“Hey, wake up or your food will get colder”, shaking me awake–the sound of Daxs’ voice was strict but announcing. I flinchingly opened my eyes to see Daxs’ face in a stump, “Better get up or Alaine will eat it” turning around–he looked at Alaine who’s already munching on her food. Stumberly getting off the ground, I walked across the room and sat where my bowl was positioned; observing it–its pinkish tint gave me the off-sense of an alerted awareness which set me in the direction of hesitancy. Holding the base of my bowl, a sweat droplet ran down the side of my face; “So...where did we get the food?” I cautiously asked. Dax looked at me as he chewed his fill, “Mm..we’ve been given it for a couple of days now, and..” Handing the rest of his bowl over to Alaine–he also gave her his wooden fork, “It also seems like the people that have captured us–are waiting for something” putting his arm up in question he continued to speak as Alaine enjoys the rest of his food, “But that’s all I overheard; now I’ll tell you what you’ve missed”. Speaking the day away–Dax explained what happened during the time Alaine and I escaped through the window, and how he too was captured. “After the both of you left, I was going to follow after you guys. But then I was suddenly attacked; I tried my best to fend off the attacker but they were able to read each of my attacks” Dax puffed a breath and then said, “It was after some time when I was unconscious I had this instinctual fear to run away–as if something deep within my mind told me to not engage with this..‘thing’..” after learning the full story on his part–he soon turned to me and asked, “I wanted to ask what happened to you guys after you guys left; I couldn’t ask Alaine since..well–you know..”. I nodded my head in understanding and paused a bit to gather my thoughts before talking. As I explained our end of the story–the reaction on Dax’s face grew discomfortable and soon enough Alaine willingly explained her side as well. “Damn, I mean–I knew you were a tough bastard but..to survive ‘falling off’ a cliff is..something else..” I nodded my head and swished the ‘food’ in my bowl as Alaine watched from the side. “To think you survived all that..” he continued in disbelief. “Tell me about it, he shouldn’t even be here right now..” Alaine chimed in; picking a chunk of ‘food’ with my fork I lifted it towards my mouth before biting down on it. “Um no offense” chewing with a mouth full of–something; I squinchingley said, “None taken”. Entering the back of my throat and eventually traveling its route to the pit of my stomach, the sudden rise of energy bursted the roots of my veins as the heat within my gut burns with a destructive drive to explode. “W-What..is this energy!?” I held my entire being to try and back away this sudden thrive in bursting energy–which was warily noticed. “Hey, Linden–you...alright..?” concerningly asked Alaine. Looking with complicated contempt along with every inch of composure I could muster–I said, “Y-Yeah..I...just ate a bad piece...that’s all; I don’t think...you should eat this one…” looking at me with a discerning expression, she looked down at the bowl of ‘food’ and said, “If you don’t even like it, I guess it’s really that bad huh?”. There was a silent pause for a moment before the loud booming of the door alerted our attention. BANG-BANG–BANG it pounded; the voice on the other end of the door shouted, “Hey meat bags! We're comin’ in so don’t try anything stupid!”. Looking at each other–the three of us gathered and Dax silently positioned his fingers for us to follow; we nodded our heads and took up positions. Dax and Alaine both rushed at the doors entrance while I stood in the back–waiting for an opportunity. As the door opened still–its light stretched across the hardened sandy floor; breathing a sigh of anticipation–I wait my turn.
