Prologue
My body felt like it was being pushed into the ground by some unknown force as I watched the rain plummet towards me from someplace above the sky. Watching it gracefully streak towards the earth almost made me believe it would feel gentle and kind as it finally reached my skin, but I’m proven wrong as it eventually finds my skin and delivers its sting.
I waited for the inner encouragement and enough strength to get back up and fight, but for these few seconds that seemed to take minutes I remained in crumpled defeat on the ground. I slowly turned my head to see my best friend, Cameron, being held down by four boys. Cameron was someone they needed to worry about. Not me though. I am their rat, their chew toy, their joke. I was no real threat. Only a good laugh.
I could stay on the ground and avoid another punch in the ribs or another bloody nose but I’ve always found myself getting back up. As long as my legs weren’t broken or my consciousness no where in sight I’ve always gotten back up, whether I like it or not.
Their insults and taunts began to find their ways between the ringing in my ears and the pounding of the rain against the metal exterior of the ship. I slowly and painfully pushed myself up onto one elbow. A sickening feeling washed over me as I grabbed hold of the railing to my left.
“Oh look guys, I think the little rat is coming back for more!” their leader shouted mockingly. My eyes narrowed in on his confident stance and arrogant smile as an uttermost feeling of loathing filled my chest. No boys came to knock me back down while I attempted to stand up. I pulled myself up onto one knee, the nauseous feeling worsened at the ship rocked back and forth cruelly. Although my body was trying to stand I could feel my head begging me to back down. Once I had another foot planted, I tried to push myself up, but I was too quick for my legs refused and buckled. I hit the floor again accompanied by the laughs of the boys and an aching in my head.
“Shut up! Let me go! Let me go and fight me if you’re so tough!” I heard Cameron shouting as he kicked and struggled in attempt to break loose.
“Oh no, no, no…. It would be quite unfair in this weather. I think we’ll just play with useless over here until you’ve both learned to stay off of Pyro territory.” He said maliciously as he slowly stepped up to me and delivered a hard kick into my rib cage. I let out an accidental groan and he laughed. With that stupid move, I practically just rewarded him. He drove his foot into my ribs repeatedly until his friends joined in on the agonizing fun.
One of the bigger ones grabbed my collar and slammed me into the wall then threw me back to the floor. I tumbled and slammed into the railing. It shuddered with the force I hit it with. I felt the blackness try to enclose around my sight. Somewhere distant I could faintly hear Cameron calling out my name.
“Stop that! Let me-” he was cut off by what I assume was a punch. Suddenly the water stopped falling, instead it began to collect and form into a large piece of ice. I marveled at the last pieces of it I saw before the blackness enclosed around my sight and the voices faded into nothing.
