Wrong place...

[Britwitch]

(closed for myself and Trombonus)

Character ~
Lizzie Jones
24
Bright blue eyes, long dark brown hair curling to the middle of her back.
Fairly generous bust, 38D, and a pleasantly curving figure.
She knew she attracted the eyes of men fairly often but she wasn’t interested in many, if any. She had only moved to the city a few months beforehand and was still settling in before getting involved in relationships and stuff.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lizzie was officially having the morning from hell. Her alarm clock hadn’t gone off, making her late. Realising it was a power cut that had shorted her alarm, she found that the dryer had stopped mid cycle the previous evening meaning her clothes for work were anything but dry. So Lizzie grabbed the first things that came to hand as she tried to dry her hair with one hand at the same time. What came to hand turned out to be a fitted black blouse and a mid-thigh length black skirt. It would do, after all, she was only going to be sat behind a desk all day, it didn’t really matter what she wore. Not having time to pin up her long dark hair she had to leave it hanging down her back as she pulled on some black tights and her heels before quickly grabbing her handbag and leaving the apartment.

She walked as quickly as she could down to the bus stop, arriving just in time to see her bus leaving. Frowning and swearing under her breath, she stood at the stop, taking a moment to catch her breath and run her fingers through her hair. She waited a while before the next bus showed up and once she’d boarded she saw that the only spare seat was next to a middle aged guy in a suit, apparently reading a paper. She sat down with a sigh, thinking she’d at least have 20 minutes or so in which she could finally relax a little before getting to work. Then her body tensed as she felt something rubbing against her thigh. Glancing down she saw the man beside her had dropped one hand from his paper and was trailing the fingertips up and down her leg. Coughing awkwardly Lizzie pulled away slightly, sure it must have been an accident. Then a moment or two later, there it was again. His hand creeping up the side of her thigh and then suddenly slipping beneath her skirt. She looked up to see a more than slightly lascivious grin looking back at her. Glaring at him she stood, pushing her way to the front of the bus and pressing the bell, just wanting to get as far away from him as possible. The bus ground to a halt and she all but leapt out of the doors. Watching as the bus then pulled away with a slight sense of relief. This was definitely turning out to be a day when she should have just stayed in bed.

Glancing around Lizzie realised that she had no idea where she was and the area didn't look the most 'friendly' of places...several people sleeping in bundles of rags and cardboard on the pavement, somewhere an alarm of some kind was ringing shrilly in the air and the street seemed largely deserted. Holding her handbag a little tighter, Lizzie started along the pavement, following the route she figured the bus would have taken and hoping to catch the next one at the next stop. Reaching an intersection she stepped off the curb, still frowning at the guy from the bus and not looking where she was going. She heard the skidding brakes at the last moment and turned just in time to see the car heading straight for her. Frozen with fear and confusion she could only watch as it drew closer. Looking through the windshield she could see that the man behind the wheel looked as terrified as she was.
The next few moments passed in a blur as the car knocked Lizzie off her feet and her head collided with the curb...then everything faded into darkness...

 

[Trombonus]

Character:
Derrick Rodgers
Age: 24
Brown Eyes, short dark brown hair, athletic build
Kinda nervous and jittery, has just attempted, and left the scene of his first bank robbery. Having racked up a large debt from gambling, and with loan sharks threatening his family he decides to rob the bank of far away town in order to pay off his debt...

He could hear the sirens as he grabbed the bag of money and dashed to his car. "I can't believe I just did that," he though as he opened the door to his car and jumped in. The sirens were getting louder, but there were no police cars in sight. He started the car and drove off as fast as he could, looking behind him for any sign of the police. He was blazing down the road at an alarming speed, not caring what was going on around him, just focussing on getting away. He could still hear the sirens as he turned the corner. He looked in his rear view mirror. Nothing. He turned back to the road and just barely noticed a young woman stepping out into the road. He slammed on the breaks as hard as he could, tires screeching as he skidded to a stop, but not before he hit the young woman. He quickly got out of the car fearing the worst. He moved over to the girls limp body, fearing the worst. He checked to see if she was alive. She was breathing. "Thank God," he said taking a better look at the unconscious woman. She was beautiful, unlike anything he'd seen before. He almost forgot where he was for a moment, until the sounds of the sirens snapped him back into reality. What was he to do? He knew the girl had seen his face, and she'd report him to the cops if he left her there. He knew he couldn't risk getting caught. He went over to his car and opened the back door, then returned to the unconscious woman and picked her up. He placed gently into his car and fastened her seatbelt. Then he got back into his car and once again was driving down the road, although not quite driving as fast as he was. The sounds of the sirens had begun to fade, and soon they had stopped altogether. He'd made it out of the town, but what the hell was he going to do now? He wasn't just a bank robber anymore, but a kidnapper too. What would his family think if they knew?

