2 Dire Circumstances #2

My breathing grew shallow and rapid as reality set in, and my face hit the ground. I didn't even have the mental capacity to spit the dirt in my mouth as I reached for the closest rock I could find.

Unfortunately, Newland noticed my actions and quickly stomped my wrist, causing me to shout in pain as I turned around. "Let-let's just talk this over? Please?" I said as I turned around and found the pointy end of a cutlass sword hanging over my head.

"There's nothing to talk about, kid," Newland said with a scoff as he increased the pressure on my wrist, causing me to wince. "I was going to kill you anyway, but I'll take my sweet time doing it now," He added as he removed his foot from my wrist and kicked me on my injured shoulder.

Though in extreme pain and a grim, hopeless situation, my survival instinct still persisted as my brain went into hyperdrive, trying to find a way out of my predicament.

"Look, you really don't want to kill me," I said, prepared to spout whatever nonsense I could think to save my life. However, my words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Newland laughed and dug deeper into my wounded shoulder with his boot.

"I know about a secret treasure the pirate king buried on the island!" I quickly added, trying to ignore the pain and keep my sentence coherent, which seemed to get Newland's attention.

"A treasure that the pirate king buried here..." Newland said as he stopped putting pressure on my wound. "How would a dumb brat like you know about something like that...?" He asked, sounding incredibly suspicious, though I could see a hint of greed sparking in his eyes.

"Do you know the pirate king's real name? It's Gol D. Roger, not Gold Roger," I said, stopping to cough and spitting out the dirt in my mouth as it got into my throat. "That middle name initial sounds familiar, doesn't it...? I'm basically his distant cousin," I added, lying through my teeth.

"My family left me a book with a hidden map that's supposed to lead to the treasure," I said as I pointed at my backpack. "Let me live, and we can work together to find the treasure..." I added, pausing as I waited for the dumb brute to process my words.

I honestly didn't know if he'd believe me or even how I'd get out of this predicament if he did, but I knew I'd die if I just lied there and took the beating without doing anything.

I might be simply delaying my inevitable death, but there was no way I'd give up and perish without even trying. I had no idea how I got here. I didn't know whether I'd passed in my sleep or what would happen if I died again. All I knew was that I didn't want to find out.

"Oh yeah? And what's to stop me from killing you and finding the treasure either way...?" Newland asked after a pause that lasted an entire minute, seemingly stressing his pea-sized brain with an intense pout of thinking.

Clearly, it wasn't his specialty.

"Because you're a dumb fuck, and you can't even write or read," I said, to which Newland's expression darkened as he kicked me in the head, but I didn't relent. "You can't take the book to anyone either since anyone worth their salt on the island will kill you for it within seconds," I added through gritted teeth as the bastard kept kicking me.

"Watch your mouth, you little shit!" Newland angrily exclaimed in between kicks. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, you worthless scum?! I could kill right here and now!" He added, giving me a glance that would have killed me if looks could.

"You might act high and mighty in front of children, but everyone knows you're a pussy," I said, moving my hands to protect my head as Newland's kicks grew more viscous. "You won't kill me. I'm your only chance to find the treasure," I concluded as he stopped kicking me and started panting, having exhausted himself.

'Fuck I got carried away...'

Newland took a minute to catch his breath, which I spent looking around, desperately looking for a way out that wasn't there. However, a chance presented itself when I was ready to accept my fate as the obese bastard gathered his bearings, seeming none too happy with me.

Suddenly a combination wrench came flying from the shrubbery with a loud woosh, flying straight toward Newland's face and hitting him in his already broken nose. He let go of his sword, screaming in pain as he covered his nose, and that was the opportunity I needed.

Gritting my teeth, I threw myself at the sword and slashed at Newland's fat gut without hesitation, causing him to fall. "You fat fuck!" I exclaimed, feeling something snap in my head as I straddled his stomach and pounded his face with the sword's handle.

"Get up! Get up and kick me again, you shitty sack of lard!" I kept bashing Newland's, uncaring of the blood spraying over my face nor the faint grunts of pain and pleas for mercy, growing softer and softer with every hit.

I didn't stop hitting Newland even as his body stopped twitching with every attack, even as his pleas and grunts grew fainter with every second until they were no more.

However, I had to stop as I felt a pair of my hands on my shoulders, pulling me away from Newland's unmoving corpse.

I finally snapped off whatever had come over me as I turned around and noticed two kids roughly my age, one with messy blonde hair covering his eyes, devouring a bowl of noodles, the other with spikey red hair, holding the same combination wrench that saved my life.

"Get a load of this guy, partner," The redheaded kid said, sizing me up as he laughed loudly. "It's like he's been waiting for this his entire life," He added, his laughter growing louder as he slapped his friend's shoulder.

"Newland is already dead. You should save your strength..." The blonde one calmly said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles as he eyed my wounded shoulder. "You will need every ounce of your energy to recover," He added with a shrug.

"I'm killer, by the way, and this is Kid," The boy, Killer, said, introducing himself and the redheaded kid, and I instantly recognized them, but I couldn't even muster up a reply as I finally realized what I'd done.

I slowly looked down at my palms, and my hands couldn't help but shake and release the sword as I noticed the blood covering them. In disbelief, I stiffly turned around, only to vomit as soon as I laid eyes on the bloody mess that was Newland's face, splayed all over the sand.

"HAHA! This guy is vomiting over a bit of blood! What a softie!" Kid said, bursting into mocking laughter, and I didn't even have the mental faculties to respond, busy heaving out my guts as I was.

"At least he's not crying. I distinctly remember you--" Killer said as he gave Kid a brief side glance, only for the latter to cut him with another slap to the back, albeit much more forceful and less friendly.

"Bastard! I thought We agreed not to speak of that day again!" Kid said with a scowl as he grabbed Killer's collar and shook him violently. "I also remember that the first time I heard you laugh--" He added, only for Killer to hurriedly shut him up by covering his mouth.

"Then we'll leave it at that," Killer said as he noticed me slowly gather my bearings and recover from the shock. "You won't make it far on your own, especially with that shoulder," He added as he approached me, kneeling beside me.

"This guy, me and a bunch of other kids from East Clover town have formed a gang to protect ourselves from scumbags like Newland," Killer remarked as he gestured toward his redheaded friend. "You can come with us if you like," He concluded, pausing as he waited for a reply.

"What? We can't let this pussy joins us just like that! He's too soft!" Kid said, scowling as he stomped toward Killer. "We already have enough burdens as it is!" He added, giving his blonde friend a dirty look.

"It was your idea to save him," Killer said as he raised an eyebrow. "Take another look at what he did to Newland and tell me he's a pussy again," He added, shaking his head.

"Besides, you've seen how he tricked him..." Killer said with a strange smile. "If the kid didn't overestimate the dumb bastard's intelligence and self-control, he would have been fine on his own," He continued as he went over and gave Newland's corpse a kick for seemingly no reason.

"What do you mean tricked Newland? You mean he was lying about the--" Kid said, stopping halfway through his sentence as Killer gave him a look that suggested he was an idiot.

"I mean, of course, I saw it, you bastard! Do you think I'm an idiot or something?" Kid angrily said as he gripped Killer's collars and began shaking him.

"I... I agree. I'll go with you..." I said as I struggled to get up, wilfully turning away from Newland's corpse. "My name's Cedric. Thank you for saving my life..." I added as I sluggishly limped toward the duo without forgetting to pick up my backpack, now stained in blood.

...

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