Chapter 7

Effie's POV

"So what did you need to speak to me about?" Harry asks Hardy as he uses the cotton wool I gave him to cover the nasty looking graze on Harry's bicep. He had tattoos. Lots of tattoos actually. I hadn't actually noticed that before. I don't know how but I didn't.

"Oh yes-" he finishes up Harry's bandage before smiling at us both.
"So as you know Effie I don't feel comfortable letting you go yet due to your injury, hence whilst your still here" He says and I couldn't help but feel sadness overcome me either every word.
"I've had Zac on this all night but we haven't come up with a solution yet" he says as Harry pulls his jacket up over his shoulders.

"A solution to what?" I ask wanting to move the conversation on quicker making them both look at me weirdly.

"Oh she speaks!" Harry mocks with a smirk on his face before he rolls his eyes.

"Harry..." Hardy gives him a stern look causing Harry to look away in a huff.
"Look, I know you both aren't happy about this situation but Effie is going to have to stay with you for a few more days just until we find her somewhere more permanent" Hardy continues and I feel my heart drop. Permanent? What the hell did he mean by that? I had to stay here? Like on a long term basis? Was this a joke?

"Permanent?" My jaw practically hits the floor and I could see the anger boil under Harry's skin like he was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

"What? Why was I not told about this?" He snaps at Hardy angrily as he stands up from the bed defensively.

"I'm telling you now" Hardy fires back at him as he removes his gloves. He places them on the trolley before standing up and rolling it past the two of us.
"Harry this isn't up for debate your the only one here with a spare bed for her to sleep" Hardy states and Harry laughs in disbelief as I stand there awkwardly not knowing what to do.

"You could of at least asked me, it's my house!" Harry raises his voice in frustration at him.
"She doesn't even want to be here!" He gestures to me just as Hardy turns around to the both of us. Harry was right. I didn't.

"I'm not arguing with you on that" Hardy sighs looking over at me for a quick second.
"I'm just saying until a better option comes up this will have to be the solution for now" he shrugs like it was no big deal.

"And what if I say no?" Harry fires back at him. Seeing him angry was nothing I hadn't seen before. In fact it was all I knew of him.

"You won't, because I know you Harry" Hardy laughs lightly and I feel like I'm completely out of the loop here.
"Don't make this anymore difficult than it already is" he adds and Harry groans in annoyance. I felt terrible. I now had to go through this but even worse, Harry had to go through it with me. The worst person I could think of because he hated me and I now had to live with him.

"This is a joke" he snaps as he runs a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I can't fucking believe this" he sighs and I look down at the ground backing up from him a little bit he turns quickly bashing into me.
"Stay out of my way Ella" he spits at me through gritted teeth as I look up into his deep green eyes that I had never noticed before. Mesmerising would be a word to describe them. But right now they were terrifying. He was terrifying.

"It's Effie" I spit back at him pushing him off me.

"Same thing Ella" he plays before storming out the infirmary slamming the door behind him making me wince at the loud noise it makes as he leaves. Well that went down a treat didn't it?

"I'm sorry about him, he'll come around" Hardy shakes his head as he cleans up the trolley he had used on both me and Harry.

"He hates me" I sigh. I didn't understand why he had such resentment towards me at all. If I had done something then fair enough but I hadn't.

"No he just hates change" Hardy laughs lightly shaking his head before he looks up at me.
"You see you walking in here and kicking shit up like this is bound to hit a nerve with someone like Harry, he's a control freak and he knows it" he rolls his eyes speaking of Harry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve with Harry it's not like I walked on in here on purpose.
"But he doesn't hate you, he just needs a few days to let it sink in you know?" He says as he starts to put some of the items into a plastic bowl he pulls out from beneath the trolley.

"But I haven't done anything? I didn't ask to be here" I argue as I can't help feel myself getting worked up about this situation.

