Dark Ordained - Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

I have no idea how I did it but I made it back into town. I’d driven on auto pilot and got as far as a small car park close to the town centre. 

I think I had been heading to Joey’s but going there wouldn’t do me any good. I needed help, and the people I would have gone to were no longer around. 

So I was just sitting in my dead brother’s car, bleeding and scared. Then I saw a piece of paper on the passenger side of the car. I picked it up and realised it was Nancy’s number, she had written it down for me the day before, it must have fallen from my jacket. 

I checked the time on the dash and it was quarter past six so Nancy’s shop might still be open and she was my last hope. I didn't think to call as the shop was within walking distance.

I went to get out of the car and caught sight of my reflection in the wing mirror. I was grey skinned and covered in blood, it was on my face, my hands, covering my front, everywhere. My clothes were also drenched with blood and torn up. I looked at my shoulder, there were three jagged gouges raking across my skin from just under my collar bone and backwards over my shoulder. The wounds were deep and mixed in with the blood was something darker. I tried to get a closer look but the movement made my collar bone protrude at a funny angle under my skin. It was definitely broken. There was no way I could walk down the high street looking like I did without drawing attention to myself. 

I looked around me in the car and spotted Joey’s hoodie on the back seat. Keeping my damaged arm as still as possible I stripped off my ruined jacket and struggled into Joey’s hoodie. I was gritting my teeth so hard that my jaw was hurting almost as much as my shoulder. Almost. I did the zip all the way up and pulled the hood over my head. The hoodie was big enough that it fell almost to my knees and the hood hid my face. There was nothing I could do to hide the blood on my shoes or the bottom of my jeans, I would just have to move quickly.

I got out of the car and the second I stood up the world spun and I didn’t know if I was going to pass out or throw up, or both. Once it stopped enough for me to move I locked Joey’s car out of habit and headed down a back street. I kept my head down and chose the most deserted paths as I walked to Nancy’s shop. 

People were still inside the shop as I entered but no one looked up as the bell by the door rang. 

By this point I was extremely light headed and my damaged arm was numb from fingers to elbow. I couldn’t see Nancy anywhere on the shop floor and the shop assistant was busy with another customer so I stumbled to the back of the shop where the beaded curtain was drawn back and secured to the door frame with a tie.

I was at the doorway when the clerk spotted me. They called out and I paused, clutching the door frame for support.

“You can’t go back there,” the shop assistant called across the shop, I didn’t turn.

“Excuse me, I said you can’t go back there,” I heard them sigh and begin to make their way towards me. 

I thought about moving but my legs were threatening to give out on me, I just stayed still and swaying slightly. The slow patter of my blood dripping onto the floor seemed ridiculously loud. 

The assistant was only a row of shelves away from me when the backroom door opened. 

I was expecting to see Nancy but instead Luc strode through with an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. He raised his head and took one look as my bloodied face and then took in the assistant trying to get my attention. 

He paused for a fraction of a second before sticking his cigarette behind his ear, coming to me and waving away the assistant. He said something about me being a friend and gently guided me further into the backroom. He released the curtain which fell and hid us from the view of everyone in the shop before he put his arm around my side. He held on tight to support my weight, the pressure squeezed my injured arm and I had to stop myself crying out. I pushed Luc away from my side and I toppled backwards into the table at the centre of the room.

“Shit, sorry,” Luc moved closer again and pulled back the top of the hoodie on my injured side. I couldn't help it, I  looked to. There were black lines spreading from the wounds like a poisoned spiderweb.

“Ok, we need to get you upstairs,” Luc opened the back door, then moved to my least injured side and slid one arm behind my back and the other behind my knees. Carefully he lifted me and carried me upstairs. My head lolled onto his shoulder and I felt the rumble of his voice as he called for Nancy. She appeared from at the top of the stairs and hurried us into her living room. 

I remember being set down on the couch but I must have passed out soon after because after that my memory is blank.