She gripped his arm, tears streaming down her face.
“Don’t go. You Promised!”
, He yanked his arm away, shoving her back. Her head hit the floor first, and she slumped into the floor, crying harder.
“Don’t touch me! I’m done with you!’ he yelled, leaning down to get in her face. she cringed. She thought that, at this point, she’d be used to him hitting her. She wasn’t. It hurt more and more each time. He gripped her face roughly, looking into her eyes with his hardened ones. All she saw was pure hatred.
“I oughta’ put a bullet through your skull for this one!” He growled. She whimpered.
“I just called him once. I swear.” Her voice was soft, vulnerable. He brought his hand back and hit her as hard as he could, the sound echoing through the room. She lost consciousness instantly. He smirked, making his way to the couch. He wasn’t going to leave. He just wanted to hear her beg. He reached over and grabbed his beer off the table. She’d wake up soon. She would forgive him. Things would be okay for a day or two. Then it would repeat, an endless cycle of pain.
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Chapter one. When you’re the outsider..

Adam put his hands in his pockets, and walked down the sidewalk. He was going to kill Max. Mollie had called and told him that Max was dangerous. She had told him how he had hit her, how he had forced her to do things with him, how she couldn’t escape. His plan was to bust into the house, kill Max, and runaway with Mollie. She was his best friend. He, of course, had deeper feelings than she was aware of. He couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault that Max and Mollie had ended up together. If he had just told Mollie how he felt about her, maybe she would’ve chosen him, not Max. He walked up the steps to Mollie’s apartment building, pushing and holding the buzzer.

“Whose there?” A frail voiced whispered.

“Mollie? It’s Adam,” he answered, confusion in his words.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but she doesn’t live here anymore. She and that boy left in quite haste yesterday. The boy left rent, and they ran off.”

Adam stared at the miniature speaker, a blank expression on his face. He wouldn't be saving her today. He turned away, walking back down the steps, hunched over in semi-defeat. When would he hear from her again? When would he get another chance to save her?




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"Yo'! Adam! Hold up, bro!" Tyler, Adam's friend, was running down the street after him. Adam shook his head, and stopped walking. '

"What?" Adam looked at Tyler, slightly annoyed.

"Attitude much? What's your problem?" Tyler stopped running and paused in front of him. Adam just shrugged, turning and continuing down the sidewalk. Tyler jogged to catch up. "Really man, What's up?"

"Just some stuff with Mollie... I don't think I'll ever see her again." Adam looked ahead, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Ahhh...I see. You want to be alone then, aye?" Tyler stopped in front of a cafe they were passing.

"Kind of." Adam shrugged, walking on. Tyler shook his head and disappeared into the cafe.






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Adam stood with Mollie by the swing set, she was inspecting a swing.

"This one looks clean enough." She giggled, sitting down. "Push me!" She squealed as Adam pulled her back and let her go, the wind picking up her hair, as he pushed the swing higher and higher. Adam watched her. She was beautiful.

"Mollie, it's getting late. I should get you home." Adam smiled slightly.

"But Adam!!!" Mollie whined. "I don't wanna'!" Adam stopped the swing and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder, and running to his truck. Mollie squealed, laughing. Adam loved Mollie. He couldn't deny it.
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Adam liked being alone, when he needed to think. Especially now that he had a plan to come up with. He crossed the street, and turned off into an alley. He had walked these streets so many times in his life, he could do it with his eyes closed, but he knew the moment he turned into the alley that something was off. He sped up slightly, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head, digging his hands deeper into his pockets. "Great..." he mumbled, when he saw two burley figures step around the corner up ahead. All he had on him were his house key, his wallet, and his dead cell phone. He hunched his shoulders and hid his face, leaning in closer to the edge of the alley as he walked. Trying to appear less vulnerable. The men were about twelve feet from him now and he could make out a scar across one of the men's faces, leaving it horribly disfigured. The space was closing quickly, and Adam held his breath. Just leave me alone, he thought, walking quicker. The two men brushed past him, without a second look. Adam sighed, mumbling, “thank goodness..." He walked out of the alley without looking back. He doubted he'd be taking alleys as a shortcut again anytime soon.











Ch. 2. The threat.

Adam sat up in bed, and stretched. He was sore. He was so angry yesterday, he started running. He couldn't even remember making it home. Adam got up out of bed, and walked to the bathroom, turning on the shower and getting in. He let the hot water run down him, relaxing his muscles. He let his mind wander, wondering what Mollie was up to. Was she hurt? Was she safe? He wanted to call the police, but that wasn't an option. Mollie would die. So would he.

