They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I didn't took out the serrated knife from it's eyes. I discovered this recently. There's a part of me.. a nasty brutal part that's willing to kill. Willing to spill more blood. Though it doesn't scare me. As long as it's not humans.

I'm cool with anything. I double my grip in the knife and plunge it across the Beast's eyes. Blood gushes out, wail as horrible as it's breath punk out. The Beast grab me by the leg and flung me in the air. 

In a split second I was floating in mid space. Another split second and I'm screaming my own voice out. I expected to hit the wall squarely. Not the open window I didn't know was there behind me. I flailed my arms, I tried to grab whatever thing I could hold before I fell three storey down. 

By rottest luck what I grab is the glass window itself. I'm trusting flimsy transparent frame without lumber, without enough strength to carry almost hundred pounds me. I gulped. The hinge by the wall tore in a screech and I yelped. My other hand is outstretching to reach the rail. 

I missed once. And the window hang sideways, slamming me into the outside wall. I raised both my feet and made an arc with my knees, preparing to jump back in. Yet the lower hinges of the window tore and I plummeted towards the empty asphalt road.

I yelled help. Even though I know it's useless. Dad can't help me. He can't jump to save me and made a circle in air to put me back inside. Lista can't blessing his way to save me either. No one can save me. 

In my last moment as I plunge down I think back to the Scarred Man. Dad said he doesn't recognize him. They don't have any comrades who has deep scars on their face, in fact they have no knowledge of the things Scarred Man had told me. Dad said only a Ranker can know what Classes are.

Normal Gifted citizens like him aren't given any information about the Faeries, because Rank Ruler deem it useless to reveal it so. Dad think the Ruler's right. Faeries have never stepped inside the borders of Gifted People, nor attack anyone…yet. 

Faeries are the Rank Elders problems. Not theirs. 

When I heard that, my mind immediately raced to Magnus. Magnus is a Ranker. He has knowledge of Faery Classes, I'm sure. Has his fair share of experience and muscles that Scarred Man has. The only thing that bothers me… is they don't look the same. Magnus was younger, more idiot looking, not mature and oozing manly charms like that guy.

So who was he? An enemy or an ally?

My thoughts immediately vanished when the ground came closer and faster than my mind could process. My head is splitting open from the fear taking hold of my body. I don't want to die. I hate to die. Please. Anyone. 

I expected bone breaking pain when I hit the ground. My skull shattered, blood sprinkling in dark red liquid. What I didn't expect, is to land in someone's arm like how girls landed in a man's strong arms everytime they clumsily fall from a tree. 

Cliché? Wait till you hear how embarrassing this makes me feel. It wasn't some rough looking dude or mobsters who caught me. It's a girl. And believe me, I chanted prayers that no one will see me in this humiliating position.

Too bad the higher beings above are on cruise ship dates. Because the street was crowded with adults going to their work, kids to their schools, gangsters doing their mob stuff and homeless dudes doing their morning pee in the walls business. 

"What the-" I started to say. The girl who caught me has short cropped up blonde hair. Eyes that seems to turn dark crimson under the sunlight.

Beautiful. Tantalizing. One that can consume you in its deep color. And terribly familiar too.

I squirm under her hold. She didn't squeeze me, she let me fall down the ground. I swung my feet and landed squarely. When I stood up straight, I found out she's shorter than me. The tip of her forehead is proportion to my nose.

"Umm, thanks..?" I really don't know what to say at this moment. Her eyes aren't looking to my face, which is good, considering how stupid I may look right now. Her attention is on my hand. It's bleeding. I must have scraped it during my dangling window moment or my brief fight with the beast.

"You know, you must be pretty strong to catch a hundred pounds plus guy like me. If you hadn't did that, my skull may have been smashed to ground meat by now. For that, thank you. You save my life." 

Her vacant expression didn't faze. She's not moving, her red hoodie hang loosely around her small frame. The zipper stops just below her collarbone. I'm a bit disappointed the bump on her chest is smaller than a tennis ball. 

She's wearing white tennis shoes and black tights. As if she's jogging along the side street. Considering how early it's still is, last time I check the time struck 6:58am, makes me doubt if she's like me. Not attending school yet.

She put her right hand inside the front pocket of her jacket and took out a black handkerchief. She flip it and grab my bleeding hand. I watch her wrap it in. And for the whole time now she neither spoke a word nor look at my eyes.

"Umm, you don't need to do that but thanks?" No response. I take it as a friendly stranger shyness. I went on.

"My name is Lance by the way. I live here. You are?" She tied a knot and caressed her thumb in my palm. She let go and shoved both her hands on her pocket. More than not looking, it feels like she's avoiding having eye contact with me.

"Okay, you don't want to say. Of course. I'm a stranger after all." I laughed nervously. 

"Lance! Are you alright?!" I looked up to the window where I just fell. Saw Dad's and Lista's worried face peering down. I waved to sign I'm alright. And that only took maybe one minute. When I looked down to where the girl is…

She's gone. Leaving no trace except a piece of paper at where she wrap her black handkerchief. Written on it, is an address.

WAYNE REC CENTER

518 S WALL STREET CHICAGO ILLINOIS. 

Now I'm definitely having the chills.