Note from Author: Yay, I am finally updating! I wanted chapters three,
four, and five to be in the same chapter, but that would be way too long.
Then I wanted chapters four and five to be together, but that would be too
long, so I split them up. I have hopes for this story, so please read and
review and enjoy!!!
CHAPTER FOUR
At that moment, Luxy Listin had never known such fear. Fear of what? Of Anthony Conlon? She had hardly even seen Benji's father in all these years she had known him.
Yet, she couldn't help feel an overwhelming sensation of trepidation as she stood at the bottom of the apartment, clinging onto the cord, staring up at Benji. Perhaps it was just the horrid memory of that night last summer when Benji had appeared covered in bruises due to the cane…
Benji was still at the top of the cord, peering into the window.
"Why ain't he hurryin' up?" she feverishly whispered.
The sudden booming voice of Anthony Conlon in unspeakable expletives cut through the early winter morning, a morning in which rain threatened the air.
It was at this moment that her nerves broke. Clutching the cord in her grasp, she madly swung it about, screaming, "Benji! Benji! Hurry the hell up! Come on!"
Benji glanced down at her, a mixture of anger and fear plastered on his face. "Will you stop that, goddammit!" he choked, as he began to slide down the cord, hand under hand.
When he was halfway down, Anthony Conlon thrust his upper body out the window, the cane clutched in his right hand. His drunken, hate-filled gaze focused to Luxy, and then to his son. "You good for nuttin' son of a bitch! Git your ass back up here! Boy, git up here now or I'se gonna give ya such a hard beatin' that ya ain't gonna be able to walk!"
Yet, Benji ignored his father's request and continued climbing down, nearly slipping because he was quaking with absolute fear.
Luxy shifted her wide eyes to Conlon. "That's it, boy!" he thundered. "I'se gonna come down there and kill ya!"
It was when she saw him disappear from the window that she screamed in a shrill voice, "Benji! Hurry up, please! Hurry!"
Benji could hear the old stairs inside the apartment creak under his father's weight. Taking a deep breath, he let go of the cord. He landed a good ten feet below on the still-frosted grass. He placed his hands out to cushion the blow, but he landed on his left wrist, making it land in an impossible position.
He emitted a howl of agony.
"Come on, Benji!" Luxy squealed, grabbing his injured wrist and pulling him to his feet, causing him to utter another cry of pain.
They dashed forward until they reached the sidewalk in front of the apartment…just as the door to the apartment banged open and Conlon stumbled out, flailing the cane above his head.
Luxy took one look at him and was off like a hunted deer. She could hear Benji's heavy breathing and grunts of stifled pain and the hard padding of his bare feet against the sidewalk as Anthony Conlon's slurred voice filled her ears, "Git back here, boy! Ya dead! Ya and that little whore!"
Swirls of color coursed through her brain as she ran, the wind whipping her bare legs. She already had acquired a grand stitch in her side when a revelation struck her: she and Benji's feet weren't the only feet running. There was another hard pounding…
Quickly side-stepping a pedestrian, she cocked her head around and let out a gasp of horror. Over Benji's shoulder, she could see his father, his father madly following them.
She looked back to Benji, whose glowing eyes of determination were stark with his pale face. "Run," he commanded in a low voice.
Luxy's brain was too full to comprehend this.
"RUN!" he bellowed.
She let out a squeal, and, whipping her head around, picked up her heels at an even quicker pace.
Swerving people on the sidewalks and the terrible pain in her side, she ran until she thought she would die at that moment. She could not breathe and her legs had become heavy, nonessential objects that just hindered her. She was about to allow her knees to buckle under her, when she felt Benji's wrist grab hers, and tug her off the sidewalk.
It happened so quickly, she could only let out a muffled cry as she fell to the dusty ground. Propping herself up and brushing her raven hair out of her eyes, she discovered that he had pulled her into a dank, dreary (and dark) alleyway. She opened her mouth to babble incoherently, when he sharply pulled to her feet, clamped his good hand over her mouth, and pressed her close to him.
