***Read Part 3 HERE

Sage hurriedly walks up to a small house with a white picket fence. The American Dream on display for all to see. Pushing the gate she proceeds to the door way. As she lifts her hand to ring the door bell, she hears a female voice screaming;    

“Help! Help me! Please.”

Followed by what one can only describe as an abnormally loud crash.

She rushes in, struck with fear, as the screaming intensifies.

Sage awakes from her nightmare, in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. The morning casts a slight ray of sun creeping through the dingy yellowed curtains. The sun serving as a daunting reminder that Sage has to endure yet another day of replaying the horrible incident she’s been running from.

As she grabs her head she tries to lie as still as possible. It continues pounding and her eyes feel heavy. It’s safe to say that Sage didn’t get that much sleep last night. She is haunted.

She scans the room in a blurry fog, as her eyes strive to focus.

Her motel room is in disarray and smells of old moth balls. Slowly she sits up in bed and makes her way to the bathroom splashing water on her face, she is soon greeted with a small knock on her motel room door.

She looks in her mirror at her reflection and sighs heavily.

She walks to the door, and figuring it is Charlie she reaches to open it, but upon hearing voices she halts.

“Excuse me officer?” She hears the familiar male voice of her recent companion.

Sage freezes ducking to the floor, avoiding windows.

“Hello Sir, is this your room?” the officer asks turning to face Charlie.

“Sure is.”

“Are you sharing it with anybody?”

“Nope just me. Can I help you with something?” Charlie asks calm and collectively.

“Why yes, we are looking for a possible suspect in a murder case.”

“A murder? Well Sir I am very sorry to hear that.”

“Aren’t we all. We have reason to believe we are looking for a female suspect, mid to late twenties, yay high (he says showing a height with his hand) dark hair; possibly brown or black, tanned complexion…. She was seen fleeing the scene late last night. Have you seen anyone matching that description come through here?”

Sage’s face fills with fear, her eyes widen, her heart begins to pound.

Who’s to say this guy can be trusted. He doesn’t owe me a thing? What if he gives me up right now, she thinks.

“No Sir, I can’t say that I have. I haven’t seen much of anybody come through here,” Charlie answers filled with calm poise.

Sage sighs in relief, allowing her breathing to exist yet again. She stands up slowly and quietly and peeks out the peephole to see Charlie and the officer.

“What about the room over…vacant?”

“Um yea I think so. Heard a car on my way to the vending machine, might have ran into town.”

“And the hotel manager, he or she ever around?”

“Maybe mystery guest in room 7 needed a lift somewhere. The way I see it- if I worked here, I’d spend as little time as possible actually in this place. Kinda gives me the creeps. I’m just on a brief stop in between some construction work, looking to move on real soon.”

Charlie hands the officer what appears to be a business card.

The officer looks it over and nods.

“Well. Please excuse the interruption. You have a nice day now.”

Charlie nods and watches as the officer walks off.

Sage looks on confused at how well Charlie handled that.

Charlie turns toward the door. Before he could knock, it opens for him, he walks in, finding Sage standing behind the door.

“You heard that?” he asks.

“Yea.” She says her eyes slighltly filling up.

“Are you okay?”

“They have a description. They know what I look like.”

“It appears so.”

“Oh my god. What am I gonna do? They’re too close now. It’s over. My life is over.”

“It doesn’t have to be over.”

Sage begins to let the tears fall freely. As her life and everything she’s ever dreamed of being slowly feels like it’s being ripped away from her.

Her breathing becomes sporadic as she begins gasping for air.

“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” She says pacing the motel room floor in a state of panic. Hands shaking about.

Charlie looks on nervously rushing to her side.

“Ok hey. Hey look at me. It’s ok. You’re gonna be ok. I’m gonna make sure of it. You’re just having a panic attack. It’s going to pass. Just look at me. Ok? Stay looking at me, right here,” he says points to his eyes.

“Ok, now breathe in and out with me. Ok? Slowly. Big, slow, deep breaths. Ok. You’re Ok.”

