"I don't understand. I heard that the South Wall was only a legend. I never thought it was real." I said with stops because the pain in my back was too much to take.
"I'll explain later. But first I have to get that bullet out of you." He said.
"Will it hurt anymore like it does now?" I asked.
"I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to be quick, but extremely painful." He started.
"Great." I said.
"1...2...3..." then he stuck the pliers in my back and pulled out the piece of lead.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed in pain.
"It's out. That took longer then I thought." He explained.
"It still hurts a lot. That is the worst pain I'll ever experience." I said as if that was true. As soon as I said that, the man paused as if I just triggered something inside him.
"No, that was nothing compared to what I've gone through. The people who shot you have been here for 12 years. They're trying to find something but I have no clue what it is." He said.
"What do they call themselves?" I asked.
"They call themselves P.O.I.S.O.N. They go out night and day and hunt for whatever they're looking for. I've seen a wall, a round wall that seems that has a while in it leading so where. They haven't gotten it open in 12 years. But they need someone to trigger something for the doors to open. I've been here for 10 years, and I've never seen them shoot anyone. They just take them in and expect them to see if they are what they're looking for." He said.
"There's a story that goes with the legend of South Wall." I said. "Have you ever heard it?"
"No, tell me the story. I haven't gone out in 10 years." He said.
"Legend tells of a place called South Wall. Centuries ago, South Wall was peaceful. A town was built, children were running around having the best time. Parents called them in if it got too dark. For 99 years South Wall was the place to be. But something was wrong. One day the sun didn't rise. The clouds covered the sun bathing the town in darkness. Children statues indoors while their parents went out to find out what was going on. Hours passed, until they all heard the ground rumble. The ground tore open and from the pits of the underworld crawled out the monsters hiding underneath the ground. The monsters took over the town, destroying it and all of the people living in it. South Wall was so peaceful, by after the monsters the town died. Darkness filled the lands, the ground split, the trees burned. Everything was gone. And South Wall became nothing but a memory." I told him.
"That's only a tall tale. I choose to not to believe that happened. You must leave now. But you have to make sure your not captured." He said to me.
"I can't go back. I ran away because I was suffering and I wanted a way out." I explained.
"You don't understand child, the Wall is dangerous for a kid who has no experience with fighting." He said.
"I've been in more fights then I can remember. All of the kids take swings at me and by now, I know when they all are going to attack. I've been hit in the head so many times, I've had 13 concussions, 27 black eyes and I stopped counting how many bruises. I can take a hit." I said.
"You don't know how to fight. You'll die in a second." He said.
"Then teach me. Teach me how to fight. Teach me how to defend myself against anyone."
"No." He said.
"Why not? I can't go back if I can't fight through the wall of people." I said.
"Because your afraid. I can't teach a child who is afraid." He said. And that that moment, I realized that I was afraid. I was afraid of everything. I was scared to death of my school, my dreams, everything that's ever happened to me.
"Then teach me how not to be afraid anymore." I said.
"In order to not be afraid, you just know how to let something go. You must leave all of the darkness behind you and focus on the light." He said.
"How would I do that?" I asked. He then did something I will never forget. What he did was unexplainable. He slowly raised his brittle skinny hand, and closed his eyes.
"Focus only on the light of your life. If you have too much darkness it will never work." He explained. He raised his hands and let out a dark...mist. Whatever it was, it hit me. The mist threw all of the darkest, most saddest memories I've ever had. I tried so hard to focus on my light, but there wasn't any light. I couldn't find my peaceful side, for I didn't have one. I woke up on the ground traumatized from all of the images that just flashed in my head.
"No. You're not ready. You can't fight back the darkness if you don't have any light. That's it, I'm done." He said. With all of the frustration I got up and started screaming with all of the anger I had stored for five years.
"That's it? Your done with me! How am I supposed to get out of here, how am I supposed to fight my way out here if I don't know how to fight back!? I don't know why I ever listened to you! I don't have a light side! My parents died when I was eight years old! I'm an outcast and, and no one cares about me. That's why I ran away!" I said with not even half of my anger.
"You aren't the only one who's lost everything." He said.
"Yeah but I'm the only one who cares." I snapped back.
"I lost my child. My beautiful child was killed." He said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." I said.
"I was walking home, he was holding my hand. I wasn't paying attention. The man who I fought, he had red, glowing eyes. Be was dressed in all black with two long blades running down his back. I don't know what he wanted me for. But whatever it was, he wanted me badly. He took my child and warned me to come to him soon, or my child would be killed. I... I didn't listen to him. I thought he was just a prankster who was out trying to make people afraid of him. Next time, my boy and I were walking to our house again. Once again I wasn't paying attention, and I wish I would've kept my guard up. The man with glowing eyes took my child, and killed him right there in front of me. I lost my child that day. And every moment I wish I could've gone back in time to save him. But I can't. What's done is done." He said with a tear dropping down his face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a child. And I meant no disrespect to your child." I said to him.
"Something I'll never forget us how he screamed in pain when the knife disappeared in his chest." He said.
"My mother and my father died in a car crash. I blacked out before I could see what happened. All I can remember was a blurry figure in the distance." I explained. Something I will never forget for the time I was at the South Wall, is that as soon as a I said blurry figure, he flinched and I could've sworn one of his eyes glowed a color red.
"Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to fight. You want to get out of this place as fast as possible. I'm the only one who can help." He said.
"I thought you said I can't fight if I have too much darkness." I asked.
"You might not be able to fight back dark magic, but you sure can learn how to fight back in general."
"When do we begin?" I asked.
"Now." He responded.
