Run. Run as fast as you can. Run as far as you can. Run.
Demeter's heart nearly broke free from her ribs as she raced down the alleyways and back streets.
Run. Don't stop. Don't look back. Run.
The pounding in her chest became so unbearable that she was unconscious before she even hit the ground.
The awakening was so terrifying, so horrifying, that Demeter almost blacked-out again. She gasped an earnest mouthful of air as she snapped herself upright. Why wasn't she still running? How far had she gotten? How far did she need to go? There was no time to answer these questions, she knew that much. In a swift moment, Demeter was up against the brick wall, panting with her hand on her chest.
Ready. Set. Run.
Without a second-thought, Demeter started dashing out of the alley and into the street.
Stay in the crowd. Crowds make it harder for him to spot you. Come on, Demeter, you can make it. Stay in the crowd.
Once Demeter hit the gathering of people, she slowed her running to a jog. In the center of the swarm, her jog became a quick walk. Eventually, she controlled her pace and mingled in with the throng of people. Her heartbeat reverberated in her ears, echoing through her entire body. It felt like everyone in the city could hear her pulse. To her, it seemed like it was a dead giveaway to where she was.
Stay calm. Blend in. Don't look lost. Don't look scared. Stay calm.
For a while, Demeter eased enough to allow her heart to become tame once more. Still, there was a sense in the air that made her flesh crawl. Something told her that he was watching her, just waiting for her to come to him.
As the sun began to set, Demeter stumbled towards an apartment fire escape. She had to sleep in much worse places, and the metal stairs almost seemed a treat to her. Demeter still hadn't shaken the feeling that he was still after her, but she needed to rest. She had slipped unconscious twice that day, running nonstop until she came to a crowd. She hadn't eaten in days, save for the scraps of vittles she had found.
You need rest. Lay down. Fall asleep. Lord knows you haven't for weeks. You need rest.
Climbing onto the platform of the fire escape, Demeter closed her eyes and curled into a ball in the corner. At long last, she fell into voluntary slumber.
After opening her eyes and seeing a tall figure standing before her, Demeter cried out and recoiled further away from the person. The figure chuckled a deep, cruel laugh.
"Did you really think you could run away from me, Demeter?" He shook his head, "Tsk, tsk, my dear. I think you have a lot to learn about me. And no one can teach you quite like the master, am I right?"
No. How did he find me? He couldn't possibly have found me. No.
The man reached out and grabbed Demeter's wrist. "You've been a naughty kitty, you have. Daddy's gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget." He pulled the reluctant girl out from the stairway. She kicked and squirmed with every ounce of strength she had left, but it was no match for the older male.
"No!" Demeter managed to shriek before he placed a hand over her mouth. The familiar smell of the man's hands was so nauseating to her that she had to fight to stay conscious.
He brought her to him, encompassing her limp body in his spidery arms. "Sh," he hissed, his lips right next to her ear. "Nic's taking you home, all right, pussy cat?"
Demeter swayed, trying to overpower the urge to vomit. Nic only tightened his grip on her, bringing his lips to touch her ear as he spoke to her. "I've missed you. Why did you run away, weren't you having any fun?" His hand was still pressed over her mouth.
Bite him. Don't let him overpower you again. Bite him.
Following her own advice, Demeter sunk her teeth as viscously into Nic's hand as she could. He yelped with pain, releasing her for a brief moment as he tended to his hand.
Before he could collect his wits again, Demeter acted on hers.
Hurry. He won't be off guard for long. Hurry.
Leaping on the ladder, Demeter started making her way up the fire escape. Within a matter of a couple seconds, Nic was right behind her. With a hope of landing on the fire escape of the neighboring apartment, Demeter jumped off the metal foothold. Her feet landed softly on the stairs, barely making a sound. She had to tell her hands to loosen their grip on the railing so she could start climbing again.
She looked behind her before ascending the flight. Nic was looking for a way to jump across as well. He was a lot taller and stronger than Demeter was, and she knew that she was no match for him running. Only one way - there was only one way she could get away from him. If she could reach the top of the fire escape, she could finally be rid of him.
A loud clang and the swaying of the ladder indicated that Nic had leaped onto the ladder Demeter was now crawling up. She couldn't bring herself to look down, she just kept telling herself to keep going.
One paw in front of the other. Just like a cat. Remember the alley cats. One paw in front of the other.
"It's no use, Aeva, you know that!" Nic called up to her. Even though his voice was confident and intimidating, Demeter knew that he hated heights. It would only be a matter of a few minutes before he would lose his nerve and give up chasing her.
