Chapter 1 Escape

Staggering, I lean against the wall next to me, my heart beating violently in my chest as I struggle to catch my breath.

I can't stop here, Daniel can not catch me here.

No matter what happens I have to escape from him tonight.

I glance behind me as their voices get louder. Breathing heavily, I start running once more, running into an alley.

My feet throbbed in pain with each step I took further, threatening to give up on me any minute from now. But I don't stop, I can't afford the luxury of stopping to rest my feet right now. I had to make sure I escaped from that man that night or else he would kill me.

"There she is. Get her!" I hear one of them yell close to me, and I gasp, the panic within me intensifies.

They are close by, I need to keep moving.

Ignoring the pain I felt in my feet, I quickened my pace, turning a corner and hoping to lose it along the way.

My leg wobbles as I run further and before I know it, I'm losing balance about to make contact with the floor.

Not now. Not now.

Thrusting my hands out, I break my fall wincing in pain when I make contact with the hard floor.

I bite my lip to stop myself from crying out in pain.

"She has to be here somewhere. Find her!" I hear him scream close by and my body goes rigid in fear.

I need to escape somehow. Find a place to hide. I need to make sure he doesn't see me, or he will certainly kill me this time.

Scanning my location with my ears, I search for a place to hide.

I stayed on the ground, hoping I wasn't visible and he wouldn't come this way.

Spotting a dumpster a few meters away from where I lay, I pulled myself to it, hiding beside it, bringing my knees to my chest.

I hold my breath when I hear their footsteps running past me.

"She couldn't have gone far. Make sure you find her or else!" He barks at them.

I cover my mouth with my hands to prevent myself from making any noise when his shoes enter my field of vision. My hands trembling in fear.

"I know you are here somewhere little red. When I get you. You would regret a lot of things. Your punishment would be less if you just come out now" He tells me with a surprisingly calm voice but I don't buy it.

I bring my knees closer to my chest, trying to make myself less visible than I was already.

"Dammit! Come out now!" He yells punching the wall and I flinch closing my eyes.

Memories of when I was in the place of the wall floods my mind but I shake my head, trying to clear the thoughts.

"Little Red. When I get you. You would regret your entire existence and beg for mercy. But I wouldn't be kind enough to show any mercy then." He says before he turns away and walks off.

I listen closely to him walking off as his footsteps get further and further away.

When I was certain he was gone, I finally released the breath I was holding.

Rubbing my chest to stop my fast-beating heart, I look up at the moon. Its rays shone brightly down at me. Luckily it was covered by the clouds earlier, if not He would have caught me for sure.

Taking a deep breath, I get up and turn around about to start running but I stop in shock. My eyes shook in fear as I stared back at the man who ruined my life.

Gasping, I fall back making contact with the body of the dumpster.

"There you are." He says, his lips curling menacingly.

"Stay... stay.. stay away." I stuttered, trying to go backward but I was prevented by the dumpster.

"Red. Red." He tuts shaking his head at me.

He never called me by name, he only called me Red because of my hair color.

"How stupid of you to think you could actually escape from me. Bold move, I must say. But quite stupid." He stares down at me, giving me a look that makes me feel stupid.

I gasp when he roughly fists my hair, yanking my head backward. I held back my scream, preventing myself from showing any form of being in pain. He hates it when you show weakness.

"By the time I'm done with you, darling. You'd be back to the obedient little girl you were." He promises to instill a renewed sense of terror within me

I can't let him take me back home. I have to do something. I have to escape now.

Something glints by my side and using my peripheral vision, I see a bottle lying close to me.

Stretching my hands I reach for the bottle, grabbing the bottle by the neck, I use it to hit his head.

"Damn. You little!" He screams, holding his head and staggering backward.

I see blood flowing from his head, but I don't stay to watch him. Forcing myself up, I run back the way I came choosing another turn.

Hopefully, I don't run into one of his men.

"Find her. I don't care what you do bring her to me." I hear him scream and my heartbeat increases in fear.

I need to find someone to help me, can I find anyone here.

I hear voices a distance away and I feel a little shimmer of hope.

Following the voice, I turn a corner and I see them.

Maybe they can help me. I hoped as I got closer to them

Bang.

Coming to a halt when a gunshot rings out and someone falls to the floor.

His shooter stares at him void of any emotion as he struggles for breath before finally breathing his last.

I was frozen in fear as I watched him stare at the already dead man, his hand lying by his side with his gun.

If he sees me he might kill me, but if Daniel sees me he would definitely kill me.

What should I do? I look around trying to find an alternative route to escape, but there is none.

"She must be somewhere, find here!" I hear one of Daniel's men coming from behind and I make a decision.

Putting one leg forward, his eyes immediately snap to me the moment I do and I'm struck by how cold and dark his eyes are, but I don't stop.

I can't really stop right now.

Using the little bit of strength I had, l pushed myself towards him.

One of the men next to him raises his gun to shoot me, but he stops him.

When I get to them my leg gives way beneath me and I fall before him, holding his legs to prevent myself from hitting the floors.

"Please save me" I begged, looking up at him with desperation in my eyes.

He stares down at me with cold eyes, his expression giving nothing away.