The 3rd Hour

I just remembered the accused look that registered on Damien's face as I confronted him. The red bandannas laughed it off and impatiently dragged me into one of the rooms of the brothel. I gulped. After I was thrown in I heard them argue about who would be first to nail me. It made me sick in the stomach but I forced down vomit. Not yet. Definitely not yet.

I searched the room for a weapon but it was swept clean. There was just a rustic bed with dirty bedsheets, an abandoned wardrobe that held nothing but coat hangers and the foul smell that lingered in the air. It was poignant and made me wrinkle my nose a lot.

Shit.

What am I going to do? I swallowed hard. I can't die like this. No, any other way than this. I refused to let myself fall under the mercy of a brutal man.

But before I had time to let my nerves get the best of me. The door swung open.

"There's a huge line up, shorty. But I'm not interested in making this quick," it was the guy with the gold plated teeth. The one who have me the disgusting nickname. I honestly was prepared to vomit on him as he removed his shirt to reveal gun tattoos and bullet scars. Even his dark skin could not conceal the worst. He's obviously had thorough experience with the Purge. "Don't look nervous, shorty. I'll be kind." He sneered as he started to take off his pants.

As he did I noticed he carried two guns in his belt, and a silver blade was also glinting at me. Whem he disarmed himself, I had an idea.

"Oh you're going to regret that." I played along, removing my shirt. He licked his lips when I exposed my bra, his eyes scanning my chest area like a hawk. I did my best not to claw his eyes out.

"I have to say, shorty. I like what I see."

I faked a smile and stripped myself slowly in front of him until I was left in my undergarments. He was in his boxers, standing there, mouth-watering at the sight of my bare skin. I gestured for him to come closer and as if under a spell he approached, eagerly. I let him grope my body and kiss my neck until I knew he let his guard down.

"Oh I wished I found you sooner, shorty." He mumbled.

As he came up to kiss my lips, I stopped him and whispered in his ear.

"Be careful what you wish for."

I hit him hard in the temple, and kneed him in the balls before snatching the bandana and wrapping it around his neck. I made sure to quickly tie a knot and strangle him as tightly as I could. He struggled desperately for air but managed to throw me off and punch me in the face.

The world blinded me for a moment and I fell, disoriented on the floor.

But I had to persevere. I can't die this way. Hell no. When I got to my feet, he had successfully loosened the bandana, and marched towards me with deadly eyes.

"Fucking bitch! You want to die!"

He punched me in the jaw this time, it was too fast for me to deflect and I stumbled to the ground, tasting blood as well as feeling the swelling sensation take place on the right part of my face.

Again, I got up, holding my bruised face and fought back. I grabbed him by the neck and dug my fingernails into his flesh. He cursed aloud before knocking me into the wall which toppled over the wardrobe.

"Oi! Quiet down in there! Don't kill her. I ain't fucking no dead chick after you!" The gangers yelled from outside, banging on the door.

He was distracted for a bit, probably about to call for assistance but I bit his arms to release myself from his grasp before kicking him square in the chest. Just like dad taught me.

He was on his back now, gasping.

I took this opportunity to go after the belt that held the guns and knife. I can't shoot him because that will alert the others to rush in so I went for the knife.

"Don't hurt yourself, shorty." He snickered as he got up, balled fists, ready to launch at me.

"THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING NAME!" I yelled as I threw the knife at him.

His body collapsed on the wooden floorboard, with a knife pierced through one eye. There was no scream which indicated that the blade must've went deep into his brain.

I stood there fighting for my breath.

I killed another person.

But I didn't have time to let remorse win over. I had to keep going, fast. I dragged the wardrobe to barricade the door and then started to dress up in the ganger's clothing, complete with the red bandana. After I secured the available weapons into my belt and lace up my shoes, I realised that there's a giant hole in the wall, where the wardrobe once was.

As I was about to use that exit, Damien had crawled in with panicked eyes.

"Elle!" He hissed. My face was concealed behind the bandana so as soon as he saw me, he lifted his gun to my face. But then he noticed the half-naked body on the floor, brutally murdered. He lowered the gun, immediately. "You did this?" He asked, a little shocked as he observed my handiwork.

I took this opportunity to twist his wrist and disarm him.

It wasn't long before we began to engage in hand to hand combat. He's not as inexperienced as I thought, but he was more defending himself than attacking.

"Elle! I'm trying to help you!" He muttered, as he tried to pin my arms down.

"You lying piece of shit!" I retaliated and whacked him in the face with the barrel of the gun. He stumbled back and remained on the floor, staring upwards at me. I concentrated on my breathing.

