Gunslinger

Chapter 3- Taken

I smiled slightly and closed the door to Sally's neat little room, and began the short journey to my own room.  Which was located on the second floor of the house and to get there from my sisters room I had to creep quietly across the old wooden floors in the living room and up a dilapidated, rickety flight of stairs.   After that it was just a short walk down a long hallway, dimly lit with a single candle mounted to the wall in the middle. There were seven doors in that hallway, mine was the second.

I slipped inside and took a deep breath of the fresh, salty air that came in through a window I left open near my bed.  White, lacy curtains that my Mom had sewn blew gently in the breeze and I could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore.  The night had cooled off to a near perfect temperature and I gladly slipped under the silky, grey covers of my bed and pulled a worn out, palm sized leather book out from under the mattress.

I sat back up and reached over to the other side of the big feathered bed to grab a small bottle of black ink and my favorite quill.

July Fifth-

I began to write but was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass coming from downstairs.  I immediately tensed up, my heart beat fast and I looked around the room suspiciously.  After a few moments I heard nothing, but realized I was letting jet black ink drip onto the duvet cover.  "Oh no!" I moaned and desperately poked at the spot, only succeeding in spreading ink around.

Groaning, I tumbled out of bed, hoping I would be able to sneak back downstairs and into the kitchen to get some water.  I had just stepped into the hallway when a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the house.

I stopped in my tracks, eyes opening wide.  "Sally?" I called out.  There was no answer and nausea began to pull at my stomach.  

"Help!" I heard a terrified shriek from downstairs.

"Sally!" I screamed, running for the stairs, but only succeeding in falling head over heels to the bottom of the steps, hitting my head on the wall on the way down.  

Dazed and confused I lifted a shaky hand to my head. "Ouch." I murmured, steadying myself on the wall as I stood up, hardly noticing the blood that was staining the wall in the candlelight.  Shadows cast themselves eerily around the room making it hard to see much of anything in the spinning hallway.  

Defeated, I sunk back down against the wall, when a tall figure appeared.  A man was standing directly in front of me.  "Barnes?" I whispered, my voice hoarse.  The bad feeling in my stomach had grown and I clasped my hands to keep them from shaking.  

" 'Fraid not Peach." the man got closer to my face and I shrunk back in fear.  He was bald and had a dark, braided beard that reached down to his chest.  His cold, black eyes shone demonically in the light as shadows danced across his face.  He chuckled evilly and I noticed that most of his teeth were capped in silver and gold, grime was etched deep into his face.  

I tried to scream but nothing came out, I tried to move but found I was paralyzed.  The man reached for his waist and drew out a knife, "Sorry Lass." He said moving for my throat, while I looked away in fear.

Just as I felt the cold metal blade press against my neck, there was resounding clunk and the man fell to the ground.  "Amila!" Barnes grabbed the man and pushed him aside before he could fall on top of me.

I stood up unsteadily and balled my hands into fists and rushed at my attacker, swinging with all the force my smallness could handle.  "Amila!" Barnes yelled. "It's me!" he shook me.  

Realization took over me and I immediately collapsed against my old friends chest.  "Barnes!" I cried, "I'm so sorry!  I did not realize and I-"

"You don't look so well..." Barnes held me out, focusing on my head, and while I had to agree, I wasn't doing so well, there were more important things on my mind.