Her eyes were wide as Benji took backward steps until the darkness engulfed them. She felt his free (and clammy) hand grope for hers, and grasp it tight, despite the pain.
Together, they watched with held breaths as Anthony Conlon appeared in the square of daylight at the mouth of the alley. As he halted his wobbly pursuit and bent over, panting like a dog. When he regained his composure, he straightened and yelled breathlessly, "Boy, if I ever see ya no good fuckin' face again, I'se gonna kill ya! Hear that? I'll smash ya fuckin' brains in with this cane—you and that whore!"
They watched as he uttered one last cry of disgusted failure and as he slowly turned around, shoulders hunched, and stumbled away. When they could no longer see him, Benji gave out a deep sigh of relief, releasing his hand from Luxy's mouth, yet Luxy burst into tears of relief.
Benji gently pushed her away and cautiously crept to the mouth of the alleyway, knowing his heart was in his mouth, as he cocked his head and saw that his father was no longer there. A passerby had stopped, and was staring curiously into the alleyway. Benji caught his gaze. "Hey, there ain't nuttin' here to see! Go on, git!!" he cried breathlessly.
The man was flustered. "Why, I never!" he cried, as he marched away in a huff.
Benji slowly looked down both ways of the street, his gaze lingering. Just perhaps his father was hiding somewhere, but after a good few minutes he exhaled a shaky breath and turned back to the alley.
Luxy was still where he had left her, trouser-less, her wails coming out erratically. Gathering his composure, Benji approached her. "Luxy," he said in a low voice. "Stop."
Yet, Luxy took no heed to him. She couldn't understand the words that sounded incoherent to her. For all she knew, a very angry man with a very powerful cane wanted to smash her brains in.
"Lux-y, stop," Benji growled, drawing closer to her. She wasn't listening. His nerves were shot and he could only think of one thing to stop her wails. Pulling back his arm, he let his hand rip across her face, striking her with such force that it sent her flying backwards.
It had happened so fast, all she had felt was the stinging flair up wildly on the right side of her face and the wind being knocked out of her as she collapsed to the ground. She was too stunned to sob anymore. She only raised her hand to the red handprint on her cheek as her wide eyes stared up at Benji.
Benji stepped back, flabbergasted. "Oh my God," he whispered.
After the initial shock of surprise wore off, a red veil of infuriation shrouded Luxy. She slowly rose to her feet, her blue eyes narrowed in icy hate and her fists clenched at her sides.
Benji realized the repercussions of what he had done. His mouth gaped as he held his hands in front of him. "Lux…I'se sorry…I didn't mean it…oh God," he stammered, taking a step back for every one Luxy took forward.
Yet, Luxy couldn't see his remorse. He had struck her, regardless if it had indeed been to shut-up her hysterics, he had struck her. When she realized that Benji had backed himself into a wall, she let out a cry and her right fist flew towards his face. Yet, he reflexed and his hand shot up and blocked the blow. Her right had trapped in his left hand, Luxy countered this by quickly picking up her left hand and letting her fist rip into his right eye.
Benji let out a howl of agony, dropping her fist and covering his damaged eye with his hands. " Jesus Christ! Il mio occhio! Che cosa fate quello per! Scopa, danneggia!"
As Luxy stood there, watching him writhe in pain, the anger subsided. "Well course it hoits, ya bastard! Ya don't think that me own eye don't hoit? Ya got me pretty good, so stop your sniv'lin!"
Benji straightened, gaping, and lowered his hands from his eye. Luxy couldn't contain herself, she burst into gales of hysterical laughter. His right eye was as black as pitch, making a stark contrast with the sliver of pale blue eye that shone through.
Alas, Benji found nothing comical about the excruciating pain that radiated from his eye. "Ah, stop ya cacklin'," he snarled, briefly touching his eye, emitting a yelp and letting his hand fall to his side.
Remorse flooded through Luxy. "Ah, Benj, I'se sorry," she grinned, approaching him and trying hard to contain her laughter.
