Prologue

My head was throbbing so hard I couldn’t think. I could feel my legs carrying me across the street, quickly. I was moving fast. I could hear shouts behind me but I didn’t know who they were coming from. All I knew was that I had to get out, and I had to get out fast. It was a dark wet night, and I felt the rain fall heavy and hard on my head, soaking my hair. The sidewalk was slippery and I had to watch my balance as I ran. The yells of people everywhere filled my ears so much I couldn’t hear myself think. I didn’t know what to do. I had no idea where I was. I didn’t know where a police station was, a hospital, or anything. The street lights dimly lit the scene, just enough to see where I was going, but that didn’t matter when there was no destination in my mind. My body felt heavy and tired and I quickly entered an old run down gas station. The man inside was asleep on a chair that seemed to be much too small for his overweight body. His hand rested on the cash register and drool came from the side of his mouth. On his lap sat a box of old doughnuts. I ignored his blatant disregard for any living thing inside the store and ran to the bathroom. It was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. The toilet was obviously broken and the graffiti and dirt on the walls covered it completely. I looked in the dusty mirror and saw a girl. A girl with raggedy long blonde hair, tears from her eyes smudging black make up all down her face, and a bloody mouth. I looked away from the girl, not wanting it to be me. I knew it was, but looking at myself this way was not pleasant. I had no idea what to do, in an unfamiliar part of the city, I knew no one. The only person I knew was lying on the road, and it was my responsibility to make them safe. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my cell phone. I didn’t want to call anyone I knew, and the safest thing I could do was call the hospital, or the police station. I opened up the phone and slowly dialed the numbers 911. I put the phone up to my ear. It rang for a long time, and my hand was shaking frantically. My heart felt like it was about to pound out of my chest. I doubted my choice to call. Before I got a chance to hang up, a stern woman about the age of forty answered the phone. She asked my name, and all I could do was shake. The words seemed to stop coming from my mouth. My throat came dry and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to make a sound. She repeatedly asked me my name. My breath got heavier and I couldn’t seem to stop. I was breathing fast and hard. The woman on the phone was attempting to calm me down. I started taking deeper and slower breaths. She assured me that everything was going to be okay. I knew she was wrong. Everyone did. There is no possible way that this situation would turn out okay. The lady on the phone repeated the question she had asked me times before. This time though, she asked it in a more reassuring voice.
“Please, tell me your name…” It took me a while to calm myself as I was still heavily breathing.
“It’s okay; just tell me where you are. We’ll send someone there as soon as we can.”
That was a problem; I didn’t even know where I was. I told her to hold on for just a moment. I ran outside the gas station and to the corner of the street.
“1093 Campbell Street” I said into the phone. “Please come fast.”
“We’ll do our best. Is someone hurt?” the lady asked.
“Yes… Someone is hurt.” I replied slowly.