Chapter 1
Arianna
I’ve spent most of my life pretending I wasn’t running.Running from a family I barely knew and a past that I don’t even want to think about.Running from a name that makes my stomach twist because I know.I know how it is to fear for your life and not knowing what the future entails.
I wanted a boring life for me.Do nothing except work,eat, have fun with friends and don’t raise suspicion.Don’t draw attention to yourself.Finish your studies, keep a low profile,don’t set off any alarms.But life isn’t always what we want.And I though that everything was perfect and eventually I could relax,nobody will find me,this is a big city and I’m here by false name.
The night shift at the pharmacy is usually quiet.A couple of stressed students,a few sick people wanting medicine ,nothing out of the ordinary.Tonight though....Tonight it’s different.Very different. Because the bell above the door slams open so violently it echoes through the enitre store startling me.A man-broad shoulders,jaw clenched,eyes burning like he’s carrying hell inside him-pushes through the doorway with another man collapsing in his arms.The injured one is barely conscious,shirt soaked in red.I freeze. The man turns around slams the door and locks it,rolling down the binds and turning the ″open″ sign.
For a second no one moves.
″I can’t help you-please leave.″ I had to open my mouth.He lifts a gun, that I hadn’t notice and points it at me steady and slow.″Shut up.Treat him now.″His voice is low,lethal.An order threatening my life.Just what I wanted.
″I can call an ambulance..″ I said approaching slowly.″Make no mistake.″He starts.″If he dies,you die with him″ I feeel my throat burning .I step forward.Kneeling beside the injured man.The gun is still pointed to my head.
″Make no mistake.″ He warns.
″Then maybe don’t stess me by pointing a gun to my head.″ I said daring him to continue.He doesn’t lower his gun.I get up, run to the counter and grab supplies and scissors.He makes a move but I ignore him kneeling beside the other man.″I need to cut his t-shirt and see the damage.″ I cut his shirt and as I fear, a bullet wound.I have no experience, no training for bullet wounds.I feel my hands freezing.
″He needs a hospital.″ I whisper.
″You’re his hospital tonight.″ His voice drops lower,darker.I swallow hard.I am terrified.Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.
Blood doesn’t scare me.Blood is expected.Blood is ok.Violence is not.Blood is ok.
″I need your hands to press on the wound fast.″ I command getting up to get what I need to disinfect it.Running back to the ground,I clean the wound,no bullet,disinfect it and trying to stitch it together. We have done something similar with stitches at med school but not from a bullet wound.I don’t even know how to explain all these tomorrow to my boss.Maybe he will fire me and them I will not have money to pay rent.Or maybe he will understand once he sees the cctv.
″You know what you’re doing.″ He says low,watching every precise moment.
″No, I don’t.″I say quickly.
″Lying doesn’t suit you.″There’s something dangerous in his tone.I ignore it and focus on stitching the wound,pulling the torn skin together with steady hands.The man on the ground winces.I turn to the one still pointing his gun at me.Isn’t he tired yet?
″I need to stop the bleeding completely.″I grab a clean bandage and wrap it tightly around the ribcage.″He’ll need antibiotics .Painkillers.And rest.″ When I look up,he’s staring at me.He picks up his phone with his other hand calling someone and speaking in a language that I haven’t heard in a long time.
Cars pull up outside the pharmacy and I think it’s my boss.Maybe he saw what happened from the cctv and decided to call the police and come and help me.Or maybe he is here with the police to arrest this man and me as an accomplice.Then my life is over.
Instead, two men in black suits enter.
″Sir.″They say.I don’t like this.This is familar setting.I don’t like this.″Take him carefully.″ He orders but it sounds more like threatening to me.Hoping he forgot about me, I tried to stand up quietly and leave but a hand catches me by my elbow.
″You’re coming with me.″ He says and everything is black.
Thank you so much for reading my story!
