HE DIDN’T KNOW.
The apartment door wasn’t fully shut, and enough light from the hallway stung Lara Jeong’s eyes.
She knew this was her chance to leave. To be free. Laying on the floor, every muscle in her body protested. Ached. Her eyes crossed, and her vision swam. Eddie, her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, had smacked her around… again. Why? She’d have to think about it later. This time he had left her like a pile of wasted flesh on their shared apartment floor. Licking her bottom lip, she tasted blood, the metallic flavor made her stomach churn.
God how she hated him.
She heard the bathroom door slam shut, and she jumped. Tensed. It was now or never.
Move.
Heaving up, her head scrambled and everything went blurry. She’d lost her glasses after his first hit and there wasn’t time to put her contacts in. A rush zipped through her body, willing herself into action. She wouldn’t stay for round two. Not again.
Lara grabbed the back of the sofa as she wavered on her feet, panting. The pain traveled through her whole body. Eddie was good with his fist, but he’d never taken it this far, leaving her near unconscious.
Jerk.
Other choice words filled her mind, but she ignored them, wanting only to escape. She’d go so far Eddie would never find her. Never again.
Stumbling toward the door, she saw her purse on the side table. Her heart thundered. She didn’t need that; she had money pinned to the inside of her clothes. If she could get out, she had a backpack and more money, along with her passport and extra glasses stashed in the maintenance room downstairs. She’d grab it on her way out.
Just leave. Now.
She heard the water run in the bathroom. A surge of adrenaline ran through her, masking the pain. Her feet moved, faster than she would have thought humanly possible. Taking the elevator to the first floor, she checked to be sure the hallway was clear of other tenants, then she headed for the stairs. There was no way she could walk out of the lobby and risk seeing the doorman. He’d try to help her, then Eddie would catch her. She knew she’d never survive another attack.
Making her way down the stairs, she headed straight for the maintenance room. The strong smell of cleaner assaulted her nose, but she didn’t dawdle. Time was running out.
Grabbing her backpack, she slung it over her shoulder, taking the emergency exit, which led out into an alley. A cool gush of April air greeted her, wishing she’d grabbed her jacket. She walked and walked through the dimly lit street, folding her arms tight against her body, shivering. Her teeth chattered, seeing nothing but darkness around her.
The sounds of the city stung her nerves, making her heart race. Dogs barked. Distant footsteps echoed. Sounds of traffic. A few screams. A few laughs. The haunting, sick feeling that she was being watched or chased heightened her flayed anxiety. The emotion so strong, a few times she stumbled over forgotten trash, wincing. She kept going until a sharp pain lanced through her body. She ached to collapse and die right there.
This time she fell to her knees and she couldn’t get up. She scooted back against the brick building, needing a few moments to rest. To catch her breath. The cold building seeped through her skin, making her shiver.
Her only thought was to keep going, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Her eyelids dropped. Rest was her first priority, and Lara fell into a void of nothingness…
Copyright © 2020 Beth Mikell
All rights reserved.
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