There was a loud crash. Adam jumped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbing his pistol from the dresser in his room. He held it up, slowly walking out of his bedroom and into the hallway. There was another crash, as something shattered in the kitchen. He made his way into the living room, pausing at the entrance to the kitchen. He heard scraping and muffled sounds. He stepped into the kitchen, ready to shoot, when he saw it.

"You've got to be kidding me." Adam frowned, staring at the shattered plates and cups on the floor, and the raccoon staring at him from the kitchen table. It turned and raced from the kitchen and out the back door. Adam slammed the back door shut, and locked it. Leaving the mess for after his shower was finished. He had alot to do today, and he didn't think it was starting off correctly.




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Adam sat down at the bar in the cafe he had passed by the day before. He had spent most of his time on the computer, hacking into Max's bank accounts and trying to figure out where he was headed. Max was slick, he wasn't using his cards. Adam ordered coffee and a burger, leaning back in his seat. He had a headache.

"Don't follow Max." a husky voice said to him. He turned and looked at the man sitting next to him.

"Excuse me?" Adam asked, looking at him confused.

"Don't follow him, or you'll regret it." The man's eyes sliced through Adam’s.

"Who are you? You don't know anything." Adam sat up, throwing some money on the bar and getting up. "On second thought, I don't care. Leave me alone." Adam walked out of the cafe, heading down the sidewalk, without looking back. He heard heavy footsteps right behind him. He started to jog. The footsteps did too. He turned around and saw the man running after him. Adam started running. So did the man. "Stop following me!" Adam yelled, spinning around, but the man was gone. Adam blinked. "I'm losing my mind..."


***********************************************************************

Max looked at Mollie in the seat next to him. She was staring out the window, a blank look on her face. "Cheer up, Beautiful." He grinned. She kept staring. He rolled his eyes. "You’re never happy!" Max sat back in his seat. Four more hours on the plane and they would land in New York. He'd keep Mollie from Adam, no matter what.
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Ch. 3. New York?

Adam stared at the computer screen. Max had made a purchase at a gas station with a credit card in New York, New York. He had him. Adam threw his hands up in satisfaction. "I've found you!" He jumped up, running to his room and grabbing a suitcase, and throwing in the necessities. He drug it out to his car and climbed in, spinning out into the street and speeding toward the airport. He was going to save her.







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"You’re going to do great things with your life one day, Adam." Adam's mom, Meredith said.

"Me? I doubt it." Adam looked at his frail mother, reaching out and holding her hand. His mother smiled.

"You will son. You’re a strong boy, and you’re going to be a good man. You've done things I’m not too happy about, but those things don't define you. You will do things in your life, you never thought you could. I would know. You are my son." Meredith smiled. Adam looked at his mother and chuckled, squeezing her hand.

"I'll take your word for it."
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Adam walked down to baggage claim, and grabbed his suitcase. He had used his phone to check Max's bank accounts and found that he'd used it to get a room nearby. Adam had also reserved the room across the hall from them. He was going to finish this. He walked out of the airport, and hailed a taxi.
"Hotel Gansevoort, please." Adam told the taxi driver.
"$43.72, sir." The driver said. Adam handed him a crisp fifty dollar bill.
"Keep the change."
"Thank you, sir."
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"You'll like Max." Adam told Mollie, pulling up to the cafe, Mollie was meeting Max at. Adam had set them up on a blind date.

"If he's anything like you, of course i will." Max stared at Mollie for a moment. What did she mean?

"He's waiting inside. I'll see you later, then?" Adam asked, looking at her. Mollie hesitated.

"I guess so. Bye Adam." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, getting out of the car, and walking into the cafe.

Adam got out of the cab as the cab driver popped the trunk so Adam could retrieve his bag. As the trunk door slammed and the cab speed away off into the overly crowded streets Adam could only think of one thing and one thing only. Mollie. He was so close to her now, he’d be with her even if the gates of hell blocked his path. Nothing would keep him from Mollie, surely not Max, “but that’s for another time.” Adam thought as he grabbed his bags and walked up to the front doors of the Gansevoort. It was a marvelous building, at least 30 floors or more. Nearing the front doors the door man who seemed to be in his mid 50’s flashed a smile at Adam and pulled the door open for him.

“Evening sir.” The doorman exclaimed as Adam walked up.

“Hey.” Adam said in return and waved his hand and stepped through the doors into The Gansevoort.

Adam walked up to the front desk where there was a woman busying herself with the other residents complaints and reservations. So Adam took his place in the line and dropped his bags on the marble floor. Adam looked up and whistled

“That’s a nice lighting system.” Adam remarked as he glanced at the golden chandelier.

As Adam was distracted by the sights on the hotel he didn’t notice that it was already his time to approach the front desk where the woman was waiting for him to come to. Adam picked his bags up off the floor and walked up to the front desk.

