The Broken and the Brave

Chapter 7: Farewell

I glance at the clock: 10:47 AM. I can't forget about the match that I have later today. Marcel would strangle me if I missed it without telling him. 

After putting my used dishes in the sink, I lock the door. I hop into the shower and let the water run over my face. The steam quickly filming over the glass shower door and mirrors gave evidence to the possibility that my water was hotter than most people would set it.

I didn't wash my body or my hair. I just stayed there under the soothing water. The heat in my long showers is consoling in ways that my body seems to cave under. With reluctance seething through my actions, I step out of the shower and worked my way into workout clothes: tight-fitting Capri length yoga pants and a less than snug graphic tee. With my hair in a traditional ponytail, I grab my most recent book and head out the door with my keys.

Placing my keys in my yoga pant's hidden pocket, I start my journey to the local park for some quiet reading around nature. As much as my brain despised the fact that I have worked into more than one habit while staying in this city, I couldn't help it. My old, intended habit to keep a dire lack of habits died hard, indeed. Once arrived, I look for a spot at a bench farthest from the people already occupying the area. I sit in a partially shaded area and open up the book, already calmed by the feeling of the thin paper on my fingers. Kindles can be so overrated- this is where it's at. As more convenient it would be, the feel of a book in your hand and turning the pages is part of the experience for reading a physical book.

Thirty minutes pass and I'm engulfed into the world of these words. I couldn't be more at peace at this moment. Come to think of it, I haven't been like this since that stalker showed up.

Without willing myself to, I actually wondered about him. I shifted my position to lay on the bench with my book resting on my chest, still parted awaiting for me to continue. Looking up at the tree branches above me softly rustling in the warm breeze, I dove deeper into my sudden consideration. Why does he choose to bother and follow me around? No normal person does this type of crap and believes it to be okay. There's no way he is genuinely pursuing me thinking that his methods could effectively work. The longer I pondered the possible reasons behind his actions, the more I considered the unwanted option. It could have to do with his uneasy knowing of that topic I hadn't ever wanted to come back to. I couldn't emphasize that enough.

"Daydreaming?"

Glimpsing up to the source of the question, I fully expected the tormentor from my mind. To my surprise, it wasn't him. I was so caught up with my thoughts that I hadn't even heard this individual approach. This unwarranted visit or my inability to expect it, I didn't know which one bothered me more. Their shadow darkened the shade covering me and my bench. With my glimpse cultivating into a glare, I leveled with their dark eyes as sat back up into a less vulnerable position.

"Sorry, but I'm in the middle of something," I insisted with the intent to end it at that, wiggling my book up in the air as I place it in front of my sight again.

Except, he didn't seem to catch the hint.

"That's not very civilized, is it? You weren't even reading."

What is it with people around here and their inept understanding of what the end of a conversation is? I sighed heavily, not hiding the quick impatience in my temper. I insert a bookmark  to keep my place in my story and close it making sure to snap it a little louder than necessary. There was something about the snap of a book that gave me so much satisfaction when my social tolerance was at its low.

"Excuse me, but I'm not trying to make friends."Pushing myself off the bench, I started in the opposite direction of my destination. 

At least one of my old habits was still present. I could feel the mystery man's gaze still lingering on me as I walked away with less leisure in my gate than when I arrived.

I took a few more steps in the wrong direction, putting more wanted space between myself and the new social foe. Nothing about that situation had felt comfortable. Then again, I am who I am, and nothing will seem comforting about unwarranted conversations with strangers.

"Take her."

It was with that taut, faintly heard statement that my awareness swarmed back into sync with my deeper concerns. Without a moment's waste, I broke into a sprint, causing quickened footsteps to follow suit behind me. Not agreeing with his decision, I tightened the grip I held on my book. Paining my book-loving soul, I turned on my heel and rolled my paperback book as tightly together as I could.

With my sudden stop and lunge back towards the man as he continued to run towards me, the distance between us closed in an instant. With that, I pushed the bottom of the book's spine into his face and rammed the heel of my hand into the other end. With a squeal, he held his nose as blood began to gush from it. Before he could come to his senses I started with my sprint again. As doing so, I could already see the rage forming in his eyes as they raised up to find mine. However, I didn't give him a chance to fully smarten up as I was putting more distance between us once again.

Turning my head to focus in front of me, I realized at just the right moment that I should be paying attention to where I'm going. Had I not, I wouldn't have been able to react in time to avoid the taser that one of his friends tried jutting into my ribs.

I took him by the wrist and kicked my foot forcefully to his ankle, causing him to fall to the ground as I pushed his own hand into his chest so that the taser would be used on him rather than me. He was taken care of.

As that distraction slowed me down some, the raging man managed to catch back up with me. With another adversary closing in, he tossed him arms around me in an attempt to subdue me. Without hesitation, I tossed my head back to come into contact with his already damaged nose. To follow up with that, I projected my elbow into his ribcage with an unwavering force.

"There's another thing to groan about, you piece of shit."

Remembering the other person close by, I squared to him readying my arms for the fight he would likely lose.

"Think again," he countered as he started a smug look on his face.

Before confusion even set in, I felt a sudden jolt of pain in my shoulder followed by another in my thigh and back as I still try to approach him. Looking to investigate, I find a clear bullet looking projectile sticking out of each source of sudden pain. Watching the sickly green contents pour in me from the capsules, my body surges with a pain that causes me to collapse in my spot.

Another jolt came to my neck when the smug man I was about to punch out forces another capsule of liquid into me. This one must have been something different because it, instead, caused an unrelenting sense of lethargy rather than pain.

"You'd think that one would be enough," I could hear as I groggily slumped all the way down to the ground watching him talk into his earpiece that I only now notice in his ear.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. As long as the crackheads that hired us pay everything that they promised, I could care less who the hell she is."