“What did I just say-” but before the man got a chance to act–the brunt of his face spouted blood as the quickened pace of Alaine’s fist battered the bridge of his nose. “UGH” groaning a distant appetite, the sound of his pain yearning for another. POW! Delivering a lasting blow–Daxs’ fist rattled the base of his jaw–churning the rolls of his pupils into the back of his head. With one body comes another–with cat-like speed, the man who stood from behind aimed for Daxs’ position; but with quick thinking–Dax sacrifices the groaching door whom took the full impact of the man's hit POW! Flinching his eyes the man shouted “ARGH!”quickly looking towards his hand–then noticing an incoming force; he was unable to react in time. The futile attempt to block a swift overhead kick from Alaine’s forcing blow only landed him an injured wrist and an unconscious face, KAPOW! Then came the thump of his hefty body. Driving his face into the wall–Alaine made double sure the man would be unable to retain a confusing suspicion if he ever awoke. With dripping blood crawling the side of the man's face–there was soon another man, taller–wider than the last. “Click”, the sound of mechanical metal flipping back and forth before the inferring man spoke. “Unless you want your friends’ head splattered all over the floor; I recommend you cooperate” with a shooken pause, I stood still in a crouched start before I realized a barrel of a gun stared straight across Daxs’ forehead. Unable to do anything Alaine and I backed off before the man grabbed Dax by the orange bud of his collar and dragged him out before shutting the door shut. CLAM! it shouted; we stood for what seemed like hours, and during that long silence I felt anger and guilt for not doing anything to help dax before he was taken. “Are you..thinking the same thing..?” Alaine sympathetically asked, I nodded as I bare to look at her with shame. Soon looking at the ground, she said, “Well, I don’t think..we could have done anything...even if we had our weapons..” listening to her words I also understood we didn’t even have a choice to bargain as we could have been easily killed ourselves. I signed with baited breath and looked up into the small window for clearance. With the passing time–we stood in the dull room along with boredom, conversation was short as we both knew better than to become comfortable in our new environment. Sitting in a darkened corner I soon heard signs of crowding and voices coming from the small opening near the ceiling. With Alaine taking a look out into the surrounding area first–her face rose into a state of unease. “T-There are-” but before she got to express her words a loud booming voice pitched by an unseen audio echoed throughout the whole room. “Ladies and gentlemen! We have a special event today! But before we get into the main dish–we are pleased to know that our side dishes have just arrived!” The voice, with enthusiasm situated in excitement. “Welcome our hot headed champion! Dynamite Dominic!” With a titanous roar–the crowding people screamed in excitement. “YEAH! LETS GO DYNAMITE! WOO LETS GO!; Ah! You’re all too fucking loud!” shouted the champion. Eyeing from the opening–Alaine and I stared at the fiery red head before we both looked at each other. “Who knew the guy we beat up was a champion..?” trying to make light conversation to lift the mood, I tried playing along. “Yeah, I guess so huh?..” but unable to match her tone with my monochrome act–I half heartedly left her hanging. With the red head walking back towards where he came the booming voice once again announced an event. “Alright ladies and gentlemen I hope you’ve brought your favorite treat because our first round is a special festa!”, I squinted my brows in unsettlement as I kept staring out into the first crowd. “Now let's get on with the show! On one side we have the feisty and brutish sack, Jaq Mac!” roaring again, the people woo’d and cheered at the top of their lungs. “On the other hand we have a very special treat–a coward! From the edges of Black Bridge Crater, the volunteering Protective Paul!” with the laughing and booing of the crowd it was clear that the disapproval of his existence was a joke. “BOO! HAHA! DID YOU COME BACK BECAUSE OF YOUR PRIDE!” a voice shouted, but only walking up to the arena he stood still–ignoring the rest of the audience's words. “GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM SOFTY!”moving his head down he seemed to be contemplating something before raising his head up again, “Haha–you know how I am! I’m just here for the money!” bashing an appearance, the boy looked with a two sided glance at the audience before shifting his focus onto the brute in front. “Get ready! Get set!” with an anticipated breath the booming voice shouted, “FIGHT!”. Then the brutish man with a shine to his thin-tight shirt rushed the boy and before I knew what happened, blood splattered the sands. Tears of pain soaked their way into the walls of the arena and soon enough the boy laid still onto the ground–unmoving, only groaning ounces of pain bit by bit. “U-Ugh..” with obscured breaths the boy was soon picked up by two large men and was quickly hauled into one of the two entrances. “Ladies and gentlemen, our winner–Jaq Mac!; Hahaha! I’ll kill anyone who has the balls to enter the arena!” proudly exclaimed the man.