"What are you even doing out here? I thought you were with Al," I aimed the gun at his head. "Unless...unless you know-"

"That my dad is dead?" I finished for him.

He looked up, solemnly. I had both hands on the gun. He most likely saw my dad's crucifixion, probably even joined in!

"I'm so sorry, Elle. I didn't know how to help him without putting my own life at risk. I thought you were safe! I thought-"

"You thought wrong!" I held in the tears. I couldn't let him see me vulnerable. "Now you either get out of my way or die." Damien stared at me, testing me. He wanted to know as well as I did, whether or not I would pull the trigger.

"I know this place well enough to help you escape. I broke into this room for you, Elle. I'm not one of them. I'm doing this for my sister-"

"And I'm doing this for my father." I said, coldly.

Damien spared another glance at the dead body. He knows I'm serious about this. He knows I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

"If we leave now, we have a better chance of getting out of here-"

"You lead me out. That's it. No strings attached." I don't want him to tag along. He has his own revenge plan. I have mine. I don't have time to look out for anyone, even him. It's crazy how things have gotten so bitter. I would have never thought things would turn out this way. But he nodded in agreement and prompted me to follow him.

As we crawled through the hole in the wall, we ended up in another room. Two gangers lay dead on the floor, bloodied face, whilst a naked girl chained to the bed stared straight at the ceiling.

"I couldn't help her." Damien muttered as he tugged my sleeve to climb out this broken window. I sucked it up and turned a blind eye to the scene. I squeezed out of the window, my sides got grazed by the shards of glass, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

There was a ladder that led down to a dark alley where the bins were kept. Damien and I rushed down before we heard shouts and gunfire.

"Looks like they got through the door." I told Damien. We were almost on ground level. I jumped the last two metres but Damien caught me.

"Come, on. We have to go-" I twisted out of his grasp.

"No, we had a deal. You lead me out of here and we're done!" I was about to storm away when I saw a jeep drive past and a series of angry shouts abused my ears. I hid behind one of the bins, getting my guns ready to fire.

"Elle, don't be stubborn. I'm not going to leave you, okay?" I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck but pushed him away, agitated.

"But you did!" I hissed at him.

"If I had known your life was in danger I wouldn't have left-"

That was the worst thing he could have said.

"It's the Purge, Damien! No-one is safe! How naive are you to think that a bunch of security systems would prevent me from getting hurt. The purge just proves that even the people you trusted your entire life has the audacity to turn against you! I learnt that when you snuck out and Al led my father to his grave!"

There was a moment of lingering silence between us.

The only thing that made us move was the glass grenade that landed in the alleyway. Damien launched himself onto me as the fire seared the back of his clothes off. I heard a deep groan escape his lips.

"Damien?"

He slowly got off me. I quickly inspected his back. It was severely burnt and I saw glass fragments sticking out hazardously. I turned away, distressed at the sight of his angry flesh.

I ripped off my bandana and started picking out the glass, as best I could in the dimness. Blood stained my fingers and a small pool began to form on the ground. He could die of blood lost if I don't do something real quick.

"Okay, we have to get out of here, find a gas station. Get rubbing alcohol-" I stopped abruptly when I noticed the flickering of his eyes. No. Please no. "Damien?" I cupped his face in my hands. "Damien, you idiot. You cannot die! Do you hear me!" I slapped his face but eyes kept rolling back. I let him go and shoved my fist in my mouth and screamed. This can't be happening. He can't die this way!

Then something in the alleyway caught my attention; a half-empty bottle of vodka.

I retrieved it, immediately. Not a doctor but I knew a few things, and I trusted my intuition on this one. I poured the vodka over his back wound and when he groaned loudly I felt his searing pain. But at least the agony of it all was enough to wake him up. His eyes are wide open now and his hands are curled into crushing moulds.

He's alive.

I used his bandanna to lightly dab his wounds because my one was soaked through with blood. He should be healing. We need bandages though. I ripped off his shirt into strips and began to wrap him up the best I could. After a good twenty minutes spent patching him up, I sat back, heaving.

I know what I've done is not enough but it's something right?

I closed my eyes for a second. I needed to recuperate myself, physically, mentally and emotionally. Everything that has happened so far, drained me.

And the night has only just begun.

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A/N

3rd Hour- killed a ganger for his clothes and weapons, a little roughed up, boyfriend helps escape the brothel, finds refuge in a dark alleyway, gets bomb by a makeshift grenade, boyfriend is dying, and the night only just started.

Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter enough to vote and comment, I really appreciate the support so far! Elle is going to go through so much more and I doubt you guys want to miss out. It's the purge, you either purge or die.

(Also looking for a new cover and an editor :D)