“Alright girl. Tell me what’s going on between you and Dante? Don’t think I haven’t seen you sneaking a few looks at him. Not that I blame you as his God looking, but he is super scary” Alice demanded.
Laughing at the way she tried to look intimating made me laugh as she looked more like a kitten. To say her dress sense was crazy was an understatement. Her hair was short but today she had a pair of blue cat ear placed on her head. Added to this was a black skirt without tights and big black boots, her top was blue which had an undead version of cat women. Where her face had been peeled off leaving her crossed between a skeleton and cat.
“There is nothing going on between us, we only spoke on my first shift and that day you saw, there’s nothing to tell” I said with a small grin.
“No there’s something you’re not telling me” she folded her arms and gave me the stink eye as we waited for the bus.
Shaking my head, I gave her a small smile. “I’m telling you, there is nothing between us. you know I can’t lie, he just confuses me like a puzzle begging to be solved”
As our bus arrived and I was glad is wasn’t busy as there was seats available to sit on. Jumping on the bus we paid for our journey before standing near the back doors and taking a seat.
“Then tell me why he looks at you like his about to ravish you in front of everyone?” she looks at me with a confused expression.
“I think you mistaken his look its nothing but cold and cruel” I said giggling at how crazy my friend seems.
“Are you sure were looking at the same person? you know dark eyes, lick able muscles and wild midnight hair. One that says, I could have you screaming my name all night” Alice says.
An old lady beside us looked at us both before turning her nose up, as if the conversation we were having was distasteful.
“I may agree with the description, but you have the wrong idea”
Before she could reply I had an incoming call from Alex.
“Yes” I said into the mic.
“Belle are you working tonight?”
“No why?” I frowned as I was sure I wasn’t working.
“Ok I wasn’t sure if you were as I’m going to be out all night” Looks like someone is getting laid.
“Looks like someone remember the rules” I said in a teasing voice, after all he did come up with them.
“Don’t be a child, I will see you tomorrow” He hangs up before I can reply.
“This is our stop” Alice says as she presses the button.
Along the walk our conversation changed to what goals we should set. I told her I wanted to get fitter and learn to defend myself. She agreed that it was a good idea and told me we could hire a personal instructor. It sounded like a good idea as we walked into Savage Gym.
“Hi, we have a booking under Alice Myer” I let Alice take the lead as I surveyed our surroundings.
Black carpet ran from the glass front doors towards the reception desk separating the cream wooden flooring. Where the desk was blue in a half moon shape, behind it was blue shelves which held a bunch of fitness drinks and protein bars for sell. Not that I would want to buy any of it, but I guess some people do. Turning towards the right was a metal walk through where a sign said gym, while the other side had the label of private classes.
“Oh, yes here you are. Max will be with you in just a moment” A very pretty women said as she adjusted her small framed glasses.
“Thanks” Alice said in a high pitch tone, one that had me doing a double take of her.
I mouthed the words “What was that about?” To her but she didn’t reply as I watched her eyes widened from something over my shoulder.
Intrigued at what caught her attention I turn around, holy mother of sin. A very tall and very good-looking man walked towards us with a blinding smile. He had a very tight t-shirt on that revealed the muscles beneath, he was very tanned with brown eyes that had specks of orange in them, very short hair like a grade two from the barbers. The closer he got I could see I would only come up to his chest.
“You must be Alice and Belle. I’m Max and today I will be showing you the ropes”
“You could show me anything you want” Alice muttered under her breath but from the way Max smirked, I’m pretty sure he had heard.
“If you would like follow me, I will show you where the changing rooms are as well as the gym areas” Max had turned his back on us. Shrugging my shoulders, we followed him through the metal gates. I would have loved to have paid attention to where we were going however, Alice kept distancing me.
“What I wouldn’t do to take him with me” Alice muttered to me. She was acting like a dog in heat with the way she was licking her lips and at the same time making all the hand gestures and hips motions to go with it.
“Calm down before he sees” I hissed at her while trying to prevent any giggles from escaping.
“Is there any questions you would like to ask before getting changed?” Max asked with a fixed expression.
“Yes will-“I elbowed Alice to stop her from finishing her sentence. As no doubt it would have indicated something to do with sex.
“Nope were all good. We will just get changed and be right out” dragging Alice with me, I made sure the door had fully closed before blocking it.
“Alice! What the hell has gotten into you?” I give her a pointed look while folding my arms.
“Have you not seen that beast of a man? Doesn’t he just make you want to climb him, I bet he could rip a girl in two” moving her eyebrows up and down, I get the hint.
