“Oh”.

“You were confused?’

“Yes”.

“Ok.”He leaned in closer to me,”Is this what girls do then?”.His lips pressed against mine,he grabs my shoulders and pressed me closer against him.I went limp.It went on for a few minutes before I pulled away for a gasp of air.I coughed,trying to regain my breath.”I apologize, that was too far.” He got up from beside me and ran outside.”Wait!”but he was already gone.Picking myself up I tailed him to the side of the RV.It was pitch dark out and the RV only lights up from the inside.It took a minute for my eyes to try to adjust to the darkness as well as shivering from the nightfall winds.I saw a slumped figure to the side of the RV and made my way over. Finally recognizing who it was,while inching closer.

Xiya was slumped over,his hands holding onto his head.Faintly muttering something under his breath that I couldn’t hear. I had a sickening feeling in my gut,advising that I get back in the vehicle.But I made my way closer.”Xiya?”Now in closer proximity,his words were clearer.” Never let the job be second priority,be the predator,be the soldier,lose the hunt,lose the game.”I stopped.What is he talking about?Just as I stop in my tracks he regains his posture,taking out his cellphone and calmly answers.When he turned around,in his hand was another pistol aiming right at my head.”Sorry,the client has changed her mind.Same amount to eliminate you.”Immediately fight or flight took over my body,all I knew was that I ran in the opposite direction.A bullet fired right behind me,grazing my ankle.Footsteps right behind me,I felt him rush right past.Adrenaline kicked in,and I took out my pistol and fired right in front of me.In my panic I could barely process what I was doing.Until I saw the blood dripping down from his hand clutching his chest.But what I saw in his eyes frightens me even more,they were red.“What the hell?”There was no more blood on his chest,instead in his hand held a blood-soaked bullet.”There’s no point in shooting me Eadiyn,it never worked for anyone.”

“You kill to live,not just me but other people.You only cause pain, how is it fulfilling to kill?It’s the same cycle,you always need more.But in the end it’s just a black hole.I can’t survive against you,but you won’t survive either.”

“What makes you think people are any different?I’m not the only one murdering in this world.I’m just following orders”.

“Then, shoot me.You could have done it already.”

All sensibility flew out the window when the gun landed on the cold cement track. Tossed aside.”The next city is 30 miles away from the first exit.Go now, I won’t come after you.No One will”.

“You expect me to leave?”

“Yes, go.”

It took about an hour to get to the location,with one injured arm.I looked back once,but he was gone.It didn’t take more than a day for me to blend back in, I went by at least 3 different identities,getting around was a matter of taking the right transportation.And making sure no one gets a good glimpse of your face.Be vigilant of cameras...even after being freed from prison it’s never actually guaranteed you are truly free.Part of you will always feel like a prisoner.Every time I come across a bakery,my eyes always come across the apple pie on the shelf.Even then,despite the feathery lightness of the crust or well baked,cinnamon roasted apples that are a crunch to the bite.It wasn’t the same,as crazy as it may be it only reminds me more of what I wanted to be history.Apple pie after apple pie,longing for the contentment that was not achievable.

In the end,I want to rationalize it.I was thinking about a person that easily turned around and nearly killed me.Prison must have soften me in some way,maybe it was just pure arrogance.No,I have to keep moving.I need to get out.

Crossing overseas is a matter of purchasing a ferry ticket and having some “documents” at hand.At 9AM the ferry station was fairly crowded,the ferry to Macau doesn’t leave until half past.All that’s left is to wait.

“Eadiyn”