Zero O'clock

04

Shanika

My back throbbed with pain, demanding every bit of my attention. My head became more foggy as the stinging pain lulled me to sleep. I had watched a lot of movies to know I shouldn't give in.
My eyes darted to my lap which glistened with fresh blood. For a second, I couldnt tell whether it really was coming off me or the lifeless man on my thigh. One bullet straight to the head was all it took. His wide open, lifeless, accusing eyes endowed mine. I knew they were to haunt me for days to come, if I was still of existence by then.

His death seemed to have simmered everyone down even if it was for a brief moment, perhaps because Keirnnan was to Lifman, what Lifman was to Zola. Zola, not the Asian men who murdered him with it clear and scorching right above their heads. It was in this calm, brief moment that I hastily plotted my escape. There was a tree on my left, behind it was something like a small valley, I would hide there until this was over. It would take me at least three minutes to reach it. It was clear this had nothing to do with me, I had done nothing to piss off the Asian Mafia. The fact that none of them had once glanced at me confirmed that I was indeed no object of interest to them.

Seconds later, the piercing gunshots poured in from either sides. This time, not really caring where their bullets landed, I would probably catch one or two but not if I kept my head down. I pushed the sullen corpse off my lap and started crawling towards my only chance at survival. For some good reason, my knees had not shut down although an intense pain from my back showered the rest of my body,my vision blackening from second to second. I blinked like crazy,trying to make out the road well,so I wouldn't find myself at their feet. It was almost impossible to suppress the painful groan but I knew I couldn't let myself get caught, not when I was this close. This street was very quiet, I had seen not a single passersby but it was only minutes away from the police station. The sirens closed in, distracting them. Snap!

I quickened my pace as soon as the noise died out, alerting me that they were all returning to their cars and it was only a matter of seconds before they spotted me. I got on my feet and quickly rolled down, more like threw myself down the small valley but not without looking over my shoulder first. One of the Asian men had looked at me with confusion clothing his dark eyes. Even if I had witnessed something, I was the least of his worries. He was foreign and I hadn't caught his face to recognize him nor identify him to the police, he probably knew that too, that is why he let me go and not fire the gun in his hand. I tried to even my breathing, as if the police would hear my raging heart. My eyes burned with tears and I bit my lower lip as my body raked with pain. I seemed to have made it worse. I would have to stay here,like this,in this pain until they left.I had just come out of jail, to be found in this scene would complicate things for me. My unclean record would convince them to throw me into that horrible place again. I would rather die.

The police radios were thick in the air and I could feel them getting closer as their impatient feet tapped against the ground. Two cars had raced after them but they had all lost both parties. I curled myself into a small ball under the cap of some rock that had inflicted further injury to my back as soon as I landed. After an agonizing and nerve wrecking hour, they left the scene and I could finally stop depriving my lungs of oxygen. It was getting dark and although this was probably the safest place for me right now, I could not fully trust that they would not stumble upon it while searching for me. I limped out of the rock and gathered all my strength to sprint up the valley. The sun had fallen and no car passed by. Good, I would have no one to rescue me. It crept back into my mind again that I had been truly cursed. "Get a grip, Shanika, now isn't the time to pity yourself, "My subconscious silently scolded. I had never needed anyone to rescue me, I would figure this out by myself, too.

I stared at the darkness before me with my newfound determination. Lulu had once told me of some church not so far away from here. I would have a warm and safe place to sleep at least until I figured everything out. I would probably also find someone to heal me there,going to the hospital seemed too risky.As I took in a long breath to prepare myself for my promising journey, a distinct, strong manly scent hit my nostrils. It left me shivering than before. A fast movement behind me rose every hair on my skin to its end. I could feel a heavy presence behind me but before I could turn around, my nose was covered with a cloth with a strong scent that knocked me out of my senses as soon as I inhaled.