Run Away With Me

Chapter 31: Welcome back.

Like a mad puppet, he rises from the dead, managing to accomplish the impossible. Or maybe I hadn't lodged it deep enough, but by the position of the knife, I had.

I lay there, terrified, body weak and aching.

Cowboy's cackles turn huskier and huskier, until I'm sure he is gurgling on his own blood. The dark liquid seeps from the corner of his mouth, trailing down his chin and dropping.

The moonlight bounces of that little drop, creating a sort of aesthetic picture. A very morbid one at that.

My eyes are fuzzy and my body is just about to give up, but I push myself off the ground, scurrying a few meters away. But his dead eyes are persistent, droning into me like a fly with a million eyes.

It scares me to death. A sort of silent fear that trails it's dry and cold tongue down your back, making you grit your teeth and curse your fortune.

I gulp.

Cowboy gurgles, mouth moving. I don't want to catch what he says. I shut my eyes and bite my tongue, swallowing the lump of fear that resides inside of me. I begin shaking as he stares at me.

Thump, thump, thump, goes my heart.

I can't breathe.

Thump thump, thump thump, thump, my heart won't stop.

What is this?

"Ah," a disembodied voice says. My eyes remain on Cowboy, ready to catch even the slightest of movement. I hear footsteps from my far right, and Cowboy's cocks his head to the right, eyes widening.

Black pupils stare deep into my eyes, those dead stones weighing me down.

Thunk, thunk, thunk, I hear approaching.

Thump thump thump thump thump, goes my heart.

I blink when Nao appears in my sight, his large hand covering the back of Cowboy's head. The man doesn't react, continuing with his staring. He does bring his knife up however, and I don't know if he's going to stab Nao or throw it at me.

Grssshh, like bones scraping against each other. The sound intensifies until an overpowering crack is heard. Cowboy slumps down and Nao shakes the blood of his hand, frowning when he couldn't get it off quite right.

I snap out of it, releasing the breath that I've been holding.

Fear and confusion gets shoved to the side as frustration, anger, and more confusion bubbles over.

"You pushed me!" He jumps at my voice, surprised that I screamed at him. He looks up at me with wide eyes, the golden freckles in them standing out against the dark background. "Your dumb ass pushed me into the awaiting arms of that lunatic! What in the world were you thinking! Are you crazy!?"

"Didn't you want to fight him?" his question is simple, monotonous. It irks me beyond believe.

"Don't you know about tactic?! You don't just push a person, you moron!" I heave, feeling the pressure of my wounds pounding against me. It burns like hell, and I don't know if I'm seeing the right things anymore. I grip my arm, feeling the thumping of my arm.

It hurts!

Nao wipes his hand against his pants and approaches me, crouching down.

"Don't touch me!" I shout, fixing him with a glare. He holds his hands up and sits back, crossing his legs as he regards me.

"You're hurt," he states.

I huff, laughing. "I'll be alright." I won't be alright.

"You're knocking on death's door."