13
The whistle from the mysterious man played a familiar tune.
Ton squeezed my wrist hard. He walked forward without looking back before turned in and out small valleys with efficiency. Ton was someone with a good memory. He could remember every way that could lead to my house. I looked at his serious expression and knew that he was genuinely worried about me.
“As I thought… the culprit knows that we don’t give up. From now on, his attack will be more and more severe.” He whispered. “You’re in danger.”
Ton turned left at the next junction. He tried to take us to where people gathered. The mysterious man followed us unhurriedly. He hid the weapon on his back before changed his movement to be more natural.
“He still follows us,” I whispered. “What does he want?”
“He intends to do as he threatened you… He chooses the time when it rains. He decides to follow you to where no others around. Even we try to run away, it’s still quite far until we reach the point that there are more people. He plans everything neatly.” Ton whispered without looking at me. “Even when we reach more people, from his action, at least he wants you to know that he’s serious.”
I glanced back. It was as if he knew that I was sneaking a peek at him. He lifted up his hands and cracked the knuckles. For others, this action seemed pretty normal, but I knew right then and there that he was trying to send me a message.
Stop…
Or…
Die…
I frantically turned back, trying not to think about his threatening.
“Let me ask you something,” Ton sped up. “Do you think that is Bill?”
“I can’t tell.” I shook my head. “This isn’t the same feeling when Bill follows me, and I don’t think that is Max, too. Max used to be good at sports but that weapon… Max couldn’t lift it up.”
I wrangled with Max once. Max was swift and sharp, but he wasn’t good at sports that require a lot of physical strength. When he and I were in elementary school, Max won most sports competitions, but those sports didn’t concentrate on strength.
“That’s why I choose not to go against him directly.” Ton turned right at the next junction. “From what I see, I don’t think that I can win… I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to.”
“It’s still so far until we reach your house. We need to buy some time and choose the path with more people, so you won’t be hurt.”
“I think I have a way.”
Suddenly, I left Ton and ran in another direction. Ton shouted after me in shock.
“Dream!!!”
I ran straight before looked back to see the situation.
As expected, he chose to follow me.
I preferred to risk my life so Ton could be safe. I wouldn’t let anyone in troubles because of me again.
No way…
I turned left, going to the back of a building on the side to slow him down. I ran forward and turned into an alley on the right before stopped and waited at the next junction.
The moment I saw his shadow, I moved to the right. I ran through several tiny alleys around the buildings. This area was a small maze. It wasn’t extremely complicated, but unless you were local, it was very easy to get lost.
I stopped from time to time to make sure that he fell into my trap. This man must know that I would leave this maze sooner or later. Looking from the other side, this was the best place to hide. If he wanted to harm me without a witness, this place was the best place, too.
After running around until I was confident that I could leave him behind, I frantically ran out of the alleys. I looked around at the exit to make sure that no one followed me and rushed out with everything I had.
Suddenly, I heard a whistle from behind. The tip of the hammer was swung down fast.
My instinct screamed. My nerves alerted every muscle with high electric voltage. I sprang back. All of my nerves were completely cut out of everything around me.
The metal hit the floor hard, crushing the cement ground into small pieces. The whistle still rang in the air. He walked out of an alley that could lead to another alley, dragging that killing weapon with him. His face might be covered with a black mask, but I knew what he was thinking.
He was smiling and licking his lips in enjoyment. I was completely in his hand to play with.
I was dealing with a non-human… but that wasn’t the worst thing…
The image of my death replayed in front of my eyes. I saw myself crunched into mush. Every piece of my bones was cracked. The muscles shook in tune with the blood that was rushing out.
I felt that I had no way to escape…
I saw myself… died here.
He charged forward fast, swinging the large hammer as if it was a floating feather. His aim was to finish his prey in one go.
I bent down to avoid his attack automatically and bolted away. My legs were stretched to the limit to take my body to escape the danger. I ran without looking back, trying to force down my fear that was roaring inside my heart.
I ran through the alleys and turned at every corner in an attempt to slow him down, but my effort was useless. Even though I ran with all my strength, the whistle sound was getting nearer and nearer.
No way out. No way to escape.
My legs were getting numb. My breaths became short. My heart beat so hard that it hit my chest fiercely. It beat so hard that I thought my heart might jump outside.
I was at my limit, but I couldn’t give up now.
Suddenly, I could think of a way to escape this situation. I rushed forward with all of my strength I had left. I forced myself so hard that I could actually hear my muscles screamed but I couldn’t give up.
I ran straight to the road, waiting for the moment that a car would pass. When he was running toward me, I bolted.
I cut in front of a car that ran in fast before slipped down on the wet ground. I got up in a hurry and kept running without caring anything.
The sound of metal hitting something hard was deafening. I kept running without looking back, praying all the danger to go away.
I ran for some times before finally stopped. I breathed in the air greedily. Every muscle was full of the wasted energy my body didn’t need. My heart pumped the blood so hard that the vessels almost broke. My body was hot from burning so much energy. I really was at my limit.
But at least I was safe.
I smiled to myself before looking back as if I won.
I took in another deep breath before letting it out, walked forward tiredly, and laughed for this miserable event finally ended.
