Flip - Erin Gilgenbach (top books to read txt) 📗

Flip
1


Thud, my shoulder hit a wall as I ran. I grimaced but kept running. I have to keep running, don’t stop, DON’T STOP! He’ll catch me if I stop! My feet pounded on the ally floor. Each time one of my feet hit the ground I felt pain shouting though my body, making my legs stiff and sore. I kept running. As I ran I looked around desperately for a place to hide, tears rolled down my cheeks, desperation and pain twisted my mind into dizzy confusion. I pushed the tears away. This is no time to cry, just keep running. I looked ahead; the street forked and to the right was a dumpster truck. I quickly dove under and hoped he didn’t see me dive under. As I lay there, I covered my face in my sweater sleeve; little black dots swirled in front of my eyes, from loss of blood. I heard his foot steeps coming my way, I held my breath. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, I felt like he knew where I was but that was torturing me for his own enjoyment.
So this is how I’m going to die, he’s going to find me and tell me if I don’t tell him what he wants, he will kill me, my friends, my family. One by one he will kill us all. And of course I’m not going to tell him, so that is the end of my life. Even if he doesn’t find me, I’ll probably bleed to death. I bit my tongue and shut my eyes as tears rolled down. Stop it, your over reacting he’ll probably just kill you. I looked at my side were blood gushed out, I touched it and cried out, I heard something shuffle, I looked up. I forgot he was still standing there. Stupid, stupid, I must be delusional from the loss of blood. Now lie still and be quite. I heard his feet start running to the left. I let out a sigh, and let myself relax against the cold, dirty street.

Something had brushed past my arm; I looked over, A RAT! AHHHH! I jumped up only to hit my head on the bottom of the dumpster truck. Ouch, nice move there genius. You feel asleep, you’re a hero, and I just can’t imagine what the world would do without you. I rolled my eyes at myself. What’s wrong with you, sacred by a rat! You’ve been in a room full of bats, just waiting to suck all the blood out of you, and what about that time with the lions?! And now I’m afraid of a little rat. Great not only am I dieing, but I’m turning into a wimp. And stop talking to yourself! You loon, before you go completely nuts.
I looked out form my hiding place, the street was darker then when I feel asleep and some cats were digging in the trash, but I was sure that there was someone else there and I knew that I had to act quick. I pulled my cell out of my jacket pocket and flipped it open. I looked at the time, 6:00 pm, good I had only slept for one hour. I turned the volume off and then started to look through my contacts. I looked at Riley’s number, I sighed sadly. Of all the times to break your phone why now? Riley and I had been friends since babyhood. And we were as crazy as you could get when it comes to teenage girls. Of course you would have to break your phone at a time like this. I scowled at the screen then continued to scroll down the numbers, trying not to think what might happen if He caught me. My eyes fell on Luke’s name, anther one of my best friends. Not as crazy and can be serous if he wants, perfect! Carefully I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper, trying hard not to get blood on it. I smoothed it on the ground and then took a picture of it with the camera on my phone. I saved the picture and laid my phone on the ground. I reached into my bag and pulled out a book of matches, I had to smile when I looked at them. They made me think of Riley, did I mention that she’s a pyromaniac? Not the kind that goes around burning down house’s or anything like that, just the kind that likes to light matches. I struck one of the matches and watched the little red flame flicker. Then before it got to my fingers I lit the paper on fire and watched it burn. Then when it was done I flipped open my phone and went into photos, I clicked onto the picture that I had taken and then clicked “add massage”. I sat there thinking about what I should write, I had to make it believable and yet tell him as little as I could about why I was in trouble. I knew that he would want to know but I knew if I wanted him to live, I couldn’t tell him a thing. After thinking for a long time, I texted my massage and reread it to make sure that it was spelled right and made sense. As much sense as something like this could. I pressed the send button and held my breath as it sent the massage. “Massage Sent” flashed on my screen, I let my breath out. I went to settings and clicked “Master Clear” and watched as phone deleted all my numbers, settings, and pictures. It took awhile for it to delete, when it finished I sighed. I sigh a lot, I wonder if it’s unhealthy to sigh too much? I looked down at my phone and made a face, the key pad was covered in blood. I wiped off the blood on my skirt. My as well, it’s already bloody and ripped. I put my phone back into my pocket and looked out from under my hiding place. I didn’t see anyone but I knew they were there, I could feel it deep inside me, like a spike driven into my side. Man do I repeat myself or what. Maybe it’s from the loss of blood. I should get going, before He finds me, that little freak why does he always seem to pick on me? I have to get out of here. I jumped out and ran as fast as I could, never looking back, for fear of what I would see. And I prayed that Luke would get my massage and that he would do as I told him. His life might depend on it. God keep him safe and help me to do the same!
And then everything went black. I could feel myself crumbling and pain rippled though my body. Black engulfed me and I felt like I would gag on it. And then silence and utter darkness.


2

Almost there, almost there, DIE, DIE, DIE! I had almost beaten my new video game, when my cell phone vibrated and then ring in my back pocket. “Whoa!?” I jumped off
the couch and landed hard on the floor, spinning myself awkwardly as I fell so that I wouldn’t land on my cell phone. My chine hit the coffee table and the controller flew acrossed the room. I could tell it was a text because I had texts and calls on different rings. It’s so annoying; I stood up and rubbed my chin, then opened my phone and closed it so that it would shut up. I looked at the TV “Game Over” flashed on the screen; I stuck my tongue out at it. Who could have text me? All I know is that from now on when I play video games I’m going to take off vibrate and put it on the table. That almost gave me a heart attack. Whoever sent me this text is going to get it! I looked in my massage box there was one unopened under the name Harper, I had to smile. She was my best friend, how could I stay mad at her? When I pressed open I was expecting one of her crazy texts. But this was totally different, I had to sit down. Is she joking or is this real? I read it again to make sure that I read it right.
Luke, I am in trouble, but I can’t tell you why. With this massage is a picture, do NOT show this to anyone. You have to take it to...to some people. They will find you; don’t tell them anything, not even that you know me, until they prove that they are on my side. They will be looking for Sisal Lance. (That’s me) Please be careful. Harper
I sat there staring at the screen. What kind of trouble? What people? Where is she? Is she alright? And why did they give you a name like Sisal? Questions swirled in my mind but no answers came. I clicked into pictures, and pressed on the one she sent me. It was fuzzy but I could see it was a piece of paper. Was that blood?! Was she hurt or was it someone else’s blood? Ether way it didn’t sound good. I couldn’t read the writing but I knew that there was writing. Harper, what have you done now? She was always coming to school with some kind of injury, a bruised arm, a twisted ankle. I sighed and put my phone in my back pocket and turned off the TV. Now what, do I have to just wait here forever? Or can I go out of this house? Then again I don’t want to get mugged for my phone, so I guess I just wait. Ever since I’d known Harper she’s always been getting into scraps. One day she’d be fine then all next she’d have a broken arm. Always with some crazy story that she made up about how she got hurt, was she just telling a story? Sometimes I cant tell if she’s telling the truth, I’ve always felt that she was hiding something. Just be safe Harper.


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