He narrowed his good eye at her. "Jesus Christ!" he hissed. "Me hand's broken, me eye feels like its been blown off, and me dad wants to beat me fuckin' brains in wit 'is cane. Can dis day git any worse?"
As if on cue, the threatening gray skies darkened and a rumble of thunder was heard.
"As a matter of fact, it can, Benj" she snorted. "It can RAIN!"
The storm from the previous night was replaying itself as a streak of distant lightning illuminated the air, the thunder following shortly.
Benji cocked his face up towards the sky, the first drops of cold rain hitting the bridge of his nose. "Fucking rain…"
In a few minutes, the temperature had dropped a good ten degrees and Luxy felt this as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The cold rain that had started as a mere drizzle a few seconds ago was now starting to pour down with a vengeance.
Their gazes connected before they both let out cries and broke into running strides, racing out of the alley and cutting the right corner short. Pushing through the pedestrians vying to find cover, the rain had already soaked through to what seemed their marrow when Luxy suddenly halted and tugged Benji through a warped door.
Luxy rolled her shoulders back and took a few cautious steps forward, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. When she realized Benji wasn't behind her, she stopped and spun around, motioning for him to join her with her hands.
Benji was still near the door, bent over, catching his breath. He narrowed his eyes at her, but straightened and joined her. "What is this place?" he hissed, as they stepped forward.
She shrugged and fell behind him. "Dark."
Benji glanced over his shoulder at her. "I know it's dark, smart-ass. But what is it?"
Suddenly, Luxy halted. Trepidation coursed through her body and she felt foolish. "Benj, wait," she whispered frantically, linking her arm through his, stopping him. "I don't know about this. I mean, who are we to jist barge in some place we don't even…"
Yet, he had shook out of her grip and was walking to another door. "I'se don't know, Lux, and I'se don't care. We need shelter from the rain and I need something for me hand or else I'm gonna die from the pain."
"But, Benj…" she cried, her voice coming out small and whiney. It was no use; he had already passed through another door. "Benji, wait!" she cried, picking up her heels and following after him, through the door.
Luxy now found herself in a better-lit hallway, save Benji. A door on the left side of the hallway was still swinging from the aftershock of being opened with great force. She frantically looked down the hallway both ways before scuttling through the door after him.
"Benjamin Conlon, I'se gonna kill…" she hissed, as she entered the next room, but was immediately silenced when she saw Benji turn around and place his index finger to his mouth quickly to silence her.
Luxy's jaw dropped as she joined his side. Her gaze flickered to him, but he was only staring straight ahead. Her eyes soon joined his.
Through the tangles of ropes and pulleys, she realized they appeared to be in what was the left side of a stage. From the angle she was poised at, Luxy could also see a slice of the seats made for the now vacant audience. Her eyes drifted to the stage once again where there was a rather colorful lady clothed in an array of pinks and purples with equally bright red hair. Her hands were spaced apart on the handle of a long sweeping broom, it making equal strokes on the stage.
It was then Luxy heard the voice. "Yeah, Medda, ya never gonna believe it! Old Racey actually won some money at Sheepsheds!"
Her gaze shifted to the seats, and there in the seats she spied the owner of the voice. He was a boy of about thirteen, clad in a dirty white-collar shirt and equally dusty brown vest, his tufts of dark brown hair playing messily across his brow. He was perched in one of the center seats in the second row, slouched in his seat, with his feet up and crossed on the seat in front of him. Yet, what caught her attention on this otherwise dull- looking boy was the bright strip of red that clung to his neck.
The only reason she was able to draw her eyes away from it was when Benji—Benji, she had forgotten he was even there—nudged her. Of course, once you have forgotten a person is standing next to you, this can cause a shock and that's what it caused for Luxy.
Just as the colorful lady with the broom was about to open her mouth and respond to the boy in the seats, Luxy replied to the surprise nudge by gasping, a rather audible gasp.
After it had occurred, she froze, only to hear what sounded like to her the gasp echoing about the whole room. She quickly glanced over to Benji who had placed his (good) hand to his brow and then to the stage where the Colorful Lady had stopped sweeping and was peering at the left wing of the stage, calling, "Who's there?" The Boy in the Seats had gotten up from those seats and was flickering his gaze between the Colorful Lady and the left wing of the stage, which of course he couldn't see.
