Barbed Wire Roses Chapter One

I didn't even have to turn around to know I was being followed. As I ran through the derelict streets my feet pummelled hard against the concrete ground, drumming out a pounding rhythm, the wind slapped my cheeks. My hair whipped in a tangled mass against my face and through the thin material of my woollen cardigan the chill bit hard into my skin. 
Abandoned concrete shells of houses surrounded me and my pursuer. I could sense danger in the air as the steady, fast beat of his footsteps drew closer.
The cold air had made me breathless and as I tore through the streets I knew I needed to make a decision quick as he was catching up with me now. I made up my mind in a split second: lash, slash, cut-throat, kill. Slowly my chill bitten hand slipped inside the pocket of my cardigan. My fingers closed around a cold metal object and as I drew it out the blade glinted in the fading sunlight.
The knife was small but deadly, its handle was wrapped in a grubby cloth and the blade had been sharpened to perfection. Still running I tested the ridge against the tip of my finger, quickly drawing it in a sharp line across the fleshy tip. I flinched as a crimson droplet of blood bubbled from the cut and trickled down my finger, onto my hand before splaying of to trace the many creases of my palm.
I breathed deeply twice. Spinning round I lunged at the man. Lashing out I threw the blade at his arm, slashing it across with all the force I could manage, aiming to stun him for a few seconds so I could deliver the fatal blow. The cut drew a seeping puddle of blood, a rusty dye soaked slowly through the navy arm of his overall spreading into a scarlet stain and for a second the man seemed dazed. I yanked out the knife from the gash and glanced at the blood tinted blade, raising my arm I prepared myself to plunge it deep into his chest, but he was quick. The man seized hold of me, brutally thrusting me onto the ground. Winded I struggled to catch my breath and looked up at the man who held me down.
I could see the anger in his eyes, the hate for me, the ache to kill me. His face was rough with stubble and his head was shaved. Chapped lips encased chipped coffee stained teeth and his eyes were a dull grey yet they flashed with malice. He wore a rough overall rolled up at the sleeves so one arm showed the inked cross design I knew so well as that of the governments.

I knew I had to kill him but that was if he didn't kill me first. His fist bore down hard into my face and I cried out in pain, biting down on my lip so hard the sharp blade of my tooth drew beaded blood. A coppery taste filled my mouth as I rolled over onto my side in agony. Spitting blood onto the cold hard ground beside me I tried to rid my mouth of the bloody tint. Face throbbing I forced myself back over onto my back and breathing heavily tensed my arms. I grabbed the collar of my attackers navy overall and hauled myself up and with that him down. The wind beat against my body and as I strengthened my hold on the blade a steady trickle of rain began. Drops struck my adrenaline flushed cheeks and trickled down my neck, onto my arm flowing down, down down until they reached my fingertip and plummeted down to the ground where they exploded into little turquoise grey bursts.

The man writhed so I kicked him in the chest struggling to keep him under my hold. His arm shot out to knock the knife out of my trembling hand and the blade clattered to the ground scattering settled raindrops from the concrete floor. He jerked free of my hold and grabbed the blade. His arm muscles tensed as he took up a solid grip on the weapon, the tattoo on his shoulder rippled slightly before freezing on the hard surface of his tensed skin. Taking a step towards me and accumulating a battle stance he spat government tainted words from his rough lips. “Lover.” he forced the word out like it was a bad taste in his mouth. “scum.” he added spitting out the vile taste, seemingly struggling to put his pure hate for me into words, taking one more step closer to me he balled up his fists ready. “I know about your little secret. You and your lover boy, you both disgust me. Little s***s like you don't deserve to live.” he gathered up saliva in his mouth and spat down on the ground beside me. Anger built up inside me as his harsh words cut into my skin. “Don’t speak of us like that” I snarled as he took another step forwards. He laughed, cold and emotionless “that boy disgusts me just as much as you do, he deserves to be killed, not just shot on the spot but tortured long and slow so I can watch him suffer. And when his blood runs out the Lord will take no pity”. Raging anger etched to escape my body “don't you speak about Kai like that, he's worth a thousand of you'
With wild eyes the man threw himself onto me, but this time I was ready. Fuelled by a mix of anger and pure adrenaline I clutched hold of his wrist. Twisting his arm backwards I clasped hold of the blade from his writhing hand. I Loosened my grip and let his arm fall limp against his side then without further thought plunged the knife into his neck, embedding the blade deep in before pulling it across. 
For a second the man froze, his eyes bulging with pain and fear as I removed the blade. Lifting it up into the air, its scarlet case glinting in the sunlight, a single drop of blood slithered down the blade and hurtled to the ground mixing with a rain drop and adding a copper crimson hue to the tiny explosion that erupted onto the ground. That moment seemed to freeze as the terror he felt forced its way into me everything around me fell silent. The rain still fell and the wind still whipped hard into my skin yet it was as if they weren't there. Each breath I took was a raging tsunami and the panic stuck eyes of the man before me bore deep into my heart. 
Then he fell, crashing to the ground like a logger’s wood. Choking up fresh blood He looked up at me in terror. He forced out rasping breaths and retching spat out a mixture of saliva and blood. Then struggling to find a final breath his eyes glassed over and his breathing subsided.

