Short Story- The Fortunate Part 4

Part 4

Caroline had been pulled into the darkness of the unsafe alley by an unknown person of the night. His hand continued to cover her mouth so that no one in the surrounding alleyways could hear her yell for help. She was pulled into the back of the alley, far from the lights that lined the streets. Caroline wiggled like a worm to try and get out of the strangers hands but he was too strong. This was it, thought Caroline. The ripper has finally found her and she would go down in history as a random victim of Jack the Ripper.

She wasn’t going to go down without a fight though. She was always taught to fight back, if she needed. It was those lessons, that her father taught her, that both saved her life and got her into trouble at school when she was attending. She was always described as a ‘spitfire’.

With that thought in her head she started to fight for the life. She kicked and began to hit with her free hand, although it wasn’t doing any good she still tried. Once she started giving it her all, the person turned her around and spoke. His voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Please stop hitting me Caroline.” The man said.

“Thomas?” Caroline asked as she tried to gather herself.

“Of course. Who else would be crazy enough to grab you from behind knowing that you can hit like a man?” He said with a chuckle as he brushed himself off, trying to get all the dirt off of his black coat.

“What is it that you want Thomas? I thought I told you to leave me alone?” Caroline asked as she started to walk away from him.

“Now you know I can’t do that.” He said. He was smiling, Caroline could tell by the tone in his voice. It was pitch black but she could read Thomas like a book. She used to spend every moment with him. She knew that he wasn’t going to leave her alone once he found her but she had followed Mary’s word. She said that he went one way and she went the other. Mary either lied or Thomas was better at tracking her down then she had given him credit for.

“I thought you were…I thought you were someone else.” She said as she continued to walk to the road but he stopped just shy of public view but close enough he had light to see her face.

“And who is that? The ripper?’ she shot him a hateful look and he just kept smiling.’ You’re far too beautiful to kill.”

“How thoughtful of you to say Thomas, now if you don’t mind I need to get back to work.’ He laughed as he followed her to the road. She stopped and looked up at him.’ I’m sorry do you think me having to do this is funny?” she asked.

“That isn’t the reason I laughed Caro….” He said, trying to explain himself, only she wouldn’t allow him too.

“I lost my father and then my mother went completely mad. Because of her not being able to provide for me she used up all the money I had left that was supposed to pay for my schooling. I tried to get work in stores, at markets and any other place that I could think of. Work is hard enough to find but to be a girl; well that just makes things hundred times worse. So I had to do the only thing that I could think of. I had no where to go, no one to go too, so I do this. I sell myself every night to sleazy, old men who would rather skulk in a dirty alley with any other woman, as long as she isn’t his wife, then go home and spend time with his family like a respectable man should.” Caroline snapped. Thomas pulled her back into the alley and pushed her against the brick wall. It didn’t take much to hold her down since she was so small.

“That isn’t what I meant Caroline.” Thomas howled back.

“I don’t care what you meant, I just want you to leave me alone.” She said, still trying to push him off but not having any luck. Without thinking about it Thomas lent in, and forced a kiss onto Caroline’s lips.

When he looked up from the kiss, he looked as shocked as she did. Once the shock went away Caroline was overwhelmed with embarrassment. Her normally pale face turned as red as an apple. She was filthy and he was so clean, handsome and nice. He was just so nice.

“Thomas I…”

“Don’t Caroline. You don’t need to be sorry or ashamed of anything. I have been looking for you for close to a year, you’re a very hard woman to find in such a large city.’ He said with a smile.’ But I did and you were worth it. All this time I’ve been wanting to tell you that I’m sorry for the way that I treated you in the past, for the loss of both your parents and for this. What you’ve had to do to survive. That is why I have come for you; I want to take you away from all of this.”

“What are you talking about?” Caroline asked.

“I want to take you away from all of this.” Thomas said as he continued to hold Caroline in his arms.

“Why would you want me to go with you?”

“Because for the longest I’ve wanted to tell you something…something that I’ve never had the courage to tell you before…” he stopped, looking down like a shy school boy.

“Well, what is it?” Caroline asked with a huff.

“Well, I eh…I love you Caroline. I’ve always loved you.” He finally admitted.

“How can you say that? You left me behind when we were in school, you mocked me behind my back and after a while you didn’t care if you made fun of me in front of my own eyes.” Caroline said with tears forming in her eyes. Thomas knew that her words were true but he meant what he had said as well.

“I know that I’ve said I’m sorry for it but I’ve felt this love for you long before that. The first time that you spoke to me, your sweet voice touched me and I was in love.” He said, holding her gently rather then using force. His words were keeping her there.

She looked to the ground, shaking her head. She was flabbergasted by what he just told her. He loved her but how could she tell him how she felt about him. She struggled to get away but he stopped her. Making her stay was only making her want to leave more. He released her and she ran to the end of the alley, only to run back into Thomas arms. She kissed him once and ran off to the street again. She turned her head, leaning her head on the hard brick of the building, not fully facing Thomas. She didn’t think that she could face him again.

“Thomas…I loved you too” Caroline said before she ran off back to the motel, leaving Thomas alone, in dark, pondering thoughts about Caroline’s words.