"Who's there?" the Colorful Lady inquired again, taking a few steps towards the left wing.
Luxy's hand immediately went to her mouth, and she stepped backwards, her gaze falling on Benji. He was pressed against the wall, the eye that she hadn't made black narrowed and boring into her. He was shaking his head and prepared to lash angry curses out at her, when he was interrupted by the Colorful Lady pushing back a cluster of ropes and spying them.
The only thing Luxy saw was the Colorful Lady's mouth form an O before she turned on her heels and sped to the door, Benji's deep cry of, "LUXY!" following her, only cut shot by the shutting of the door behind her. Breathing heavily and her heart in her mouth, she raced down the well-lit hallway, reaching for the door and slamming into the wall. Pain coursed through her side, yet she took no avail to it as she dashed through the darkened room and grasped with both hands the knob of the door that had let them into this building. With a sob, she yanked on it.
The knob rattled but the door would not budge.
Luxy uttered a scream of desperation and with every iota of strength she posessed she pulled backwards. The door flung open with an audible creak, the heavy rain from outside whipping her face.
Without even looking back, Luxy flung herself around the left corner of the door, the coldness searing her, the rain drenching her. She picked her legs up and ran as fast as was humanly possible. She didn't notice that as she ran, still trouser-less, hardly any souls populated the street due to the ferocious storm.
Thunder was companion to her hearing as she flew this way and that, not knowing where in hell she was going.
At last, she could run no more. Her legs that had grown numb from the coldness now had an impossible pain stringing through them. Luxy slowed her pace, the massive stitch in her side coming almost immediately. Her breathing heavy and in chokes, she placed a hand to her side and struggled to walk on her legs as she stumbled into the mouth of an alley. Struggling, she finally reached the ancient brick wall that marked the end of the alley.
Her voice coming out hoarse, she gasped, "Benj, Benj, we'se did it, Benj! We'se got away from…"
Yet she was cut short, for when she turned around she saw through the heavy, slanted rain that Benji was not there.
CHAPTER FOUR
At that moment, Luxy Listin had never known such fear. Fear of what? Of Anthony Conlon? She had hardly even seen Benji's father in all these years she had known him.
Yet, she couldn't help feel an overwhelming sensation of trepidation as she stood at the bottom of the apartment, clinging onto the cord, staring up at Benji. Perhaps it was just the horrid memory of that night last summer when Benji had appeared covered in bruises due to the cane…
Benji was still at the top of the cord, peering into the window.
"Why ain't he hurryin' up?" she feverishly whispered.
The sudden booming voice of Anthony Conlon in unspeakable expletives cut through the early winter morning, a morning in which rain threatened the air.
It was at this moment that her nerves broke. Clutching the cord in her grasp, she madly swung it about, screaming, "Benji! Benji! Hurry the hell up! Come on!"
Benji glanced down at her, a mixture of anger and fear plastered on his face. "Will you stop that, goddammit!" he choked, as he began to slide down the cord, hand under hand.
When he was halfway down, Anthony Conlon thrust his upper body out the window, the cane clutched in his right hand. His drunken, hate-filled gaze focused to Luxy, and then to his son. "You good for nuttin' son of a bitch! Git your ass back up here! Boy, git up here now or I'se gonna give ya such a hard beatin' that ya ain't gonna be able to walk!"
Yet, Benji ignored his father's request and continued climbing down, nearly slipping because he was quaking with absolute fear.
Luxy shifted her wide eyes to Conlon. "That's it, boy!" he thundered. "I'se gonna come down there and kill ya!"
It was when she saw him disappear from the window that she screamed in a shrill voice, "Benji! Hurry up, please! Hurry!"
Benji could hear the old stairs inside the apartment creak under his father's weight. Taking a deep breath, he let go of the cord. He landed a good ten feet below on the still-frosted grass. He placed his hands out to cushion the blow, but he landed on his left wrist, making it land in an impossible position.
