2 Her Freedom
I am the tall dark stranger those warnings prepared you for.
But don't get too comfortable
There's always a twist to every story
And I assure you there is no happy ending
-
Soaked from the undying rain that poured into the floor, I hurried inside a nearby coffee shop. The warmth of the strange place felt incredibly annoying, my body couldn't stand the absence of my fresh cold hands. Looking around with abrupt hesitation to continue inside, everyone's eyes were already scanning me. A wide smile formed on my lips as I breathed in their poisonous stares.
"What would you like to order?", the bartender timidly asked. Her body was at least 2 metres away from me, making her voice almost echo through the room. The echo of her voice travelled through the room like an arrow paralyzing its audience.
Deciding to keep a charming tone, I brushed my hands through my hair, exposing a nasty large scar that went through my left eyebrow to my lips. "I don't bite", I bitterly scoffed. As I smirked, I waited for her obvious reaction; she frowned at the sight of my pointy fangs. Her glassy dark eyes screamed in fear as she tried to comprehend my behaviour.
"I'd like a coffee. Make sure to add a lot of sugar", I grinned, analyzing the beautiful shy lady. "..please", I added, quietly. Her cocoa hair was tied in a ponytail, hidden by a black cap with white letters that said Blvd Cafe'. I hadn't noticed the cafe's name as I was bothered by the nosy rain, and needed somewhere to keep me away from the disastrous weather. Taking a seat on the blue table at the back of the shop, I remembered how this used to be the cafe my sister and I went to when we were kids. When everything used to be fine, we would come every morning, we'd drink their delicious coffee and bring our grandma their special double chocolate cookies. Our mom always got mad when we arrived home because she claimed it was 'too much caffeine for us'.
Looking back at the short light weighted young lady, I decided to get creative. "Oh", I added, "I'd also like to order. ."
Her blue eyes widened and her face became pale, blending in with the blank sentence I've just blurred out. I could smell something, very, very pleasant.
"..your freedom."
Fear.
I've served myself a placid meal tonight, I thought, ironically.
Cracking a laugh, I smiled gently. "I'm just kidding", I assured her. "What are you so afraid of?", I wondered. As she walked closer to me, the woman's shoulders furrowed down while she let out a relaxed sigh. The ambient of the room was starting to feel more tense as the minutes passed.
"I'm going to ask you to please don't use that tone in public, some people could misunderstand the situation. In any case, it was rude of you to make a bad gesture, you can't go around claiming people as your quarries, that's sick. Though, I won't walk away empty handed, it was my fault as well... for assuming, my apologies." She tried to smile back but it came out vague.
"Assuming, you say? That I'm the bad guy, huh? First impressions are key, I'm disappointed to hear that I gave you the wrong one. Is it because of the way I dress?"I inquired, taking my leather gloves off.
"No, you are free to dress as you please. I recommend not being so dark humored though. I will bring your order now", she ended, walking off in a hurry.
Her vague words snapped my gentle act. "Yes you will take my order", I mumbled, following her with impulsiveness. Grabbing her by the back of the neck I whispered on her ear, "now that's not the way to answer, don't you think? You're being very rude, and that's not gonna get you anywhere in life. I recommend you don't take life so seriously, it's not like you're going to end up alive."
Angrily, she shook me off in response, and gave me an agitated expression. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir. Or else I'll call th-"
I interrupted her chat with a hysterical laugh. This woman was a gripping person. She was so consumingly engaging, I could surely learn a lot about myself with her.. Hastily, I stopped laughing and stared at her dark eyes intensely. I could feel everybody's eyes on me again, whispering things to each other.
The sound of ignorance, I thought. But as I stared into the black abyss of the bartender's fearful eyes, I saw a reflection of myself.
"Hold my hand" I intoned, holding out my hand to her.
Licking my rosy dry lips, I could hear the woman's heartbeat racing.
"I'll make you feel like never before", I finished, almost romantically.
There was silence, until there wasn't.
Instead it was filled with a very familiar sound, getting close as the second passed.
Angrily, I stood up. "Tell me which one of you bastards opened their mouth, I'll cut their tongue and feed them to the starving hounds on the street!" I huffed, my knuckles white from clenching my fists. Everyone stood silent.
The bartender was now on the floor crying in fear, waiting for a light of hope. I quickly lifted her up to my shoulders, and grabbed my gun with the other hand. I had only six rounds left.. That wouldn't last for me to escape and kill everyone here. Raising my gun, I aimed at one of the gas tanks near the stove. Everyone started screaming and running off to the exit of the shop like savages.
The wildest of them, who was on my shoulders, kicked my face making me miss, as she tried to escape.
"What is this, a fucking jungle?!" I slurred. I proceeded to tie her arms and legs with the chains that once decorated my neck.
The police cars got closer to the cafe but the woman was too imperative to me to care. The people now crowded on the gate were cursing and screaming at each other trying to escape.
Once again I aimed for the gas tank, but this time I waited for the cops to pull up.
It took only a second, and then I was running through the alleyways of the street of New York. The commotion had shocked the officers, as I exited through the back door. My left eardrum was busted, but luckily my right one was working decently. As I ran through the streets I felt the rain satisfying for once, I almost felt free. Sadly my freedom had been taken away from me years ago, and I had no hope.
