Alternate 2020

Episode 5: Lost Labyrinth (1): Struggles and escape (3)

Time stopped.

I could see my life flashing right before my eyes. My seniors, my sixth form crush, my first mission... my father.

The bullet came closer each moment and I could see it spinning causing a ripple in the area around it.

"Was it one? or two?" I wondered. "Ah... either way... my life... does it end here...?" I gradually closed my eyes. "At least I can finally... finally rest in peace... see them..." Tears began to fill my eyes a little. "How... will I face them? They protected. They sacrificed. They gave me and lead me towards a good life... is this really the end?"

Was it the wind? I felt like my head tilting a little as if it was jerked off its path. But then, my body followed. I was losing balance. My right foot lifted off the floor as I fell sideways; my eyes tightly shut.

Although my ears continued to ring, from the effects of the flashbang, I could hear the sound of the final shot - the final bullet approaching me from the front. But not anymore, a second shot.

*Bang*

But, this time, I heard it from behind me.

"Did the three soldiers, behind me, regain their senses? Ah... am I being bombarded with bullets from the front and back...? This blazer... it was new as well..."

From the shot behind me, I tried to at least stand balanced but I couldn't. I stumbled, stepped on the flashbang - rolling on the ground - slipped and fell even faster than before.

Everything was going sideways. A fitting end for me.

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Bang*

Three more shots and I fell on to the ground. It didn't hurt. I didn't feel any pain.

"Is this how people feel when they are about to die? Ah... I can finally rest..."

"Y-..."

I could barely hear the echoing of the shots in my ears.

"Y..."

My eyes were still closed. "That's right," I thought. "I should keep my eyes closed, I should at least die with dignity."

"Yo. Are you gonna lie there until the sun sets?"

"What is this? Hallucination before death?" I thought.

"Come on... get your senses back..."

"Ah... maybe the last struggle? The last battle for my soul before it's taken away by the shinigami[1]? Maybe I should try... maybe I should just give up... It doesn't hurt either way... no pain... it was a peaceful death..."

"Yo. I said get up... we gotta go. Now open your eyes."

"If the shinigami is here... maybe I should take one last look before he takes my soul. I would have no regret..." I told myself slowly opening my eyes.

It was dark. The surrounding was dark but I could see a black figure. The ripples in his clothing, the black hands holding something.

"Maybe a scythe? Just like those books and animes I read and watched," I muttered. "Are you... here to take me?"

"Yeah, I am. Now let's get going," the figure said reaching his hand towards me.

"It's the end... he will take my soul..." I closed my eyes and told myself but then my body yanked and my head lifted from the ground. I opened my eyes in surprise and my head was facing up towards the bright sky. My soul was ripped out from my body yet I could still feel my legs. A circular thing covered the light shining towards me like an eclipse.

"Hey... wakey wakey... let's go~"

I focused a little and I saw him. The face of the man I saw before. "This was not the last thing I wanted to see before my death... why are you so cruel to me?" I muttered.

"Hey, hey... now that's harsh!"

The figure shifted a little and I could finally see properly through the contrasting lights. I tilted my head sideways and looked at my hands. "I'm... still..." I shakingly said.

"Yeah, you're still alive."

Tears filled my eyes. "*Sob* *Sob* *Sob*..."

"Now let's get going, we've caused enough chaos here... they'll be here soon."

He slowly let go of me and my legs trembled restlessly; I was weak from what just happened.

Lifting my head once more, I looked around. The first soldier I shot was lying on the ground while another soldier was lying beside him. "You..."

"Yeah, I did it, now let's go."

Turning my head, I glanced towards the other three soldiers. They were also lying on the ground but with their helmets on. "How...?"

I limped over towards them and slowly, I took a glimpse at their faces. Their face masks were still on but it was stained.

A pool of blood continued to flow out scattering across the ground beneath them; it seeped into the cracks of the ground forming a tree-like pattern.

Looking slightly closer, I noticed their necks were slit. They had deep, red, fresh wounds imbued into them. The straight edges of the wounds and position of it reflected on the accuracy, swiftness and sharpness of the blade.

I turned my head towards the 'yo' guy and stared into his hands. He wasn't holding a blade. I looked again across his body.

"Where is it?" I muttered. "It's definitely his doing... where did he hide it?" I started to bite my nails a little.

"Are you ready? Let's go."

"Ah... yes..." I said slowly.

He reached out his hand. "Here."

I placed my hand on the black gloves, he was wearing, and then got up. We proceeded to walk away from the scene avoiding direct visuals with the other groups of soldiers while we lurked in the shadows.

*****

[1] 'Shinigami' means Grim Reaper or death god.