"I definitely just heard a scream." Caia was anxiously looking down the stairs as she talked to Ruben.
"C'mon mate', it's that wanker makin' another scene. No need for ya to get concerned."
"I know, but I think we should go check it out." Caia's voice was brimming with worry.
"Hey, I just found this stash' here, need to make good use of it ya kno'? I won't be going with ya, Missy. But ya are free to check it out yourself. Maybe find ya some good ol' gold or somethin'!"
"Yeah, I guess so." Caia dismissively said.
She began to descend the stairs slowly, until she heard loud screams, commands this time. This prompted her to come down more rapidly.
This jackass had better not have gotten himself into more trouble, she thought. She might just have to beat his ass up again.
She walked down the hall and wondered what kind of bullshit she'd be met with, before stopping dead in her tracks.
There stood a man at the door, his back turned to her.
She didn't recognize who it was, but that rough voice was definitely not Ethan's.
He continued yelling at someone.
Her eyes snapped open with shock as she looked down the hall.
She looked around aimlessly, she needed something, anything to defend herself with. She found a large metal pipe lying on the ground, jackpot.
With some hesitation, she picked it up as she slowly approached the scene.
Each step she took was with caution. She got closer and closer and closer until, she was close enough to see the fact of the man he was interrogating, it was Ethan.
His loud yells didn't allow him to hear her footsteps, until he stopped shouting and noticed her presence.
Noticing that she had made a mistake, she immediately sprung at him, and with full force she swung the metal pipe aiming for his head.
It hit and what followed was a sharp lingering sound of metal with the faint sound of a crack that only Caia heard.
The man suddenly collapsed on the floor and seized all movements. He never made a sound, not a limp, nor even a feeble whimper.
He just collapsed, just like that. His life stolen from him.
A corpse, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling.
Blood was uncontrollably gushing out from his head that had been split open by the impact.
The metal pipe slipped from her hand after realization of her actions.
What had she done? She had killed someone, again, ruthlessly without thinking.
Of all the things that went through her mind, the singular question that persisted was why.
Why, why, why, why, why, why, WHY? Why had this happened?
She didn't know what to do, and could only stand there, lamenting and questioning, why?
Why was it always her? Why did she have to be the one to experience this?
His scalp had been torn open, the thick pool of dark red wouldn't stop, why wouldn't it stop? WHY WOULDN'T HE GET UP?
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What had she done? WHY? Why had she fallen back again? How was she any different from them? No matter how hard she tried,
Even if she fought back and. Even. If. She. KILLED. She would never be able to do anything. She would whimper and scream and run and cry and retaliate and eventually fall back down in vain.
She fell to her knees with a great force. She was shaking, uncontrollably. Overwhelming dread and panic was the only thing she knew how to do.
She was whimpering again, her stomach wrenched, her throat was burning, her eyes were tearing, her body felt limp with constant involuntary sporadic movements.
Powerless.
That is what she had always been. Even now all she could do was quiver, shake uncontrollably.
Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting.
That was the only word that circled through her mind.
She glanced at her hands, the same crimson red seeped into them.
She couldn't look at it, it terrified her. Reminded her, it reminded her of her own powerlessness. Always being too late to act and when she did, all it left behind was shame. She was no different than of those who had wrong her, those who had pushed her down and forced her to watch.
"No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO NO,NO." Why? Why was she screaming again? It had never made a difference, it would never made a difference.
She was experiencing it again, the same agony, despair, anguish, desperation, hopelessness. It was flooding her again. Yet, all she did was scream, and even they grew raspy with each second until she couldn't scream anymore.
Her vocal cords gave out on her.
The screams stopped and what was left was the burning heat, she felt as if her organs were boiling, her body felt as if it were in agonizing pain. That same gut wrenching feeling again, but this time she couldn't control it. She fell to the side and she puked.
She gasped for air again and again, her irregular breathing along with her vision blurry vision had doomed her. All she could hear was the monotonous high-pitched screech ringing in her ears.
Then why? Why did she look back at the body? And why did she see her. The face that had raised her and been with her.
The body had miraculously lifted up its head and it looked at Caia, and that face, it was a face she had known.
It never had a smile.
So, why? WHY WAS IT SMILING AT HER?
That same face that she had spent her early days with, that had loved her unconditionally but never showed it. That same face that had been rendered unable to smile. Why now?
The smile, it haunted her, the fact glared at her.
She looked at it with desperation, yet with a lingering feeling of hope. Hope that she would see them again. She could see her aunt, alive and well but smiling for the first time in her life.
"But you know that isn't possible, is it?" She heard a voice echo through her mind.
She didn't care about it. She only wanted to see them again.
She looked back at the body, the same smiling face that she remembered. For the first time in months, she felt relief and comfort until she saw the minor contortions.
The hair slowly shed off, the ears closed down on themselves, the eyes turned black, the mouth drooped lower than it ever could.
The face turned into an unimaginable amalgam of flesh that melted, those caring eyes that had once stared deep into her heart fell out and dangled before her, the partially broken teeth fell off one by one and the smile blended into a murky red pool.
