Chapter Eleven - Through the fog
Bella's Point of View

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Of all the possible ways for my life to end, why did it have to come to this?

I watched in horror as one by one, the five men fanned out, forming an impenetrable semi-circle around me- fencing me in and making escape, completely unfathomable.

Gazing around frantically, my eyes searched desperately for something or someone to aid me.

Nothing.

The alleyway was growing slowly dimmer as the sun from the late afternoon began to set below the buildings of the city. Three garbage cans lay on the ground, their contents strewn everywhere and not even the noise of traffic sounded in the distance.

I was completely alone and outnumbered.

"Lets get on with it!" One of the men almost yelled, his beady eyes now fixed on me.

I cringed involuntarily back a step, my back hitting the grimy brick wall behind me. The circle I had been forced into was now shrinking as each man began to slowly advance towards me.

A loud crack rang through my head, causing me to stagger to the side. Pain lanced through my head, blood now dripping freely from the cuts and bruises the blow had just formed. I raised my hand involuntarily to shield myself.

"Please!" I yelled in a feeble attempt to try to reason with them "Please don't! Please!" I whimpered.

I watched helplessly as one man stepped forward from the circle and walked to my side in three strides., bending down slightly to whisper in my ear. "Why not, sweetheart?"

At his words, the four men now on the outside of the circle, cackled with laughter, their eyes dancing with cruelty.

A blood-curling scream erupted from my chest as the man's fist made contact with my ribs. I clutched at my side, feeling the damaged ribs beneath the bruised and newly torn tissue. Blood stained my shirt, running down my cheek and dripping to the ground below. I began to sob, the pain lancing through my body in unbearable waves of agony.

"That's for escaping us last time!" The man yelled as he retreated back into the makeshift semi- circle.

I felt my legs giving in as the searing pain from my side and head began to make itself noticed. Nausea trickled into my stomach as the blood continued to run freely down my face, stinging my nose and filling my eyes.

"We won't hurt you if stay still!" One called, laughing loudly at his obvious lie.

I had to do something.

I raised my hand once more, this time balling it into a loose fist at my side. One of the men must have seen this action and shouted.

"Looky here! She wants to fight, now, does she!?"

Searing pain raged throughout my ribs as the man's fist made contact once more. I screamed, my body slumping against the wall, the nauseating smell of fresh blood filling my nostrils and the pain sending waves of white hot fire through my bruised and broken ribs.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" the largest man called out. "This'll teach you not to resist!"

Blistering pain exploded through my leg, a bone crushing crack sounding as his leg met my own just below the knee. A piercing scream filled the air as my body crumpled to the damp pavement below. My arm reached out slowly in a frail attempt to protect the few parts of my body not yet harmed. I felt my mind shutting down, the agony pulling and forcing me under.

"Please" I sobbed once more in one last feeble attempt, the words coming out chocked as the air was cut off short and pain erupted, once more, throughout my body. "...Please"

I peered up at them through slitted lids, blood and tears stinging my eyes and staining my bruise-covered cheeks.

Each man looked more sinister then the last, their lips all turned up in the same twisted smile.

My consciousness was slipping, my body shutting down almost completely as the agony continued to wash over me in waves of unbearable pain.

Another bone-shattering crack sounded from somewhere on my body as a blow hit its target on my unharmed ribs causing a muffled scream to force its way out my swollen throat, the air leaving my my body in one, forced movement.

My head hit the pavement in one, lazy movement as I gave in and my eyes shut in defeat. I felt my mind shutting down, succumbing to the waves of fiery anguish. Every part of my crumpled form burned, yet I had no energy to scream. No more will left to fight. I was giving in – surrendering to the torturous blaze working its way through every crevice of my body. A thick fog crept its way into my mind, my subconscious telling me to let go.

Through the fire and fog, I heard several things at once. All three men were laughing – they were through most of their torturous inflictions upon me. And another man was shouting something, something that sounded almost smug. I heard their footsteps turn, their boots dragging on the wet pavement as they stepped away from me.

"What do we have here!?" One of the men called.

"HEY! It's that guy from before!" Another shouted in disbelief. He couldn't believe their luck.

I forced my way through the fog one last time to gaze through swollen eyes, up at the men and the figure standing ten feet away from them. In the back of my mind, a voice was screaming, telling this man with unspoken words, to run, to get himself as far away from these men as he possibly could.

"Why don't you come on over here?" One shouted, taunting the figure.

"If ya do, we might spare you her fate" Another added in, a sneer to his voice, his hand gesturing to what I could only imagine was my crumpled form.

A low growl punctured the air, causing the five men to stop their mockery and stare.

I felt my eyes closing, despite my weak struggles to keep them open. I wanted so badly to catch a glimpse of the man who had come to save my life. His efforts were surely in vain. One man alone would not be able to defeat five, oversized men. It was simply impossible.

The searing pain and despair was overwhelming. I laid my head down for the last time on the wet pavement, closing my eyes and let the thick streams of fog engulf me.

Author's Note: Alright! I hope that all my loyal readers liked that! I'll be sure to update, soon...I promise! However, my beta will be away for two weeks and I will be editing each story alone. Therefor, please bear with me!

Reviews would be appreciated, as always!