"You're a coward, you know that, Aeva? A coward! Just like your brother!" When Nic mentioned Demeter's brother, she halted where she was. Inside she was screaming at herself to keep climbing, but the memory of her brother forced her to pause. Seeing that he was getting somewhere, Nic taunted on, "That's right. That foolish excuse of a thief was as weak as they come. He couldn't even take the rap for his own crimes."
As he spoke, Nic curled his long fingers around each bar and slowly made his way up the ladder. He spat, "Such a ninny, that Charles was. What was it you called him, Chuck?"
Demeter flinched.
"Yes. That's it. Chuck. Chuck Demeter. It's only too sad that he had to be caught, isn't it?"
Before he went any further, Demeter finally enabled herself to scramble up the fire escape again. Nic exclaimed in a hidden panic, "They never did find out who that criminal that he claimed framed him was, did they? It really is such a shame, he was one of my best pick-pockets. But he does take punishment rather well, doesn't he?" A laugh echoed through the lane.
Almost there. Don't listen to him. Keep going. Almost there.
"I'm sorry, Chuck," Demeter muttered under her breath as she ascended the steps.
"What's that, kitten?"
Ignoring Nic, Demeter scaled the steps faster. She had already reached the last story of the building. Within a few moments, she reached her hand over the top of the fire escape. She had arrived at the roof. In a flash, she was over the top and leaning over to look down at Nic. He was still making his way up.
He isn't stopping. He should be dizzy by now. He isn't stopping.
The young girl was becoming more and more afraid that he would reach the top. Then he lost his foothold. One of his feet slipped from it's mooring, and he looked down. Demeter could detect his fear and unease as he dangled from the side of the building. Not wanting to stick around to see if he dared go on or not, Demeter left the side of the structure.
She hurriedly made her way to the other side of the rooftop and searched for a way to get down. Nic could have easily found her going down the other side if he could get down from where he was. She didn't dare go down the fire escape again. There had to be another way.
Looking around her, Demeter noticed a tiny kitten balancing on the brink of the roof across from her. It saw her and mewed faintly. A gentle smile began to spread itself across Demeter's pale face. She rummaged through the pile of boards to find one long enough to carry her across to the other apartment complex.
Placing the strip of wood on the edge, she carefully navigated it to land on the other side. Making sure it was stable enough, she moved her foot onto it. It wobbled slightly, nevertheless Demeter was in too much of a hurry to make a better bridge. The plank was narrow, but she crawled onto it regardless.
You can make it. It's just like the rafters in the barn. You can make it.
Putting one hand in front of the other, Demeter smoothly glided across the lumber. As she arrived at her destination, she turned to remove the plank. A gasp roused through her as she saw Nic staring at her on the roof she had just left.
"Did you think I wouldn't be able to make it? Come now, Aeva, you don't think I give up that easily, do you?" He walked onto the board, summoning her. "Now, pet, you are going to come back over to me."
Shaking her head, Demeter stepped away from the plank. She closed her eyes tight.
"I won't just go away. You know you can't escape, so why make it harder on yourself?" Nic calmed his voice, making it syrupy and thick. "Aeva. Aeva, don't do this. You know Chuck was a liar. You know he did it. He had to be caught. He had to be penalized."
As if the words brought pain to her, Demeter doubled over and wrapped one arm around her stomach, the other over her head. She rolled her head from side to side, as if trying to make Nic's voice fall back out of her ears.
In an anguished voice, she shrieked, "No! You did it. You can't lie to me anymore. I know you set him up. You should be hanging at the end of that rope, not Chuck!"
"It's not true! He was a coward, trying to escape punishment for his actions. He had to lie to get free. I was his boss, the only one to blame. He was jealous because I had control over all the operations. He simply couldn't stand by and watch me take the rewards, so he decided to go into business on his own."
Straightening for a moment, Demeter sprang to the wood board and thrust it off the edge.
"What are you doing!" Nic shouted angrily. Regaining his composure, he lolled, "You shouldn't have done that, child. You know you are going to come back to me. You are a part of me, now. There is no leaving."
Deep down, Demeter couldn't help but feel that she was a part of him. He had used her in so many ways, it was hard to believe that she would ever be rid of the shadow of him hovering over her.
"If you want me," she started feebly, her voice becoming a crescendo, "Come over here and get me."
For a fleeting moment, fear struck Nic's eyes. Then it flickered away, and he stood tall. Demeter knew him too well to be fooled - she saw through his mask immediately. Realizing that she actually had the upper hand in the situation, a thin smile appeared on her lips.
"Goodbye, Nic," she grimaced at his name, "You won't be taking advantage of me anymore. Never again will a Demeter fall for your tricks." With that, she picked up the kitten watching her and turned on her heels.
