“It is. It’s good to see you, Van. I’m surprised you’re still here. How’s business?” Alix smiled at the man.
“It’s good. People like their drugs,” Van said. “You want to come in?” he asked.
Alix approached Van on the stoop. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything like that,” she said.
“It has been awhile since I’ve seen you. What happened? Old lady finally send you away?”
“Not quite. It’s a long story. Sure, I’ll come in. We can get caught up. I don’t have any money though.”
“You know that’s no problem. The old payment plan is still valid,” Van opened the door to the tenement and held the door open for Alix. She walked by Van, still smiling as she passed.
“Traci?” Annabelle Kincaid called from the kitchen, as she tossed a dish towel onto the counter. Traci slowly emerged from the room that she shared with Alix.
“I’m going to head to bed. Alix should be home soon. Do you need anything before I go?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks,” Traci smiled. Traci turned to go back to the bedroom but then stopped abruptly and her knees buckled. “Oh, god!”
“Traci? What’s wrong?” Annabelle ran over Traci.
“I think my water broke. It really hurts,” Traci groaned.
“You’re only six months pregnant, your water shouldn’t be breaking. Come on, we’re get you to the hospital,” Annabelle helped Traci up and get ready to leave. As they went down the stairs, Annabelle took out her phone and called Alix. The phone rang and then went to voicemail. “Alix isn’t answering. I’ll leave a voicemail and send her a text. Hopefully she’ll get them. She should be on her way home.”
Alix slid her bra back on and finished getting dressed. She picked up the second pill and took it. The first pill started working about halfway through the intercourse with Van. She was weak and wobbly but felt lightheaded and amazing. She glanced at her phone and saw the text and voicemail from her mother. She read the message. “Oh my God. Traci’s having her baby. I gotta get to the hospital,” Alix stood up. “Thanks for everything,” she hugged Van. “I’ll see you later.”
“Hope so. Have a good night,” Van hugged back.
“You, too.”
Alix ran downstairs and out onto the streets. She began walking in the direction of the hospital. She got a couple of blocks when she heard someone behind her. She turned around to see some sort of reptilian monster chasing her. She turned around but the creature was quickly on top of her, knocking her to the ground.
She was still high so everything was happening faster than she could react. The creature kept slamming her into the ground. Alix finally gave up and let the creature drag her into the sewer. “You must be the Ripper,” she mumbled. The Ripper tore her shirt off and attempted to rip open her stomach. “Not going to get through that, boyo,” she said and struck at him. He fell to the side but seemed barely hurt.
He quickly stood back up and lunged at Alix. Ripper began striking at Alix who still couldn’t get her bearings. Most of what she was doing was blocking his punches. She finally got a leg up and shoved him away with her leg. He flew across the sewer. Alix tore off her ripped shirt and ran to the sewer hole that he dragged her down but Ripper got there first and slapped her away. She crashed hard into the wall of the sewer; a small trickle of blood came out of her mouth. She looked up at the Ripper and saw double. She was still high, nearly incapacitated, and unsure if she could take him.
“I’m scared,” Traci said to Anna as they were in the hospital, waiting for the doctor who said she had to deliver the baby.
“I know. I’m scared too. It’ll be fine. Alix came slightly early and she’s perfectly healthy. Everything will be fine.”
The doctor came into the room. “We are going to need to deliver this baby,” he said.
“What’s wrong?” Traci asked.
“Aside from being a very premature baby? You are hemorrhaging very badly. This baby is coming tonight,” the doctor said.
“I want Alix here,” Traci said.
“I’ll try calling her again,” Anna said. “You get ready to be a mother. Okay? I’ll be back in two minutes.”
He’s mad that his dinner is actually fighting back, Alix thought. Even if he kills me, he won’t be able to eat me. The Ripper grabbed Alix’s neck and slammed her head into the stone wall and floor before slamming it into a pipe. Blood was now coming out of her nose which she was pretty sure was broken. Gotta get out of this funk. Push through the drugs. She attempted to get up and strike at Ripper but he hit her and she flew into the wall that then collapsed on top of her.
“Okay,” she stood up, pushing the stones and wooden beams off of her. He skin was cut and bruised. Blood poured from her mouth and nose. A black eye was forming. Her pants were now ripped as was the bra she was wearing. “This has to end. No more fucking around.” She calmly walked up to Ripper. He was making some kind of noise—kind of a growl mixed with heavy breathing. “Ripper,” she defiantly said as Ripper thrust a fist at her. The fist hit her hard in the stomach. The connection echoed through the sewer.
Alix took the split second that Ripper was confused to attack. She hit him twice, once to get him away and again into a wall. She wanted to keep him down so leapt onto him and continued hitting him, driving him further into the next tunnel as walls crumbled around them.
She continued hitting Ripper but he was starting to fight back. Their punches were landing but neither were budging. After several minutes of just beating each other senseless, Ripper reached for a pipe, broke it off and hit Alix with it. Gas began wafting out of the broken pipe. Ripper continued bludgeoning Alix with the pipe. Alix was finally able to retaliate and shoved Ripper hard into a wall.
Stones must have rubbed together causing a spark or something because the gas that filled the sewer exploded, ripping through the sewer, spilling out into the city above. Alix and the Ripper got lost in the explosion and debris. The street collapsed taking three dilapidated buildings with it, sending thousands of pounds of destruction into the sewer and on top of Alix and the Ripper.
Alix pushed her way out of the debris. Her body was cut up and bruised. Blood came from her mouth, nose, ear, forehead, and left arm. Her nose was definitely broken as was a toe and a couple of fingers. Alix could barely take a breath before Ripper was back on top of her but this time, she was ready.
She flipped him over as they careened through the air. She could hear sirens arriving. She’ll be able to stop soon. She got him down on the ground and began hitting him as hard as she could. After several punches, she squeezed her hands around his neck and began shaking him and slamming his head into the ground. She kept slamming and slamming. Blood ricocheted with each hit and got on her, the floor and the walls of the sewer. Ripper’s arms went limp and the stone underneath him had turned dark red with blood. She slowed down and then stopped, breathing heavily. She got up and looked at Ripper, unmoving.
The sirens had stopped and she heard people up on the street. She leaped out of the giant sewer hole and the police surrounded her. She began walking and knew what she muse look like—her clothes had taken a beating during the fight. Her pants barely remained, she had to hold up one of her bra cups herself and she was just covered in blood, cuts, and bruises.
“Freeze,” one of the officers said.
“The Ripper’s down there,” Alix said, still walking.
“I said ‘freeze’,” the officer said again.
“I have someplace to be. I’m sorry about all the damage but it’s his fault. Now, I have to get to the hospital.” She began running, wincing in pain and thinking her foot was broken along with a toe.
“Should we go after her?” an officer asked.
“Who cares? Let’s get down there and about this Ripper creature.”
Alix got to the hospital and happened to run into her mother coming out of the cafeteria. “Oh! Alix! Oh my God! What happened?”
“I had a little trouble. It’s nothing,” Alix said. “I’ll get looked at later. Where’s Traci?”
“Room 323,” Anna answered. “She’s sleeping. She…” Anna began to cry and went to hug Alix who winced with the pressure but accepted it anyway.
“I’m gonna go see her.”
Alix went upstairs to Traci’s room. She opened the door slowly. A soft light was on. Traci’s back was turned to the door. Alix slowly walked her. “I’m so sorry, Traci,” she said quietly. Alix crawled into bed, catching her breath and realizing now that a rib was broken. She cuddled with Traci, placing an arm around her and falling asleep.
