Lucky and the Killer ✔

Cross Your Arms

Sarah stood behind the telephone pole watching Zee and Lilly swat at the specters around them. A group of people formed alongside them—with them all fighting hard together. There were people from the palace next to regular humans like Lilly.

Her small hands petted the wood without her thinking about it, and it worked to calm her stomach a little bit. Every muscle in her legs wanted her to sprint, but she couldn't. She was an empress. Empresses didn't run. That's what daddy always told her, anyways. She wasn't so sure she could stay still, though. She'd seen the creatures before.

They were fighting so hard, and she just didn't want anyone to get hurt. She thought back to Lucky. She'd been the brave one when it counted, and Sarah couldn't help but kick herself for it. She'd said the shadows were...sad. She watched them as they wailed through the air, and she knew Lucky was right. They were sad.

"Stop," she whispered, but she wasn't talking to the shadows like everyone else was. She was talking to Bella and Zee. They were hurting each other, and neither of them were the bad guys. Sarah knew, and she knew a lot more than she ever let on. "Please, stop."

"They just keep coming!" Bella shouted for Zee. Zee'd done an impressive job keeping them all at bay, but they kept coming at them because he was trying to hurt them. The halflings were just trying to defend themselves, in a way. They just wanted their lives back. It was...torment.

"How are we ever supposed to quell this many?" Lilly asked as she let out a punch to one.

"We need to stay grouped," Felix said simply.

"Aim for the waist," Zee sighed. "The birthmark is a vital spot for them."

"For us!" Sarah finally shouted.

The group turned to face the little girl. She'd jumped away from her hiding spot and caught the attention of everyone: shadows included.

"Sarah!" Bella screamed. "Get back!"

"No!" Sarah cried. "Why are you fighting them? Didn't you hear Lucky? They're sad!"

"Sad?" Bella screamed again. "They're trying to kill us!"

"No, they aren't!" Sarah screamed back. "You're trying to kill them!"

Bella and Lilly exchanged glances. They looked towards the men to see their response, too. Everyone had lowered their arms. Maybe, Sarah was right.

"What do we do then?" Zee asked.

"Cross your arms," Sarah said. "Just cross your arms!"

Sarah watched as, one at a time, they began to cross their arms like she asked of them. They were listening to her, and it was good. She figured that the shadows would continue their assault for a moment, but would eventually stop—once they felt they weren't in danger.

"Just keep them crossed and take a few more hits," Sarah cried as she crossed her own arms, too. "I promise...they will stop."

The shadows eyed the little girl. Some even thought she looked familiar. She captured their hearts—for the most part. A few of the shadows lashed out. They hit bare arms and on top of previously-made cuts. It hurt, but it didn't last long.

Sarah stood, small, strong, and with crossed arms as the last shadow quenched its grief. They floated amongst them all like blades of grass at the bottom of the ocean—just drifting in the wind. They'd once been regular people, and they hoped to be once again.

Sarah walked over to one of the semi-solid creatures and put her hand out towards it. She had to lift her hand in the air, ever so slightly, to touch them. She didn't want them to feel sad or afraid like she'd felt before.