The Cage (Book 2)

Shank

The next part is already on Ritoria if you want to read ahead! 

Shank

I stumbled and attempted to double over before I completely lost my balance, but before I had even realized it, my face connected with the cold floor of the cafeteria.

I vomited more bile straight onto the dirty floor, some of it getting on my eyelash and the side of my face. I was feeling too much pain to be disgusted or humiliated.

The world grinded to a near halt.

I saw things in twos when my vision wasn't blurring. My stomach recoiled dangerously, attempting to churn out more bile, but I'd seemingly vomited it all.

Had my spleen exploded? It certainly felt that way.

I saw death. I saw Kevin lying dead on a floor filthy with piss and blood. I saw the glasses guy weeping, begging for mercy. I saw myself begging for mercy from a heartless, soulless Kevin.

One second it was one bald bastard. Next, there were two of him, when just one was one too many. One, then two. One. Two.

My mind reeled. My heart quivered.

"You little shit." The bastard growled, seizing me by the roots of my hair.

I attempted to scream, but it came out like a gargled moan instead.

He pulled me up, forcing me to look up at the ceiling's bright lights that seared my eyeballs. Tears brimmed in the corners of my eyes. A few escaped.

My hands at my sides desperately felt the ground, searching for a weapon through which to defend myself.

He raised his shaking fist, ready to deliver a punishing blow to my face.

My right hand curled around a sharp object. I gripped hard -it was now my sole lifeline- and flung my arm with all the strength I could currently muster. I felt the object connect with flesh, then a scream echoed in the cafeteria, momentarily drowning out all other shouts and screams.

The hand buried in my hair disappeared. I forced myself to stand. My knees weakened by the blow, I stumbled, nearly collapsing onto a nearby table that was still miraculously upright considering the state of the cafeteria. I leaned against it, forcing myself to breathe through my nose, waiting for strength to return to my legs.

Meanwhile, the bald bastard stumbling and jumping about, gripping his bloody thigh where apparently I'd stabbed him with a...

I looked down at my hand still gripping the thing.

It was a shank. It was made of a rusted, dull blade and a piece of black cloth wrapped around a part to form a handle.

My brows furrowed as I briefly wondered where the hell it had come from. It must have dropped from one of the other criminals currently rampaging through the cafeteria. How fortunate for me. On the other hand...

I raised my eyes to the bald bastard just as he finally managed to swallow his pain and straighten. Eyes filled with hatred narrowed on me. He had murder written all over his ugly mug.

I glared right back, daring him to come near me again. I was ready for him and his minion. I would do more than inflict a mere stab wound this time.

I'd regained most of my strength; the pain in my gut had dulled and the nausea subsided, so I straightened as well, pushing off the table. My legs didn't wobble this time.

He took a threatening step toward me, his teeth bared uglily. Vengeance was written across his face.

Heart pounding furiously, I raised my fists, one hand holding the shank, poised to strike.

Damn this hellhole and what it had reduced me into. I was a man of books and knowledge, not a brawler. No matter. Now was not the time to wallow in self-pity. If I wanted to do that tomorrow, I would have to survive today.

"Come get some, bitches."

If I was going to go down, I was going to go down fighting, and I would do the world a final service by taking these two raping lowlives with me.

"Why you-" he stopped talking.

The bald bastard's expression abruptly changed. From loathing and fury, it shifted to fear, his eyes widening and his face paling as the blood drained. I was all of a sudden seeing pure, unadulterated terror, the kind that immobilized and muted grown men.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I-I swear on my mother's life!" he suddenly screamed at me, shocking me into silence.

Then he whirled around and ran with his tail between his legs, his minion following close behind.

I blinked in astonishment and slowly lowered my fists, utterly stunned by this unexpected change.

What the hell?

I sensed and then glimpsed movement next to me.

On a reflex, I sliced the shank into the air. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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