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Magic Eli

JAKE

"Eli, hey it's Jake, I've called about twenty times...I'm worried about you man. Ted needs you down here in twenty minutes or he's going to come and get you. He needs to do his weekly 'check up' and he won't do it without every male stripper here. I'm sorry dude, I tried to talk to him. He just won't listen. Please call me back," I sighed in defeat, placing my phone on my dresser table.

Whenever Eli "disappears", I know he goes back to his apartment to cry. He's a bipolar stripper who gets taken advantage of way too often, what do you expect from the guy? All the pressure is weighing down on his shoulders, and I just wish I can help relieve it just a bit, to help him.

"Hey," I jumped up, seeing Imogen standing by the door, a cute, devious smile on her face, "Jumpy tonight, are we?"

I smiled, "Just a little worried..."

"Oh Jake, you're handsome-," I cut her off, as she approached me, wrapping her arms around my neck, "I'm not worried about the performance, I'm worried about Eli. He hasn't called me back in hours, and when I found him this morning he was all torn up. I just-I wish I had time to go check up on him, make sure he's okay."

"I'm sure he's fine," she pecked my lips, stroking the back of my head with her fingernails, making me feel a bit at ease.

Imogen kissed my jaw, as I looked at the mirror, and whispered, "You're right...he's probably fine."

ELI

"Elijah Goldsworthy! So nice of you to finally join us! Where were you? At a Burger King? McDonals perhaps? Or wait, I know...a Wendy's?" I glared at Ted, as he lined up all the male strippers for inspections.

I knew their was no way out of not coming here tonight, so I forced myself out from underneath my black clad blankets and bed sheets, to come here.

My emotions have been running in all different directions every minute, so my shaky hands and figetting legs were only an added "bonus".

I should've gone out and re-filled my medication, but I didn't have the energy or mind set to get behind the wheel of a car to drive downtown.

"Eli," I heard Jake whisper, but I ignored him, staring at Ted as he glared at all of us.

"Alright, we'll do Eli first."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, anxiety and nervousness taking over as Ted circled me like a predator does to their prey. My hands began to shake, as Ted taunted, "Nervous Elijah? Do you think you gained those pounds? Huh? Do you think you grew?"

"I don't know," my tone hoarse and uninviting.

"Ladies, get the scale out please! Oh and I need my measuring stick!" Within seconds a scale was in front of me, and all the male strippers whom I do not know-besides Jake-, were staring at me.

"Let's go Elijah, up on the scale!" He clapped his hands eagerly, urging me onto the scale.

I clenched my eyes shut tightly, as my feet dragged onto the scale. I waited for the beeping noise, and when I did, Ted gasped dramatically, "One hundred and five pounds! Oh heavens no! Someone bring the tredmile in here! We have a runner!"

"Ted man, he's sick, mentally and physically, he's not up to-," Ted cut Jake off, yelling, "Don't tell me what to do! He's getting fat and fat men have consequences, you need to run. Your shift is cancelled tonight, therefore you'll be back stage, running until three a.m."

"Sir, he really can't-," Jake was cut off again, by a screaming, red faced Ted, "Don't you dare! He's perfectly capable of running! If he can eat, he can run."

I watched with dead eyes as security rolled in the tredmile that only goes from ten miles per hour and up. Ted wrapped his ruler around my thigh, and inhaled sharply once again, "Your right thigh has grown one and a half inches! Get your ass on that tredmile Goldsworthy, do you hear me?"

When I didn't respond, he screamed louder, "I said, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

I just nodded.

My feet dragged to the tredmile, and I began to run. Jake was tugging at my arm, telling at me to get off, that I was going to get sick, but I just ripped myself out of his grasp, ignoring him.

No one could save me...I did this to myself.

CLARE

"Imogen, do you think Jake know's where Eli is?" I asked Imogen, as Jake grinded into her, kissing her neck. I tapped Jake's bare shoulder, considering Imogen was lost in no mans land.

"Excuse me Jake," I cleared my throat, and asked loudly over the music, "D-Do you know where Eli is?"

"Yeah," Jake nodded his head, returning back to Imogen, without giving me an explaination.

The club was empty now, it was nearly three in the morning. But, I was determined to not give up on finding Eli. He had to be here, somewhere.

The Dj lowered the music, and I sighed in relief, but was confused when I heard the sound of a tredmile. Why would their be a tredmile in this place? My eyebrows scrunched up together, as I hopped up onto the stage, walking slowly down the runway to backstage.

"Hello? Is anyone back here?"

"Eli?"

My head turned to the left, and I saw nothing but darkness. I crained my head to the right, and gasped, seeing Eli, sweat stains covering his body, causing his shirt to stick to his chest like glue. His head was down, and heavy pants were filling the backstage area.

I walked over to him cautiously, noting how his legs were so weak looking, and dragging behind his body. My eyes captured his dark features, from his rib cage poking through his shirt to his veins sticking out of his neck.

"Eli?"

He didn't even hear me, just continued running, as if he's been doing this all day. I slowly outstretched my hand towards him, and when my fingers touched his shoulder, his fist retracted back in once quick, swift motion and the force of his tense, clenched hand hit me harder than a ton of bricks, knocking me out...

END OF CHAPTER 5

Yeah...Eli hitting Clare due to intense paranoia...that just happened.

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Cliffhanger Girl

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