"Run! Run, Azrael, and don't stop." My mother bends over me in the backyard, her tears splashing onto my cheeks.
"Why, momma?" I whimper.
She shakes her head. "It isn't safe here anymore."
"But it's our home. Poppa will take care of us."
"No, Azrael... He wants you to run too."
Someone's shrill voice cuts through my confusion. A woman is yelling at my father, and I instantly recognize the voice. Mariah. She's a good friend of my parents. She always brings me cookies or a small trinket when she comes to visit. Then there are the stories. Stories are my favorite thing about her visits. Mariah has lots of them, ranging from fantasy to reality. It's never boring.
"Why is Mariah yelling at Poppa, Momma?" I look up at her, tears brimming in my own eyes. I've never heard Mariah raise her voice at my parents, and she's never done so with me either.
"I'm going to kill you both!" Mariah's angry snarl startles me.
I start to cry.
"Shh... Azrael, please..." My mother cradles me in her arms.
"And I'll kill your son before I do that."
I stiffen in my mother's arms. It doesn't matter that I'm only ten. Even I can't miss the intention to carry through on that. It rings in her voice, solid and harsh.
"How dare you?" My father, who is usually calm, steps towards the fence of the backyard.
Mariah laughs. "You guys threw me to the wolves just because I took a few things and disagreed with you about how to handle some situations that involved us both."
"No, you went beyond that. You stole things from us when we hired you because you were having a rough time of it. Then, you killed an officer who tried to confront you about illegal trading of goods. And tried to make us accomplices in the crime. Look, Mariah, we wanted to forgive you for stealing, but you went further. We could still put this behind us if you can just promise not to do it again. We're friends." My father holds his hands out to her. "Please, let it go and go back to being an honest citizen."
Mariah shakes her head and pulls a shining object from her pocket. "You know what, Sean, you abandoned me when I needed your help. Just like everyone else has. When it's no longer convenient to be my friend, everyone walks out. You and your wife are no different."
"So you're going to kill us for not wanting to be involved in murder?" My father's voice rises in surprise and anger.
"No, I'm going to kill you for refusing to help and stick by me. I'm tired of everyone thinking they can just abandon me."
"That doesn't make any sense. You think killing more people is the answer? Mar, please stop this."
"No! I want you to know what it's like to have everything you care about ripped from you before you lose even your life."
My mother stiffens. "You have to go now, sweetheart. I'm not kidding..." She gives me a little shove towards the gate leading to the road, which is the opposite direction of Mariah's gate.
I look back at her as I walk through the gate. "You're coming too, right?"
She nods with a weak smile. It isn't real. It's like she's put a holograph over her face, and it's breaking, showing her terror-stricken expression through the fake smile. Clearly, she's lying to me. I don't understand why she won't just come with me too. We could escape.
There's no time for another hug. My mother turns back towards Mariah without another word.
I run. My feet slap against the pavement, and I hear Mariah shouting.
YOU ARE READING
Last Chance
ActionAzrael Thantos never thought he'd watch his parents die. It wasn't on his to-do list to unleash a beast within himself to constantly clash with. But he did. Everyone around him wants him to move on, to fight the darkness inside of him. He's trying...