He continued on for quite a while, eventually reaching a small farming community. He pulled into a clearing where another car was parked. He quickly grabbed the bag of money, and opened the door to the other car. He popped open the trunk and placed the bag of money into a suitcase which also contained a few articles of clothing., then headed back to his original car. He opened the back seat and grabbed the girl, carrying her over to the new car and placing her gently in the back seat, again fastening the seat belt. It was getting dark, and he knew he'd need to get to someplace safe soon. He hopped in the car and got back on the main road, continuing down through the farming coommunity. After a few miles, Derrick heard a soft moan from behind him, and some movement, as the girl in his back seat had regained consciousness...

 

[Britwitch]

Lizzie opened her eyes tentatively, her head throbbing. Moaning quietly as the aching increased for a moment as she tried to move her head.
She knew something must have happened to her, aside from the pain in her head the last thing she remembered for certain was stepping out into the road and the sound of the car's brakes. And now, as far as she was aware, she was sat up and it felt as if she was moving. Figuring she must be in an ambulance, not sure how long she had been out.
Closing her eyes again, sighing as the pain faded a little, she leant back.
"What...what's going on...?" Her voice was quiet and barely above a whisper.
She could feel something running across her upper body and waist, holding her in place...a little like a car's seat belt...did they have seat belts in ambulances...?

 

[Trombonus]

He heard the girl muttering something and looked in his rear view mirror. She was gradually coming too, although it didn't seem like she was aware of where she was. "Everything's going to be alright," he said looking at her. She looked up and he could see her eyes lock into his through the mirror. A look of panic crossed her face as she recognized his face. It was the face of the man who hit her. "Try and relax ok, I'm going to take you to someplace safe. Are you ok? Anything broken?"

 

[Britwitch]

"Everything's going to be alright,"

A voice came from somewhere in front of her, wincing slightly she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. She realised straight away that this was no ambulance, this was a car. As her eyes fixed on the rear view mirror and caught the eyes of the driver she felt her breath catch in her throat slightly. That face...that face, she knew it somehow...oh god, he was the driver, the man who had hit her...what was she doing in his car...?

"Try and relax ok, I'm going to take you to someplace safe. Are you ok? Anything broken?"

"Well, my head hurts and I think I've cut my forehead a little..." Tentatively touching her skin and hissing through her teeth, the red, sticky substance on her fingertips confirmed Lizzie's suspicions. "Who...who are you and where are we going...?" Her eyes drifted out of the window and she gasped to see countryside flashing past and the sky growing dark above, her body tensing as she looked around for her handbag, intending to use her phone to call someone...anyone... but she couldn't see it.

 

[Trombonus]

"Uh, well, I'm the guy that ran into you."

He looked in his rear-view mirror again. God she was beautiful. Wait, what was he thinking? He saw the drying blood on her forehead, and knew he'd have to stop somewhere too. She looked ok, but she could have a concussion.

"I'm taking you to a safe place I know, and I'm going to take a look at that cut of yours, get it cleaned up."

He found it hard to keep his eyes on the road. He kept peering into the rear-view mirror, taking in her beauty. It was a good thing there was no one on the road that night.

"It wont be long before we're there."

He smiled at her.

"What's your name?

 

[Britwitch]

"Uh, well, I'm the guy that ran into you....I'm taking you to a safe place I know, and I'm going to take a look at that cut of yours, get it cleaned up."

A safe place? Why take her to a safe place...? Why not take her to a hospital...
Something was definitely wrong, Lizzie could feel a nervous knot growing in her stomach as the car sped along the deserted country road.

"It wont be long before we're there...What's your name?"

"I'm...I'm Lizzie..." She replied quietly, catching his eyes in the rear view mirror once more looking back at her. "You...you still haven't told me who you are...not really..." She added tentatively, her fingers nervously entwining in her lap over and over again. The car was travelling too fast to simply try jumping from it, so she would have to wait and see wherever this 'safe place' was and what this stranger wanted with her.

 

[Trombonus]

What was he to do? Could he give her his name? She'd already seen his face, and though she didn't know he'd just robbed a bank, could he aford to take that chance? He looked at her again.

"Derrick...My name's Derrick."

Well that was that. No turning back now. He looked at her. She was scared, and justifiably so. He didn't want to hurt her. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

He continued to drive for a while until he reached another turn off. He pulled into the small dirt road, and drove down to a small secluded house. It had belonged to a friend of his, but he was away on vacation, so he'd allowed Derrick free run of the place. One whole month. He parked the car and turned off the engine.