"I know, I know it's hard but until that wound is healed your not going anywhere" he says sternly as he glances over at me from what he was doing. I felt my heart sink. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to see my brother's. My family. My friends. Everyone. But yet I was here. Stuck with people who didn't know me. Who hated me. Didn't trust me. I felt like a prisoner.
"I'm sorry" Hardy looks at me sympathetically and I can't help but clench my fists together as I try to hold the tears back. I was so frustrated I just needed to get out of here. Before I could think about anything else my feet were taking me out of the infirmary in seconds.
I needed to escape.
"Effie wait-"

I ignore Hardy's calls for me as I run out the infirmary pushing through any pain my injuries were causing me. I was determined to get out. There had to be a way out. The weather was horrible now, it was dull and cloudy full of mist and fog making it a little harder to see. Maybe I could use it to my advantage. I see a group of around 8 people on the other side of the street so I decide to go the opposite way. I needed to keep a low profile and as of right now I stuck out like a sore thumb.
I run round the back of the infirmary pressing my back against the wall as I catch my breath. The pain was really hard to ignore but I had to push through. I needed to get out of here. I peak my head around the corner seeing the coast is clear before running across to the next huge building. I still couldn't see any sort of an exit. Nothing. I run across to the next set of buildings recklessly as the pain in my ribs was now slowing me down. I had to be quick or this injury was going to blow my chance. I sigh looking round the corner expecting to see more houses or buildings but I don't. It was a dead end.

That's when I saw it.

A gate.

A huge rusty gate.

Why the hell was no one manning this? It was huge. It had multiple locks on it but I wouldn't need to unlock it. I just had to climb it. Im startled when I start to hear voices from behind me causing me to make my play now.

I run.

I run to the get within seconds crashing into it clutching my side in pain as I regain my breath and balance. I didn't have a lot of time I needed to act fast. I look up at the gate which was a lot higher than it looked a minute ago. It looked the size of three story house. I push my fear of heights away and grab one of the bars. I could do this. I just needed to be quick. Freedom is right there.

So I climb.
I climb as fast as I possibly could. One bar then the next and then the next. I was at least half way by now but I could my exhaustion getting the better of me. I hadn't eaten. I hadn't drank water today. My injuries were also wearing me down making this simple task so much more harder. I grab hold of the bars closing my eyes for a second to regain as much strength as I could before pulling myself up again.

"Oi!- shit..." I hear a familiar voice call and I feel my heart sink as a group of footsteps make there way towards me.
"Code 2 situation- Get down from there!" I hear Zac call up to me making me cling to be gate as I press my head against it. I had blown it. My chance had gone in a split second.

"We have a code 2 situation on Southgate, I repeat a code 2 Southgate- standby" I hear another familiar voice making my heart sink. Harry. Now I was in trouble.

"Effie?" Zac calls up to me.

"Fucking hell your girlfriends a fucking psycho" Harry says and I could imagine Zac glaring at him. What are the chances that these two would find me? My day was just getting worse and worse.

"Effie stop!" Zac calls up to me as I ignore them. I could still make it. I had to make it. I push my doubts aside and continue to climb. Slowly but surely I climb.
"Your going to fall!" Zac calls but ignore him. Wouldn't be a bad thing, I think to myself. I grip the bar tightly as I feel a wave of pain rush through me slowing me down completely.

"She's not going to listen to you" I hear Harry say and I could imagine him rolling his eyes. He was right. I wasn't going to stop for anyone. This was my chance. If I stopped I blew it.

"Oh and she'll listen to you? Fuck off Harry-" Zac gets cut off by Harry's loud deep voice that startles me.

"Effie- I give you to the count of three to start climbing back down before I shoot you-" I hear him shout to me along with the sound of a gun being loaded. He wouldn't shoot me. Right? I mean I know he hated me but Zac didn't. Zac wouldn't let him shoot me. Right?

"What? No-"

"Call my bluff I dare you" I hear Harry say and I shut my eyes holding onto the bars tight.

"Don't Harry she's just scared" I hear Zac protest with a little scuffling around. He couldn't shoot me. I felt my heart start to beat a little faster as I squeeze my eyes shut. My knuckles turned white from clinging onto the bar too hard but I wasn't about to let go.

