Crazy About You

My eyes widened and I tried very hard not to open my jaw too much. Someone's trying to kidnap me! Oh God.

I let my head fall down and turned around, walking back to the house again. I half-ran this time, afraid of what my 'kidnapper' was going to do. Oh my God. I heard footsteps behind me, much faster ones, though I knew PaleFace was walking his normal pace. He was about four inches taller than me, obviously wih longer legs.

I cursed under my breath and started walking faster this time. And then I eventually broke into a sprint. That was just going to set PaleFace running too! Damn...

I ran my fastest, knowing that was the only thing I could do. I forced my legs to go further and pushed myself off, increasing my speed. My head was up now and I felt the air against my face.

I knew PaleFace was going to catch up with me soon enough, but at least I got a head start. I could hear he was behind me now, probably jogging.

And then I felt his hard hand on my shoulder again, stopping me right on the spot and gripping my shoulder so tight that I gasped.

He turned me around and my eyes widened again.

"What are you doing? Get off of me!" I screamed, pulling myself away from the man, but it didn't seem to make any difference, what with his tight grip on me.

PaleFace showed no emotion, though it was getting dark and late. He simply ignored me as if I hadn't said anything and grabbed my wrist. He started to pull me back to the park.

"Get off of me!" I repeated, my voice louder now. I felt his grip tighten and I was surprised he hadn't broken my wrist. What the hell was he doing anyway? What does he want from me? I don't have anything!

He ignored me again and kept dragging me back. I pulled away from him, but he simply kept on dragging me and I couldn't help not being dragged, no matter how much I forced my feet to stay stuck on the ground.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at him, fighting back the tears. We were close to the park now, but then he turned a corner and we were heading a different direction. "Where are you taking me?!"

"Will you lower your voice down for a minute?!" he hissed, getting annoyed by my yells himself.

"No! Don't tell me what to do!" I shrieked and this time he pulled me faster and eventually, he was running. I had to keep up since I couldn't stop, he was too strong.

After a few minutes of running, PaleFace slowed down when we reached a dark alleyway. He pulled me through it until we were in the middle, and I couldn't see anything at all. Just plain black.

"Promise me you won't escape first," PaleFace said, and I noticed his voice for the first time. It was soft. Like velvet, like silk.

"What?! No!" I was still shouting; I couldn't get my voice to lower down in this situation.

I heard him sigh and then he said, in a much lower voice, "If you want to live a normal life, then listen to me. I will help you."

A normal life? Does he know about me? He's been spying on me!

"Why have you been spying on me?" This came out from my mouth, low and sort of calm. But I was saying it through clenched teeth since I did not want to lose my temper.

"Will you just listen?" He was getting annoyed too.

I made a sulky face in the dark and mumbled. He took that as a yes and started to 'explain' whatever he was going to explain.

"What I need you to do is this - tomorrow, at about two in the afternoon, I need you to tell John and Angela that you're leaving. Run to the store where you shoplift the alcohol and just stay outside and wait for me. Do not stay with John and Angela, whatever they do to you. Just run over to the store, ignore your parents, and wait for me. You understand?"

I still stayed silent. How had he known about John and Angela? How had he known about the corner shop? How had he known that I had stolen stuff from that shop?

"Why?" I finally asked. I didn't trust this man. "You're some stranger, and I don't trust you. You have been spying on me."

I heard PaleFace sigh. "Do what I say and you'll be out of your 'ruined life' as you call it. Trust me on this. Now, do you understand?" He said these words, trying to be calm.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I do understand, and you will be finding out what I'm doing tomorrow," I said in a not-so-bothered tone.

He showed no emotion [well, he was probably showing no emotion], and just left casually, like nothing had happened. I was confused and... just plain confused. How had he known everything about me? And my thoughts too? Your 'ruined life' as you call it.

Seriously, how does this stranger know everything about me?

I still had to think about this.

And I did, as I sprinted back to the house and knew that I was going to get beaten up as soon as I came in. I slowed to a walk when I was near.

I quietly opened the door and made as less noise possible as I closed it behind me and made my way - very quietly, very slowly - up the stairs.

But as I was halfway up, I felt a hand drag me back down.

"Where the hell have you been?!" John growled. His face was level with mine and was just centimetres away. Mad was clearly written on his face.

"I was out in the park..." I said quietly.

"Well, don't go there anymore!" he spat at me.

I saw his hand clench into fists and then slammed it hard on me. I immediately went down, clutching my face and feeling the hot liquid trickle down my nose.

The pain was unbearable and so I stayed crouched down at the bottom of the stairs for ten minutes, though it had only felt like one. I fought back the tears, but I couldn't with the pain and I heard myself sob quietly at the bottom of the stairs.

As the pain started to fade away, I made my way up to my room, still holding the area where John had hit me. I couldn't care less about the blood or my dried tears still on my cheeks; this was what I dealt with every day.

I wondered... what had caused my parents to change like this? The first time I'd seen them like this was when Angela came in my room as I was playing my Barbie dolls, then threw me out when I was five. But how did they change? What changed them?

Before then, my parents were nice ones, always getting me stuff that I wanted. Then they turn into these monsters that I don't know anymore?

I didn't get to sleep last night because a) my face was throbbing, b) I couldn't stop thinking about tomorrow and what would happen with that man, and c) John or Angela always came to me, barging through the door and shouting their heads off about something.

Reason C always happened every night, though. But I do get to sleep, then wake up because of that, then go back to sleep, then wake up... And the 'cycle' goes on.

However, tonight was different. I didn't get one second of sleep, and for some reason, I wasn't even tired. I was just worried...

And when it was morning, I got more worried.

I decided to get out of bed when I heard a bottle smash downstairs in the living room. So I got up and got dressed. I had my 'breakfast' and went outside to steal some more bottles of alcohol for my so-called parents.

How I got breakfast? I steal my meals. That's how bad my life is. I still get them from the corner shop where I steal John and Angela's alcohol as well. When they need more drinks, I would go to the shop and get them some, along with my 'meals' as well.

Not very healthy ones, though. I usually get granola bars, packets of crisps, some chocolate, stuff like that. I can't get anything huge.

So after that, I went round to the shop, stole a few bottles of alcohol, carefully not letting it slip from under my shirt, and went back to the house. I didn't need to tell John or Angela that I was going to get beer, that was just my morning routine.

~~~

Time passed by more quickly than I expected, and I found out it was already two. I realised that I had already made my decision. What I was going to do.

I was going to follow PaleFace's instructions.