He emitted a howl of agony.
"Come on, Benji!" Luxy squealed, grabbing his injured wrist and pulling him to his feet, causing him to utter another cry of pain.
They dashed forward until they reached the sidewalk in front of the apartment…just as the door to the apartment banged open and Conlon stumbled out, flailing the cane above his head.
Luxy took one look at him and was off like a hunted deer. She could hear Benji's heavy breathing and grunts of stifled pain and the hard padding of his bare feet against the sidewalk as Anthony Conlon's slurred voice filled her ears, "Git back here, boy! Ya dead! Ya and that little whore!"
Swirls of color coursed through her brain as she ran, the wind whipping her bare legs. She already had acquired a grand stitch in her side when a revelation struck her: she and Benji's feet weren't the only feet running. There was another hard pounding…
Quickly side-stepping a pedestrian, she cocked her head around and let out a gasp of horror. Over Benji's shoulder, she could see his father, his father madly following them.
She looked back to Benji, whose glowing eyes of determination were stark with his pale face. "Run," he commanded in a low voice.
Luxy's brain was too full to comprehend this.
"RUN!" he bellowed.
She let out a squeal, and, whipping her head around, picked up her heels at an even quicker pace.
Swerving people on the sidewalks and the terrible pain in her side, she ran until she thought she would die at that moment. She could not breathe and her legs had become heavy, nonessential objects that just hindered her. She was about to allow her knees to buckle under her, when she felt Benji's wrist grab hers, and tug her off the sidewalk.
It happened so quickly, she could only let out a muffled cry as she fell to the dusty ground. Propping herself up and brushing her raven hair out of her eyes, she discovered that he had pulled her into a dank, dreary (and dark) alleyway. She opened her mouth to babble incoherently, when he sharply pulled to her feet, clamped his good hand over her mouth, and pressed her close to him.
Her eyes were wide as Benji took backward steps until the darkness engulfed them. She felt his free (and clammy) hand grope for hers, and grasp it tight, despite the pain.
Together, they watched with held breaths as Anthony Conlon appeared in the square of daylight at the mouth of the alley. As he halted his wobbly pursuit and bent over, panting like a dog. When he regained his composure, he straightened and yelled breathlessly, "Boy, if I ever see ya no good fuckin' face again, I'se gonna kill ya! Hear that? I'll smash ya fuckin' brains in with this cane—you and that whore!"
They watched as he uttered one last cry of disgusted failure and as he slowly turned around, shoulders hunched, and stumbled away. When they could no longer see him, Benji gave out a deep sigh of relief, releasing his hand from Luxy's mouth, yet Luxy burst into tears of relief.
Benji gently pushed her away and cautiously crept to the mouth of the alleyway, knowing his heart was in his mouth, as he cocked his head and saw that his father was no longer there. A passerby had stopped, and was staring curiously into the alleyway. Benji caught his gaze. "Hey, there ain't nuttin' here to see! Go on, git!!" he cried breathlessly.
The man was flustered. "Why, I never!" he cried, as he marched away in a huff.
Benji slowly looked down both ways of the street, his gaze lingering. Just perhaps his father was hiding somewhere, but after a good few minutes he exhaled a shaky breath and turned back to the alley.
Luxy was still where he had left her, trouser-less, her wails coming out erratically. Gathering his composure, Benji approached her. "Luxy," he said in a low voice. "Stop."
Yet, Luxy took no heed to him. She couldn't understand the words that sounded incoherent to her. For all she knew, a very angry man with a very powerful cane wanted to smash her brains in.
"Lux-y, stop," Benji growled, drawing closer to her. She wasn't listening. His nerves were shot and he could only think of one thing to stop her wails. Pulling back his arm, he let his hand rip across her face, striking her with such force that it sent her flying backwards.
It had happened so fast, all she had felt was the stinging flair up wildly on the right side of her face and the wind being knocked out of her as she collapsed to the ground. She was too stunned to sob anymore. She only raised her hand to the red handprint on her cheek as her wide eyes stared up at Benji.
