Flame and Water

Chapter 1 : Cold as the day-spring wind

Dark, isolated and cold, Jon hurriedly swept his foot – almost running, to the last corner of the street. He breathed heavily as his heart pumped so hard – afraid and hurt. His face lightened when he saw the light of a lamp post; the dark street is almost over. But all hopes faded; a man in black law suit, with a file case maybe blue or black in colour in his left hand, appeared on the corner. He was probably six-foot-five or six, wide shouldered and slim, dark caramel brown eyes, manly chiselled jaw and long straight blonde hair almost off at his shoulder, features that made him much dangerous to encounter with. He didn't know him; he is sure. Yet, the way the man smile at him was absolutely violent. His eyes were staring at him furiously.

Jon stopped for a moment. He didn't move either. Jon steadied his breath and stood confidently. It might be his last breath on earth.

A man in black began to move. The cold wind blew his long hair that almost covered the man's face. Then a thin curved until into grim formed his lips. His mouth open like it is saying something. Jon almost memorized the curse word he knew. It is definitely his last walk on earth – no perhaps his last run. The cloud covering the moon was not helping at all. Instead, it added to the creepiness of the place and to top it all, that man's face was a nightmare. Jon tried to move his right leg backward, then his left and vice versa. Improving. Another step, he may be could escape the cruelty of the world. Now that Jon was hundred per cent sure that the man in black was speeding up into him, might as well activate his last options; to run and to hide. But where to run and to hide, this place never gave any sign of mercy. The last time he checked, he was running towards the light of the lamp post and then at the end is a city full of houses. That's the only way. If he turn and run back, he just feed himself into pack of wolves.

"Fuck." Jon said in quiet tone. The cold touch of stone or wall touches his bare skin; withdraw the last option. He let his eyes roam around the street. Maybe one or two, something could help him to escape.

"Why you have to turn your back Jon? Why?" He also questions himself. Why?

"You know my name? How?" he heard him chuckled. The man in black twelve meters away from him smiled at him. Now, his eyes were in rage. One more step, it will be dangerous. Another step, it is hell.

"I always try to know the name of my prey before devouring them." He replied in simple tone eyeing over him. "Alive." Then the man in black laughed. Jon gritted his teeth and held his breath. The man in his front is not ordinary. Maybe in split of second, he will be lying on the ground – dead and cold. No, he shook his head out from that thought and faced the man before him with a helpless face no one could ever imagine. He tried to stand as confident as he could even his body is shaking with fear - cold sweat running over his face down to his neck and his broad chest. His ragged, messy shirt and loose pants – his protection from the cold wind of the night, were undeniably wet.

"You can't." said Jon. "You are weak just like them."

"Try me." In one swift moved, the man in black chokes him as his eyes turn into dull ashes. It was all of a sudden. The man was as fast as the leopard and as fierce as the tiger. "The last time I checked Jon, you were the weakling. Abandoning the pack and serving the King of another land and now running away from all mistakes you've made. . . Tsk! Tsk! You abandoned your own kin, Jon. Our existence is their extinction." The man in black chokes him harder and harder, he almost loses his breath. Jon hold his hands to counteract the man's been doing. Jon pushed him hard but the more he pushes him harder, the more the man in black chokes him.

"I don't tolerate such treachery!"

Jon felt weightless. He no longer felt the hard, plane floor of the pave road. His blurry vision started to send fear into his being. The fear of not seeing the beautiful world was knocking upon his very door. And the dream to see the sun rises before he die was slowly fading. "Your light is now fading, Jon." Jon tried to move his right leg and kick the man in black's abdomen but it was counter acted by the latter's free hand and squeezed and twisted it. Jon groaned in pain, his face in tribulation. He tried to kick his left leg and successfully landed into the man's side body. But it is not enough to cause tremendous effect.