Night Terrors -(TordTom)

Fatal Decisions

Still in the flashback~

"I've got the device."

Nathan perked up a little, but the shock and fear remained in his eyes. "I can't believe you actually found it..." He let out shaky sigh.

"Guys," Cory quietly interrupted. "We need to leave before someone finds the guard."

I nodded, glancing over at Nathan.  He was staring off into space and shaking a little. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get going."

He took a deep breath, and started walking with us.

I was worried about him. I knew he wasn't acting like himself since I saw him at the door.

As we walked back, Cory kept looking over his shoulder with a guilty expression. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore and started talking to him.

"Nathan, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. He was on top of me and I was starting to lose my grip."

Silence.

Nathan kept looking forward as if nothing was said to him.

"I had no other choice. I panicked and he was standing there. He had the upper hand to stab him from behind while we were struggling," He said to me.

"I understand where you're coming from. Just give him some time to himself."

We eventually got back to our main wing where everyone was crowding around a fight that had broken out.

Unfortunately it was right in front of our beds. I left Nathan with Cory as I started to push through the crowd, where two boys were at each other's throats.

Walking through the invisible sidelines, I grabbed the smaller boy and ripped his hands off of the other boy's throat.

"Hey! What are you doing you sonnuvabitch?! It was just getting good!" The older boy, possibly in his late teens started yelling.

I shot him a look, as if to say 'you're gonna be the next one in the morgue', and he shut up.

I pushed him out of the circle, trying to break up the fight. Normally I'd watch it play out, but I wasn't in the mood for this tonight.

The kid wasn't having any of my shit and he marched right back in and punched me in the stomach.

I hunched forward, not because the kid had a pack with his punch, but because I had felt a burning sensation.

Looking down I saw blood leaking through my shirt.

The little shit stabbed me!

The crowd around him acted up once again as he came in for another attack. I could see the small butterfly knife in his hand as he threw the punch. I kicked him back a few feet with my foot as I got into fighting stance.

I really didn't feel like fighting today.

But the damn kid started it.

He wound up to strike again, the small knife gleaming red with my blood in the dim lights.

Then he lunged.

Thank god for Pat and Pau teaching me the basics of fighting and defensive techniques.

My cat-like reflexes were too fast for the boy and he sliced at the air instead of my throat. My lower half was still underneath him so I gave him a kick in the groin.

He let out an 'oof' and doubled over, his eyes never leaving mine.

I could've stopped there and given that boy another chance.