I had a lot to contemplate as I walked home that day. The image of Gerard's scarred forearm was stuck in my mind. The shock was slowly melting away, burned by the heat of fierce anger. Gerard's cutting hurt and angered me more than my own. After all, I needed to cut, to take away the emotions that I was too weak to control. Deep down, I felt I deserved it. I deserved the pain and the ugly scars, for being such a fat, ugly, worthless person. But Gerard? No, Gerard didn't deserve it. Strong, sweet, caring, understanding, how could someone like him deserve any pain? It infuriated me that he felt that way, that someone made him feel so low he harmed his own body. I wanted to find the people who hurt him and make them regret. I wanted to- My train of thought was lost completely as I opened the door to my house and was knocked to the floor by a powerful fist. I slammed onto the hard laminate with a pained cry. Blood came down my forehead like a waterfall, gushing from the spot where my head had hit the floor. I barely had time to look up at the dark shape of a man looming over me, before he had grasped my hair and yanked me painfully upright, shoving me against the wall. I began to scream, but I was stopped by the feel of harsh, cold, sharp metal against my throat. I couldn't breathe. I looked up into his face wildly, and saw a twisted, hateful expression. I also noted his pupils, fully dilated, a result of whatever he had last put in his system. My 'father' was a dealer and a hardcore addict, so he tended to have most every drug lying around, I had often found him sniffing rows of powder, smoking spliffs, injecting himself. There was no telling what he was high this time, but it was strong, whatever it was. Strong enough to compel him to hold a wickedly sharp knife against my throat. I stared at him, unmoving, as he leant forward into my face. "I hate you," he hissed. "You ruin everything. You're a living disaster. You ruined my life. You DROVE HER AWAY." With those last three words, he pressed closer still, and I felt a sharp sting on my neck. The knife had begun opening a wound. "This is it," he snarled. I could smell alcohol on his breath. "I'm getting rid of you. I've had enough of all the problems you cause. Once you're gone, I'll be able to live again. I'll-" I slammed my knee into his crotch before he could finish. He leant forward in pain, and I took the opportunity to elbow him in the side of the head, as hard as I could, making him collapse to floor, unconscious. I don't how I had the strength to knock him out, but I wasn't complaining. I stared down at him for a moment. He was going to kill me. I couldn't stay here. I had nowhere to go, but anywhere was better than this hellhole. I staggered up to my room, trying to wipe the blood away from my face. It was a wasted effort, because the blood just kept coming. I was getting light-headed, but I couldn't afford to pass out now. I dashed to my room, as fast as possible in my battered state, and began gathering up things. Two spare outfits, underwear, my phone and it's charger, stuffing everything into a large backpack. I crawled under my bed and grabbed the stash of money I'd been saving for months. Around two hundred dollars. Enough to feed me for a while, maybe pay for a crappy room for a night or two. Inspiration struck me suddenly, and I dashed to his room. I opened the huge wardrobe, cast away the piles of filthy, unwashed clothing, and found a safe. I keyed in the code - he'd never told me it, but I could guess it easily enough, his ex-wife's birth date. Inside, I found piles of cash, notes just thrown carelessly in with no order or sense to them. I grabbed a few handfuls, stuffed them in with my own money, then slung the bag on my back and ran down the stairs. I hopped over his still figure, and dashed out the door. Just as I left, I heard him moan, and my heart leapt. He was waking up. My head hurt, and the blood was still coming, but I knew I had to run if I wanted a chance. With no more hesitation, I sprinted. I took random turns and flew down streets, not thinking about where I was going, my feet pounding frantically. I took a sharp turn, and heard a cry as I collided with someone. Weakened, I fell in a heap on the street, eyes closed, swimming toward unconsciousness. "What the fuck...?" The male voice was vaguely familiar, but didn't have the strength or the willpower to dwell on it. "Dude, I think she's bleeding..." A second voice then joined. "Who is she?" I felt warm, strong hands turn me onto my back, and brush blood and hair from my face. Several horrified gasps echoed around me. "Krissy!" I heard my name, but didn't react. I was too tired. Suddenly, the strong hands were on me again, lifting me into someone's arms. I should have been afraid, part of me knew that, but the blackness was taking over. The last thing I felt was soft lips brushing my forehead before it swallowed me entirely.

Notes

As promised, a lot more excitement this time around. I hope you all like it! Tell me what you think. The next update should be fairly soon, because I can't wait to write it :) love and cyber-kisses x