A 14-YEAR OLD WARRIOR PART-I

Two months later, Chris, Kat, George, Richard and Susan were going back home after school. They were talking and walking through the streets with ice-cream on their hands. On the way to Susan's house, they were blocked by group of people. Chris and his friends tried to get around them but were blocked again. Kat got angry being disturbed and shouted at them

"Who are you guys? Move aside."

When these people heard that, they laughed at us eerily and one of them said

"Wow, boss there is feisty one."

"I like the feisty ones. the fun of conquering the feisty ones is the most thrilling." The boss, a man in his late 20s with an ugly scar on his face said licking his lips lewdly.

Kat and Susan got scared when they heard it as both of them moved behind me and hid. Even as they hid behind me, they were shivering from the realization of the scarred man's words. I looked at gangsters with eyebrows raised with amusement evident in my eyes and asked with a fake fearful tone

"What do you want? You better go before I call for the police."

"Yay, scoundrels, you better start running before we call the police." George also chimed in fearfully.

Richard was also scared but still both George and Richard took a step forward and stood alongside me protecting the girls. When the gangsters heard this, they all laughed out loud some of them even holding their stomachs mocking at our naivety. In the midst of their laughter, they even dared for us to call the police. As they were not intending on backing down, I made the decision to call the police as I took the phone and dialed 911. After a few rings, the call got connected and I explained about the situation we were facing. The lady on the other side of the phone said "The ETA of the police was ten minutes and for us hold on."

It was nerve wracking waiting for ten minutes to pass by hoping for the police to come. But to disappointment and horror even after 15 minutes passed by, the police still hasn't arrived. As time went by, my friends started losing confidence and started shivering again. The reality of nobody coming to save us made the disaster we were facing even more scary.

The ugly and wretched smiles of the gangsters, added to the possibility of the atrocities we were going to face even more magnified. Seeing the fear, horror and losing hope on our faces, the boss said to us

"Do you know why police has not come till now? 

"Why?" I asked as I was also curious maintain the fear on my face

"Because the surrounding streets are all under Cavella family." he said laughing which seemed to be a devil's laugh to us and asked again

"So, have you come turns with the reality?"

I looked at the gangsters and saw that we were surrounded as they were ready to take action. So, I whispered to my friends "When I signal, run like hell. Don't spilt up, follow me closely." They all nodded their head fearfully and cautiously looking at the gangsters. As they were closing in on us, I looked around to devise a strategy.

"Don't try anything, kid. You fate has already been decided." The boss said as I was looking for a way out. When one of the gangsters reached us, extending his hand to pull me. I swiftly held his wrist, twisted it and kicked him.

 An opening was seen, so I said to run as the five of us ran like hell while the gangsters ran behind us. After so many twists and turns, we reached at the end of an alley faraway from the streets. Kat, Susan, George and Richard became scared and nervous. The girls started to cry while the boys started to look for a way out.

When the gangsters reached us, they laughed again while walking slowly towards to us as they were enjoying mental torture, they were giving us. As I saw my girlfriend and friends were about to breakdown, I said to them

"Don't worry I am still here, aren't I? Nothing will happen to us." As I put my bag down, removed my coat and watch and gave it them. I comforted them for a few seconds and turned to face the gangsters.

It was narrow alleyway and as sun was setting down, it has started to turn dark. The alleyway was filled with garbage on the either sides filling the area with smell of rotten eggs and decaying, putrescible smell of vegetables and meats.

I rolled up my sleeves and taunted at them and said

"Let's finish this fast. Our parents must be worried and looking for us."

The two gangsters that stood at front came running, hurling their fists at me. I dodged the first blow as the guy fell forward and blocked the other one's fist. I twisted his hand and held it in my palm as I kicked the other one on his knees. Then I punched him hard in the face. I smashed my elbow hard into the second gangster's skull, the soft spot high on the temple.

 Both of them were curled up on the ground wailing in pain. Seeing their friends on the ground, four gangsters surrounded me with their knives pulled out. after a few attempts of stabbing me individually and failing, four of them attacked me simultaneously, one stabbed his knife towards my head, while other to my chest, third one to my back and last one to my stomach.