"Clearly not scared enough" Harry's threatening manor sends shivers down my spine as I hear the two scuffling around for a brief moment. I didn't dare look behind me.

"Just let me tr-"

"One" I hear Harry call to me making my body freeze.

"Put it down-"

"Two" he counts and I press my head against the bars as I prepare for impact. I wouldn't push it past Harry, so I had to be prepared for the worst.

"Three!" He shouts just as I feel a sharp pain hit my left ear knocking me off balance causing my foot to slip causing me to scream.

I fall.

"Effie!" Zac yells as I slip off the bars.

I look up quickly before grabbing one of the bars stopping my fall. I feel my heart race out of my chest as I hang from a single bar. He fucking shot me. He actually shot me.

I hang from the single rail with difficulty as my feet dangle trying to reach another bar so I could pull myself up. I feel the pain from my injuries subside due to the adrenaline pumping through my body. I was going to die from this fall. I knew it.

"Ugh-" I groan as I reach up grabbing the bar with both hands now feeling pain shoot through my shoulder. Oh shit. My stitches. I scream in pain as I kick my legs trying to find some support. But I couldn't. I look up at my hands seeing my grip on the bar start to loosen slowly.

I couldn't hold on much longer.

"Shit-"

"Let her do it herself" I hear Harry say making me open my eyes. They weren't going to help me? What did he expect me to do? I couldn't even pull myself up a little.

"What?" I hear Zac gape.

"If she can pull herself up she lives-" Harry says loudly just enough for me to hear.
"If she can't..." he trails off and I feel my heart drop as my sweaty palms begin to loose grip on the bars. He was going to let me fall.

"We need to help her are you fucking out of your mind!" I hear Zac yell at Harry along with some scuffling of the dirt floor. It seemed like they were flighting or something.

"Give her a second" Harry says softly and I feel my arms starting to tire. I wasn't going to last another second.

"She's fucking hurt Harry-"

"Your weak Effie!" Harry taunts me calling up at me loudly. I squeeze my eyes shut feeling anger at his words.
"You know your weak-" He laughs making me hold the bar tighter.
"I have to give it to you though, I didn't think you'd make it that far up" he calls and I feel like the two of them had no gotten a lot closer to me. I wanted to kill him. He hated me and I didn't see why. This is why I wanted to leave. Why would they not let me leave?

"Harry stop-"

"If you fall you just prove my point" Harry calls up at me as I try to find my footing on a bar.
"You fall because your weak, you pick yourself back up when your strong" He says and I feel my heart sink. I was weak. He was right.
"Which ones it gonna be?" He asks and I shut my eyes holding onto the bar as I feel my grip start to loosen. I was sweating from holding onto the bar for this long and pushing through the pain that made me want to cry out. I had to be strong in some way to hold on this long right?

"I'm going up there-"

"Don't make me shoot you down, because this time I won't miss" I hear Harry say as I feel the gate below me alter like it was moved or something.

"Come on Effie!" Zac yells to me encouragingly. I sigh as I make one last effort to pull myself up. But it was a mistake. I feel the pain in my shoulder stab me sharply causing me to scream before I let go of the bar. For the second time I was falling. Harry didn't even need to kill me because I had already killed myself. I guess everyone would be happy now? I look up seeing the grey sky start to get further away from me just as I feel my arm being grabbed harshly making me scream.

I look up seeing Zac stood on the gate holding me up with one arm as he clings onto the bars holding the two of us up. I wasn't falling anymore. He saved me. Within a second he lets go making me scream as I squeeze my eyes shut and I feel myself fall slowly before landing on something else.

Or someone else I should say.

I open my eyes slowly seeing Harry looking down at me as he holds me in his arms. He caught me. They both saved me.

"Maybe I was wrong-" he mutters shaking his head at me as he puts me down abruptly making me stumble to floor.
"Your mouth won't get you into as much trouble as your reckless behaviour sweetheart"