Benji stepped back, flabbergasted. "Oh my God," he whispered.
After the initial shock of surprise wore off, a red veil of infuriation shrouded Luxy. She slowly rose to her feet, her blue eyes narrowed in icy hate and her fists clenched at her sides.
Benji realized the repercussions of what he had done. His mouth gaped as he held his hands in front of him. "Lux…I'se sorry…I didn't mean it…oh God," he stammered, taking a step back for every one Luxy took forward.
Yet, Luxy couldn't see his remorse. He had struck her, regardless if it had indeed been to shut-up her hysterics, he had struck her. When she realized that Benji had backed himself into a wall, she let out a cry and her right fist flew towards his face. Yet, he reflexed and his hand shot up and blocked the blow. Her right had trapped in his left hand, Luxy countered this by quickly picking up her left hand and letting her fist rip into his right eye.
Benji let out a howl of agony, dropping her fist and covering his damaged eye with his hands. " Jesus Christ! Il mio occhio! Che cosa fate quello per! Scopa, danneggia!"
As Luxy stood there, watching him writhe in pain, the anger subsided. "Well course it hoits, ya bastard! Ya don't think that me own eye don't hoit? Ya got me pretty good, so stop your sniv'lin!"
Benji straightened, gaping, and lowered his hands from his eye. Luxy couldn't contain herself, she burst into gales of hysterical laughter. His right eye was as black as pitch, making a stark contrast with the sliver of pale blue eye that shone through.
Alas, Benji found nothing comical about the excruciating pain that radiated from his eye. "Ah, stop ya cacklin'," he snarled, briefly touching his eye, emitting a yelp and letting his hand fall to his side.
Remorse flooded through Luxy. "Ah, Benj, I'se sorry," she grinned, approaching him and trying hard to contain her laughter.
He narrowed his good eye at her. "Jesus Christ!" he hissed. "Me hand's broken, me eye feels like its been blown off, and me dad wants to beat me fuckin' brains in wit 'is cane. Can dis day git any worse?"
As if on cue, the threatening gray skies darkened and a rumble of thunder was heard.
"As a matter of fact, it can, Benj" she snorted. "It can RAIN!"
The storm from the previous night was replaying itself as a streak of distant lightning illuminated the air, the thunder following shortly.
Benji cocked his face up towards the sky, the first drops of cold rain hitting the bridge of his nose. "Fucking rain…"
In a few minutes, the temperature had dropped a good ten degrees and Luxy felt this as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The cold rain that had started as a mere drizzle a few seconds ago was now starting to pour down with a vengeance.
Their gazes connected before they both let out cries and broke into running strides, racing out of the alley and cutting the right corner short. Pushing through the pedestrians vying to find cover, the rain had already soaked through to what seemed their marrow when Luxy suddenly halted and tugged Benji through a warped door.
Luxy rolled her shoulders back and took a few cautious steps forward, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. When she realized Benji wasn't behind her, she stopped and spun around, motioning for him to join her with her hands.
Benji was still near the door, bent over, catching his breath. He narrowed his eyes at her, but straightened and joined her. "What is this place?" he hissed, as they stepped forward.
She shrugged and fell behind him. "Dark."
Benji glanced over his shoulder at her. "I know it's dark, smart-ass. But what is it?"
Suddenly, Luxy halted. Trepidation coursed through her body and she felt foolish. "Benj, wait," she whispered frantically, linking her arm through his, stopping him. "I don't know about this. I mean, who are we to jist barge in some place we don't even…"
Yet, he had shook out of her grip and was walking to another door. "I'se don't know, Lux, and I'se don't care. We need shelter from the rain and I need something for me hand or else I'm gonna die from the pain."
"But, Benj…" she cried, her voice coming out small and whiney. It was no use; he had already passed through another door. "Benji, wait!" she cried, picking up her heels and following after him, through the door.
Luxy now found herself in a better-lit hallway, save Benji. A door on the left side of the hallway was still swinging from the aftershock of being opened with great force. She frantically looked down the hallway both ways before scuttling through the door after him.