I gasped out a breath as I glanced down at the lifeless body that could have so easily been mine then collapsed to the ground overwhelmed by guilt and remorse, I'd killed before but it didn't mean I ever got used to it. I shivered realising I was soaked in icy rain, my hair hung in soggy clumps against my face and my dress had a watery grey tinge to it, sodden so it clung to my body. Taking heavy slow breaths I looked down at my balled fist. I still clutched the blade in whitened knuckles. Opening my hand I let the rain wash away the bloody surface before wiping the remaining hint on the hem of my dress. I slipped the knife back into my pocket.
I knew I had to make a move soon and fast before someone saw me. A young girl and a dead body wouldn't be hard to miss and more attention from the government was what I least needed. The sad thing is there wasn't any point in even trying to hide the body. The government had more important things to worry about; like ridding the world of the weak. It made me feel sick to the stomach to think what one man’s crazed search for riches and power had done to the world.

Turning around and taking a step away from the corpse I took one final look at his body. In some ways I envied him, at peace finally. Encased in a warm red blanket of blood throughout his sleep, held protectively in the arms of death tight and secure, never to be let go of.
Then I turned and ran. Blood still pummelled against my ear drums and my heart ran with my feet. Dodging through the doorway of an empty building I weaved in and out of the rooms: what seemed to be a living room, then a hallway, dining room and finally a kitchen. All the furniture was broken, broken arms and legs and the battered body of a sofa. In the living room lay a china doll one leg smashed and the other hanging on by a thread, cherry tainted lips that should of shone against porcelain white skin fought to be seen through grime and eyes black and vacant stared at me as I clambered over the bruised sofa. The hallway was fairly empty apart from the presence of numerous cobwebs littering the wall and ceiling. Mauve wallpaper was peeled back to reveal the concrete and wooden structure of the house and the stairwell looked set to collapse. The dining room was dark and dingy, so much so I struggled to see where I was going. My hip slammed hard into a table and I cried out in pain. Stumbling through the remaining expanse of the room I reached a large oak door and using brute force I wrenched it open. Daylight flooded in through cracked window panes and radiated onto my face. For a second relief of light occupied me but not before the stench of rotting food overwhelmed my senses. Decaying fruit and decomposing vegetables spilled from the cupboards and onto the wooden table chased by flies. I gagged as the smell flooded my senses then holding my breath ran toward the back-door and forced it open. Breathing in deep gulps of fresh air I let out a sigh of relief, at least back here I was safe from anyone finding me. The houses around here had been long abandoned, and it was clear it had been done so in a rush. Securing my foot in position on a brick sticking out of the wall I pushed myself up and over the fence. Over the back was an alleyway. It was narrow and the surrounding buildings blocked out most of the sunlight so only a slim shaft of light settled on the pavement. Safe back here I decided to pause for a moment to catch my breath. I knew I should hurry because as ever Kai would panic if I was even 2.197956 milliseconds �" and that is only a small exaggeration - late. Despite the fact I'd almost died a few minutes ago I couldn't help smiling as I imagined the look on his face. He'd be chewing his lip as he always did, and tapping his foot; well by now he'd probably be jiggling his entire leg. He did it without realising it but it meant I always knew when he was nervous. The thought of his lips made me want to touch them, the way they fitted perfectly around mine and moved slowly, exploring every inch of my mouth yet still not wanting to let go. Right now there was no feeling I longed for more, forbidden or not.

I picked up speed as I ran down the alleyway towards the warehouse we'd organised to meet at about half an hour ago. I'd seen Kai only 60 minutes before at school but it wasn't as if I could talk to him there. The most we could slip in was a few smiles and the occasional hi, then if we were lucky a conversation at break. The last time we'd spent the day together the teachers had started giving us funny looks, they purposely separated us in lessons and kept a special eye on us at break; no school wanted lovers to be found on their premises. We hadn't been able to meet for a few weeks because my parents made it almost impossible to sneak out of her house without facing a beating afterwards when I failed to come up with a good excuse, but sometimes Kai was worth it. There was only so many times I could spend 'round Annie's house' before my mother ended up bringing it up in conversation with Mrs Douvair and discovering the lie.

As I rounded a corner figures came in to view, it was just a woman and her child but even so I ducked behind a plastic rubbish bin and held my breath for a few seconds; you never knew where the government had placed spies and if they saw a girl alone in this derelict area there was no doubt they'd have to follow her. Once the footsteps had faded I checked both ways and slowly emerged from the bin. My pace quickened as I raced towards the warehouse praying I wouldn't face any more passersby.

