Danger around every corner

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I should have paid more attention to the boy. He came out of nowhere as I walked away from school. “I’m sorry,” he said after he had walked into me. He had a funny accent. It sounded American. I smiled awkwardly at him as he passed me my folder that had been thrown to the floor. He nodded at me before heading off in the direction he had just come. I didn’t think it was odd. My phone started to ring in my pocket. “Amy? I need you to come straight home tonight. I’m going to be cooking early for a change, so no dilly-dallying,” said Mrs. Jones, my house cleaner/nanny/nuisance. Whenever she spoke she ended her sentences on a high note, so whatever she had said sounded like a question. “Yes whatever. I’m on my way. Bye.” I hung up. I stuffed my phone in my pocket and focused on my music. I sang along softly, earning myself a few weird looks off of people passing by. I set off for home. I’d hardly gone a hundred meters when a Silver Bentley Continental stopped right beside me and the passenger door swung open. A man’s voice from inside said, “Get in.” I blinked. “Err, what?” “Get in the car, Amy.” I blinked again. How do you know my name? Don’t panic, I thought, clearly panicking. “Sorry, got to go.” I headed off in the opposite direction forcing myself not to run but settling on a fast walk. Why aren’t there any people walking around anymore? There were certainly plenty around sniggering at my singing, only a few minutes ago. I risked a glance behind me. The silver car was gone.

Do you ever get the feeling that you are being watched? I had it now. I scanned the area around me. A young woman turned the corner ahead of me pushing a pram. She was walking fast. I leapt up into a shop doorway as she came close. She wasn’t even trying to slow down. She had blonde hair and an ugly scar running from cheek to cheek cutting across her mouth, in a grotesque version of a smile. My own mouth opened, horrified. She reached down into the pram. She pulled out a long sharp looking object. KNIFE, I mentally screamed. Not a knife, a sword, my mind babbled. If I was panicking before then now I was on the verge of a stroke. My heart was thumping a million times a second. I leapt out of the doorway just as the woman came level with me. She let out a mad shriek as she swung the sword. I dived to the floor making a small ‘oof’ sound. This isn’t real, I’m about to wake up. This isn’t real, I’m about to wake up. I jumped to my feet and stared wide eyed at the woman. She was hissing like a snake. We began to circle each other like we were dancing. Her fist was clenched tightly around the sword. I forced myself to look at something else. Her eyes didn’t look human. They were a strange colour, like a hawk’s eye. Ha, she’s watching me like a hawk. I made a strange sound that was half way between a snort and a sob. I looked around desperately for a weapon. My eyes landed on my folder that was lying on the floor by my feet. I picked it up. It was a sturdy folder. It felt heavy. The woman swung her sword a second time and I felt it skim my chest lightly. I felt a strange heat ripple through my body. I don’t know what made me do what I did next. I charged forward and launched a kick at the woman. She hadn’t expected it. I hit her on the chin and her head snapped back with a loud crack. I brought my folder down on her head with a thwack. She stumbled back before stepping forward again. Like a bull. I’d made her angry.

We carried on with our circling. I was careful to keep an equal distance from her. Adrenaline ran through my veins. You’re supposed to choose between fight or flight, right? I had no choice. I had to fight. The woman’s pram lay upturned in the road. I briefly wondered if I could use it as a weapon but it was too far away to reach and she’d get there before me, anyway. The woman swung her sword above her head, preparing herself for another blow at me. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that I had no chance now and my folder wasn’t going to be much of a shield. I took a deep breath preparing myself. As she swung I bent backwards like some daredevils version of a limbo game. I was sure I was about to pass out when I felt the sword skim my body. Too close, I thought. The woman roared with frustration. A part of me recoiled as she sprayed the surrounding area with spit. I realised that she hadn’t said a human word since she had appeared.

She swung again and I ducked underneath the sword. I grabbed her wrist and twisted it hard. She hissed and dropped her sword with a loud clang. I felt a strange sense of not being in control of my body. It was like I was just an observer to the scene. The woman shoved me hard in the chest. I stumbled back before dived for the sword. My fingers stroked the handle before they were crushed beneath a heavy boot. I screamed in pain and grabbed the sword desperately with my other hand. I tried to swing it and connected with her leg. Her jeans ripped and she let out a sharp cry. I snatched back my injured hand and held it close to my chest.

I rolled to my feet and took a few steps away from her. I had the upper hand now because I had her sword and she had no other weapons. We both seemed to both be waiting for the other to attack first. I was about to charge forward when she threw back her head and let out an extremely loud string of words that I didn’t understand. I fought off the urge to cover my ears like a child as she screeched, getting louder and louder. I ran forward with the sword swinging in my good hand. The sword connected with flesh and there was a sickening silence as she stared at me wide eyed. The sword had gone straight through her chest. Her pupils dilated before turning completely black. I released my hold on the sword and stumbled back, scared.

She grasped the swords handle and yanked it out of her body with a hiss. I was frozen to the spot, afraid. I thought I was going to die. The woman stumbled forward and I couldn’t make myself move. Her lips twitched before she collapsed on top of me.

I struggled with her heavy body, fighting back tears. Suddenly, she was lifted up off of me. It was the American boy. The Silver Bentley Continental car from earlier was parked behind him. I stumbled to my feet. “Are you Okay?” he asked, as a tall man got out of the car behind him. The tall man walked to stand beside the boy. They looked alike. Brother’s perhaps. The woman lay at their feet as they studied me. The man took a step towards me and I took one back. Both men turned their backs on me and knelt beside the woman. I felt the need to explain myself, though I didn’t know why. These men didn’t seem to care that I was still standing there. “She came out of nowhere,” I said. I was surprised that my voice sounded calm. “I had to protect myself. She wanted to kill me. I don’t even think that she’s human. Her face! What is up with her face? And who are you? I saw you earlier.” The two men shared a glance before the man muttered something. I wanted to warn them that they shouldn’t stand so close to her, she could jump up at any moment. The man took out a lethal looking injection and plunged it into the woman’s neck. Her body looked like it was smoking and her arm twitched before she disintegrated into smoke, like some bad film. The man pocketed the empty syringe into his coat. The boy stepped towards me but this time I didn’t move. I had to tilt my head to look up at his face. He gently reached out and inspected my hand. “I don’t think it’s broken, Amy.” “Who are you?” “I can’t tell you that.” Of course not, I thought. I rolled my eyes. “Then feel free to tell me what the hell just happened!” His lips twitched as if he was going to smile but then he composed himself. “That was a Navakorm, an ancient demon who lives to kill those that pose as a danger to their world. Sadly, there are hundreds of Navakorm roaming our world. I’d say that you’ve either already done something or are about to do something that will cause them to try and kill you. Obviously, you have now injured a sister Navakorm of their world so now they wish to harm you for that. Welcome to my world, Amy. Go home and keep your mouth shut about what has just happened. I’ll be seeing you very soon.” He turned around and walked back to the car. “Wait! I don’t know your name!” “Ethan.” He laughed. I stared, unable to think straight as the Silver Bentley Continental drove away. I picked up my folder and dumped it in a nearby bin. I doubted I’d need it again. I attempted to straighten out my uniform, a hopeless gesture. My throbbing hand had swelled up and it felt extremely painful. I’ll say I fell over. A stream of people began to walk through the street. Didn’t they find anything odd? I picked up my school bag and other items that had somehow become strewn across the surrounding area. And just to make my story complete, I had to face a furious Mrs Jones.