I look over at Tao. Tears pool over my eyes. My mind is a jumbled mess, but two thought sticks out:  I’m scared and “I’m so sorry.” I whisper to him. There is no reply. Why did this have to happen to us? What had we done to deserve this?

Why? That is all I want to know. Why did he do this?

***

I used to watch him fight. We went to the same school and we had martial arts together, but I wasn’t very good. However, he was extraordinary. He never talked to me, but I would watch him whenever I could. It was mesmerizing.  He would gracefully move his body with the weapon. It was as if he was one with the weapon.  Each step and movement laced together to form a sequence of moves. He was the best fighter I knew. I thought that he could never be defeated by anyone. However, I thought a lot of things, and was often proven wrong.

***

It was dark now. My evening class had run later than usual and I had to get home quickly before it got too dark. I thought that taking the route through the warehouses would be a quicker way home than being shoved by the bustling crowds of people. I turned and glanced down one of the alleys between two warehouses and could see a dark shadow in the distance.  I could hear the muffled cry as the shape moved. The cry seemed to echo through the alley and was barely recognizable as human. As a stepped closer to the shadow, my breath quickening, I saw it move again. I squinted my eyes and tried to see what it was. There was a smothered cry that softly bounced off the walls and reached my ears. As I got closer I could make out the silhouette of a human. No, two humans. One lay crumpled on the ground, quivering. The other standing above, grasping the shirt and holding something in the other hand. As light glinted off, I could see that it was a knife. Pieces began to come together in my head, my heart raced and I took a step back. I needed to get help. My foot connected with rock, but before I could stop it, the rock rolled away. Every roll let out a deafening thud. I held my breath. Silence. The taller figures head turned slowly until its gaze reached mine. He saw my face. One hand let go of the shirt and the limp body dropped to the ground with a sick thud while the other hand still held tightly to the knife. The killer began to saunter towards me. I tried to scream, but the sound was blocked by the dryness of my throat. I turned to run, only to be quickly copied by my pursuer. I only had to make it out of the warehouses. When had I walked so far in? He had seen my face. I raced as fast I could, but was pulled sharply towards the wall. A hand covered my mouth. I squirmed, but soon realized that there was no use to my efforts.

I remembered as a child, my mother forgot me at the market. I was so scared and confused that I had sat myself down and cried until a kind lady came and helped me until my mother returned to get me. When I saw my mom I ran to her with tears in my eyes. It had been the scariest time in my life. Until now. I could only wish that all that had happened now was that I was forgotten at the market. There I could get help from a stranger instead of running from one.

The hand over my mouth didn’t move as we listened to the killers footsteps come closer and closer. I could barely hear the footsteps over the beating of my heart. Closer. Closer. I might die soon. The footsteps stopped. I lifted my eyes. His eyes were dark. There was a small scar beneath his lip. He hadn’t shaved for a few days and his face glistened with sweat. Small pecks of blood dripped from his fingers.  He just looked at me, anger emanated from his entire being. I was going to die.

I was flung towards the killer, barrelling at him. Surprise struck across his face, but only for a moment. Then it was anger. Tao stepped out from the darkness and kicked the man in the chest. He crashed to the ground. I struggled to my feet as Tao grabbed my wrist and began to drag me to the exit. I looked back to see the other man battled to his feet.

“Don’t look back! You’re going to slow us down!” Tao yelled into my ear.

I jerked my head forwards and ran with all of my might. We were almost back to the town. We could make it and then we could get help. 10 feet. 5 feet. 2 feet. We made it. I made one glance backwards. The man was nowhere to be found. Tao kept pulling my forwards. We pushed our way into a crowd of people and shoved our way to the police office.

Tao finally let go of my wrist and stopped outside of the police station. Everything that happened in the last 15 minutes rushed through my mind like a tornado. I collapsed to the ground and began to sob. Tao knelt down beside me and gently wrapped his arms around me. I cried into his chest for what seemed like an eternity.

After telling the police about what had happened, we finally arrived at my small apartment. I lived alone, my father had left my mother before I was born and my mom and had been killed in a car accident last year. I was old enough that I didn’t have to go to the orphanage. I was all alone now.

We walked up to the front door. Tao looked at me and scratched his head, “Uh, make sure to lock up. Don’t answer the door for strangers. Uh, bye.”

