The Two Sides of a Sword

Chapter Two

Huge, leathery wings that were longer than he was tall. They stretched out intimidatingly, as he advanced, then folded in so he could fit into the smaller space of her kitchen.

Monster. Monster. Monster. The word repeated itself in Rocki's brain as she shrieked, throwing her phone at him. No, not the phone! Throw the knife! Protect him! Protect him! She fumbled to grab another knife as she threw the one in her hand at him. It scratched his pale skin but didn't stick. He barely seemed to notice as he inspected her phone, which he had caught, with mild interest, then crushed it in his hand. His black gaze returned to her as a cold sweat washed over her body. Baby. The baby. Protect the baby. She held onto the knife she had grabbed, intent on protecting herself with it.

The monster rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to indulge your laughable antics, even if you are pretty. I need to get your sister as well before they do." He grabbed her arms with more speed than she had prepared for, making her drop the knife before dragging her out the back door as she shouted and struggled.

"Stop! Help! No, stop! Someone help!" She was trembling so much it was a miracle she hadn't fallen apart yet. Her heartbeat was in her throat, suffocating her as the monster ripped the locked back door open and hauled her into the yard, wings snapping out. She tried to push away when he held her close, but she was no match for his muscular arms.

She grew a new appreciation for the arms that held her as he flew her high above her yard, his grip the only thing that kept her from plummeting. Her stomach dropped the moment their feet left the ground, clogging her throat with a cry of fear as everything grew distant. Her hands scrambled to find something to hold onto to keep from falling if he decided to let go at any point, gaining purchase on his shoulders as her legs gripped around his waist

Her shivering body was held close to his as they soared over the town. She felt one of his arms readjust on her back and a slight white light illuminated what she could see of his shoulders, but she didn't dare turn around to investigate. It was gone a moment later.

"Put me down," Rocki muttered pleadingly into his shoulder, still trembling like an earthquake. "I don't know what you want, but just put me down. We can get you help if that's what you want. I'll get you whatever you want, just please take me home." Don't cry. Don't cry. If you cry you can't see. You have to be able to see where he is taking you. She blinked a few times, trying to distract herself by looking around the slowly darkening sky they were flying in. It was sunset, one of the most picture-worthy times of day. She hoped someone got a picture of a monster stealing her away. They could turn it into the police, and they would find her. She wanted to scream, to alert anyone else of her presence, but her throat couldn't produce more than a fearful murmur, and they were flying so high it likely wouldn't reach anyone anyway.

"Sorry, little darling. I need you to stay with me. You'll understand soon enough." The rushing wind would have ripped his words away except he was so close to her she could hear every breath he took.

His wings were loud though, and no smaller up close. Rocki found herself watching in melancholic fascination as they rose and fell to propel the monster, and subsequently her, forward.

Can you fly safely with a baby? Yes, you must be able to. More pregnant women than me do it on airplanes. I'm not sure all the excitement is healthy though. He's just a tiny thing though right now. You can't even see him yet. Why didn't I say I was pregnant to him before? That might have deterred him. People don't like hurting pregnant women. I don't like that word; pregnant. It sounds clumsy and more like a type of food than a woman who is carry the gift of life. Even despite her circumstances, her heart still racing with terror and limbs only just barely able to hold on, Rocki found her thoughts still rushed through the most inconsequential debates with herself. It must be a coping mechanism. But what else am I supposed to do? Screaming won't help. He won't put me down. I don't want to fall.

A whimper escaped her lips. The monster gripped her a little tighter. "Not too much farther," he said.

"Where are we going?" Rocki managed to ask. Because of the way he tilted forward to fly, she couldn't see the landscape below her to figure out their path.

She didn't expect him to answer, but he did. "To your sister's house, remember? Or is there nothing much in that pretty head of yours?" He nudged the side of her head with his own almost playfully.

"No, not Aley!" said Rocki frantically. "Please, I'll go with you wherever, but don't take Aley. Please—please, no." Aley was her little sister and her best friend. She had been with Rocki through everything, she was her world, so if this monster thought she was just going to let him take her little sister as well, he had another thing coming. Even if Aley was a grown adult of twenty-four, Rocki always watched over her like she was five years old again and licking the pavement because she liked the way it felt on her tongue. The thought of Aley being captured like she just was made tears spring to Rocki's eyes.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt her. We need her help as well." His dark brown wings beat a little harder.

Rocki hesitated, shivering despite the warm breeze as she clung to the creature that literally held her life in his arms. "What do you need us for?" Experimentations? Sacrifice? Will they hurt my baby if they find out? Are there more like him? Where are they from?

Now it was his turn to think for a moment. "Now isn't a good time to tell you. I'll explain later, once I have both you and your sister safe."

Safe? Are we in danger? Aren't I in danger from him? Where could he possibly take us that he would consider safe? Somewhere where the police can't find us? Aren't you supposed to tell someone who is threatening you about yourself that way they see you as a person? Is it a bit late for that? It would be weird if I started talking right now. He doesn't seem like he wants to drop me, so I don't think I'm in immediate danger. I'll have to keep that in mind if I feel like he's about to kill me.

The light illuminated his shoulders again. "Here we are," he said, flying around a building Rocki recognized from the many, many visits she had made to her sister's apartment. "Now which one does your sister live in?" He circled toward the ground, but a scream startled him into staying aloft.

Aley! Rocki gasped as the window to one of the second-story apartments broke, a black body dropping out of it and rolling to soften its landing. When he stood, she could see he was clutching another body that was writhing and shrieking for all her worth. "Aley!"