When the night falls

Ted - Part 17

I stand still for a couple of seconds, staring at the void where I last heard noise. I close my eyes and only listen. Nothing. Then, sounds of heavy breath come to my ears. Gotcha.

I reach for the knife in my bag, grab it and pull it out. The breathing gets louder. Then I bend down and cut off a random plant. I don't even know what it is. The breathing calms down. In the corner of my eye, I see it, the black silhouette slowly moving away. After I put the plant in my bag I stand up and pretend to put the knife back too. But I don't. Instead, I throw the knife straight at the shadow and it gets stuck mid air. A loud scream is heard and then the knife lowers onto the ground. I walk towards it and pick it up. Then I reach forward and my hand bumps into something. It's invisible, yet it has hair and... A jacket? Arms? What? Why isn't it running away?

- Please don't hurt me, - a weak voice says. It's more like a whisper.

- Who are you? Show yourself!

- Please don't hurt me! - now it's loud and clear. It's a cry for help. I grab it by its hair, supposing that it's its head and shake it.

- Show yourself if you want to live!

- Please let me go!

I hold the knife up in the air threateningly. I must look like a psychopath right now.

- One last chance!

- Okay! Okay! Please! - now it's crying.

The black silhouette becomes clearer and clearer, until the whole puzzle's complete. It's a little boy. Maybe eight, nine years old. Blond hair, sea blue eyes, white skin, dressed in an oversized jacket and gray pants. His eyes are all red and puffy because he's crying. He reminds me of Daniel. With a quiet calm voice I ask:

- What's your name?

He doesn't speak, but continues to stare.

- Name.

Nothing.

- Don't make me repeat myself kid.

- ... Ted, - he says whispering.

- What?! Louder! - I shout.

- Ted! - he says.

- Finally, god!

- Let him go! - another voice from behind me says. I turn around, not letting go of the boy's hair, but nothing's there.

- Show yourself and we'll see!

- Let him go first!

I turn my head back to the boy and in one fast move I put his body in front of mine while he screams. Then I put my knife on his neck.

- It's really sharp, you know? Would you let him prove it? - I threat,- Show yourself!

- Please let him go! Don't hurt him!

I don't move, proving the seriousness of the situation. I wasn't joking. The body of the other voice started showing. First I saw two brown boots, blue ripped jeans, then a baggy beige blouse and at last the face of the voice: a white woman, blonde, blue eyes and a sick worried look on her face. Probably Ted's mom. Despite of the look on her face, she was pretty.

- Who are you? - I ask.

- I'm his mother, - she says.

- No shit, Sherlock! Who are you, all of you? What are you? Why have you been spying on me?! - I say and pull the boy even closer to my body, the knife almost cutting his throat.

- Please calm down! Let him go, I'm begging you!

- Tell me! Who are you?!

- I'll explain everything just don't hurt him!

- Now! - I yank his head backwards by his hair and expose his throat completely.

- Please don't... - she starts crying.

- It'd be a shame to have an ugly scar on such pure skin, wouldn't it?!

- Mom! - he screamed. I put my hand over his mouth to shut him up. Adults are talking.

- Okay, I'll do everything, please don't do this! - she yells.

- Who are you?!

- We live in the forests, we have been for a long time.

- Are there others?!

- No.

- Don't lie to me! - I threat.

- Oh, god! Yes, yes there are!

- Why were you spying on me?!

- I haven't!

- Liar! - I shout and pull on the boy's hair. He screams.

- It's true! I swear!

- Of course you have, especially your little precious son over here!

- What? - she looks at him confused, - What have you done?

He completely freezes.

- I... I...

- Ted what have you done?! Speak! - she yells.

- Lilac and I were at the river yesterday and she was there and we watched her for a couple of minutes! That's, all I swear! - he cried.

- No, no, no, tell her the whole story, Ted! What happened next?! - I say.

- Ted what did you do?!

- She saw us, - he says between tears, - and we started running... but she caught me... And Lilac had to hit her...

- Ted! - his mother shouts. I let go of his hair and push him off me. That's all I needed from him. Terrorizing a child even more is gonna leave him with trauma. He runs off to his mother and she hugs him tight. They both continue crying for what feels like an eternity. Then, he hides behind his mother's body and she says to me:

- I'm really sorry about what he has done. I'll make sure he learns his lesson.

Then, she grabs him by his wrist and drags him forward.

- Apologize to her!

I'm kinda shocked by her actions. I mean, I threatened to kill your son two minutes ago, and you push him like this?

- I... I...

- Apologize!

- I'm sorry.

- Sorry, who?

- I'm sorry, miss!

- That's better!

She looks at me expectantly like she expects me to forgive him.

- What?

- He's really sorry. Please forgive him, he's just a kid.

- I'll forgive him when this Lilac apologizes too!

- Please, let's just end this here, you don't have to - I take my knife out and clench its handle in my fist while slowly tilting my head to the left, squinting my eyes.

- It'll be over when I meet Lilac.

- Please don't... - she pushes the boy behind her body.

- Lilac!

- Please...

- I said I want to meet Lilac! Did I fucking stutter?!

She looks at me, then stares at the ground. I wish I had shown this side of me to Alexander, I doubt he would want to marry me after that. She avoids my death stare by looking at the surroundings. After a while, I lose my patience.

- So?!

- Okay.

- Okay, what?!

- I'll take you to Lilac.