As the crowds’ cheers died down, I looked back at Alaine to try and agree with a troubled understanding–yet her glance didn't even acknowledge my existing hints. Her focused eyes were on the sand–scanning the surrounding area, as if to find someone. “A-Alaine?” I worriedly answered; she shook with a jump into reality. “Ah..! Uhm..yes?” dripping a sweat droplet down the side of her cheek–her eyes were still focused on the sands as she turned her head–only to glance at me to give me half of her attention. “Ah..nevermind” she looked at me with a question but stopped before she and I became startled by the booming voice once again. “Audience! The fight we’ve been waiting for!” Cheering ever so loud, the crowd screamed as if they were to meet their end. “WHOO! YEAH!” a man in green yelled; “C’MON LET'S GO!” said another in red. As the man from before turns up into the arena–people cheered and waved their arms in acknowledgement, “MURDER THIS BASTARD-JAQ!”. Looking to the other side of the arena I quickly noticed Dax with his orange uniform, I widened my eyes before I realized the weighted reality of our situation. “FUCKING BUNKIE, I HOPE YOU DIE!” a scarred up man screamed, “BETTER DIE SCREAMING YA BASTARD!” shouted a woman in green. Dax–with an unreadable expression stood motionless, the man who’ll fight him–smiled with glee. “On your marks! Get set! “KILL!” with a thuming force the man leaped across the sanded arena and stretched out his arms to tackle Dax. Unable to look away I caught myself in anticipated anxiety before I realized the heat within my chest rising. I quickly backed away and stumbled to the back of the room, settling this waving energy; Alaine did the same. “Hey..Linden, do..you think he’ll be alright?” asking the same question I am unable to answer myself–her worried expression pressed me to answer with a false sense of hope. “Mm..given his quick wits..I think he’ll be...fine..?” I looked away unconfidently as those words fell off the threshold of my lips. “WOOO!” the people piercingly shouted; “WOOHOO!” again. I braced myself to stand and stumbled towards the opening one last time before I watched Dax holding a chokehold onto the athletic man. The man's expression is of a wild animal within a trap; struggling to get himself free before the rope finally stops the neurological nerves within his brain. He pummels and pealted Dax with impacted punches; the licking of iron and sounding of a cracking wall finally slips as Daxs’ grip lets loose. Catching this chance–the man doesn’t waste his freedom; standing tall he bends his head up towards the sky and silently bellows as his non-existent screams stretch across his face. Gritting the barrel of his teeth–the veins within his jaws pop as he grips his hands between Daxs’ hold. The expression on Daxs’ face widens as the man succeeds at struggling to get himself free. With almost a spark in his eye, Dax quickly seized the opportunity and pushed his leg upon the man's knee. The force was enough to flip him up, using the momentum of his leg to flip above the man's head–he quickly put his arm around his neck once again. “Argh!” the man soulfully mourned; now with tears in his eyes the man’s consciousness fades as secretion of liquids pours down from the back of his eyes, nose and mouth. It wasn’t until some shimmering object flew from the crowd towards him. Miraculously catching the item, the object of sorts was a particular knife which laid bare in the palms of his hands. Wasting no more effort the man lunges the left side of Daxs’ face–leaving a cut across his forearm and eyebrow. With blood drawn–there was no coming back from a fight to the death; flipping backwards then dashing away, Dax now has his hands up in a guarding position–his expression grew dire as he quickly realized the imminent threat the man posed. I watch as the man lunges at him with approaching force–slashing into the air as if it was nothing but butter; the man slashed down quickly–only for Dax to dodge it. He hurriedly swipes right to only be stopped half-way through by Daxs’ fastening block–it was then a glint in his eye showed the vigorous desire to fight and fight he did. He quickly grabbed the man's arm which held the knife in a quickening manner–he swung the barrel of his fist at the man's elbow–breaking it with a defiant, CRACK! It was only a couple of seconds but the moment the man realized that his reality was all too real–he screamed, the man screamed the loudest he could in his entire life and yet–it was quickly silenced. With an unreadable glare Daxs’ hand covers the man's mouth shut and puts the blade up to his throat. His face yelped for mercy as tears ran down the sides of his face.
Comments (0)
See all