The Final Chapter (Dark Side Thursday)

This is the final chapter to my Dark Side story, still untitled. If you would like to start at the beginning, please first read here and then here and then here.

It has been a while since my last instalment but I wrote three different endings on my flight home this week and this is kind of a merging of two of them. I’d love to know what you think.

Gradually, her sobbing subsided and with her weary and damaged arms she was only able to slap at the door. She was almost at the point of hyperventilating and as the sound of her captors approaching grew louder, she felt ashamed that she hadn’t made it out. She knew they were going to punish her for trying to escape and her spirit was crushed at the thought of what they would do to her. She should have tried harder, taken another chance. 

She collapsed weakly to the ground as they rounded the corner, the one in front leering at her as he usually did. He didn’t slow as he came at her and deliberately tackled her in her sitting position as the other one laughed quietly. She was crushed under him and her head hit something sharp on the ground. Slightly dazed, her hand flew up to cover the object and she gripped it tight as he pulled her to her feet. She only had one chance. She knew it! She held onto his arm, feigning an inability to stand as the other one checked the door. He opened it and slipped through to the other side, leaving it ajar slightly. She still hadn’t seen his face, but she had noticed how similar their bodies were, and assumed they must be brothers. 

Sick, twisted brothers. 

Her captor was distracted, watching his brother move away from the door. They heard an engine start and he drove off, tires throwing gravel as he left. “Just you and me now”, he said, turning back to face her, so close, grabbing at her breast again and she winced in pain. As he stretched out his other arm to close the door, she struck, cutting him deeply, slicing through the fleshy part just below the elbow on the inside of his arm. He let go of her in surprise to grab at his arm and she drew back, thankful for another chance, and jabbed the sharp edge into his side, forcing it into his flesh and pushing him back with all of her strength. With his weapons strapped behind him and with him already off balance, he fell right back and she pounded through the doorway, breaking into a full sprint, shocked at the surge of energy she suddenly felt. 

She couldn’t hear anything but the gasping of her own breath and the pounding of her feet on the wet asphalt. It was late at night, dark and there was a misty rain falling. She knew she needed to get as far away from him as possible. Leaning forward, she moved up onto her toes and began to sprint faster as she heard him coming through the doorway behind her. She didn’t have a strong lead but by God she was going to keep it. She could hear his laboured breathing, he didn’t seem built for speed and with any luck she had damaged one of his kidneys with that jab. She spotted a corner ahead and hoped for somewhere to hide, although something told her she should really keep running, get as far away from here as possible. 

Rounding the corner, she hit a slimy patch and her left foot slid out sideways, tripping on some garbage and fighting to stay upright. He rounded the corner behind her just as she whipped her head around to look for him and she screamed in terror at the look on his face as she tried to keep running. But she was out of rhythm now. She started across the street, moving toward the one street lamp that was working. She could hear him now, getting closer and closer, she was so surprised and devastated at his speed. He knew this space, he’s done this before, his strides were sure. 

Suddenly her shoulder shrieked in pain and her voice echoed the shriek as his fingers dug into her shoulder and pulled her backwards. Her vision went white as the pain intensified and as she realized that he had her. He really had her now. He forced her to her knees and her vision cleared as she looked up at him, screaming, hoping someone would come. He was so close, his putrid breath all over her face, his eyes demonic as he raised his blade to her throat and pressed it into her neck. Time seemed to slow right down as she felt the blade pierce her flesh and she shuddered and again started to cry. Crying for the family who would be devastated by her death, crying for the love she was leaving behind, crying for the new little family that they were already starting together. 

… … … … … … … … … … … 

She passed out before she hit the cold wet ground and didn’t hear the gunshots that rang out through the night. She didn’t see the big man fly backwards as he was hit with multiple bullets. And she didn’t see Mike sprinting towards her while the bullets were still flying. 

He gathered her into his arms and hugged her to his chest even as the medics approached and tried to apply pressure to her neck. “Help her!” Mike screamed. “What’s happening? Can you fix this?” He knew that he was screaming, he knew that he was in the way. He forced himself to let the medics take her from him and lie her out flat so they could work on her. He turned away as the tears came and then he saw the bastard on the ground just a few feet away. He lurched to his feet and ran straight at him, determined to end him if he wasn’t dead already. Out of nowhere, Amanda stepped in between them and took the brunt of his force, shocking him into stumbling to the side to avoid hurting her. “Leave it Mike, he’s dead. Gone. We got him. Go. Be with her.” He sobbed and knew that she was right. Turning to look back at his sister, he saw her hand lift up and reach towards him. He leapt towards her, falling heavily on his knees to grip her hand. Miraculously, she was awake and breathing. “How? How is she awake? How?” One of the medics told him that she had passed out from exhaustion and shock. The wound was damaging but she would be ok.

He looked back at her and saw that she was looking up at him, her eyelids fluttering. “Mike” she whispered and he cried again, smiling. He didn’t know he could cry so much. “You’re late,” she said. “Where the hell have you been?” She smiled weakly and he hugged her again, knowing she was going to be ok. 

Thanks again to Andy for hosting Dark Side Thursday and enabling me to share my dark side. You can read his story here – Andy is writing a serial story, one week at a time and is over halfway now! Such an amazing feat.

x desleyjane