When the girls saw this scene, they screamed "No" while closing their eyes unable to watch the scene while I could see terror etched on the boy's face.

I saw the knives coming at me in slow motion. I moved my head to the side to dodge the knives coming for my head, while I knocked the knife coming towards my heart downward and the knife coming towards my stomach upwards.

Of the four knives directed at me, I misdirected each of them as one entered the gangsters head from top to bottom, while another one into the heart of a gangster and as for the third one it went through the eye of another one. And the fourth knife directed at my back were firmly caught in my palm cutting through it as the blood seeped out.

These happened so fast to naked eye that by the time it was finished I smelled sickeningly dry, sweet metallic scent assaulting my nose as I held back my vomit. When I turned to look at gangsters, I saw three of them stabbed with knives and dead as the floor was filled with a pool of blood while the last one was standing in terror and shock.

I removed the knife from my palm as I stabbed it towards the last one as the blood splattered all over the ground. I tore a piece of cloth from one of their bodies and wrapped it around my palm as I saw my friends looking at me in fear. So, when I turned to look at the rest of the gangsters, I saw a piece of mirror on the ground reflecting my face. I saw half of my face covered in blood and I could taste the copper in it while blood dripping from my hands with 'CLICK CLICK' sound of blood hitting the floor. I stood there in a daze seeing me look like a demon when I heard the sound of people running away brought me back. As I turned to see the rest of them, I saw the boss running in the front while pushing and pulling down his followers getting ahead of them.

 I threw the knife away as I ran behind them. When I reached the first one, side to side, I turned to him and gave him nasty smile as I punched him hard in the head. He fell down screaming as he crashed into a garbage can as it made loud sound 'CLANG CLANG' knocking him out.

I ran to the next one, as I neared him, I pulled him by the collar and threw him backward. Gangster that was thrown tried to get up cursing me and his boss. After he got up, he ran towards me and tried to punch me as his last-ditch effort to escape, but I calmly dodged it. After dodging few and tiring him out, I caught his hand as he punched again and twisted it. Then I slapped him many times on his face as he begged me to forgive him and stop hitting him. At last, I grabbed him by the hair and threw him against the wall knocking him out as I heard his ribs cracking.

Then I ran after the boss, as he was still running without even looking back. On the way I saw a rod lying on the side. So, I took the rod and aimed at his legs and threw. The rod crashed into his legs, stumbling him as he fell face forward into the pavement knocking his teeth's out.

 I ran fast towards him and kicked on his stomach. He flew back and hit the wall with a 'CRACK' sound as his bones broke. The boss spit a mouthful of blood as he slowly tried to crawl away as he begged me to leave him while also offering money. Enough with hearing his blabbering, I went towards him and grabbed him by the hair and slammed him to the pavement again and again. His teeth flew out and nose broke as blood started to trickle out. As I was about to slam it again, I heard Kat talking to me anxiously

"Chris, stop it. That's enough. You have done enough. We are safe now."

That brought me back from the state I was in and gave him one last look as I left him for dead, with his life hanging on the line, to comfort Kat. I went towards Kat and checked whether she is all right while she was crying and scolding me for being reckless as she was bandaging my wounds on my hands more tightly.

After calming her down which took a few seconds, we were talking about what to do next as she took her phone to call 911 again. But as she was talking, I saw her face twist in fear, as she cut the call and pointed to my back. As I turned back to see what happening I saw the boss pointing his gun at me. The moment I saw it, I pushed Kat towards safety as he fired the gun at me with grin resembling a devil.

My breathe became sharp and frantic, as the fear washes over me as I think of the possibility of my life being cut short, the sadness that my family and friends have to go through losing me.

The bullet he shot was hurling straight at my chest as I see it slow motion, but when I saw the faces of my loved flashing before my eyes, as I didn't want leave my fate in hands of god or destiny or luck, I mustered up whatever strength I had to slightly tilt my body to the side to lessen the impact and make the bullet miss my heart.

 When the bullet slammed into to me, I grunted in pain as I fell down and my eyes started to become blurry as my consciousness was slowly slipping away. As I slowly slipped away into oblivion, in the midst of Kat and Susan's wailing and George and Richard's angry shouts and cursing as they ran past me with the rod towards the gangster boss.