“Women control yourself and get changed before he thinks something is wrong with us both”
“Do you think if I played dead” She taps her long blue nails against her lip. “He would come and give me the kiss of life?” She smiles wickedly as if she’s truly thinking about it.
Muttering under my breath “God have mercy” has Alice giggling like a schoolgirl.
“Lighten up! Its not like any of us are virgins” She prolongs the word virgin, but it has me blushing. “Shut up! No way” this was done in an over excited tone, like it was almost rare for anyone to be a virgin.
“Let it go” I groaned out not wanting her to make a big deal out of this. But lady luck must not like me today.
“How are you?! YOU! Still a virgin! Your what twenty-five!” She looks close to hyperventilating from the excitement of this big discovery.
I don’t get the big deal about being an adult and still being a virgin.
“I don’t know really know my age but Alex recons I was twenty when he meet me which was five years ago, which would…….. Yes, I’m twenty-five” Oh shit, here it comes. The question of how you don’t know your age, what happened. not that I’m embarrassed about my past, but its so…….. upsetting for me.
“How……. What?” She trailed off unsure how to ask her question.
“Short version as we don’t have much time” I said as I began to strip down and change into my gym cloths. “I lost my memory five years ago, no name, no family, nothing. Doctors examined me and confirmed I was untouched” I finished putting on my work out top.
That’s when I saw it, the pity that came into her eyes. It made me want to bang my head against the wall as pity won’t solve anything. It only makes me feel like my life sucks as I have no roots or place to call home. I’m no longer that lost girl who was uncertain of the world.
“I’m sorry” she whispers.
“Why are you sorry?, it is what it is. Its not like you had anything to do with it” I grab my stuff before putting it back into the bag where I place it in a locker.
“I should never have asked…… but I can see now why you are so strong, and your eyes are always searching for something” She says softly before coming to give me a hug.
“I’m not always strong, sometimes I feel so vulnerable like everyone can see the real me” When I’m with Alice, I feel like I can let my walls down. But I’m still not happy about the pitiful look she gave me. But that wil
l need to be spoken about another time as Max started to bang on the door, telling us to hurry up.
Chapter Twelve
Stolen Memories
Leaving the gym, I waved bye to Alice as she made her way home as I made my way towards Oxford station where I could catch the train back home. We had ended up spending over three hours on our first session.
It included both our tutorial and our first work out session, I through I was going to die!
Max was very kind and help with showing us all the fancy machines and how to use them, he even offered to stick around and making sure we were doing it right. Alice of course, was more than happy with this.
That girl was ruthless like a bull in a china shop when she had her sight set on a guy, I didn’t know whether to laugh or put my head down in shame. She would openly flirt and leave blunt hints for Max. Poor guy looked terrified.
I chuckled to myself as I walked down the road, I say walked but it was more like dragging my feet. My legs felt like jelly where Max had pushed us onto the leg press machine. He insisted it was a great way to build up leg muscles. However, my legs now hurt and feel wobbly.
Is this normal after a session?
I really hoped it was, as my embarrassment at walking like a penguin would be doubling. Thank my lucky stars that it was late into the afternoon where the sun began to set.
Orange and yellow mixed in the sky above as the clouds began to darken, turning from a grey colour to one tinted with black and blue. The weather was cold enough where the cool air kept my body from overheating.
It was weird to think that a few weeks ago, I didn’t have any of this, no new friends, a job or the confidence I feel. I could understand how people who lose everything end up either stealing or drinking. When you lost everything it leaves a hole, regret seeps up from losing it all. But I guess that’s where I’m lucky, to have started out with nothing.
Walking into the train station it was packed full of people trying to get home.
Great……Just great. It would only be my luck that I would travel during rush hour. I knew I should have either left earlier or late as there are at least four different times for rush hour.
You have the morning rush where people are fighting to get to work where traffic sometimes hits a standstill, trains are over packed as people cram to get in.
Then you have the lunch rush where all schools, jobs and everyone decides to head out. Mostly it’s the fast food restaurants or shops that are rammed. But its still a pain to travel.
Third rush hours’ time is what I call release. I got this idea as it’s the time when parents rush to pick up their children from school and teachers make their way home. this is the time to avoid when travelling as its full of loudmouth children who think their part of a mafia or something.
Then it’s the final rush hour time, the one I always try to avoid. The last rush of the day runs from 5pm up until 7pm. It’s the time when nearly everyone has finished work and is trying to get home. The problem with this is that journeys become prolonged, what should have been a 20-minute journey would take up to an hour due to no one being able to move on the road. The trains are even worst! People push and shove you away from them just so they can have some space. Other times its more crowded that a tin of sardines!