She didn't want this, she needed to do something, she needed to protect her.
"Caia! CAIA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" The same irritating voice.
But maybe, just maybe it would help her.
No, no it wouldn't. It would end up the same as before.
She couldn't get up, yet she pushed herself. Her movement was irregular and distraught, yet she moved.
She ran into the other room, she needed to find something quick.
Her hands swooped around the counter, she heard faint sounds of things breaking, falling off, but she didn't care.
She found it, a glass bottle. She needed to return.
"Caia! Please, please answer me, what is happening. Please, just look at me" Pleaded a desperate Ethan but to no avail.
She watched him get closer to her, and for a second, she wanted to accept but she couldn't.
He said he wanted to help her, but his concerned eyes seemed only self-serving to her.
"DON'T GET ANY FUCKING CLOSER."
"Caia! What is happening to you? It's me Ethan, please look at me. I can help."
"I SAID BACK AWAY!".
Her raspy voice was barely a yell, but she made up for it my smashing the back of the bottle on the counter. It hurt, her hand was bleeding, but she didn't care. She held the broken end of the bottle in front of her.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
She swung the bottle at him, luckily Ethan sprawled back avoiding critical injury, but it left a large cut on his arm.
Her eyes glared at him, and Ethan stared back. He saw those empty eyes that raged with fury, not because of frustration, but because of grief. Her eyes were tearing uncontrollably, it made it difficult for her to see.
"Dear lord, what in the goddess's name is happenin here?"
She heard a familiar voice, she saw behind Ethan a silhouette of a large man closing up on the door.
"Missy, calm down. I beg ya."
Fear, unimaginable fear, the fear of loss, of intense grief, of sheer brutality, the fear of no mercy.
She couldn't take it anymore, the same blaring sounds, the fear, the grief, the blood.
The silhouette approached her, it murmured something, but she could never hear what it said. She collapsed on the floor as her body couldn't bear any longer. The last thing she heard was the young man calling her name, over and over and over again.
"OH GOD, SHIT. NO, WHAT THE HELL MAN, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?" Ethan's hysteria was apparent in his voice. But this wasn't the time to be cowering in fear, but he still wanted to forget all of it and run.
He wanted to run away from all of this. But he couldn't.
The person that was slumped over in front of him was the very person who had saved his life, not just now but many times before. Her rigid attitude that she always showcased, he hated it but he couldn't let her die.
"Aye! She's bleedin!".
Ethan dropped everything he had on him. Nothing mattered more right now than Caia at that moment.
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her forehead trying to stop it from bleeding.
He lifted her up, but his arm failed him, he was still shaking but he got up, it hurt, it hurt more than anything. But he knew that if he didn't do anything right now then the regret would hurt him more than anything else in the world.
"Wait" Ruben stopped him.
He took Caia from Ethan's arms as he lifted her up and positioned her on his back.
"We need to go. NOW!" Ethan signaled to him as they rushed out of the building.
She was bleeding more; the blood slowly seeped into the jacket as its color changed to one of red.
Her breathing was also irregular and ghastly.
Ruben was running, but his pace slowed down as they reached the door. He clicked his tongue as he yelled at Ethan.
"AYE! Where did ya drop that bag?"
"What bag?" Ethan stood flabbergasted.
"The bag ya had, where did it go?"
Ethan wa dumbfounded. Had this man gone insane?
"ARE YOU SHITTING ME? CAIA'S BLEEDING RUBEN! RUN FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"
"I said for ya to get the bag, I'll be the one runnin, you have no part in it."
Ethan was on the verge of tears, with his furious expression he glared at Ruben, his eyes begging him to run.
"RUN! I'll get the bag." He said begrudgingly.
He ran back with haste. He found the bag slumped on the floor. He bent down to pick it up, he did but it slipped from his hands. He picked it up, but once again it slipped. He finally picked it up and rushed outside, seeing Ruben running towards the town.
He followed him without a second thought; he would do everything he needed to do anything he could, he needed to save Caia.
When they finally entered into the town, they wasted no time getting to the workshop, Ruben kicked the door open as he rushed inside, putting Caia on the couch. Her wound was still bleeding.
Ethan's sharp focus made him unable to grasp the presence of the two other men in the room.
Alkeid quickly stood up and ran towards Caia, her grave condition turned his once smiling face into a grimace bought about by worry.
He contemplated questioning Ethan but he was already on his way, that was until the other man blocked him.
"Where do you think you are going? We asked you to pay up remember. Where is the money that belongs to me?
Ethan did not have time for this; he instantly lashed out on the man that wore the lavish clothing and held a broken medallion close in his hands.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY."
"Hey! Do you have any idea who you are talking to? I am Madoc Abott, THE Madoc Abott. I will spare you just this once but do that again and I will bury your head ten feet under the ground."
"I SAID, GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY."
Ethan's rage blinded him to the point where he violently pushed the rich man aside, the rude ordeal prompted Madoc to immediately stop and berate Ethan, but he was grabbed by a hand, "Let 'em go" Was what he said.