"Benjamin Conlon, I'se gonna kill…" she hissed, as she entered the next room, but was immediately silenced when she saw Benji turn around and place his index finger to his mouth quickly to silence her.
Luxy's jaw dropped as she joined his side. Her gaze flickered to him, but he was only staring straight ahead. Her eyes soon joined his.
Through the tangles of ropes and pulleys, she realized they appeared to be in what was the left side of a stage. From the angle she was poised at, Luxy could also see a slice of the seats made for the now vacant audience. Her eyes drifted to the stage once again where there was a rather colorful lady clothed in an array of pinks and purples with equally bright red hair. Her hands were spaced apart on the handle of a long sweeping broom, it making equal strokes on the stage.
It was then Luxy heard the voice. "Yeah, Medda, ya never gonna believe it! Old Racey actually won some money at Sheepsheds!"
Her gaze shifted to the seats, and there in the seats she spied the owner of the voice. He was a boy of about thirteen, clad in a dirty white-collar shirt and equally dusty brown vest, his tufts of dark brown hair playing messily across his brow. He was perched in one of the center seats in the second row, slouched in his seat, with his feet up and crossed on the seat in front of him. Yet, what caught her attention on this otherwise dull- looking boy was the bright strip of red that clung to his neck.
The only reason she was able to draw her eyes away from it was when Benji—Benji, she had forgotten he was even there—nudged her. Of course, once you have forgotten a person is standing next to you, this can cause a shock and that's what it caused for Luxy.
Just as the colorful lady with the broom was about to open her mouth and respond to the boy in the seats, Luxy replied to the surprise nudge by gasping, a rather audible gasp.
After it had occurred, she froze, only to hear what sounded like to her the gasp echoing about the whole room. She quickly glanced over to Benji who had placed his (good) hand to his brow and then to the stage where the Colorful Lady had stopped sweeping and was peering at the left wing of the stage, calling, "Who's there?" The Boy in the Seats had gotten up from those seats and was flickering his gaze between the Colorful Lady and the left wing of the stage, which of course he couldn't see.
"Who's there?" the Colorful Lady inquired again, taking a few steps towards the left wing.
Luxy's hand immediately went to her mouth, and she stepped backwards, her gaze falling on Benji. He was pressed against the wall, the eye that she hadn't made black narrowed and boring into her. He was shaking his head and prepared to lash angry curses out at her, when he was interrupted by the Colorful Lady pushing back a cluster of ropes and spying them.
The only thing Luxy saw was the Colorful Lady's mouth form an O before she turned on her heels and sped to the door, Benji's deep cry of, "LUXY!" following her, only cut shot by the shutting of the door behind her. Breathing heavily and her heart in her mouth, she raced down the well-lit hallway, reaching for the door and slamming into the wall. Pain coursed through her side, yet she took no avail to it as she dashed through the darkened room and grasped with both hands the knob of the door that had let them into this building. With a sob, she yanked on it.
The knob rattled but the door would not budge.
Luxy uttered a scream of desperation and with every iota of strength she posessed she pulled backwards. The door flung open with an audible creak, the heavy rain from outside whipping her face.
Without even looking back, Luxy flung herself around the left corner of the door, the coldness searing her, the rain drenching her. She picked her legs up and ran as fast as was humanly possible. She didn't notice that as she ran, still trouser-less, hardly any souls populated the street due to the ferocious storm.
Thunder was companion to her hearing as she flew this way and that, not knowing where in hell she was going.
At last, she could run no more. Her legs that had grown numb from the coldness now had an impossible pain stringing through them. Luxy slowed her pace, the massive stitch in her side coming almost immediately. Her breathing heavy and in chokes, she placed a hand to her side and struggled to walk on her legs as she stumbled into the mouth of an alley. Struggling, she finally reached the ancient brick wall that marked the end of the alley.
Her voice coming out hoarse, she gasped, "Benj, Benj, we'se did it, Benj! We'se got away from…"
Yet she was cut short, for when she turned around she saw through the heavy, slanted rain that Benji was not there.