Chapter 26

(Mandy)

Work had been tough but when Joan had come over to tell me to clear off I sensed she was happy with me. I tidied up and headed out wanting to be home. My tummy rumbled, all the work had made me hungry.

I changed back into my clothes and then headed out the back door into the evening, not really paying attention. The first clue that something was wrong was when a large shadow fell across me.

A large man stood at the entrance to the alleyway silhouetted in the light from the street.

"So you filthy animal, you and that bitch of a manager got me fired! Now it's payback!" he said hefting a large bat in one of his hands and then moving towards me.

I panicked and ran away from him. If I had been thinking I would have just headed back into the restaurant and called for help, but I was tired and the situation brought back the memories of the time in the alleyways when I had been on the run. I pelted round the corner hoping to come out somewhere where there were people, I ran to find a dead end.

The man's laugh echoed down the alley as I frantically looked for a way out, "No way out beast! I'm going to teach you a lesson now, one you'll never forget!"

I turned and saw him round the corner, I did the only thing I could think of I stealthed myself.

The man seemed momentarily taken aback, but rebounded with, "That won't save you monster!"

He began sweeping his stick back and forth, striking the walls and anything in his path trying to find me.

I looked around and saw a protruding balcony a couple of stories up the building to my left, still stealthed I leapt onto the wall using my finger pads to adhere to the surface.

"Aha! Got you!" shouted the man seeing me move.

He raced over towards me and I frantically scrambled my way up the wall his stick hitting the area where my foot had been moments before. Soon I was up perched on the balcony watching him scream and shout trying to find me. I relaxed a bit, there was no way he could get me up here.

I reached into my backpack trying to find my phone to call the police, but this movement allowed him to figure out where I was.

"Get back down here you little monster!" He shouted, "You had me fired and thrown out of my job that I had worked hard at for years and you're going to pay for it!"

He started throwing things in my general direction, I shuffled back a bit and most of the items missed me entirely or when they did hit, it was on the rebound from the wall above me so they didn't hurt.

I fumbled for my phone so I could call the coppers. Just as I was about to dial my phone rang, it was D.

"Tish are you out of work yet? Mum and Gwen sent me to get you as we are having dinner at our house tonight," she said.

"D!" I said, "There's some guy throwing things at me!"

"What! Where are you?"

"I'm hiding down the alleyway from the restaurant."

"Hold tight I'm close by!" she said and rang off.

I lay flat avoiding the stones and other items being thrown at me. It went quiet for a bit. He had stopped throwing things at me, I gingerly raised my head up for a look. I saw him dragging a large bin down towards where I was hiding obviously intending to use it to climb up and get me. I had to move I didn't know how far away D was and how long it would be till help arrived, I quickly slipped off my shoes and socks putting them in my backpack. I fastened my back pack on tightly and then climbed onto the wall. Very slowly I moved away from the balcony stealing brief glances back to where the man was wrestling the bin into place. He was fairly distracted but I didn't want him spotting me. I carefully climbed my way along the wall to an overhang from one of the upper floors. I climbed up under it hoping he would not think to look for me hanging upside down from this section of concrete.

"YAHHHHHHHHHHR!" the man shouted smashing his club down on top of the balcony. Then he looked confused and felt around bellowing in rage when he didn't find me up there. "Where are you? You can't hide forever and I can do this all night!"

He bashed his club around the balcony trying to see if I was hiding on it but then began working his way along the wall striking it at random. He was getting pretty close to where I was now, his blows coming closer and closer. One move and he would be able to see me. I had to keep still despite the fear of him hitting me. He swung hard his club whistling past, barely centimeters from where my head was. I hung there dead still not even daring to breathe.

He carried on past me and kept attacking the wall getting more and more angry as he failed to find me. His attacks churned up a load of dust as he smashed away at the walls and various things in his way. It began to tickle my nose and I felt a sneeze coming on. I tried desperately to fight it back but it was no good and I let out a sneeze and coughed repeatedly.