I Won't Let You Choke On Your Misery
Chapter One - Impulse
The streetlights silently shone in the darkness, their light shimmering on the wet ground. My footsteps were the only thing breaking the dead quiet. My phone buzzed. It was Alice telling me to let her know I got home safe. She was such a worrier, but I guess I had left her house fairly late. I wasn’t too worried though, I walk this path so frequently and it wasn’t too secluded, I felt safe enough. I smiled to myself at her caring thought and carried on the short walk home. I sped up slightly, hearing rowdy voices coming from the bars that this path snaked behind. The amount of activity out on the street made me think there must have been a something going on in town that night. As I walked and came closer to a turn in the path, the voices became louder. I could hear shoes scuffing, a struggle?
“Look. How pathetic, he can’t even stand straight he’s so drunk.” Loud laughs followed. I slowed my steps, sinking into the wall of the alley. I had no idea what I was about to see, but I knew it wasn’t good. I took a deep, quiet breath in and peered round the corner.
I was right, it was anything but good. Four men circled another, he was obviously incredibly drunk. The four had pinned him to the wall of the alley. One of the men stood directly in front of him, he seemed to be the ring leader of … well, whatever they were. I really didn’t like the way this was heading.
“Not as confident without your friends are we?” The other men laughed, mockingly tapping the poor guy on the arm.
“I need to go…” he protested, slurring his words slightly. He tried to push them away but they just shoved him back against the wall.
“Get off me!” The four only laughed in his face. Something must of snapped inside him, he took a swing for one of them. That was it. They all began to beat him. He was screaming for them to get off but he could do nothing….but I could.
“HEY!” I shouted, I had no idea what to do. They acted as if they hadn’t heard me. I ran towards them, putting myself in front of the drunken guy and tried to get the bigger guy off him.
“GET OFF, GET OFF HIM!” I yelled half possessed, pushing hard against his chest. My efforts were counting for very little, and I was unsure how much longer I could stop them from hurting us. Whilst I was blocking the attacks from the guy stood in front, the other two were hitting the bloodied and bruised man behind me from the sides. He was yelling out in pain and I was beginning to panic. I could feel him struggling and fighting less as the seconds passed. The biggest man grabbed me hard by the shoulders and tried to throw me down, hitting me in the stomach. A whimper escaped from my lips and I doubled over in excruciating pain. As I looked up, the light caught what he was grasping in his hand. My pulse began to hammer and the air caught in my throat. I reached under my shirt, feeling a warm gush under my palm. Blood stained my hand, I’d been cut.
Nothing went slower like it does in the movies, I had no time to feel sorry for myself or think of a plan. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself back up, throwing myself at the man still holding a knife. I gave him the best right hook I had; I felt my bones crunch as I hit his face.
“You little bitch!” He knocked me to the floor. The others stopped their attack and stepped forward, all eyes on me. The man they were attacking, the man I had put myself in this horrific position for, slumped to the floor. There was no one here to save me and I had no strength left to save myself. As I looked into the eyes of the attackers, I did the one thing I had left, bluff.
“The police will be here any second now, I hear knife crime is a pretty serious offense.” I didn’t dare show my fear. They all laughed at me. The leader knelt down, putting his face right next to mine. Every single part of me was screaming inside, cringing away from his warm breath on my face.
“I’m afraid what’s about to happen next may be even less forgivable.” He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and held his knife under my chin. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I closed my eyes, realising I could do nothing but hope it wouldn’t be too painful. I waited….but nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see the men frozen and looking at each other with worried expressions. Then I heard what they could. Police sirens. The man in front of me stood up and with one last cold glance at me, led the others down the alley. I couldn’t care less where, anywhere away from us was good enough.
I crawled to his side my eyes brimming with tears; he was in a bad way. His eyes followed me, but he did not move or speak. I put my hand on the side of his neck, running my thumb along his jawbone.
“Can you hear me? What’s your name?” I kept my voice as clear as possible, but it was hard.
“Jack” he replied in little louder than a whisper.
“Hey Jack, my names Rose. Your gunna be okay, I’m going to call for some help. That was a close one huh?” I laughed very weakly. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to reassure him or myself. I moved my hand from his neck and shuffled back slightly to call an ambulance. Jack’s arm shot out and he placed his hand on my knee.
