I had no idea which insane scientist had injected human genes into a polar bear and created this terrifying creature, but standing in the direct line of this thing's full rage made me want to pray in every language and religion I knew.
For a moment, I actually considered lying down on the floor and pretending to be dead.
When he pointed his finger at Kerem, the expression on his face made it very clear what was going through his mind.
"I knew it was you. You got lucky last time, but this time you will not get out of here alive, punk."
"Duru."
Kerem's voice was calm.
Mine was shaking.
"Kerem?"
"Run."
He grabbed my hand and bolted for the stairs. I cursed my tight mini skirt and high heels and tried my best to keep up with him. The Frankenstein behind us, shouting every curse word under the sun while trying to catch us, was not making things easier.
We somehow made it down the stairs without tumbling and Kerem pushed the door open. Uncle Mustafa stared at us in shock. Kerem slammed the door shut and pulled me along, while I tried to talk through gasps for breath.
"Thanks for all your help, Uncle Mustafa."
We were almost at the main door when the door from inside the bar flew open behind us with such force it sounded like it was going to come off its hinges. At the same time, his thunderous voice echoed through the entire bar.
"Cengiz, grab them!"
The human giant who launched himself from one of the tables made me curse my luck again. Did every bad guy we ran into tonight have to be a candidate for the national wrestling team?
Kerem shoved the door open and we ran to the car without slowing down. He pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked it. I climbed in and slammed the door, and the locks clicked again right away. I grabbed for my seat belt, but a hard bang on the window beside me made me jump and look over.
With the deep scar running from the corner of his mouth down to his chin, little Frankenstein Cengiz was right next to me, yelling and throwing out threats like a horror movie character with an axe.
He kept yanking on the door handle in fury, and even though I knew there was no way he could open it, I could not stop myself from gripping the handle tightly from the inside.
I turned to Kerem in panic.
"What are you waiting for, their shovels to finish digging our graves? Start the car already."
Right then, I caught sight of the man's face at Kerem's window. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Seeing him this close, he looked even more massive and terrifying than he had in the hallway. Just a split second after he stepped back from the window, I saw his hand rise and screamed.
"Kerem."
He slammed his fist into the glass at the same time, making it crack, and Kerem hit the gas.
We sped away from them and I did not take my eyes off the rearview mirror until both of them vanished from sight. Once I was sure the danger had passed, I finally let my body relax and leaned back against the seat, my muscles aching from being clenched in fear.
For a moment, I had really thought they were going to catch us.
When my heartbeat finally settled and I calmed down a bit, I turned to Kerem in anger and punched him in the arm.
"You suicidal, masochistic lunatic. What is wrong with you? You told me her boyfriend was bad news, so I was expecting some basic thug, not Frankenstein. I cannot believe you still went to see that woman knowing you would have to face that thing."
"Calm down, Duru. We got away, did we not?"
"Calm down, he says. We were one step away from being ripped to pieces by two gorillas in that filthy place and ending up as a headline on the morning news, do you realize that?"
"In the end, nothing happened. We are going home in one piece."
"Speak for yourself. I now have blood pressure problems, diabetes, and a panic disorder."
He glanced at my legs from the corner of his eye and muttered teasingly.
"From here, you do not look like a sixty year old auntie at all, especially in that invisible skirt."
I hurried to tug my skirt down where it had ridden up while we were running and shot him a dirty look.
"Eyes on the road, Mister Know It All. And how did you get away from that ghoul last time?"
"I did not run away last time."
The seriousness of his answer left me speechless. Anyone who could stand in front of that man without running the second they saw him had to have something seriously wrong with their eyes or their brain.
"Oh my God. You really are not right in the head."
When he did not comment, I turned back to the window and started scolding myself instead. Why was I even mad at him? The bigger mistake was clearly mine. What on earth had I been thinking getting involved in all this with a man who showed up at my door in the middle of the night covered in blood? Of course someone like him would not think of a roller coaster at an amusement park when it came to adventure.
As I stared absently at the road, my reflection in the window caught my eye. As terrifying as everything had been, I knew very well that I secretly enjoyed the thrill of this action packed night. But that was not the only problem.
Besides my need for adrenaline, there was something else that I suspected had a say in the decisions I was making, and even considering the possibility that it might be real was enough to make me want to bang my head against a wall.
I sighed and sank deeper into the seat. It was not Kerem's mental health that needed to be questioned, it was mine. To escape my own thoughts, I shifted my attention back to him.
"If you are not afraid of the guy, then why did you run this time?"
"Because this time I was not alone."
His answer was not exactly unreasonable. With someone like me, chubby and slow, the most useful thing I could do in a serious physical attack would probably be to scream at the top of my lungs. I nodded to show that I understood and asked another question.
"Did you manage to get the address at least?"
"Yes. I finally got it."
"When are you going to tell the others?"
"After I get the information from the man."
"When are you going to see him?"
"You are asking too many questions. Should I be suspicious?"
"Is it so strange that I want to know more about the thing I risked my life for?"
Judging by the way he looked at me from the corner of his eye, my excuse did not sound very convincing.
"I am not sure yet, but I will go as soon as I can."
Even though he did not give me a specific date, it was obvious from all the risks he was taking and all the effort he was putting in that he was trying to get results as quickly as possible. I guessed that the very first thing he would do tomorrow would be to go talk to that man. I did not have the energy to think anymore, so I closed my eyes and leaned back.
At that moment, the only thing I wanted was to go home, get out of these uncomfortable clothes, and fall into a peaceful sleep. I yawned and muttered in a low voice.
"I cannot wait to get back to my bed."
"Didn't Feyza take your key?"
I leaned forward to turn on the music player and answered his question.
"Aylin has my spare key."
The rest of the ride passed in silence except for the low music. When we finally pulled up in front of my building, we said a quick goodbye and I hurried out of the car.
I went into the apartment building and up to my own door. There was a napkin tied to the doorknob, which immediately caught my attention. Just as I had guessed, Aylin had gotten home before me.
Relieved that I would not have to wait around, I opened the small cabinet that held the electricity meters, behind me. I rummaged through the box that was at eye level until I found the plastic bag and used the key inside it to open the door and go in.
The first thing I did was strip off my clothes and put on the pajamas neatly folded on the bed. I postponed everything else I had to do until morning and flopped onto the mattress without thinking twice.
It did not even take a full minute for me to fall asleep with my arms wrapped around my fluffy pillow.