Perilous

Chapter 6

Marshall was walking around the ring, hands perfectly set behind his back. I felt weak. He would stare me down, then look back to the ground.

"You do know you can't fight with combat boots in the ring, don't you?" He said.

I was quiet.

"Oh, but wait! I don't blame you for not knowing, I'm sure Jamal didn't teach you anything useful." He stopped walking and leaned against the rope securing the ring. His smirk was clear on his face, he knew he had the upper hand in everything. But I wouldn't let him control me; I couldn't let him.

He continued to talk, "..Now, take off the boots, and come stand by the punching bag."

And so I did.

"You're going to be punching the bag, like this."

He starts punching the bag, rather hard as well: His leg muscles flexing with every move.

"I know how to punch." I said.

"Oh yeah, you do now? Well, let's just see how well you can punch yeah?"

"Whatever."

I slightly backed away from the punching bag, giving me some space between the bag and I.

I put my hands up in front of me just like Jamal had taught me. I'm stronger with my left hand even though I'm right handed. Jamal taught me to punch with my left hand first, just so it can be as strong or useful as my right.

I started doing little hops to get me started.

I took my first punch to the bag.

It was hard.

Now right.

Left.

Right.

Left.

I started making harder punches,
I started thinking of everything that has happened. He said it would be a few days. He was lying. What if he's not coming back for me? What if I don't want to go back?

Thoughts were running through my mind. I let my anger out on the punching bag.

I felt something push into me.

No, someone.

I looked up and saw Marshall with a worried glance on.

"What was that for?!" I said a bit angry.

"You should always be aware of your surroundings...plus you-you don't look good."

"Well I'm not here to impress anyone, now am I?"

I couldn't stop the sarcastic comments from running out my mouth.

"N-no I didn't mean it like that, I meant that you looked like you were in deep thought, I don't know it looked bad."

Was he actually concerned for me?

"Yeah well, what'd you expect when I was practically dragged from my family?"

The concerned face on Marshall was gone, it was placed with the angry Marshall again. His blue eyes now a dark shade with his pupils growing bigger.

He came so close to me I could smell the colon he had on.

He whispered in my ear, "Huh, family? Oh dear Amira, you don't know what family is. Or in fact, who your family is."

Who my family is? What was he getting on about? I let it go as he slowly backed away from me pushing the punching bag away from the ring.