CHAPTER 5
1300 Words
CHAPTER 5
**********FLASHBACK**********
As soon as we heard sirens in the distance while walking down the deserted highway, Bella and I slipped into the forest beside the road and continued toward the city. We didn't think someone would call in the car wreck that quickly. Bella was still shaking and anxious about whether our plan would work. I just knew it had to succeed; otherwise, we would always be looking over our shoulders.
When we arrived in the city, we realized we didn’t have any money, which meant we couldn’t afford a place to stay for the night. After several days without shelter, we were facing another night of sleeping in an alley. On top of that, we hadn’t eaten.
I could tell that Bella was beginning to struggle. She was feeling weaker and more ill. I left her in the alley where we had been staying, beneath a pile of tarps and cardboard to keep her hidden, and went for a walk down the street.
I scanned the neighborhood and checked for all the security cameras. I had already mapped out their locations, and none of them were directed toward a bakery. However, I still wore Bella’s jacket, pulling the hood over my head and tucking my hair behind me to keep it out of sight.
I kept my head down and pulled some tools out of my pocket as I knelt to pick the lock. As soon as I entered the store, the alarm started blaring. I had to input the code quickly, or the police would be notified.
I hurried to the back of the store, grabbed a bag, and stuffed it with a variety of food items before making my escape. I managed to get out just in time, just before the cops arrived.
Once I reached the alley, I slipped into the little fort we had built, which kept us concealed from everyone outside. No one knew we were there, and for the first time since we ran away, we finally had something to eat.
"I thought it would be easier," Bella murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned her head against the cold, unforgiving brick wall, its rough surface biting into her skin.
"We knew from the start that it wouldn’t be a walk in the park," I replied, trying to keep my resolve steady despite the weight of uncertainty pressing down on us. "We left without any money, but we’ll find a way through this. I’ll find a way. I promise, we’re not going to stay out here forever."
"How do you plan to do that?" she questioned, her brow furrowing with doubt, the flickering streetlight casting shadows across her worried face.
"I’ll do whatever I have to. We’re in survival mode now; every option is on the table," I insisted, determination coursing through me.
We stayed in that alley for the whole night but it was really hard to get any sleep.
Bella managed to doze off for a little while and I knew that she would panic if I was gone when she woke up. So I needed to wait for her.
When she did finally wake up, we came out from our hiding spot and we walked out into the street and started walking down the road.
“Where did you get those clothes?” Bella asked, looking at the new clothes I was wearing instead of the white nightie.
“Someone’s clothes line.” I said. So she nodded her head.
“What are we going to do now?” She asked.
“Well, right now, we need a car.” I said.
“We don’t have any money.” She said.
“I’m aware of that. Which is why we’re not going to pay for one.” I said.
Bella looked at me strangely, but as we walked around for a bit we came across a car park and I told Bella to wait on the footpath.
I walked through the car park, trying to find something that wasn’t obvious. It needed to be subtle and not something that stood out and that everyone would be looking for.
I ended up finding a station wagon and I didn’t have a coat hanger or anything like that to try and jimmie it open. Not that I even knew how to do that, so I walked to the side of the car park and grabbed a large rock that was sitting there.
I smashed the back window and I reached through to open the front door.
I did, on the other hand, know how to hot wire a car. Thanks to Bella’s brother. Him and his friends taught me. So as soon as I got in the car, I reached under the steering wheel and hotwired it.
I drove it out of the carpark and Bella got in as I stopped at the entrance and we drove down the road and headed straight out of the city.
We both knew that we were still way too close to my father’s pack, so we needed to get further away.
We had a little food left over from the night before and there wasn’t much fuel in the car either.
We needed money. And badly.
We stopped at a sports arena and I told Bella to stay there for a little while and I would be back shortly.
She looked really nervous, but I told her that everything was going to be alright. Just watch the indoor hockey match.
As I was leaving the arena, I put my gloves on and I grabbed a hockey stick that was leaning up against the wall.
I got back in the car and I drove a couple of blocks away to where a convenience store was.
I checked it out for a little while before I put my hood up over my head and covered my hair.
I grabbed the hockey stick and I went inside.
There were no customers, which was lucky, but the man behind the counter looked like he dealt with this sort of thing all the time.
So I needed to make sure he knew that I wasn’t his typical robber.
As soon as I turned to face him, I kept my head down, but I could see him out of the tops of my eyes.
He was looking at me suspiciously and I jumped onto the counter in one jump, crouching on the counter like an animal and I hooked the hockey stick around his neck.
“All the money you have, in the bag. Right now.” I demanded.
He started shaking his head and he opened the register and started filling the bag.
I saw his other hand reaching for the alarm, so I reached over and grabbed that arm and I twisted it until he let out a blood curdling scream letting me know that it was broken.
He didn’t disobey me again.
He filled the bag full of money and I jumped down off of the counter, just as a couple of other people were walking in.
I turned back to the guy behind the register and nodded to him before I walked out and I got in the car and left.
I stopped by the sporting arena and I went to get Bella and we took off out of there as I heard the sirens approaching the store that I just robbed.
Bella was looking at me suspiciously. She knew that there was something wrong. Something different. But I thought it would be better if she didn’t know what I had just done. And I don’t think she wanted to know because she didn’t ask me.
But we hit the highway and never looked back. Getting as far away as possible.
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- Writer