Tao began to turn away, but I grabbed his shirt sleeve, “What if he comes for me?”

“Don’t you have someone at home that will help you?”

“No. I-I live alone,” I stuttered, “Could you stay here. Just one night? I know it’s weird, but I’m scared. What if he comes for me? I don’t have anyone else.” I began to cry again.

Tao sighed and pushed his way into my apartment. “Oh thank you!” I said with tears still streaming down my face. “I have an extra bed, and you can help yourself to what’s in the fridge and-“ 

“One night. That’s all,” Tao said as he lay on the sofa and closed his eyes.

I covered him with a blanket and grabbed a pillow. I slowly lifted his head and rested it on the pillow.  I sauntered to my room and crawled into my bed. I tried to sleep, but no sleep came. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the killer coming towards me, but when I opened my eyes, no one was there. The shadows seemed to be alive and slithered towards me, trying to catch me with their translucent hands. I wasn’t safe with my eyes open or closed.

***

I woke up the next day to find Tao still asleep on the sofa. I began to make some breakfast. I was just finishing up when Tao woke up and I watched as he quickly rolled up the blanket and then headed to the door.

“Wait!” I yelled after him.

He stopped, turned and glared at me, “Thank you,” I quietly said as I stooped my head.

Tao turned and walked out of my apartment.

***

Over the next week, I would see Tao at school, but not once did he ask if I was okay and I was too scared to talk to him. I often wondered why he had saved me. I couldn’t think of any reason that he would, or why he had been there.

Friday came and I had finally built enough courage to ask him. I saw him at his locker and slowly approached.

“Tao?”

“What do you want?” He sighed.

“I-I was just curious about why you s-saved me?” I managed to stutter.

Toa turned to look at me. His face unreadable, “I happened to walk by and thought I would get in trouble if someone found out I let you die.”

I could only stare at his back as he walked away. I knew Tao was cold, but never had I experienced it. What did I expect from him though? It isn’t like he would ever care enough about me to make sure I was safe. It wasn’t like we were friends.

As I walked home, I would search every shadow, waiting for the killer to jump out and attack me. Every sound made me jump and I scanned the face of every person I passed. As I walked I passed a familiar face. I swallowed as the person turned to look at me. Could it be him? I began to shake as I quickened my pace.

THUD. I walked right into- “Tao?”

I looked up into Taos face. He was as surprised as I was, “What are you doing here?”

“Uh- just, uh- going home,” He quickly said as he began to walk away.

“Oh, well have a good night,” I said under my breath. The face of the stranger had quickly fled from my memory.

***

That night I returned home and flopped onto my bed. I was exhausted from school and martial arts training. I didn’t even feel like eating; instead, I fell asleep on my bed.

I didn’t hear my apartment door open, or the quiet footsteps approach my room. I didn’t hear my door open, or the rustle of the bag as it was put around my head. But I did notice the thick hands wrap around my side and pull me off of my bed, but by then it was too late to try and escape.

***

I woke to darkness and the sweet smell of sweat and dust. There was no sound except for my breathing as I began to struggle against the ropes that had been tied around my wrists. The bag was no longer around my head. My arms were pulled awkwardly behind the back of the chair and my head throbbed. What had I been hit with?

I heard a deep voice penetrate the darkness that surrounded me, “She’s finally awake. Little girl, you need to pay for what you saw. Didn’t your parents ever teach you to mind your own business?” He chuckled, “I guess not.”

How could I have been so stupid? Why couldn’t I take the two seconds it takes to at least lock my door? Not that that would have helped me anyways.

I was shaking from fear, but I wouldn’t allow myself to cry. “Why?” I whispered.

“What’s that little girl?” The man laughed and came closer, sticking his face inches from mine, “Did the little girl say something?”

His breathe reeked of alcohol. “Why?” I said. Louder this time.

“Why what?” He snarled.

“Why would you kill someone?!” I screamed at him. I realized my mistake.

His hand flew and struck my face. His hands we rough and hard. The impact rattled through my entire body. Tears welled in my eyes, but I would not let them fall. I bit my lip and held them back as I stared at him.

Suddenly I heard a crack as a door burst open. I strained my neck to see who had come. I could see a boy with black hair step into the corner of my eye. Tao? He held a long wooden pole and began to walk farther into the room.

“Honey! We have company!” The man said as he picked up a wooden beam.