"We're here. I know you're scared but I promise I don't want to hurt you in any way. I do need to take care of that wound though."

He went around and opened the back door for her.

"I should also tell you that there isn't another building around here for miles, and I doubt you'ld make it very far in your present condition. So please, don't try and run away. In any case, lets get you inside, clean you up, and get you some food, you must be hungry, it's been a long drive."

 

[Britwitch]

"Derrick...My name's Derrick."

Lizzie listened to his hesitant reply, he seemed almost as nervous as she did.
The drove the rest of the way in silence. Every so often she would see his eyes glancing back at her in the mirror but she tried to keep her own eyes fixed out of the window. Looking some kind of sign as to where they were going, but seeing nothing.

"We're here. I know you're scared but I promise I don't want to hurt you in any way. I do need to take care of that wound though...I should also tell you that there isn't another building around here for miles, and I doubt you'd make it very far in your present condition. So please, don't try and run away. In any case, lets get you inside, clean you up, and get you some food, you must be hungry, it's been a long drive."

Standing shakily, Lizzie got out of the car. Feeling more than a little dizzy thanks to her head wound and hunger, after all, she'd left the house that morning without breakfast and now...now it was night time...food definitely sounded more than good, regardless of the more than strange situation she found herself in.
Following Derrick up to the front door of the apparently empty house she looked around, open countryside and woodland were all she could see. Stepping inside she shivered a little as he closed the door behind her.

 

[Trombonus]

He turned the light on and led her into the small kitchen. It certainly wasn't the ritz, but it was still a nice little place.

"Here, let me take a look at that wound."

She moved over to him nervously. She was scared, he could tell. He felt bad for her. Just a case of the wrong place at the wrong time. She hadn't done anything wrong, but he just couldn't let her go. Perhaps part of him didn't want to. He tended to the wound and cleaned up the dried blood on her face. It was a pretty large gash, but nothing serious. He grabbed a first aid kit from one of the cabinets and bandaged up her would, then went over to the fridge to see what was there. Fortunately the fridge was well stocked. He looked over to her.

"Make yourself at home. Grab whatever you want to eat. It's really late, so I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here the night. The bedroom's upstairs, I'll sleep on the couch."

He grabbed a piece of leftover pizza from the night before.

"I'll be right back, I just have to go get something..."

He left her to fend for herself and went back to the car, wanting to grab the suitcase and put it somewhere safe.

 

[Britwitch]

"Here, let me take a look at that wound."

Lizzie sat down, trembling slightly, on one of the kitchen chairs. Avoiding meeting his eyes as he leant down towards her, his fingers gently investigating the cut on her head. She could feel his breath tickling her cheek as he cleaned and bandaged it with care before checking the contents of the fridge.

"Make yourself at home. Grab whatever you want to eat. It's really late, so I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here the night. The bedroom's upstairs, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Th-thank you..." She replied quietly, not sure what else to say. Watching him some left over pizza she admitted he seemed at least to be 'normal', he didn't appear to be some kind of psychopath...at the moment at least.

"I'll be right back, I just have to go get something..."

He left the kitchen and she heard the front door open and close. Moving to the fridge she decided upon a slice of the pizza that Derrick had eaten, at least she knew there was probably nothing wrong with it. He seemed nice but her paranoia was not going to give in that easily. Chewing and savouring the flavour of her first meal of the day, she wandered back out into the hallway and through into a small sitting room. Glancing at the photos on the wall she couldn't see Derrick in any of them, adding to her suspicions that this was not his house. Heading back into the kitchen she poured herself a glass of orange juice and had all but drunk it when the sound of the front door closing again signalled Derrick's return.

 

[Trombonus]

Derrick returned to the house, suitcase in hand. He stashed it away in a nearby closet in the hallway, carefully checking for Lizzie's presence. No sign of her. He headed back to the kitchen. There she was, glass of OJ in hand. She jumped as he entered the room, looking up at him nervously.

"Look, I know you're scared...I suppose I would be too in your situation."

He walked over to her, and looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes.

"I promise you, I wont hurt you."

He smiled gently. He put a hand on her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb.

 

[Britwitch]

Lizzie couldn't help but tense as he entered the kitchen once more, swallowing the juice in her mouth noisily from her nerves.

"Look, I know you're scared...I suppose I would be too in your situation."

Stood beside the fridge she didn't have anywhere to go as he moved closer, his eyes looking deeply into hers.

"I promise you, I wont hurt you."

She jumped once more as his hand lifted to hold her cheek gently, his thumb stroking back and forth across the soft smooth skin dusted with freckles.

