Things that Go Bump in the Night

Chapter 23: Things I Didn't Expect.

Chapter 23:

“Attack me.” Carlos commanded as we faced each other in the center of our makeshift dueling area. He had already wrapped both of our hands in light boxing wraps and was watching me with a hard gaze that was too calculating for my tastes. I looked him over.

The six-foot-five, 200 pound man who looked like nothing but a bunch of muscle wanted me to attack him? Suddenly I felt something foreign creep onto my face and my body became oddly relaxed.

“Why is she smiling?” Sasha asked from the side lines, otherwise known as the couch. No one had time to answer her though before I had grabbed the closest thing within my reach, which happened to be a cushion from one of the armchairs, and thrown it at him, distracting him before I swung out, sucker punching him right in the gut.

 I didn’t expect that.

I hadn’t expected to be able to hit him that easily. Because of that I hadn’t thrown the punch full force. I had sucker punched a classmate of mine in high school once for grabbing me as I walked out of a class and the wimp had curled up like a big baby and almost cried. Carlos didn’t even seem to flinch. He just took the hit, like he was testing to see how much force I would put into it.

Before I could even fully withdraw from the swing his hands flashed forward and I suddenly found myself in a securely locked hold. He had twisted himself around so that my back was pressed against him, his arms locked around me like fetters, holding me so tight that it hurt.

“I like your style, but you should never holdback  from a good hit.” He chuckled into my ear, making me thrash against him to try to break free. He was so strong, his grip was like freaking iron. “Because if that is all you’ve got, you will be powerless…useless to defend yourself….like you are right now.”

His arms tightened around me for emphasis and I felt something snap inside of me. I didn’t know whether it was the fact that a man was touching me or that he had just called me out on everything I had been feeling for the last several days. The powerlessness, the sense of defeat and worthlessness that made me want to cry and kill something at the same time.  But in that moment, it wasn’t Carlos behind me, it was the Monster and I couldn’t stop the violence that burst through me in that one instant.

I cracked my head back right into his face.

The satisfying sound of cartilage crunching was like music to my ears. His arms loosened and I jammed my elbow into his side with as much power as I possibly could, forcing him off of me. 

I was facing him then, halfway across the room, crouched in a defensive position with anger pouring out of me like magma from an erupting volcano. I wanted to hurt him again and if he had tied to touch me once more I would have.

But he didn’t.

The man just stood there with a look of approval stretched on his face underneath the blood pouring out of his now broken nose.

“Excellent.”

Right after he spoke, Sasha was suddenly by his side her face pale with shock as she looked at his newly rearrange facial features.

“Oh my God, Carlos, she broke your nose.” She gaped. “Kyrie, Kyrie, get in here please!” she called frantically. Blood was already dripping onto the carpet, leaving red blotches on the white fabric.

And that was what broke me out of my enraged stance.

“Shit. Carlos I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I blabbered as I stood out of my crouch and took another step back. Carlos waved his hand at me with a dismissive expression.