Grace's Path

Chapter Four: Purple Dragons

“Look who we have here,” one of the four men snickered, his finger running down my arm, causing me to shiver.

“A young teenage girl all alone,” smirked another, running his hand through his greasy hair.

“Leave me alone,” I snapped and a couple of them laughed.

“Oh we make the rules here honey,” he said, slapping his hand on my mouth. “Not you.”

My eyes widened and I kicked my leg out, catching him in the stomach and causing him to fly into the middle of the road.

“I said leave me alone,” I hissed and stood up, shoving my stuff into my bag and reached for my board, only to have Greasy Hair kick in away, into the window of the antique shop.

“That is it.”

I slam my bag onto the ground and kick him square in the face, sending him flying into a light pole a few meters away. Another man lunged for me but I side kicked him, knocking him back. The last one, a scrawny teenager, stared at me before pulling out a weapon of some kind. It had a chain connected to what looked like the head of a pick axe. I gulped and ran at him. He swung the weapon at me and it wrapped around my middle, with him pulling down on it. I yelped in pain as I landed on the cement and struggled to breathe.

“Now, who’s the little wimp?” he purred in my ear and I looked up at him, showing no emotion on face.

“Hey, you little runt.”

We both turned our heads towards the antique shop and I gasped. Casey was standing in the door frame, a hockey stick in one hand and the other hand was in a tight fist. The only way I took my eyes off Casey was when a sharp pain went through my shoulder. I turned my head and saw a huge knife was wedge into my shoulder and I let out a pained scream, one that had the guy next to be covering his ears. He turned and ran down the street, disappearing. Casey knelt down beside me and reached for the knife.

“No, don’t,” I said and he looked at me. “Leave it.”

“There is a huge knife in your shoulder,” he stated, “probably should get it out.”

“Just get me inside and I’ll pull it out.”

Casey raised an eyebrow at me but helped me to my feet, walking over to the shop. He led me to an upstairs apartment, holding the door open.

“Case- what happened?”

I looked up but couldn’t see pass the blurriness covering my eyes. A figure, much taller than me, was approaching and I stumbled along, even with Casey helping.

“Can you please grab some towels?” I asked, struggling to talk.  “Sir, can you please help me down at the table?”

I think Casey looked at me strangely but helped sit me down. The figure came back and placed towels under my arms, on the ground and I pulled one messily onto my lap. Lifting my uninjured arm, I felt my fingers curl around the hilt of the knife and I pulled, chomping down on my lower lip.

“Can one of you stitch me up please?”

That was the last thing I said before the world went dark.

“How is she?”

“I think she’s okay. Should be waking up soon.”

“What happened out there that night Casey?”

“I dunno. I didn’t see anything apart from that kid shoving that knife into her shoulder.”

I moved slightly and felt the rush of a cool breeze over my skin.

“Kid?”

A hand touched my forearm and I reacted, throwing the person onto the ground and kneeling on their chest. Casey stared up at me and I jumped off, shuffling back away from him.