CHAPTER THREE
1 Month Later
"You take forever, if you don't hurry up we'll get caught." Griffith's voice is muffled by a loud waterfall cascading from the shower head.
It's been a month since we met, and we're like partners in crime now. Today he's shown me how to break into an apartment to shower. I know I'm going to hell for this, but it's the only way to survive. Somehow, I've been able to push any feelings for Griffin into the furthest corner of my mind. There hasn't been a shadow, and I hope it stays that way.
I made a few extra bucks this month, who knew Griffin could sing. So, with a little bit of his sweet honey voice, and my guitar skills, we are doing well, but not well enough for a proper place to stay.
I shut off the shower and as I step out the door opens. "Hey!" I yell.
It's too late though, he's seen it all, but at least he has the decency to shut the door just as quickly as it opened.
"Shit!" Griffin whisper-yells, as he comes barrelling into the bathroom.
In my bra and underwear he urges me to get out the window, grabbing the remainder of my clothing, he hoists me up and out onto the fire escape. He follows, and we both make a break for it down the metal stairs, but I'm half naked and it's fucking cold, and the snowy ground is nipping at my feet.
There are almost no alley's in the city, but we managed to find an empty side street. When we stop, he's out of breath, but laughing hysterically. I don't know whether to laugh, cry, or be humiliated, maybe all three. He hands me my clothes and I smack him with my shirt. His laughter has brought a little more life back into me, and I should love it, but I hate it. The anxiety comes creeping in that he'll be dead, and then it will be back to shivering alone.
I finish getting my clothing on, and my jacket.
"Well at least I smell nice." I sniff my body. "I think it's lavender."
Griffin leans in, his scent now identical to mine. Before I pull back, his eyes meet mine, and his eyes focus on my lips. There's been far too many close calls lately, so I lean back, and continue to get dressed.
"Better than your usual stench." His tone is playful, and I'm ready to smack him with my jacket, but halt at the sound of a familiar voice at the other end of the alley.
I stop everything, toss on my coat, and without a word walk towards the voice. My feet carry me to where I need to go. Griffin is hot on my tail, whispering my name, but I ignore him. As I reach the opening at the edge of the alley, that's when I see him, James, my Fiance.
I hug the concrete wall at the corner and watch as he leans down, and kisses a small brunette woman. His dark brown hair is cut short, like when I met him, and the soft hazel eyes that once stared at me like I was his world is now reserved for the other woman.
"Hey," Griffin touches my shoulder.
Unable to control the sting in my eyes, a tear escapes.
"I love you," James says to the woman.
"Don't forget your tux fitting is at five." She reaches up on her toes and presses another kiss to his lips.
As her arms release from around his neck I catch a glimpse of a sparkling, silver ring, hugging a very important finger.
I slap my hand over my mouth to suppress the incoming sob, but it's too late. It tumbles out, and the two of them glance in our direction. James narrows his eyes, his attention landing on me. Recognition is clear on his face, as my name escapes his lips.
"Hide me," I squeal to Griffin.
Instead of hiding, he steps in front of me shielding me.
"Well now's as good of a time as any."
I don't have a chance to be confused by Griffin's words. Before I can react his lips cover mine. The world around us slips away, and it's only him and I. Every sense feels heightened. I gasp, as if I've been shocked back to life. In the corner of my open eye, I catch sight of something black, dancing along the buildings.
I push Griffin away. "No!" I cry.
Turning, I run. Now both men are calling out to me, but one of them is going to die. The shadow runs along the sides of the buildings like it's chasing me. I'm not in any shape to run, although we have been eating decently, I'm still weak from the lack of real food.
My knees buckle, but I somehow stay on my feet. It's hard to run away from someone in the city. I kept bumping into people, one man stopped to tie his shoes and I almost went face first into the sidewalk. I fly over piles of black garbage bags thrown haphazardly over the street.
There's heavy footsteps behind me, but I can't stop, even though my lungs burn, and my feet ache, I can't. Griffin will die because I've fallen hard the past month, or James could die. Even if he is in love with someone else, I can't let it happen.
For a brief moment I glance back over my shoulder, but something catches on my foot, and I'm about to crash when familiar, strong arms grab me tugging me into him.
"Griffin, you have to run!"
All around me several shadows dance along the buildings. From the large glass skyscrapers to the concrete buildings. There's not only one. There's two jumping together, then three separate ones.
"I'm not running," he says. "Everyone I love is dead too. It's only you now. We can fight this together."
I want to react to what he's just confessed, but James is rounding the corner. A shadow grabs him. His body becomes nothing more than darkness over us. I let out an ear piercing scream.
My head moves in all different directions, my eyes following. Siren's are getting louder, tires screeching, and horns honking. It's so overpowering I can barely hear Griffin talking to me. His mouth is moving, but there's nothing there.
The shadows are closing in on me. Everything is starting to hurt, from my head down to my toes. My body is on fire. I yell out for Griffin, but even my voice is muffled by the sound of everything else. The shadows still jump around me, swirling in, still getting closer.
One of them leaps from the tallest building around. They are free falling over the Manhattan skies, coming right towards me. A whoosh of wind comes in like a tornado, then suddenly everything is silent.
I'm jolted backwards, and now I'm the one falling. I continue to fall, like the ground has been swept out from under my feet. Everything disappears, until there's nothing but darkness, and a soft steady beat tapping out a rhythm.
"Jolie. Jolie, are you with us?"
Griffin's voice sounds near, yet so far. Like he's in a long tunnel.
"Come on, Jolie, come back to us."
Griffin's warmth covers me, just as it did the day we met and shook hands. I want to get closer to that feeling. His voice is growing stronger, it's overpowering everything else. I mumble his name, and suddenly a bright light carries me back. I wake with a gasp.
"Jolie?"
Griffith's face lingers over mine, but the weird thing is he's a stranger. I blink, batting my lashes, trying to wake from whatever nightmare this is. Another familiar face comes into view, her deep brown eyes find mine as she pulls a stethoscope off her neck. It's Bella, my best friend, but it can't be... she's dead.
Memories begin to rush into my head, but not the ones from the streets of New York, different ones, ones where James was never my fiance, we never got that far. He'd broken up with me seconds before I stormed out of the restaurant. I was on the phone with my mom when a small blue Toyota drove up onto the sidewalk, crashing into the empty tables outside, ME, being the one walking through, NOT my parents.
"Hi, Jolie. I'm Griffin. Your mom is here with you," he whispers.
"Mom," I groan.
I glance up, and sure enough mom is sitting on one of those bench seats, inside - I glance around - an ambulance.
"I'm here. Your father is following behind in his car."
Hearing her voice sends a shock wave through my body, my eyes water, and tears begin to fall. "Mom," I whisper under a trembling breath.
"What, what happened?" I ask, trying to see which life is reality.
"You were standing on the sidewalk when a car jumped the curb narrowly missing you. If it wasn't for this brave EMT who was off duty, you'd be dead." Mom wipes the tears from her eyes.
"Griffin?" I choke on my words, my throat sore.
"Where's James?"
"He wasn't there when we got to the restaurant," mom says.
A sharp pain like a bolt of lightning surges through my head. I groan. Griffin's soft hands touch my forehead, and I relax a little.
"We'll be at the hospital soon enough, okay?"
All I can do is nod, as darkness takes over again.
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