"But...but why have you brought me here...? I don't understand..." Lizzie's voice was little more than a trembling whisper as she looked up into his face, her eyes shining with fear and curiosity. "I don't understand...if...if you're worried about me calling the police about the accident then there's no need...just...just take me back to the city and I swear I won't tell a soul..."

 

[Trombonus]

Ugh, what was he to do. He just couldn't risk letting her go. Damn it why hadn't he been watching the road? Why couldn't he just have swerved off to the side. She was so afraid. He'd been such a nice kid. Could he tell her?

"The truth is..."

He hesitated. Fear enveloping his every thought.

"...I can't let you go. I'm wanted by the police. This was supposed to be my hideout. Then you came along. I didn't want to leave you lying there, and I knew you had seen my face. Lizzie I never meant for this to happen you have to believe me..."

Tears ran down his cheek.

"They were going to kill my family, my parents, my sisters! I had to!"

 

[Britwitch]

"The truth is..."

Lizzie felt herself holding her breath as he hesitated, dreading what truth was about to fall from his lips.

"...I can't let you go. I'm wanted by the police. This was supposed to be my hideout. Then you came along. I didn't want to leave you lying there, and I knew you had seen my face. Lizzie I never meant for this to happen you have to believe me..."

She watched as Derrick's eyes sparkled, filling with tears which then spilt down his cheeks. Feeling a little of her nervousness melt into compassion as he continued, desperation ringing in his voice.

"They were going to kill my family, my parents, my sisters! I had to!"

There was a silence, it could only have lasted a few moments and yet to Lizzie it felt like so very much longer. Derrick's hand still upon her face while his tears fell fast and unchecked down his own. Biting her bottom lip slightly she tried to weigh up her options. He had told her he was wanted by the police...but what had he done...? Not wanting to press the issue and find out something far more worrying she opted instead to lift her arms nervously around him and to hug him. It was an embrace of empathy and compassion. Nothing more. Her head laying against his chest as he sobbed.
"Don't...don't worry...I'm not going to get you into more trouble...I...I promise..." She spoke quietly and in a soothing tone.

 

[Trombonus]

Her sudden embrace surprised him. Did she understand? Had she finally seen that he wasn't a bad guy, even though he was a wanted man? He hugged her back, holding her close to him, his heart racing. He wanted to tell her everything. About the loan-sharks, his gambling debt, and the bank robbery. He figured it was best if he didn't bring that up now, resigning himself to his secret for now. He'd tell her the truth if she asked, but he wasn't about to bring it up. Finally they broke their embrace and Derrick wiped the tears away from his eyes and cheeks.

"God, you must be tired, let me show you around..."

He led her through the hallway...

"This is the sitting area, I'll be staying here tonight. There's TV, and the DVD's are down here. Feel free to use whatever's here if you like."

They exited the room and headed up the stairs, He made sure not to mention the closet so as not to give her any ideas...

"The last door on the right is the master bedroom, that's where you'll be sleeping, and next to that is the master bathroom. If you need anything just let me know."

 

[Britwitch]

Lizzie stepped back after he had unwrapped his arms from around her.

"God, you must be tired, let me show you around...This is the sitting area, I'll be staying here tonight. There's TV, and the DVD's are down here. Feel free to use whatever's here if you like."

Lizzie followed, taking in the surroundings and listening to his words. There was a slight tightness still in his voice. She knew there was more he was wanting to tell her but was holding back from doing so but she wasn't going to push him. He led her upstairs and gestured down the narrow hallway.

"The last door on the right is the master bedroom, that's where you'll be sleeping, and next to that is the master bathroom. If you need anything just let me know."

"I will...thank you..." Lizzie took a few steps down the corridor before glancing back. "Goodnight Derrick..." She said with a weak smile before heading down to the door and slipping into the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Lizzie leant back against the door. What the hell had she been dragged into? Just what had Derrick done to make him flee like he had...she knew if her family was in danger the way he said his had been then she probably would have been driven to do almost anything to keep them safe. What had Derrick been driven to do...?

Yawning, she slipped off her shoes and lay down on the bed, not bothering to take off any of her clothes. Sighing as she let her head sink into the pillow and within a few moments her breathing was steady and deep, her mind drifting into strange dreams.

 

[Trombonus]

"Goodnight Derrick..."