“Wait, please.. please don’t leave me.” His eyes mirrored mine, tears beginning to brim over. I took his hand in mine, shaking like a leaf, and promised I wouldn’t leave him. As I made the call for an ambulance, I watched his face carefully. I suddenly realised who it was, how could I have been so blind and stupid. The guy laid in front of me, covered in blood and bruises, was Jack Barakat.
“Look. How pathetic, he can’t even stand straight he’s so drunk.” Loud laughs followed. I slowed my steps, sinking into the wall of the alley. I had no idea what I was about to see, but I knew it wasn’t good. I took a deep, quiet breath in and peered round the corner.
I was right, it was anything but good. Four men circled another, he was obviously incredibly drunk. The four had pinned him to the wall of the alley. One of the men stood directly in front of him, he seemed to be the ring leader of … well, whatever they were. I really didn’t like the way this was heading.
“Not as confident without your friends are we?” The other men laughed, mockingly tapping the poor guy on the arm.
“I need to go…” he protested, slurring his words slightly. He tried to push them away but they just shoved him back against the wall.
“Get off me!” The four only laughed in his face. Something must of snapped inside him, he took a swing for one of them. That was it. They all began to beat him. He was screaming for them to get off but he could do nothing….but I could.
“HEY!” I shouted, I had no idea what to do. They acted as if they hadn’t heard me. I ran towards them, putting myself in front of the drunken guy and tried to get the bigger guy off him.
“GET OFF, GET OFF HIM!” I yelled half possessed, pushing hard against his chest. My efforts were counting for very little, and I was unsure how much longer I could stop them from hurting us. Whilst I was blocking the attacks from the guy stood in front, the other two were hitting the bloodied and bruised man behind me from the sides. He was yelling out in pain and I was beginning to panic. I could feel him struggling and fighting less as the seconds passed. The biggest man grabbed me hard by the shoulders and tried to throw me down, hitting me in the stomach. A whimper escaped from my lips and I doubled over in excruciating pain. As I looked up, the light caught what he was grasping in his hand. My pulse began to hammer and the air caught in my throat. I reached under my shirt, feeling a warm gush under my palm. Blood stained my hand, I’d been cut.
Nothing went slower like it does in the movies, I had no time to feel sorry for myself or think of a plan. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself back up, throwing myself at the man still holding a knife. I gave him the best right hook I had; I felt my bones crunch as I hit his face.
“You little bitch!” He knocked me to the floor. The others stopped their attack and stepped forward, all eyes on me. The man they were attacking, the man I had put myself in this horrific position for, slumped to the floor. There was no one here to save me and I had no strength left to save myself. As I looked into the eyes of the attackers, I did the one thing I had left, bluff.
“The police will be here any second now, I hear knife crime is a pretty serious offense.” I didn’t dare show my fear. They all laughed at me. The leader knelt down, putting his face right next to mine. Every single part of me was screaming inside, cringing away from his warm breath on my face.
“I’m afraid what’s about to happen next may be even less forgivable.” He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and held his knife under my chin. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I closed my eyes, realising I could do nothing but hope it wouldn’t be too painful. I waited….but nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see the men frozen and looking at each other with worried expressions. Then I heard what they could. Police sirens. The man in front of me stood up and with one last cold glance at me, led the others down the alley. I couldn’t care less where, anywhere away from us was good enough.
I crawled to his side my eyes brimming with tears; he was in a bad way. His eyes followed me, but he did not move or speak. I put my hand on the side of his neck, running my thumb along his jawbone.
“Can you hear me? What’s your name?” I kept my voice as clear as possible, but it was hard.
“Jack” he replied in little louder than a whisper.
“Hey Jack, my names Rose. Your gunna be okay, I’m going to call for some help. That was a close one huh?” I laughed very weakly. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to reassure him or myself. I moved my hand from his neck and shuffled back slightly to call an ambulance. Jack’s arm shot out and he placed his hand on my knee.
“Wait, please.. please don’t leave me.” His eyes mirrored mine, tears beginning to brim over. I took his hand in mine, shaking like a leaf, and promised I wouldn’t leave him. As I made the call for an ambulance, I watched his face carefully. I suddenly realised who it was, how could I have been so blind and stupid. The guy laid in front of me, covered in blood and bruises, was Jack Barakat.
6/6/13