The warehouse stood in front of me and as I approached the wrought iron doors I only needed to glance at them to see that they were firmly locked and bolted as ever. Making my way round the side of the building I found a pile of disused oil barrels stacked up against the wall. Placing a foot on the first one to test the firmness of the structure I hoisted myself upwards. Clambering up the surface of each cylinder was made awkward by the oil that slicked the surface; however the ringed ridges that bound the metal made it do-able. When I reached the top I peered through the shoebox window. The glass was already smashed from previous meetings but the tiny size of the window meant I usually ended up with a few shards of glass embedded in my fingertips. However, to be honest I couldn't really care less about them; you could just pluck them out, blot the scarlet droplets and be done with it; unlike some other injuries I'd dealt with over the years.

Once I'd clambered through the window and picked out the three little shards that had bitten my fingertips I peered down to the ground floor of the warehouse. I stood at the top, on a balcony that covered half the area of the building but still leaving a large gap to peer down from. Kai sat on the floor, around fifteen foot down, jiggling his knee up and down in a nervous fashion. I couldn't help letting a smothered laugh escape my lips as the image in front of me was an exact replica of what I'd predicted. I smiled subconsciously as I looked down on him. He seemed lost in his own little world as he chewed the edge of his lip. He ran his finger tips slowly through his hair as it fell into a tousled blondey brown mess around his head. I sat there for a moment and just watched him, trying to make the most of the moment. A sinking feeling dragged down my heart as I remembered that every time we meet we risk our lives. I didn't really care about my own but Kai was another matter. 
Dangling my bare legs over the ledge I swung forwards and landed with a thump on my feet, stumbling forwards with the momentum of the fall. Kai looked around slightly startled at the noise but his face broke into a grin as he let out a soft chuckle at the sight of me on the floor. His smile quickly turned to relief as he bent down and wrapped me in his warm hold. I let him pick me up in his arms and carry me over to his previous spot. As he put me down he didn't let his arms loosen their grip around my body. 'You scared me' his words were so soft I could only hear them because his lips tickled against my ear. 
'I'm sorry' 
He pulled me upwards and looked me in the eyes. I couldn't help but melt under his gaze and as his body tensed around mine the change felt so sudden. His fingers traced the purpling bruising around my cheek and I flinched even at his gentle touch. I hadn't realised it before but my nose was bleeding and as he drew back a blood covered finger his face filled with concern. 
'What happened?'
I swallowed as I tried to think of another excuse, I knew he'd panic, try to put of meeting up for a while so I was safe. 'I tripped on my way climbing to the window' I knew it was a lame excuse because it was clear those huge metal cans would of made a noise If I'd knocked them but right then it was the only thing I could think of.

Kai sighed as he looked at me 'Emery, someone saw you, didn't they?' His eyes traced mine, the black pupils almost merging into the deep brown iris of his eye. 
'I-i..' I stumbled on my words realising there was no way not to tell him now. 'A man saw me, we fought but I had my knife so I was ok, I killed him' I felt bad for putting something as bad as death so bluntly but the truth was I didn't want to go into details again, it only made the guilt more for ending someone’s life. I knew it was my life or his, yet I didn't felt any safer after it.
'Emery! You could of died, you should of ran, you could of got here in time, I could of handled him' Kai's voice filled with anger as he spoke the words. But as I looked under the shouts the concern in his expression seeped through and for a second I couldn't help but bury my face deep in his chest. 
'But then he might of killed you' I whispered the words into his jumper and although my speech was muffled I knew he heard me. 
'I just hate to think you'd rather let yourself get hurt than me. I don't care if they cut me up...torture me...kill me...the only thing that makes me sleep at night is the knowledge that you're safe' Kai pulled me closer to him as I listened to the gentle pounding of his heart. I whispered the words so quietly into his top I knew he couldn't hear me 'I'll never let that happen' 
He pulled my face up to level with his own and stroked the scarring that covered my face: both old and new. I shivered at his touch, my cheeks flushing scarlet as his breath fell onto my lips, warm and sweet. His lips gently brushed mine, sending a impulse of desperation through my body. I hadn't been alone with Kai for weeks and I probably wouldn't be again for at least another. I reached up to place my arms around his neck and smiled silently to myself as my wrist fitted perfectly into the groves of his collar bone. His own hands fitted protectively round my waist as his kiss became more intense, still slow and gentle but I could sense a hint of frustration in his touch. It felt as if he was scared I would fall from his arms or break if he kissed me too roughly and didn't hold me tight enough. He'd always been like this and I suppose he had reason too, neither of us could predict the day someone would discover us and send us to our death. But for as long as I was alive I would never let anyone touch Kai. 

I pulled away from his lips and gently wrapped my body into his hold. We could of lain there for hours as far as I knew but right then no one else mattered. Neither of us had to speak, the look in his eyes, the way his heart pounded and arms never let me go said more than words ever could.

Author's Note

This is an unedited version of chapter one and so i'd love some feedback as to what to keep and what to change