The sound of gunshots echoes down the empty alleyway behind me. I can hardly stand, leaning against the cool brick of a nearby building, panting from running so fast. It's becoming harder and harder to breathe. Each breath I take gets caught in my throat. My chest burns, feeling as though it's going to cave in at any moment. My heart is racing so fast. Each beat pounds violently against my chest wall like it will burst out at any second. The echo from my heartbeat is ringing loudly in my ears. I can't think straight. My head is spinning and I'm dizzy. Nothing appears to be making any sense to me. I keep trying to replay the events of tonight in my mind.

"This can't be real. It's some sick nightmare I'm stuck in," I mumble.

I can barely see anything. There's so much sweat pouring down my forehead, dripping into my eyes. Trying to think fast, I use the sleeve of my torn, dirty sweatshirt to wipe them. It helps a little, but not much. They're still burning as I squint, attempting to read the flashing neon green sign in front of me. "Ollies Billiards." The lights are making my head hurt worse. Even closing my eyes, doesn't help. The light creeps in, still visible.

 I'm so exhausted, mentally and physically. These last few hours have been hell. A shiver runs through my body as I recall certain memories.

"Okay Bex, you got this," I mentally remind myself.

I'm able to piece together a map in my mind. With this, I can figure out I'm on Elm Street, only four blocks from where this nightmare started. But eight blocks away from my house.

My legs are so weak. I can feel them trying to give out from under me. Before I even have time to react, my body collapses backward onto the building. A new burning pain erupts in my shoulder, as the brick tears through my clothing into my flesh.

This was the motivation I needed.

The building acts as a support, thrusting me forward back into a standing position. With each movement, the pain on my right side is unbearable. It's causing me to clench my teeth so tightly that I'm scared they might break. My right hand clutches directly beneath my ribcage. Fresh blood oozes from between my fingers. Older dark red smears have already stained the entire front of my sweatshirt. It covers my abdomen, from my breast to my thighs. As the blood continues seeping down, I watch, almost mesmerized. It trickles over my fingers, in an instant dying them red.

A fresh wave of nausea overcomes me. The rusty smell of old stale blood mixing with the metallic scent of fresh blood is too much to handle. I can't ignore the giant lump forcing its way up my throat. Without warning, I begin vomiting. The sound of it sploshing against the pavement is sickening. After several minutes of continuous dry heaving, my body has had enough. The pain that I have been experiencing is more excruciating. It resembles an intense burning sensation. Feeling like my entire body is on fire burning from the inside out.

I'm scared to lift my shirt and see the wound. I keep praying that it isn't as bad as it feels.

A loud noise from behind startled me. My entire body trembles peering around the corner of my current hiding place. Stray bullets are ricocheting off of the nearby buildings.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear the wailing of cop sirens. The sound gets closer with each second that passes. They're coming from all different directions, surrounding me. They will be here any minute. I desperately scan in all directions, trying to escape, but come up empty. I'm trapped. My only option is to run and pray that I make it out alive.

I grab the small silver cross necklace dangling freely from my neck. My fingers are trembling uncontrollably. The metal tears through the skin between my fingers as I squeeze it tightly. The pressure behind my eyes is building. Combine that with the massive amount of blood that I have lost, I feel like I'm dying. I can barely continue to stand upright. Most of my weight is still supported by the building behind me.

But I have to do this. There are no other options.

I'm so exhausted. My eyes are heavy. I can't fight the urge any longer. I close them for a minute, muttering a small prayer.

It's now or never.

I take a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain in my chest. It takes the majority of my strength to gather myself up. Without a second thought, I dart out from behind my shelter, into the unknown.

My eyes snap open. I'm met with complete darkness. Everything is silent besides the sound of my heart beating. It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Things are beginning to become more precise and focused. My old raggedy blue and black comforter lies in a tangled mess at my feet. The white wooden nightstand sits beside me. A half-drunk glass of water from the previous night sits on it. The smell of my mother's favorite fabric softener wafts through the air, bringing a sense of security to me.

I'm safe and sound, lying in my bed.

My hand shakes lifting the hem of my t-shirt, revealing my massive scar. It runs horizontally along the bottom of my right ribcage. It's rough, not smooth, like most scars, and jagged around the edges. Some spots of it are darker compared to the soft pinkish color of the rest of it. My whole shirt is drenched in sweat. It's almost impossible to roll my shirt back down. The material is sticking to my wet, clammy body.

3:54 a.m. bright red numbers shine from the alarm clock beside me. I've been asleep for hours, but it doesn't feel like it.

Today is the big day. The one I have been looking forward to all summer. I'm finally leaving this dreadful little town and getting a clean break. A new slate to start over away from here, my family, and everything else that has made my life miserable. Going away to college had never crossed my mind until now. I was lucky to have graduated when I did. No one thought I would succeed. But look at me now. Here I am, an official college student. It seems like a dream. Me of all people going back to school. One place I hated in my childhood so much that I avoided it at all costs. If you had told me before this is how my life would be, I would have sworn you were crazy. Thinking about everything is giving me a splitting headache.

I reach over, opening the top nightstand drawer. My fingers search through it in the dark, feeling over random objects. I finally find what I'm looking for. Somehow the small Tylenol bottle had been pushed into the corner, hidden. It makes a slight popping noise as I uncap it, pouring its contents into my hand. I count out a few red and blue gel capsules. They roll around between my fingers before tossing them into my mouth. The warm water beside me proves handy, washing them down.

My eyes are beginning to burn, slightly watering. I need to get more sleep. Even if it's only a few more hours before we leave. Driving three hours in a tiny cramped car with my mother and sister sounds awful. Maybe I should sleep on the way.

My mom isn't that bad. We're not close, but she doesn't go out of her way to make me feel horrible. I do an excellent job of that myself. She usually avoids me. Barely talking to me unless I speak first. It's been like this for a while now, well, since that night. My sister though never shuts up. She always has something to say, especially about me. Her favorite thing is complaining about me, followed by life in general. Even when we were younger, we were never close. Only now it's a lot worse. Sometimes, I wonder if she hates me and doesn't want to admit it. I try avoiding her at all costs, but my mother insists on her riding with us today. My only guess is that she doesn't want to be alone with me, afraid she might have to converse with me.

I bet they're going to be happy when I'm gone. Everyone in this small, miserable little town certainly will be. It's no secret that no one around here likes me. They all blame me for that night. I don't care though. It isn't like I want to be friends with any of the judgemental hypocrites here, either.

My mind starts to wander off as I lay back down. My head rests against the pillows. I pull my comforter back around me, snuggling deep down beneath it. The darkness creeps over me, allowing me to drift back to sleep. The soft sound of my snores fills the silence.

*If you're reading this, it means you found my book. Firstly, I just want to thank you all so much. If you enjoy it, please vote and don't be shy about leaving a comment. I appreciate all feedback.
If I missed something or there's an error, let me know. I'm also open for suggestions and hints.... once again, thank you all so much, and I really hope you enjoy it..... p.s I love suggestions on reading materials, so if there's a book, you really enjoy tell me the title so I can check it out.