3 The Helpful Stranger

Once I have collected my food I go over to the park with my hood up. As soon as I see the man from McDonalds sitting down I smile and sit down on a bench behind him and lean backwards. "You're not the only one who knows a little bit about being chased."

"So who is chasing you or at least who does the mean to you. Why would they pick you."

"My dad's killer's son. He has always wanted to. Hate him for it. I don't really mean much to him. He just goes to my school. That is actually it. Jealous I'd admit but apart from that I really do not know."

"Okay. That is not the best. Now your clothes."

"He had kidnapped me and brought me here. After I woke up I fought him and escaped."

"Okay, so this guy really wants to ruin your life. Now before I ask you the next question what do you want me to call you?"

"You can call me Maz. Now let me guess your last question is how did I get hurt." He nodded. "I got stabbed and injected with poison, I think. I woke up in pain so I am only certain about the stabbing."

"Okay that is really bad. Also you can call me Rich. Can we go to my house to continue this conversation? I can help you."

"I don't really feel safe going to someone's house but seeing as I am light headed then it is a good idea." He nodded and signaled for me to follow him to his house.

At Rich's house

As I walk in I make sure that no one is following us before wandering inside. I sit down on his couch and look at him. "This is quite comfortable. Is it okay if I lay down with a blanket." He looks at me and smiles but shakes his head saying no as he exits the room and walks upstairs.

"No. You need to stay awake because in your condition I have no way of making sure you are alive, okay." Then he walks upstairs, out of sight. Not that long later he comes back down and chucks me a bag. I look in it and it holds some clothes along with a credit card. "The pin is 6932."

"What is all this for?"

"You can't keep a trace remember? This is to help you hide. I can't know where you are going and only withdraw money with the card that way they can't track where you are going. Now let's talk about what has happened. The basic thing is what is the last thing you remember?"

"I was standing in my room at school and then I blacked out. I then woke up in this dark room with the killer and his assistant. I tried to escape but I couldn't move my legs and then they inserted me with something and then I finally managed to escape and I ran out of the room but not before he managed to stab me. Not that I know why."

"You are certainly being vague. That's good it means that you trust people enough to get help but not enough that they can catch you. Now, do you remember anything from before that. Like your name or address. You just tell me yes or no not what you remember."

"I remember my first name but nothing else." I scream in pain and then try to get up before Rich tries to phone for help but he rushes to my side and makes me lay back down. I look at him waiting for him to call help but to my surprise and delight he does not. "You understand."

"Yes but also it wouldn't matter if you need medical action now. An ambulance wouldn't get here in time." Rich says bending down in front of me. "My wife is upstairs and she is a doctor, I am going to get her okay. Even though it is her day off I don't think she will mind if I explain your situation." I smile at him as he runs upstairs to go and get his wife. I can vaguely hear what he is saying but everything keeps on fading and then coming back up again.

A tall woman with blond hair and glasses comes into the room. She is holding a first aid kit that looks like a doctor. When she sees me standing there she rushes over to my side and takes my hand and presses against my wrist, looking at her watch while counting. Then she gets me to lift my top so she can look at the wound. She looks at me worried.

"Slow BPM and deep wound with chance of infection and internal bleeding. I can seal the wound and I have heard your situation but you really have to go to hospital."

"I can't because he knows I am there. He will hunt me, they will kill me. You can't make me go. I won't go. Please don't make me." She looks at me and nods.

"I don't want you to go either but you really don't have a choice." She says taking my hand. "You need to go. For your sake. We don't have the correct equipment here that can help us help you. Come on please."

"I do have a choice. You sealing the wound will stop me getting an infection and the chances of me getting internal bleeding are very small." She looks at Rich and then back at me and nods to what I say before going back up stairs.

"You do realise that she doesn't feel great doing what she did. She just wants to help you. How do you know it isn't just the officer that is bad instead of everyone."

"I don't and that is why I can't go. You've been on the run before, you should know that you have to take risks to survive and this is me taking risks. This is my life that is on the line not yours. What I say goes, got that." Rich nodded at me then he too left the room. I stare out of his window and look at everyone carrying on with their so called normal lives. Not that I will ever really know what that feels like. I've been so scared of Andrew and his dad that I couldn't lead a normal life for myself.

The woman comes back down stairs holding something and walks over to me and sitting down on the chair beside me. She places the object on the table and slides it over to me. It is some painkillers not that I need them. I have had a lot of practice with dealing with pain without having to take anything. I turn to the woman and shake my head. "I never did learn your name." I tell her.

"Why would you need to know my name."

"I can trust people better if I know their names. You know my name. Well the name I want to be called, it is just fair if I know the name that you want to be called. I need to call you something."

"Fine. You can call me Kate. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah. Now Kate I understand that you just want to help me. You know by sending me the hospital but this is my life at stake not yours or Rich's. It would be a risk if I don't go but my life is at stake and I'm a sitting duck if I stay at the hospital whereas here I am not. I call the shots now. Not anyone else. Have you got that?"

"Yes Maz. I understand. Do you need anything? A drink? Another blanket? The TV remote?" I shake my head and look back out of the window to see a police officer knocking at everyone's doors and I knew it would be a matter of time before they came knocking at this one. So, I stand up as quick as I can and signal for Kate to do the same. We both get outside the front door before we are stopped. Thinking it is the officer we get ready to punch only to turn around and see Rich standing there with his hands on his hips.

"Where are you guys going?" Rich says before handing us some bags. The one I had left in the living room and another one. He is also holding a bag before pushing us to go to the gate. As soon as we get outside the grounds of the house we run to the car and drive off. I am lying in the back under a blanket and the others are up front. Kate is driving and she is driving very fast.