Wishful Thinking

Four

"Shit,"

A pair of gloved hands pulled me back and slammed me against the brick wall with my face pressed hard against it. I felt something sharp at the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine. A million thoughts swarmed my head as panic seized me.

I gave out a yelp as the masculine hand gripped my shoulder hard. Have you ever felt like you could put on a brave face and fight back muggers, and when you come face to face with them, you freeze up and try to contemplate what the hell is going on? Well, that's how I feel right now. It didn't help that I couldn't see my attacker either.

I squirmed under the hold but it held onto me harder. I felt a heavy breath which tickled my right ear, "Tell me where the vault is," a male voice commanded. I winced, what the hell was he talking about? When I didn't answer he dug the sharp edge harder against my neck making me cry out. "Answer me!" he snarled.

Still consumed with fear, I answered "I don't know what you're talking about," which resulted with him pulling me back and slamming hard against the wall again. I felt sick to my stomach.

"Don't lie to me little girl" he hissed, "You hung around the old fool, you know where it is!" I've never been so confused until this very moment. If he was mugging me, then he was wasting his time. I left my phone, wallet and other valuable back at home thinking I didn't need it.

"I still don't know what you're talking about!" I stammered. Tears threatened to spill which was the worst thing that could happen. No tears, No tears! I chanted in my head, not giving him full power over me.

"Don't lie to me!" I felt the sharp edge dig deeper, cutting my skin.

"I'm not lying!" I wasn't. I was beyond confused.

"You're making this situation much harder on yourself, so if you're gonna play around, so will I," I could hear a smile in his voice which made me gulp.

"Well how about I remind you of the night when your home burnt to the ground," I tensed. He was there that night? I hear him give a low chuckle, "Yes, I remember that night very clearly, the explosion, and everything going up in smoke..." I felt a tear escape and rage burn at the back of my head. As much as I want to forget that night, the moment that changed my life, I couldn't.

"Stop it!" I begged as tears fell. I didn't want to listen any more. But he still kept going, tormenting and tortured me with my worst nightmare.

"But do you what was the highlight of that night?" he shook me when I didn't answer, I mumbled a no before he continued. "The highlight for me was having the privilege of lighting the match that set off that glorious destruction," It felt like the world stopped, everything went still and I couldn't breathe.

"What did you just say?" the tears stop, I could feel rage burning at the back of my mind. Ever since my home was taken away from me, I've prayed every night and took every opportunity of making a wish, from shooting stars to blowing eyelashes, to find out who was responsible for robbing me of my home and my father. Out of all ways of finding out, I had to find out like this, in pain and in the hands of the person responsible. Fate had a funny way of telling me things.

"I said that it was satisfying to see the place crumbling to the ground by my hand." I could hear the delight in his voice, making me sick to my stomach but more pissed off and angrier than I already am. The pain of his hold disappeared and adrenaline kicked in. How could he boast about this! At that moment, I flung my head back hard, hearing a crack on impact. Headbutting hurt a lot, but I ignored the pain, the adrenaline numbed for now. The man cried out in pain and I took the opportunity and advanced on him. It's been years, but my years of fighting lessons with my dad came back to me and I unleashed it all on the poor son of a bitch.