Charlie continues coaching Sage through her panic as he grips onto her shoulders to steady her, rubbing them as an occasional calming technique. Sage’s hands hold onto his inner arms in reciprocation.

She begins to calm down as her gaze continues to lock onto Charlie’s.

His face calm, and kind and somehow oddly peaceful.

“You okay?” Charlie says cupping her face.

Sage realizes her nails are digging into Charlie’s muscular arms, as she had felt she was holding onto him for dear life.

Her eyes gaze elsewhere, breaking her trance; a mixture of panic and attraction for this new found confidant.

“I’m sorry,” she says releasing him and backing away.

Charlie’s hands drop from her face in response. He can sense she’s pulling away.

“Don’t sweat it. It happens. Did it pass? Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. Thank you,” she says looking at him as her arms fold over her chest.

“Sure,” he says looking at her with that familiar hidden flirtation.

 

It isn’t blatantly obvious but there is something causing Sage’s heart to flutter and her stomach to flip in a way that she actually finds oddly satisfying.

“Look I know you’re scared. That was a close call. But at least now you have some beneficial information.”

“That they know what I look like.”

“Yea. But see the good news is you have an advantage- you’re not the only 20 something, brown eyed brunette with a tanned complexion.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“So with that being said- you know they know-so now you can change accordingly.”

“Meaning-what?” Sage says curiously.

“Alter your appearance,” He says casually.

Sage looks at him.

“That would require money and me leaving this motel. Two things of which I am not too sure about.”

“Well I have money and a car…it’s best we keep moving, get ahead of the investigaton while we can.”

“Why do I feel like you’ve been in this situation before?”

“Because in some way…I have.”

“You’ve been on the run before?”

“Not exactly.”

“Ok so-what then?”

“Let’s just say I watch a lot of cop and crime shows.”

“Sure. If that’s your story,” she smirks and laughs slightly, her eyes sparkingly in his direction.

Charlie looks over at her matching her flirtation with his glance and a chuckle.

“So what’s the plan? I dye my hair and get some new clothes and just keep running? Eventually they have to catch me.”

“Not if we do it right. But in order for you to allow me to help you- You have to trust me. So…do you?”

“Honestly?”

Charlie nods.

“I don’t know. What I do know is that you’ve saved my ass more than I can count in the last 24 hours.”

“It was my pleasure,” he says smirking.

Sage blushes.

“I think that if you’re willing to risk it to help me, I’d be a fool not to take it…but with that being said in full disclosure, knowing what you know now about what happened. Do you trust me?”

“Honestly?”

Sage nods.

“I don’t know either. But I want to. And that’s enough for me to want to help you.”

They exchange glances and an understanding.

Charlie turns to leave.

“I’m gonna go grab my stuff and start up the get away car,” he chuckles.

Sage laughs and then catches herself.

Her gaze drifting as the screaming rings in her ears yet again.

“Hey…look I don’t judge people. Something tells me you did what you had to do.”

“Why does it feel so bad then?” she says looking up at Charlie.

“Because that’s proof you’re a good person. Bad people can’t feel guilt. Because well, they simply just don’t care.”

Sage ponders his words as he leaves the room.

To Be Continued….

Welcome to Michelle Leigh Writes latest short story, series…I hope you’re enjoying! Please feel free to leave a comment down below. 😀

-<3-

*I do not take credit for any images or gifs used in my edits or otherwise.*

 

***Read Part 2 HERE

She walks into the bathroom, turning on the water in the sink, she throws her hands into the running water as the sink fills with red. Scrubbing and scrubbing away her sins, her pain. Attempting to calm her fears.

She wets her face and looks up into the mirror, her breath catching in her chest as she hears the screaming in her mind again.

“Help! Help me! Please.”

She is trapped in her mind for a second, a second that easily felt like an eternity. Finally shaking from the memory she exhales violently as she realizes she wasn’t breathing. Within seconds she rushes to the toilet and lifting the lid she throws up, hanging her head as she holds onto the sides of the toilet. Her body completely exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Drained.

