Chapter 17:Unraveled screams

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

~Still Vale's pov~

I ran as fast as i could dared a glance over my shoulder, my heart sinking when I saw how close he was. His grin hadn't faded, it had only grown wider, more manic. His long strides ate up the distance between us, and the sound of his laughter echoed chillingly in the narrow alley.

The streetlights flickered erratically, casting his shadow in grotesque shapes that seemed to dance and writhe against the walls. The fog thickened, blurring my vision and making it harder to navigate.

And then he started running towards me and no one needed to tell me to pick up race it felt like i was been chased by a zombie.

I stumbled, my foot catching on an uneven patch of pavement, and I nearly went down. My hands shot out to steady myself against the wall, the rough surface scraping against my palms.

A sharp, metallic tang filled my nose.....blood?.

He threw his head back in laughter, laughing hysterically, the sound manic and wild, sending shivers down my spine.

Before I could recover, I heard his footsteps closing in, now heavy and deliberate.

His laughter stopped, replaced by a chilling silence that was somehow even worse.

Out of the blue, three more figures emerged from the shadows of the abandoned buildings, their ragged clothing and unkempt appearances, halfy dressed and around the same age as him, marking them.

My stomach dropped.

My leg was glued to the ground as I watched the scene unfold, the men looked all ragged like criminals but they weren't holding weapons but their stares and the wicked smirks on their faces spoke volumes.

I knew their goal wasn't to kill me and that was even more scary, I don't want to be raped I gathered all the strength i had..

My legs felt like jelly.

'why am I still standing here??????'

"Run, Vale, run!" my mind screamed.

I turned and bolted, my feet splashing through the muddy puddles, running as fast as I could but the roads were very narrow and I could hear their toes catching up to mine as tears began to fall but I kept running and screaming the word:

'help!!!'

My breaths were uneven as the mud and water splashed all over me, tears and water blurred my vision as I kept running and running like there was no end.

"No one will hear you!!!" one of them shouted. "Save your energy, you'll need it when we're done with you!!"

Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. My legs burned as I pushed forward, my only thought being to outrun them, to find safety.

But the streets were narrow, and their steps were closing in.

Their steps slowly began to catch up with mine as I mentally prepared myself for what's coming next...

I whipped my head around, my eyes wide with terror, and saw him standing still, mere feet away. He tilted his head, his smirk unwavering.

"End of the line," he whispered, his voice low and menacing.

I turned back and saw that I was almost at the dead end, my eyes darting wildly for an escape.

The walls were too high, the alley too narrow. Trapped. My body trembled as I backed against the wall, my fingers clawing at the cold surface behind me.

Something was wrapped in a old nylon I didn't care what it was I just grabbed it and threw it at him...but turns out it was sand.

I immediately placed my hands blocking my eyes, the sand halfly blocking my eyes..

Either way I just tried to sneak behind him to run....

But....

Suddenly, I felt a strong hand grab me, yanking me away to some place behind a building.

My body hit the ground with a thud, and before I could scream, a rough hand clamped over my mouth and hips pinning me to the ground.

My heart sank as I squeezed my eyes shut in horror as the hot tears began spilling down my cheeks as I began sobbing out loud uncontrollably...

This is it. I'm done.

"Shhhhhh, Vale, keep your voice down,"

My eyes flew open instantly, through the haze of tears and saw those dark pearl eyes staring down at me when he hovered above me, still pinning me down, it was like an angel had come to save me..

His dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that was both calming and commanding.

I nodded frantically and tried desperately to bite back my sobs, but I couldn't I was just too scared. He gently removed his hand from my mouth, his gaze scanning the area around us.

i placed my hamds on my hands to lower my voice..

He looked here and there and there,

The man who had chased me appeared at the far end of the street, his eyes wild as he kept shouting, "Little girl!" indicating to me

Damian rose to his full height, helping me up before positioning himself in front of me like a shield.

His broad shoulders blocked my view of the man, but I clutched his hand from behind, trembling and crying uncontrollably.

I didn't know but I felt like I could trust him at this moment, he'll save me right?

He looked worried and disappointed, curious, angry, ...so many emotions.

"Why are you here?" Damian's voice was cold, his tone sharp enough to cut through the suffocating air.

He pulled me infront of him, still maintaining his posture.

He was angrily glaring down at me, while I sniffed in the cold sir around us still trying to regain my senses.

I sniffled, struggling to form words.

"I-I was..... I d-didn't know....h-he came—" My words tumbled out in broken stammers, but Damian's piercing gaze cut through my panic.

I saw the man that was chasing me and I immediately ran behind Damian and clutched his hand from behind crying uncontrollably

Damian didn't move an inch as the man approached, his footsteps faltering with every step he took closer to us .

He didn't move

He man didn't move again, instead he had on a shocked and surprised look on his face and then he spoke.

The man froze, his expression shifting. "B-Be…?"

The word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning.

Before I could process what was happening, I felt a sharp pain at the base of my neck. My vision swam, the world tilting and blurring around me as the darkness crept in.

The last thing I saw was Damian's face, a mixture of worry and fury, before everything went black.

The sound of muffled footsteps faded as I slipped into unconsciousness, my mind swirling with questions and fear. Who were those men? Why had the leader recognized Damian? And most importantly, would I ever wake up to find out?