But my wish and the reality were different.
The nightmare didn’t stop after waking up.
The sound of footstep and whistle was getting closer. I heard the sound of a hammer hitting the electric poles from every corner. That man walked out of a dark corner. His black rain coat soaked with blood. His face was distorted from pain. There was some red liquid at the tip of the hammer.
It was blood… human’s blood.
The moment that I rushed out, this man was hit by the running car harshly. His body was thrown away so far. When the driver came down to check, he got up again with the killing weapon in his hand that crushed its prey’s bone into powder.
His life was exchanged with another innocent soul.
Nothing could stop him.
Anyone tried to stop him must die.
I tried to run away, but I’d used up all of my strength. I didn’t have any strength left to even walk another step. There was nowhere for me to escape or hide anymore.
Was this my ending?
Did I really have to die here all alone?
I turned my body away, lifting my arms to protect myself. The road might be dark. The fear squeezed my heart. However, I would never give up no matter how bad this situation would end.
I would never give up.
No way…
Even though I tried to tell myself that, there was only despair in my heart…
I was well aware of the truth… I… couldn’t escape.
Not anymore…
He moved closer with a disgusting smile. He rested the hammer on his shoulder briefly before lifted it over his head. The last raindrop hit the ground, breaking down into a small wave. I saw my reflection on the puddle beside me. My face twisted from fear, but the eyes were determined as ever.
The sun shone on the weapon as if a god was about to punish a puny human. The golden light caught my eyes. I closed my eyes, ready to face the upcoming ending of my life.
Dad… we just made amends, but my life had to end like this.
Ton… thanks for every moment we spent together. At least, in the last minute of my life… he didn’t have to be troubled because of me again…
Thank you…
Goodbye…
A tear dropped on the ground the second the hammer was swung down.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps from behind. Ton rushed out and grabbed my wrist before hit the mysterious man in the face. The man dodged fast, but the weight of the hammer dragged him to stagger behind. While he lost his balance, Ton carried me up and ran away.
I looked at him with surprise. Since I knew him, I’d never saw him like this.
“Y- you…” I wanted to say something, but my mind went blank.
“Shut up!” Ton scolded me. “And never do something stupid like that again.”
I nodded docilely. Ton sighed before looked back.
“He still follows us. I don’t know whether I can take you home in time.” Ton said. “When you went the other way, I already called the police. What we have to do now is to buy time before the police arrive.”
“Umm…” I stared at Ton without a blink. “You should let me down… I can walk.”
“Shut up.” Ton gritted his teeth. “If you can walk, you should run minutes ago. Don’t lie to me.”
Ton ran until we reached the next junction, he then lost his balance. The mud was slippery and took us down the low rise. I fell from his arms not far away and hit a stone pole of the bridge below. I cried out loud before Ton covered my mouth with his hand.
“Silent.” He whispered.
I nodded. My eyes brimmed with the tears from the pain.
The whistled got near. That man looked around slowly, using the sharp eyes to detect his escaped preys. My breaths stopped from fear. Just his appearance made me feel of disaster.
He walked around as if he could smell something good to eat. He walked to the left, looking into the alley behind a building before came back to the same spot. He stood there like he was thinking before turning to where we were hiding.
He walked over to us slowly. The sound of metal scratching with the cement ground was loud from above. Ton pressed me to him harder. His eyes looked at the mysterious man with wariness.
Three steps… Two steps… I counted the steps the man took to get closer to us.
…
One more step… Just another one…
Before he could have a look, the siren from the police car rang in the air. He looked at the source of the sound, hid the hammer at his back, and ran away.
Ton remained still in the same position. His eyes followed the mysterious man carefully. I tried to get free and made a sound in my throat in an attempt to tell him to let go of my mouth.
Ton looked at me seriously before realized that everything ended now. He stepped back swiftly. I took a few breaths greedily and coughed loudly.
“S- sorry.” Ton apologized.
“I- it’s okay,” I said with a rough voice. “I have to thank you even.”
“Thank me… for what?”
“It’s because of you…” I coughed out loud. “That we survive.”
“Oh, um… that’s fine.”
I wore a serious expression, stared into Ton’s eyes as if trying to excuse him. Ton stared back. Then, we laughed loudly.
“We made it!” Ton shouted gladly.
The tiredness from the earlier event made me dizzy. I laughed lightly before coughed a few more times. Ton got up energetically and brushed his clothes before extended his hand to me.
“It’s okay now.” He smiled. The shadow from the sun covered his face. “As I promised, princess, I’ll take you home.”
I looked at him in awe with a small smile was on my face and grabbed his hand with a feeling that was hard to describe.
He pulled me up and brushed the dirt off my hair before leading the way.
“Are you ready, princess?” He turned to ask me. “I’ll take you home.”
I smiled in reply and followed him slowly, feeling the warmth that went throughout my heart.
Every time I was with him, no matter what happened, I would feel safe.
We walked together in the sunlight. The storm was gone. Bright rays passed through the silver cloud. The air was fresh. The birds sang as if to celebrate our safety.
I leaned on Ton’s arm lightly. Ton looked at me with surprise before turned back to look ahead, letting me did as I wanted.
I prayed for the moment to last forever.