to get a good breakfast. I’m glad I quit that world for the fast paced life.

I hurried and threw my black leather gloves in the drawer on my nightstand and shook myself out of the hoodie. Collapsing on my bed, I wiggled into pajama pants and hit the lights.

Dakota jumped on the bed, settling in at the bottom, leaving me stuck in my position. Cassie sighed, drifting back into dreamland. I glared at my ceiling, that exhaustion suddenly gone.

“Ah, come on. Sleep.” I whispered to myself as I stared at my ceiling. Cassie’s sheets crinkled as she rolled over, fast asleep now. I suddenly felt nervous, small rushes of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Normally, I loved this feeling. But it just felt eerie to me now.

I wondered if I focused on something, I could drift to sleep too. I could hear cars buzzing by on the nearby road and it was almost monotonous enough to put me to sleep. Almost.

My focus turned to Will’s snoring in the room beside mine. That wasn’t working. He sounded more like a chainsaw than a lullaby.

“Why can they sleep and I can’t?” I muttered angrily, trying to turn over. Dakota held my feet in place though, allowing no room to move. I groaned loudly and turned my face into my pillow awkwardly. My hair created a curtain around my face, the city lights being snuffed out.

Someone was outside, talking rather loudly. I rolled my eyes in agitation, wishing they would shut up already. Don’t they have any respect for the people sleeping? Or attempting to sleep?

That’s when I heard front door handle jingled obnoxiously. I sat up, my hair sticking to my face. I hadn’t noticed I had begun to sweat. I brushed it from my face, listening. Dakota had perked up too, his ears cocked to the side.

Maybe it was just some drunk neighbor, stopped at the wrong door. It wouldn’t be the first time. The rattling continued, followed by the creaking of the lock being undone.

Dakota’s hackles were raised, a low growl emanated from low in his throat. I patted his head, trying to shush him, but it only worked so well. I pulled my feet out from beneath the dog and slid out of my room. If I can’t sleep, I’ll investigate. I thought to myself.

The house was dark but my eyes were already adjusting quickly. I blinked, the last of the darkness melting away, and leaned over the railing carefully. I can hear someone, the ones talking too loud, lower to a whisper outside and the knob jerked violently. Dakota snapped his jaw, the growl getting slightly louder. The people paused, listening too.

I backed off hastily, my eyes wide. Leaning down, brushing back the hackles, I tried to calm Dakota, telling him to be quiet. Somewhere in his dogmind, he seemed to grasp this was a time to be sneakily protective and kept his growl low and vicious, instead of loud and intensive. I scurried to Will’s room, glad, for the first time, that my brother almost never had a messy room.

“Will,” I whispered, nudging his side. He grumbled, rolling over. I shoved my hand into his ribs. Will’s eyes snapped open, blinking furiously against the darkness. His eyes didn’t adjust as quickly as mine.

“Alex?” He murmured, rubbing his hands over his eyes, slowly raising himself to a sitting position.

“No, the Easter bunny. Wake up, you buffoon!” I hissed, glancing behind me. I half expected there to be someone watching us. But no one stood in the door but Dakota, staring intensely over the stairs. He was growling lowly still, his hair sticking straight up. Will leaned against his wall where a headboard should have been, running a hand through his shaggy, light hair.

“What do you want?” He mumbled sleepily. His breath washed over my face. My nose wrinkled.

“Your breath smells horrible.” I said, taking a step back. Will groaned, laying back down. I growled lowly in the back of my throat and scowled at him. His eyes snapped shut.

“I’m going to bed.” He says. I hit him again, harder. Will’s eyes open, clearly angry with me now. He shoved me away from him, tossing his hands in the air.

“Someone’s breaking in.” I whispered. Oh boy, did that wake up him right up. I jumped backwards, avoiding being smacked in the head barely. Dakota tore off down the stairs, his nails clacking as he skidded across the fake wood floors.

“What? Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” Will panicked, reaching for the baseball bat by his bed. Downstairs, Dakota began barking loudly.

“Because your breath caught me off guard.” I said simply. Will rolled his eyes, slinking out of the room cautiously. I followed behind him quietly, tapping his shoulder. He glanced over. I stood on my tiptoes so I could whisper in his ear.

“Grab some tic-tacs while you’re down there!” I whispered. Will shot me a look. I fell back on my feet and flashed him a smile.

“Just go get Cassie.” He growled. I chuckled, ducking back into my room. I ran back to our room, giving no care to waking her gently. I grabbed her blankets and tossed them off her bed.

Cassie jumped, her eyes scanning the room before locking on me angrily. This was the second time I had woken her up tonight with my rude behavior.

“What the hell, Alex?”

“Get out of bed, uh, and put something warmer on. Someone’s broke in the house.” I whispered.

WHAT?” Cassie shrieked. I slapped my hand over her mouth. She glared at me, trying to peel it off. I let her, placing a finger over my lips.

“Shut up, would you? You’re being loud. Someone broke in. Now put some pants on and get your ass outside quietly.” She nodded without a word and began shuffling about. I ran to the door, listening. I didn’t hear anything. It worried me. Where was Will? Where were the people who picked the locks?

I was wasting time. The longer we spent in here, the easier it would be for them to find us. I would hate myself if something to happened to Cassie. I yanked on my running shoes and my hoodie and began rummaging through my drawers as quietly as possible.

“What are you doing?” Cassie grumbled behind me. I grabbed my pocketknife and screwdriver from where I had stashed them, smiling. She rolled her eyes and hoisted her gym bag on her shoulder. Go figure she’d think to bring her gym bag. God forbid she might be late.

I grabbed Cassie’s hand, shuffling down the stairs as quietly as possible. My feet fumbled at the speed I was taking the steps, Cassie’s bag making an awkward sloshing noise.

I stopped momentarily at the last step, scanning the messy living room, my eyes only catching empty take-out boxes and mile high piles of unwanted bills and magazines.

Had they left? Did Will already shoo them off?

I could hear a scuffle outside. The door was wide open, city lights streaming in. I turned to my younger sister, my face deadly serious.

“Run. Straight to the car. Don’t stop. If you see someone, scream fire as loud as you possibly can.” I commanded. Cassie nodded, her hands trembling in mine. It was painful, but I placed a kiss on her hair and let her go. Cassie ran towards the door, the reassuring sound of her footsteps hitting the pavement made me relax but only a little bit. I still didn’t know where the intruders were.

I realized my mother was probably still asleep, unaware of the situation. I was surprised at myself for caring so much but she was my mother. I’m programmed to love her even if I don’t want to sometimes.

I turned around sharply, running smack into a wall of flesh. I stumbled backwards, tripping over the corner step. A man with a bushy mustache and a baldhead grins down at me. My breath caught in my throat, adrenaline making my head spin. Years of martial arts instincts kicked in and I felt my body slide on defense.

Snitch.

That’s when I heard the small noise as a switchblade opened up. I felt like kicking myself, wishing I hadn’t put my own pocketknife in my pockets. I couldn’t attack him straight on in the dark when he had a weapon, not the way I planned. The moonlight glinted off the blade enough that I could fight for the blade and hope I didn’t get stabbed in the process.

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Chapter Four: Epinephrine Adventures

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