I wait in the queue with an unimpressed look as the person in front is currently looking for her oyster. Tring to remain patient was testing me as I am tired and just want to go to bed. The queues to get underground were getting bigger as Miss forgetful was trying to find her card. One of the train assistants ended up pulling her to the side and letting me go next. I was relieved!
But that soon changed when I felt the back of my neck tingle, the hairs on my arms started to stand. I had the creepy feeling of being followed which should have been stupid when I was in a crowd of people. However, my gut was screaming at me to run, to escape while I can.
Picking up my pace I started to take two stairs at a time instead of waiting for the escalators, as my heart pounded. Pushing past people, I couldn’t stop to help them, as I was weaving my way around them.
“I’m sorry!” I shouted out behind me at the poor man I had knocked over, but I couldn’t stop. My train had announced its arrival and if I could make it on board. Then I had a chance to get away from whoever was following. I could see the train pulling up where flocks of people got off. Time was running out as the doors started to close as I ran towards them.
They slammed shut, missing me by a hairs breathe as I turned to look out the windows.
There in the crowd was a hooded figured, a large person with a wide frame. Letting me know it was mostly likely a man that had been following me. I couldn’t make out his face, but I watched as his mouth turned down in displeasure where I saw a deadly tick in in his jaw.
It felt as if time has slowed down as the train passed him, making me wonder just how long he was following me, before I noticed.
My hands were shaking from the through of someone following me, I really wished I didn’t feel scared. I took a deep breath as I let the air fill my lungs before letting out a long exhale. I wished it helped but all it did was make me feel sick as the air was too humid and barely any oxygen down here.
I should have felt safe being surrounded by so many people, but the truth was. I felt more alone as I knew it was very rare for anyone to get involved, let alone help someone in need. Very few people are willing to help as they would prefer to turn a blind eye. It’s a very common phenomenon in London known as the bystander effect.
If there is a crowd of people everyone assumes someone else will help and therefor passing them the responsibility. However, no one moves let alone lifts a finger but, if one person is brave enough to help someone in need. Then you would find that everyone wants to help, as they want to be the hero.
Like sheep following the shepherd.
Getting off the train I bumped into people on the way out as I wasn’t paying any attention. Walking on auto piolet I made my way out the station as I started to walk along the bridge. No one paid me any attention which was fine as I just wanted to get home.
I had almost made it home when the dreaded feeling came back! Turning around in circles I tried to find the hooded figure, but I couldn’t see him. My body started to shake as my heartbeat to an unnatural rhythm. The fear I felt from him having found me couldn’t be explained. It was my body’s natural response which made me question if he was from my past. One I don’t remember.
I needed to get away as every instinct told me to run but fear had its hand around my heart. I was frightened as tears threatened to fall. My feet refused to move as they felt like they had been glued to the floor. Almost like a ticking clock waiting till it counted down to zero. I felt the moment he was behind me. Every nerve in my body went into overdrive while the blood drained from my face.
It was like one of those wildlife documentaries where you watch as the deer realised, they had been caught by the lion. That’s how I felt.
I never got the chance to react or scream as solid arms wrapped around me, before shooting into the sky. I wanted to scream out for help, but my vocal cords had left me. I instantly looked down and regretted it the moment I saw how high into the sky we were. The ground got further away as cars and people became nothing but a black dot. Cold wind whipped into my exposed skin as he had increased his speed.
Where he was taking me, I didn’t know, but I knew it couldn’t be good.
“Please don’t kill me” I whispered with tears freely pouring.
But the man never spoke a word. Shooting through the night sky until he began to descend downwards. It was worse than going up as my hair had fallen out, becoming alive as it moved freely around my face. A silver curtain blocked out my vision as I couldn’t see.
I wanted to go home, wanted to say the magic words like Dorothy when she ended up in Oz. Now if I had red magical shoes and clicked them three times then I could picture myself at home, safe in my bed.
But life isn�
��t a fairy tale.
This is the real world where monsters exist in broad day light and hunt at night. Where humans are at the bottom of the food chain, where the ruthless and cut throats prey on the weak. Missing reports pop up all the time, it didn’t matter if it was a human, shifter, Fae, vampire or witch. People go missing, just like I’m about to.
I could just picture it. Missing girls report silver haired Fae goes by the name of Belle. Last seen walking along the bridge before disappearing for good. No family nor memories of her past life. Mostly likely she had forgotten who she was and wondered off!
I bet the police would have field day with trying to find me. Or the news would report me as a body found dumped in an alleyway drained of blood and found eaten! I could just imagine how Alex would react to the news. I had lost myself to my mind as it was running wild with my imagination of every way possible of how I would be killed.
Lost Girl (Soul Bound Book 1) Page 12