Madoc instantly shook back in fear by those simple words of intimidation.
Outside the workshop, Ethan struggled to run normally. His head was ringing. He didn't know what to do. He needed a doctor. That's right he needed someone to attend to Caia's wounds.
But where would he find one? Was there even a doctor in this desolate town? No, he didn't have the time to think.
His throat was dried up and he was gasping for air, he couldn't speak, his mouth wouldn't move. He hit himself, and forced his jagged jaw to move.
"A DOCTOR! DOES ANYONE OF YOU KNOW ONE! PLEASE! MY FRIEND- SH- SHE'S DYING!" He yelled as loud as he could.
He approached every person he saw with his distress written on his face. Each one of them pushed him aside, he acted like a maniac.
"I don't know, get away from me!" A man rebuked.
"Get out, get out now!" A woman admonished
"No, please leave me alone!" A child yelled.
None of them helped him, heard him. He fell on the street, he didn't know what to do. His tears never stopped. Why was this happening? What sins was he atoning for?
Who would help him? Everyone he approached barked at him to scurry away.
Who had he met in this town that would tell hear him out and help him?
His mind clicked, "Nicodemus" One name, this one name sparked him to rush to the shop. His hectic nature thew everyone who saw him off.
Had he gone insane? They wondered. But some of them, showed pity, they looked at him with sympathy in their eyes while others simply feigned disgust.
He was on the brink of insanity as he ran towards the shop, it was his only chance, Nicodemus would help him right? He would surely listen to him.
Torment, this is what it was. This is what Ethan believed it to be as he stared dumbfounded at the closed shop.
What was he going to do? Where would he go now? Who would help him?
He was in the middle of the street, his head between his legs as he tried to stop his shivers and cries. No one approached him.
He ravaged through his memories, trying to find anything, something that would lead him out of his misery.
"-if you ever wish to find me just come to the old clocktower at the edge of town."
The same words echoed through his mind. That wretched old man.
The clocktower, he could barely see it. He had no other choice. He pulled himself together and once again ran relentlessly towards the clocktower.
Time was ticking, with each second gone by, the closer Caia got to critical condition.
He murmured under his breath, for the first time in his life, he begged to god for a solution.
And that solution came in the form of the old man who was meandering outside the watch tower, attending to his small garden.
"Oh? Young lad, we met much quicker than I had expected."
Ethan got his eyes off the ground and hit his face again, "Do...Do you know a doctor? My friend, she needs help." He was out of breath.
The man's eyes narrowed with contemplation. He studied Ethan's face with great inspection.
"Please, Please help me!" He begged. He didn't care if it seemed pathetic, he only wanted a solution.
"Head straight from here." The man spoke calmly and firmly.
"Take a left turn when you see the large trading post, it is marked by bright red paint. You'll find the clinic there."
Ethan's eyes lit up with gratitude, but he didn't say anything, he just turned around and ran.
He ran and ran and ran, not to elude his problems, not to run away from himself like every time, he ran not for himself, but for the life of the friend he couldn't bear losing.
The rest of the pathway was a blur, he could barely see anything around him. His breathing was ragged, his legs were searing with pain, but partially due to his daze and partially the adrenaline that rushed through his body, he saw the Trading Post in sight, he took a sharp left turn and saw the clinic.
He ran up to the door and started banging on it, he wanted someone to answer, anyone.
Just then a girl opened the door, she had light brown hair with subtle undertones of black. Her expression was one of confusion.
She saw Ethan at the door struggling to breathe and assumed that he needed medical attention.
"Hey, are you alright? Come in, I can trea-"
"M-My friend.... they're dying.... Please, help."
The girl's expression grew serious, she went inside and grabbed her medical supplies and yelled,
"Mama! I'll be back in a few hours!"
Silence.
She hurried outside as she saw an Ethan in appalling condition, but he didn't bring it up and only told her to follow him.
He ran back again, this time with hope.
He soon fell behind the girl that was supposed to follow him, he couldn't run anymore, his legs gave out on him, he almost fell down but he forced himself to get up.
"Hey, Hey! You're legs! You're are going to seriously injury yourself like this!"
"We need to go." Those were the only 4 words he said to her.
His nose started bleeding, both nostrils were flowing with blood intensely. he wiped it off with his forearm and got up again. His legs cracking with each step.
He reached the house and opened the door; the girl was quick to catch up and went inside.
One glance, one glance was all it took for her to tell Caia's terrible condition. With precision, she settled down her tools and started examining her.
"We tried to stop the bleeding, but it didn't work." Said Alkeid.
"No, it greatly helped. If she had bled anymore then she would have been in critical condition."
Ethan could do nothing but watched as the girl, with utmost precision stabilized Caia's condition.
She had appeared almost like a guardian, a god sent. And he thanked her deeply from his heart. He didn't know how he would ever repay her.
Alkeid got up as he looked at Ethan, he smiled and Ethan smiled back at him, and shortly after, the adrenaline in his body wore off and he collapsed to the ground.