Fighting On

O N E

I looked up right into the eyes of my opponent, who smiled viciously. My breathing is steady coming in long breaths, bracing myself for fists colliding with skin. I watch him. He is sweating profusely and his breaths are shallow. His first mistake.

The ding that signals the start of a match vibrates around the Underground. I let him try a punch on me to understand his technique. He goes in but steps before he punches. Mistake number two. I dodge with ease and kick him in the side so I can have him down in a spot where he's weak.

 He is a tall burly man, who would be looming over my 5'8 lean frame had he been standing. I land a punch on his oesophagus, but he continues standing up and punches me square in the jaw, however I'm fast to recover and I knock him out with a roundhouse kick right in the side of his skull.

Although I see the crowd around the ring cheering and screaming, I hear nothing. Pure silence with a distant ringing noise in my ears. I slowly jump out of the ring feeling numb. 

A blank expression crosses my face as I walk through the crowd that parts like the sea as I walk through the Pit, an underground illegal fighting ring.

I make my way over to the counter and I felt the sweat slick against my forehead. As I get closer, Cheryl, the manager of money and bets looks up and holds out her hand with a wad of cash in the centre of her palm.

I have been coming here for years and the musky scent mixed with alcohol was now familiar and no longer foreign as it had been o me two years earlier. 

I slip the cool cash into my pocket after counting the five hundred. I walk towards the exit still void of emotion with the taste of sweat in my mouth.

I push the broken wooden door open at the top of the stairs and the cool night air caresses my sweaty face and body. I briskly walk towards my motor-bike, still hearing the thumping of music coming from inside. 

From anyone on the outside looking in, they would just think it was a club or a party. I wipe the water off the top of the bike that had collected from the rain that must've come earlier. I start her up and kick off down the dark alley towards the bright busy main road ahead.

The journey back home went in a blur of rain and street lights. I park my bike in the garage and unlock the front door and make my sopping wet way upstairs. 

I slide into my room, almost literally because I almost slip, peel the drenched clothes from my body and put on my warm, cosy pyjamas. 

I fall on top of my bed completely drained from the fight earlier. I couldn't hold on much longer as sleep engulfed me in its dark dreamless embrace.

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"LUKE DID YOU REALLY BELEIVE YOU COULD TAKE A GIRLS NUTELLA SANDWICH AND THERE BE NO CONSEQUENCES?????!!!!!"

I say yelling my head off at the redheaded idiot in front of me that I am busy chasing around the cafeteria. What can I say, don't mess with a girls Nutella.

"Scarlett...Honey, sweet cheeks, let's talk about this..."

He says whilst running when he realises I'm not giving up chase. I catch up quickly and tackle him to the ground.

"Give me your five dollars."

I say watching him squirm beneath me. He reaches into his pocket and gives it to me.

"I do love you, you know, it's just you crossed the line buddy."

He has been my friend since elementary school but he is the devil. I lean over and wipe a smear of Nutella off his mouth with a napkin and give him my nastiest glare.