“Hey.” Adam said to the Woman whose nametag read Peggy.
“Your name and reservation?” Peggy said as she was busy writing down numbers and names in a big black book.

“Uh, Adam Wilkner, room 214, I called earlier.”

“Let me just see here.” Peggy fumbled through the book until she stopped and went down the page with her index finger.

“Ah, here you are. Adam Wilkner, room 214.” She said as she turned to grab the key from the key cabinet then returned and handed the golden key to Adam.

“Thanks.” Adam said while he was already picking his bags up off the floor.

Adam walked down the hall to the elevator and waited for it to get to the main floor. The light flashed and the elevator doors opened. Adam pushed 6 on the panel and the doors closed. The elevator opened up on the 6th floor and Adam stepped out and started walking down the hallway counting off the numbers in his mind.

“209, 210, 211, 213, and this must be mine 214.” Adam pushed the key into the lock and twisted, the lock popped and Adam swung the door open.

“So 215 is where Mollie is.” Adam thought as he walked into his room.

The room was nicely decorated with a mixture of gold and white swirls on black walls with beds that seemed to beckon you into them for the deepest sleep one could ever seem to get. There was a light on the night stands beside both of the beds. With windows at the far side of the room where you had an over look of all the adjoining neighborhoods. Adam walked into the room and threw his bags onto the bed closest to the wall and pulls the window blinds apart to take in the sights.

“New York..” he mumbled under his breath as he looked at the Denny’s sign in the distance. Only the D and the N were illuminated in the darkness.

Adam walked by the coffee table that was situated in the middle of the room and picked up the TV remote and looked at the blank screen, debating either the TV or the sleep that he so desperately needs.

“What am I doing?” Adam thought to himself. “I should be thinking about Mollie and getting her out of there rather than TV and sleep. I came here for one reason and one reason only. Mollie.” Adam said out loud although no one was in the room with him.

Adam threw the remote against the head board of the bed making it crumble to pieces before it even hit the bed. Adam didn’t care; he was going to finish this, once and for all.

Part Four: Mollie
Adam swung open his door and took a running start at room 215. It had all come down to this, Mollie was a door away and that was not going to stop him.

“Aaaaaahhh!” Adam screamed and he rammed his body against the door. Putting his whole force into that one shove.

Max quickly jumped for the gun that was sitting on the coffee table as soon as he heard the door give. He didn’t know what was going on but he sure as hell wasn’t going to be caught off guard by it. It was too late though, before reaching the gun he was speared into the gut by a driving force that sent him off his feet. Adam had speared Max and now they crashed to the ground with a thud.

“What the hell!?!” Max screamed as he clinched his gut and tried to get up.

“I’ll kill you!!” Adam screamed back as he himself was trying to get up.

He didn’t get up fast enough though; Max was on his feet and threw a right punch at Adam nailing him right in the face right as Adam was standing up. Adam crashed back to the ground with a grunt as crimson blood spewed from his mouth staining the golden white sheets.

“Get up you bastard!” Max yelled at Adam as he threw a kick at Adam.

Adam knew this was coming and caught Max’s leg with his right arm and pulled it up causing Max to lose his balance and fall onto his back. This was Adam’s chance, Adam climbed onto of Max and started throwing punches left and right. Cutting Max’s eyebrow and busting his lower lip. The fight looked as though it was coming to an end when Max reached behind him and drew his knife out from its sheath and buried it deep into Adam’s side. Adam screamed and the blade penetrated his skin and sliced through his flesh and muscle. Max pushed Adam off and climbed to his feet and hobbled to the center of the room.

“You’ll never ever see Mollie Again. Tonight you’ll die and Mollie will have no need of you.” Max sneered and spit at Adam.

“I’ll kill you...” Adam grunted as he pulled the blade out of his side and threw it at Max.

“Get real. You never had a chance; you’re going to die Adam.” Max said as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes trying to get his breath. Just at that moment Adam bolted up with all his strength and ran straight at Max.

“What the!?” Could all be said as Adam crashed into Max and sent him back. Max grabbed a hold of Adam shirt as a piercing scream cut through the room.

“ADAM!!” Mollie screamed as she burst through the broken door just in time to see both of them crash into the window and out of the room.

Mollie ran to the window and looked down but she only saw Max laying in a pool of his own blood.

“Mollie...” A voice came from the ledge. It was Adam, Mollie looked down and saw him bloodied and broken.

“Adam…” Mollie said as tears filled her eyes she reached out for him but couldn’t get far enough.
“Hold on I’ll get help!” Mollie screamed.

“Mollie, I love you…” Adam said as his hand slipped and he fell into the street to join Max.