Sinking to the floor, she pulls her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly, she tries to keep a steady breath.

*******************************************************************

The shower is turned on as she steps in, her pile of clothes are seen cast onto the cold tiled floor. The warm water kisses her skin as her body is engulfed by steam.

*******************************************************************

A little while later she is wrapped in a motel robe and is sitting on the edge of her bed. She stares blankly ahead, her mind still. Her daze focused. To any passerby, she would easily appear to be day dreaming, however, she’d tell you truthfully that she’s living in a still, dark nightmare. 

A knock is soon heard.

She jolts, looking around nervously.

Walking slowly toward the door she peaks through the peephole and sees her heroic stranger standing on the opposite side. She uncharacteristically sighs of relief.

Opening the door slightly, she peers out.

“Hey. I’m sorry to bother you. I had some old clothes in my trunk thought you could use them. And I figured you must be hungry, so I got you some things from the vending machine,” he says handing her a plastic bag.

She smiles slightly as she takes it from him.

“Thank you. So much. I’m starving… and freezing.”

He smiles, “Don’t mention it,” he says and turns to walk back to his room.

“Do you want to join me?” she asks, surprising even herself.

He turns and looks at her.

“Um, sure. If you’re comfortable with that? I can tell you are still a little bit shaken. I don’t want to pry.”

“No. That’s ok. I’d prefer the company.”

“Ok then,” he says as she steps aside to let him in.

*******************************************************************

The two strangers sit across from each other in silence. Food wrappers scattered across the room.

The young woman sits there fidgeting, she’s obviously uncomfortable in her current state of wearing baggy men’s clothes post blood bath.

“I should go,” the man says standing up.

“Please don’t,” she stands abruptly, causing the man to halt.

“I can tell you are afraid of me-of me being here with you. Why wouldn’t you be? You don’t know me.”

“I’m more afraid of you not being here.”

The man looks at her with a sensitive, yet understandably curious glance.

“The silence it’s deafening. I can’t shut my brain off, at least not for very long,” she says explaining.

“Ok well-I may be able to help you with that.”

They exchange a glance that feels like a sexually charged spark.

Her face is instantly filtered in a red flush.

“What do you suggest?” she says her eyes looking him over curiously.

The man reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a deck of cards.

“Gold fish?” he asks with a shrug and a sweet laugh.

She smiles and laughs. Her self-awareness recognizes how he brought on the first genuine laugh she’s been able to let out in the last 24 hours. This man. A complete stranger.

“Your laugh is something special,” he says his eyes burning into hers as if trying to read her soul.

“It’s rare is what it is,” she says holding onto his stare.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says sincerely.

She responds with a tightened smile as her eyes drift to look away, their connection too intense to withstand any longer.

“What’s your name?” he asks his head cocking to the side as his eyes look her over wanting to take her whole being into account as if committing it to memory.

“Do you what a real one, or a fake one?” she asks with a slight flirtation in her voice.

“Real. I can handle it,” he says with a grin and a small chuckle.

“Sage.”

“Well Sage it’s nice to meet you, I’m Charlie,” he says extending his hand to her. As Sage reaches out and shakes Charlie’s hand her whole body relaxes. However oddly enough within the next few seconds after that first physical contact the butterflies within Sage’s stomach ignite and set free. Fluttering. And fear washes away in that moment.

“Nice to meet you too,” she says not wanting to let go.

“Should we play?” he says holding up the deck of cards with his free hand.

“Sure,” she says snapping out of her fantasy and letting his hand go free.

Charlie smirks as he makes his way  over to a small table. Sitting in a chair he starts to deal the cards. Sage walks over, and sits across from him. She notices a new feeling stirring inside her.

Could this guy be her ticket to escaping the horrific events she just endured? Or is her current state just making her imagine their intense connection.  

 

To Be Continued….

Welcome to Michelle Leigh Writes latest short story series…I hope you’re enjoying! Please feel free to leave a comment down below. 😀

-<3-

*I do not take credit for any images or gifs used in my edits or otherwise.*