"Goodnight Lizzie," he said as she walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. He headed downstairs and headed to the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He grabbed the glass and headed to the sitting room. He turned the TV on with the volume low, so as not to wake Lizzie. What was he going to do? After about an hour, when he felt sure she was asleep, Derrick got up and headed to the closet, retrieving the suitcase. He grabbed the bag of money and moved the rug in the middle of the floor. He removed a couple of loose floor boards, and placed the bag in the small compartment there. His friends used to hide pot there when they were younger, and it was the perfect place to hide his money. He replaced the floor boards and the rug and sat back in his chair, taking another drink from his glass. He grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the closet nearby and pulled out the sofa bed. He lay there watching TV for a few minutes longer, and eventually, turned off the tv, and drifted off to sleep...

 

[Britwitch]

Lizzie awoke several hours later, her heart pounding in her chest and her skin clammy. Not sure where she was...the events of the day coming back in fragments...the strange man in the suit groping her leg on the bus...the accident with the car...Derrick...Derrick crying...
After sitting up and swooning slightly as the cut on her forehead throbbed sharply, she stood up and moved to the door, wanting a galss of water. Opening it and heading down the corridor silently she tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Filling a glass with water she drank it almost in one go. Re-filling it she was about to head back upstairs when she noticed Derrick asleep on the sofa bed in the living room. The TV screen was flickering before him. He must have turned off the signal but not switched off the screen before he fell asleep. Stepping into the living room and putting the glass down on the table beside the couch she moved to the TV to switch it off. Wincing at the loud clicking sound it made.

 

[Trombonus]

Derrick woke with a start. He's always been a light sleeper, but since the loan-sharks had been calling he'd been even jumpier than usual.

"Lizzie, is that you?" he asked sleepily. He looked up and saw her by the TV.

"You ok? I hope I didn't wake you."

 

[Britwitch]

"Lizzie, is that you?...You ok? I hope I didn't wake you."

Lizzie straightened up and moved a little closer to the couch, her voice a whisper.
"No...No you didn't wake me...I think I woke myself..." She smiled weakly. "I think my mind had too much to think about to let me sleep..." She leant towards the table to pick up her glass of water. "I'll let you get back to sleep..."

 

[Trombonus]

"Wait...," he said hesitantly, "Don't go yet. I want to talk. I want to know what you're thinking."

 

[Britwitch]

"Wait...Don't go yet. I want to talk. I want to know what you're thinking."

Lizzie drew her hand back from the glass and moved to sit in the armchair beside the couch.
"Well...I...I'm not sure I know what I'm thinking..." She sighed, leaning back into the chair a little. "I know I thought my day was going badly enough before I stepped out into the road this morning..." She met his eyes tentatively. "But then things got a whole lot stranger when I came round in your car this evening...and I...well I'm not sure how I got here or why...I mean, I know you've explained that there were reasons why you did...whatever it was you did today but why...why drag me into all this...?"

 

[Trombonus]

"I was scared. I couldn't leave you there on the road, and I couldn't risk taking you to the hospitol cause I might have been caught. I know I haven't told you everything, but I want to. See, I robbed a bank earlier. I didn't want to, but I just didn't know what else to do. See, I went to Vegas not too long ago. I was doing pretty well at first, I'd more than tripled what I started with. I'd gone to some loan sharks to get some money to start with. I know it was stupid, but I had an addiction. Well, I bet all I got too excited, and bet everything I had on the last hand. Well, I lost, and now I owe these guys ten thousand dollars. I tried to run, but they found me, told me they'd kill my family if I didn't make good. I had to do something. I wish you didn't have to be involved in this, but I just couldn't take the risk. I hope you understand."

 

[Britwitch]

"I was scared. I couldn't leave you there on the road, and I couldn't risk taking you to the hospital cause I might have been caught. I know I haven't told you everything, but I want to. See, I robbed a bank earlier..."

Lizzie felt part of her relax...robbing a bank wasn't the same as killing anybody, which had been her biggest fear.

"...I didn't want to, but I just didn't know what else to do. See, I went to Vegas not too long ago. I was doing pretty well at first, I'd more than tripled what I started with. I'd gone to some loan sharks to get some money to start with. I know it was stupid, but I had an addiction. Well, I bet all I got too excited, and bet everything I had on the last hand. Well, I lost, and now I owe these guys ten thousand dollars. I tried to run, but they found me, told me they'd kill my family if I didn't make good. I had to do something. I wish you didn't have to be involved in this, but I just couldn't take the risk. I hope you understand."

"I...I'm not sure I understand...not just yet...but...I'm trying...I will try to..." Lizzie bit her bottom lip trying to find the best way to say the other thought that was floating around in her head. "...but...Derrick, you've told me why you robbed the bank and why you ran...even why you took me with you this morning...but that doesn't explain why you can't let me go...I promise I won't tell the police or anyone about you...so...so why can't I leave...?"