I was immediately welcomed by Tyson, who had just gotten to the top as well.
"What's up, bro? Where have you been?", he said as he held his fist out in front of him. We bumped fists as I replied, "Here, there, and everywhere."
We both had some small talk as we came to sit on either side of Saria; occupying a part of the edge.
The clock tower was so huge that the belfry was expansive enough to hold a whole wedding in it. Right now, however, the belfry sat barren behind us and quietly echoed bits and pieces of what we were saying.
The perspective, we were sitting in, was picturesque. The sun was a huge, deep red, orb falling from the sky into the grey and stormy abyss below. It was the end of the Fall season, so I guess it would make sense to be setting so early.
The sky was illuminated in a myriad of yellows, oranges, and reds. The white clouds, close to our level, slowly breezed by us as lax and care-free as ever.
"You're late.", Saria said as she began drawing in her sketchbook.
"No," I replied, "You're just early."
I could see her smile as I said that.
"You said that you wanted to show us something?", Tyson pitched in.
"Oh yeah, that.", she agreed as she put her pencil down beside her and fumble through the pages of her sketchbook. Eventually, she turned to a page and sat it on her lap. Tyson and I leaned in to get a better look.
It was an angel. A beautiful one at that. Her dress was amazingly flowing and a harp resided in her arms. Her hair was black; contrary to her dress, but just as flowing. But what really amazed me, were the wings. They stretched across the entire page gracefully. They looked big enough to swallow the girl who dawned them. The drawing left me and Tyson flabbergasted.
"Whoah," I remarked, "I knew you could draw but..."
"But what?", she gave me a puzzled expression.
"I think,", Tyson joined in, "what he's trying to say is that your artwork is becoming more and more amazing by the day."
"Really?", she started to beam with positive energy. I gave her a thumbs up. "With that kind of talent," I said, "You can do anything you put your mind, too."
She closed her sketchbook and embraced it just like the angel with her harp.
"Thank you... Crow."
I realized that I was acting too corny and tried to regain some cool points. "I-it's nothing." I said turning away from the others so they wouldn't see me blushing. Yet out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Tyson wasn't fooled.
"Well," he decided to change the tone, "I brought something, too.". That had me and Saria's attention. Tyson got off the ledge and unzipped his backpack to unveil three huge chocolate bars. "Catch.", he said as he tossed two of them to the both of us.
"Wow. Thanks, but what's the occasion?", Saria asked. "Today," Tyson replied while turning to look at the setting sun, "Is the 5-year anniversary of us finding this place."
Thinking about it for a second and taking a bite out of my chocolate bar, I said, "You're right, but how can you remember when we've been up here countless times?"
"How can you forget?" He challenged my memory. Tyson came back to sit on the ledge. "After all, you were the one that found this place, Crow. Remember? We were going to mass graffiti this tower?"
"Oh yeah!", I laughed, "It was going to be great, too."
We sat on that ledge for hours reminiscing on our past adventures and marvelling at more of Saria's wondrous creations.
She finally noticed I had gotten beaten up a little and suddenly went on the 2nd degree. I tried to explain myself to her, but it was no use. She told me that these "antics", I keep getting into, could get me killed. I told her not to worry about it and that I'd be fine.That argument went back and forth for a while until we both fell silent.
After a while, the sun had finally left our village; welcoming streetlights that pierced through the storm clouds below. The lights that shined on the clock of the tower turned on, as well.
The bell tolled for six'o'clock and I got up and stretched. "Maybe we should start heading back to the orphanage. The old hag might be looking for us.". The other two agreed, more or less, and began getting up. I was about to go towards the door when I, suddenly, froze to the sound of footsteps.
They weren't coming from downstairs or from my friends. They were echoing from the other side of the belfry. I didn't know why at the time, but I had bad feeling about who that might be.
My friends could hear it, too, before they could ask what was wrong. In the darkness, I could make out nothing but a silhouette. It was pretty tall. If I had to guess, it was about 5'9".
"Who's there?", I shouted as it drew closer. It didn't respond. Just kept walking.
As is it closed in on us, I could make out more of its features. It wore a black helmet that covered its entire face and what looked like a black trench coat. As it got closer, my bad feeling worsened.
"I'm going to ask one more time," I cracked my knuckles, "Who the hell is there?". It finally stopped but it remained quiet.
Realizing that this person was targeting me, I told the other's to go. Saria refused, but Tyson obliged and reassured her that I'd be ok. He whispered in my ear, "Do you think its one of the gang members you fought?". I shook my head, "No...this one's different." The back of my head was throbbing to tell me that I knew who it was but I didn't want to believe it.
When the other two left via the stairwell, I turned to the figure, still standing there. "What do you want?", I demanded. He didn't respond through word-of-mouth, yet he managed to lift up his hand, slowly, and point at me.
"Yeah, that's descriptive enough.", I said to myself. I got into my fighting stance and said, "Well? What are you waiting fo-". I was immediately welcomed by a punch in the ribs. The punch was brutal enough to crack a few of them and leave me semi-breathless.
But how?, I thought in the little amount of time between me getting punched and flying back. I sailed back and hit the ledge fencing. Picking myself off the ground, I stood there wondering how he could've hit me so fast. He was easily 10 felt away!
I ran at him, fists ready. I right jabbed at him which he skillfully dodged. Noticing where he dodged, I didn't f as fail to knee him in the face. But it was like kneeing a brick wall. It didn't even phase him! I recoiled, holding my knee, and tried to regain my balance; welcoming him to a counterstrike.
He didn't fail to punch me in the jaw. As I fell back, he took this opportunity to take out a weird purple and red knife with a jagged edge from one of his sleeves. I tried jabbing him in the stomach but he easily grabbed my arm and dug his knife into my chest and out; like part of a slasher flick.
...I felt warm...
I remember trying to say something but i choked myself on the blood filling my mouth. I felt woozy. I couldn't feel any pain, but I found that my body was in shock. It was as if I was fading in and out of reality.
Blurry-eyed, I could still see my pursuer and I remember hearing his voice for the first time. He effortlessly jacked me up by my shirt collar.
"...Pathetic..."
He started to walk, with me in hand, towards the ledge. "I expected more."
"Was... he going to... No, he couldn't be." I remember thinking. The blood from my wound began dripping down my leg.
I felt so defeated. I hadn't done anything to him. I promised my friends I'd be okay... I guess I was wrong.
He held me over the edge. I could feel the cold night air cutting at my face. "Well I guess that would make sense," the entity said, "For what is a crow without his wings?"
With that, he let go.
As I began to fall, my life began to flash before my eyes. Is this how I was going to die?, I thought. The sound of rained began to echo in my ear.