The two boys bent their legs and started to slowly move around each other. The bigger man was the first to swing. Tao easily dodged it and returned the strike by swinging at his head. The two began to trade blows. Tao would step aside as the killer attacked. The man grew more and more frustrated as he kept missing his target. Tao couldn’t be beaten. He was the best I knew. He saw his chance and swung his weapon behind the man’s knees. He pulled them forward and the man’s weight dropped him to the ground. He laid there and gazed up at Tao as sweat poured down his face. To took the pole and stuck the man in the temple, knocking him out.

I began to smile as I noticed the shadow begin to move. I hadn’t noticed how dark the room was. There were so many areas that were completely black. Tao still looked down at his defeated foe. A man silently stepped from the shadows. In his hand he held a long knife that glinted in the remaining light.

“Tao!” I screamed, “Behind you!”

I remember when my mother used to read me bed time stories. They were filled with princesses and magic and beautiful worlds. But there would always be an evil that would try to destroy the beautiful worlds. The evil would capture the princess, but a prince would always come and save the day. Good always won.

He began to turn around, a smile on his face. He had won. But the smile began to change as he saw my face and the knife glided into his back. His back arched gracefully and his brown eyes began to widen.  His mouth formed into and ‘O’ as a gasp escaped his lips. His legs sagged and he dropped to his knees. I watched him slumped and fall to the ground. Blood began to stain his shirt. His eyes. His beautiful eyes slowly became vacant.

I came to my senses. I hadn’t realised that I had been screaming. The man began to wipe off his knife as if nothing had happened, “Useless. Why must I always have brainless thugs do my dirty work? They never do it right.”

My mind raced. What had just happened? Tao. I looked at his body. His still body. Tao was dead. What had I done?! This was my fault! If I hadn’t seen anything, this never would have happened!

I stared at Taos body. His eyes were so empty. Tears welled in my eyes as the man came towards me. I was next. There was nothing I could do. I was tied to this chair. But instead of killing me, the man went around my chair and began to untie the ropes. I had one chance. When the roped were loose enough, I jumped from my chair and charged at he man. He was fast. I ran and he raised his hand and wacked my head and sent me flying. I struggled to my feet; I screamed and ran towards him again. This time he had picked up his knife. I clenched my fists and swung at his face, he was much bigger than me. I hit his face, but he didn’t react. I stepped back and lunged for another punch, but he grabbed my wrist. I twisted in his grip, but he was stronger than me. I stared into his eyes. I wouldn’t cry in front of this monster. I glared at him, but he just smiled.

I could feel the knife glide through me. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. He pulled it out and pushed me to the ground. I landed facing Tao. I looked at him and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Silence.

He shouldn’t have died. It was all my fault. If he had just left me alone and didn’t try to rescue me, he would still be alive. Instead all that was left was his lifeless, limp body. His eyes stared at me and his mouth was slightly open. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I could feel the warm liquid spill out of me, but it didn’t hurt. I knew I was dying, but I didn’t feel like I was.

Images of princesses and princes. And then darkness. Evil. When would the light come? The good guys are supposed to win. But that didn’t happen today. No, the bad guys won this time. Evil conquered good. This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.

I feel weak. The only sound is that of laughter. To laugh at someone’s death is sick. “Why?” My voice cracks. Why did this man do what he did?

Only laughter answers me. Taos face begins to blur, “NO!” I try to reach my hand towards him. I am so weak. I slowly move it towards his. Agonizingly slow. I finally clasp his hand.

I thought that he could never be defeated.  I was wrong. I figured that out as I watched him die.

“I am so sorry,” The only words I seem to know.

“So-“

***

She never finished the word. I don’t know why she kept apologizing. It was annoying. But she’s dead now. Too bad. She was a pretty girl. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If only I could hire men that could do something right, this wouldn’t have happened. Oh well, what’s one more death? We all die anyways. The only one that mattered was my daughter, but she was gone now. Taken from me. Killed.  All I knew was revenge.

I used to tell my daughter stories of princes and dragons. The prince would always save the princess from the evil ones. Oh what would my daughter think of me now? She always called me her king. What would she think if she knew that I was now the bad guy?

 

 

 

~ Okay, I hope you all like it and that it wasn't lame and a waste of your time. Feel free to tell me about anything that can be improved!