The Last of the Twenty: Broken Pawns

Chapter 2

"Kelly!" Raymond yelled the name without thinking, hoping in that split second that he would catch her off guard enough for Keith to be able to get out from under her and get away. After seeing her get up from being hit by a car like it was nothing Raymond only knew one thing for sure, that there was no possible way he would be able to stop the girl from attacking Keith, his only hope would be to distract her. Luckily for Keith it worked.

Kelly stopped moving instantly, an action that in her frenzied state was harder to do than anything she had done before. She had Keith on the ground, one hand pinning his right arm down to the pavement, the other holding his head down to expose his neck. She held her open mouth just inches from his neck, the sound of his pulse echoing throughout her body, tempting her to strike. For the longest couple of seconds of Keith's life she held still, until finally she gazed wide eyed at Raymond. For the first time the animal look on her face melted away, and as she looked at Raymond her bottom lip began to quiver just a little bit as recognition began to bring her humanity to the surface.  

"I remember you..." She whispered with a trembling voice, "You came to the hospital, didn't know how to use your phone..."

The car had struck her on the side, tearing her shirt nearly in half and exposing the damage the impact had caused. A large and deep gash ran from her shoulder all the way down the side of her ribs, ending inches above her hip, all surrounded by ugly black marks that were either bruises or dirt. Raymond had seen wounds like that before and knew her ribs must be broken in several places, it was a wonder her shoulder wasn't dislocated. She needed to get to the hospital, now. Raymond held out both hands, palms facing the girl who was still holding a struggling Keith down on the pavement. When Raymond spoke he spoke softly, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Yes, honey that was me, the silly old man who couldn't get into his messages." As he spoke Raymond felt his heart skip a beat, the gash that ran along the side of her body was starting to close itself, to heal right before his eyes. To Raymond it seemed as if some invisible surgeon were stitching it shut, an impossibility that made him question his own sanity. Was he in shock and seeing things? He didn't know. All he did know for the moment was he had to get the situation under control and get the girl to the hospital. Forcing his shock down he slowly started to get to his feet while he kept his hands held out to Kelly.

"It's alright, I promise we're only here to help you. Now, that young man you're pinning to the road, his name's Keith. Do you think you could do me a favor and let him back up? We could do a lot more for you if you're not on pinning one of us to the ground."

For just a split second Raymond didn't think she was going to let Keith up, it was almost as if she was a predator protecting her kill. Kelly's eyes became fierce once more and her grip on Keith seemed to tighten. Luckily for Keith the moment passed quickly and Kelly seemed to regain her composure. She looked from Raymond down to Keith, and, as if seeing him as a person for the first time, Kelly quickly let go of Keith and stood up. Her hands were trembling and an expression of genuine grief filled her face. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you."

Slowly she backed away from Keith, the ugly marks on her side had faded away and the gash had completely healed. Without the cuts and marks to draw his attention Raymond noticed the torn shirt exposed a lot more of her upper body than he thought proper. He quickly stripped off his own coat and held it out to her, hoping the action combined with his bright red face would tell her enough without him having to say anything. She stared at the coat without reaching for it, instead opting to look down at her trembling hands, then back to Raymond. "What's happening to me?" She asked, her voice breaking.

    The next thing Raymond knew Kelly seemed to vanish into thin air, then suddenly something hit him and knocked him over. Kelly wrapped her arms around Raymond with surprising strength, squeezing all air out of his lungs in one powerful movement. Raymond gasped, tapping Kelly on the back in an attempt to get her to loosen her grip. He tried to get up, tried to pry her arms from around him, but it was no use. Her arms were like steel cables and her body felt as heavy as concrete. She hugged him, her body shaking with sobs as she buried her face against Raymond's chest. Raymond was afraid she would break his ribs and back with the strength of her grip, visions of the poor nurse's broken wrist filled his mind as the girl cried on top of him.