One Bullet

One

Knock knock knock. That haunting sound. It had taken over my life now. I've been switching places ever since I left my parents to live on my own after I graduated.

The instant I had the offer to leave, I did. I was never one to stay in one place forever, so I lived up to it. I wasn't changing just for them. Nor will I for anyone in my life.

I'm in Selther's Shore (try saying that 3 times in a row) and have been for 2 months. I'm going to go to a town in the middle of absolute no where tomorrow. It's going to take me a while to get there, but so be it.

If this town is what I think it is, and what I've heard its like, I'll probably stay there. Explore the outer regions of the area. Do something with my life other than run and get fired or quit every job I have.

Don't get me wrong, it's not me, it's them. The co-workers are cocky and the bosses are teenage girls who think they're all that. Not the 20-year-old version either. It's the 40-year-old-drunk-addict-who-cannot-get-a-life guy version. Though I doubt they're all drunks.

Maybe they're just poor as hell so they equal it with cockiness and this so-called "fiery attitude" that they adore so much.

I'm 22 and I don't get at all why they love jerks. Maybe it's because they see a little bit of them inside.

If they had kids they'd ban any relativity that connects to them. They would probably cry.

I slap my alarm clock as I roll off my bed. It's eight in the morning and I'm quitting my job after I get paid. I'm going to need the money for food. I don't think there are any places to stop on my way to the town. Even if there are, the people are probably lions, and tigers, and bears.

With a side of little black dog and 12-year-old girl. Maybe a tin can with a watch in it.

Knock knock knock. "Blade!" My favourite guy in the world yells. I groan and walk to the door without a shirt on. I'm barely dressed.

I open the door and look the person up and down. "You're not Luke." I say, both pissed off and intrigued by this new figure.

The woman rolls her green eyes. Her blonde hair is curled at the ends, dyed a neon green at the ends too. She's wearing a pink, form fitting dress that goes down to the middle of her thighs, and glass slippers that sparkle like the night to match.

"Obviously I'm not Luke." She growls at me. I smile awkwardly and put a had on the back of my neck. "What are you doing here, miss..." I trail off, not knowing her name. She crosses her arms, unimpressed.

"I'm Angele, don't bother introducing yourself." She tells me. I'm glad she hasn't asked about the scars on me.

"And I'm here to collect your rent."

"It's not the twenty-fifth yet. Luke knows that I don't get money-"

"I don't mean this month, Blade. I meant from two years ago."

My mind blurs for a second as I recall Angele. I laugh sheepishly as I get an idea.

"Let me get dressed and I'll walk with you as we solve this. I have to get to work soon." I tell her then open the door as an invitation to come in. She sighs and walks in. I gesture to the leather sofa as I walk to my room.

I go through my clothes and get out my dark jeans and black shirt. Taking my cloak from the back of my door as I walk out and back to the living-room as I pull on my shirt.

Angele is holding a small dragon statue she picked off one of my shelves. I smile and walk over to her.

"That's one of the legendary first dragons, Skloth. He was the water dragon and that pearl he holds," I reach around her and wipe the dust crystal made orb, "is his life source. Legend says it holds the souls of the first dragons who rebelled against the people who enslaved the dragons."

She mouths "wow" as she studies it. It's made of lapis, mixed with some green for the eyes. The stones are coral.

"Remarkable. Why did they enslave them?" Angele asks as she puts the dragon back. I stop her by putting my hand over her fingers gently. "Let's walk and I'll tell you." I say with a smile as I look at her. She smiles back and I lead her out the door as she holds the Skloth statue.

"Each dragon holds magic. Magic unattainable by humans unless they hold a special bond with a dragon. At the time, there were no royal dragons to protect any of them. And the humans admired that the dragons protected them. Us and the majestic beasts lived in harmony. Each learning more about each other through stories and questions.

"Then one day, there was a king the people had. W-" I stop myself before I raise a question," the dragons, called him Apodian. Meaning "Power Abuser" in their tongue." I tell her and stop at a cross walk. I look both ways before walking her across.

Suddenly I hear a scream and look around, still walking. Angele has stopped in the middle of the road. My eyes widen as I feel like my feet were glued to the ground. I look only to see a red car come racing for her as all she's doing is standing there. She throws the Skloth statue to me and I catch it easily.

Just in time to see her get hit.

"I've...I've never seen a body bend in such a way. Her side turned into her back. Her shoulder looked dislocated. Her head bounced off the glistening red hood." I tell them. The interrogator nods and looks at my ID I placed on the table.

"Why is your name just, Blade? Are you in trouble?" She asks me. I shake my head no and look at the one-way mirror. Seeing faded figures behind them. I watch them carefully.

"No, I just rather remember one than three," I look over at her and see her mic clipped onto the collar of her shirt and notice a slight bump in her hair, "One is the loneliest number after all."

She smiles and nods then looks back at me. "Do you know anyone who would try to hurt you?" She asks. I look back at the "mirror" and think.

"Um, ex-girlfriends." I suggest with a shrug. She laughs slightly and I notice a figure move behind the glass.

Why are they watching me? Do they know me?