Chain Me

Always on the Clock

                              -------------------------

     The temporary reprieve of violence that my first mission afforded me slowly ebbed away over the next two or so weeks. But the relaxed attitude that took me over allowed me to get closer to Kahlan than ever before. She didn't get scared when I got a little too close, but she doesn't seem to understand that I ache to touch her, even innocently. She never touched me, in any way. In fact, she seemed to take great care not to, and I didn't understand why. When I gulped in her presence or offered my services in any way possible, I just wanted to be near her, to catch her scent, to gaze at her beautiful red locks. I wanted to fill the need that her lack of touch caused.
     It's not all bad, though. Now I'm certain that Kahlan trusts me a little more, even if there is still a smidge of doubt in her. I think she's waiting for me to snap or possibly jump her when she least expects it. I won't, but I understand why she would feel that way. I was too tense to be around before and me snapping was a slight possibility. But that's not the case anymore. I've calmed dramatically and am perfectly safe to be near.
     I tuck my feet under my butt for warmth and hum as I channel surf on the newest addition to the apartment- a television. It's probably the best addition we could get since it gives me something to do and distracts me when I get too anxious. It also keeps me in one spot when Kahlan wants to go out and have some time to herself. I don't know what she does, but she comes back in a good mood. Sometimes her hair is done or she has some kind of sweet for me. It says a lot that she's willing to leave me alone and I truly appreciate the show of trust. Though I know she asks Emma, Cas, or Mariam to keep an eye on the apartment to see if I leave as a precaution if she's going to be gone for a long time, as is the case today.
     "Here's the popcorn," Emma says cheerily, plopping down next to me on the couch. She's been asked by Kahlan to watch me today, much to the chagrin of Cas, who was called for duty about three hours ago and still isn't back. Mariam's gone, too, with Cas. Emma didn't even have to see me, but she came over, saying she was finished with her school work and was bored.
     "Thank you," I tell her, eyes on the television screen. There was supposed to be a documentary on tonight about the second world war that I wanted to see but I can't find it. I didn't get out much then and want to know what I missed.
     "I think it's on the history channel," Emma says, knowing what I'm looking for.
     "I already checked," I mumble, starting to frown.
     "Then maybe it's not on yet."
     I hum, disgruntled. Perhaps I've missed the documentary already and am wasting time. If that's the case, then oh well. I did want to see it but I was really hoping that it'd be over by the time Kahlan got home and I could give her some fun facts.
     "You're funny," Emma chuckles softly.
     "I haven't done anything."
     "No, I mean... Nothing. I can't believe Cas doesn't want me around you. You're so nice."
     I stop trying to find the documentary and shrug. "She doesn't like me much."
     Emma grunts and rolls her eyes. "She doesn't like anyone much."
     "She likes you," I point out. There's some type of cartoon on the TV, with talking animals in pants. Modern entertainment sure has gotten strange, but amusing.
     "She didn't like me at first," Emma says, moving beside me to get more comfortable. "Maybe she'll like you eventually, too."
     I chuckle at the little octopus in trousers and settle the popcorn Emma made in my lap and pop a salty kernel in my mouth. "I don't want her to like me the way she likes you," I say. The octopus gets his tentacles tangled and I chuckle again. "I'm not sure Kahlan would like that, either, or you. You're monogamous, yes?"
     "Yes, but that's not what I meant. Wait, you're really that cool with polyamory?"
     "Why wouldn't I be?" A bunny with pink underwear and a bad attitude helps her octopus friend free himself from, well, himself.
     "I don't know. It's sort of taboo..."
     Emma's voice trails off and the bunny and octopus on screen suddenly shift out of focus. My ears prick at an unusual noise a floor down and I abandon the popcorn on the coffee table in favor of trying to figure out why my skin is crawling. An eerie feeling makes me shiver, and I recognize the sensation as an alert.
     Something dangerous is happening in my home.
     "Lost?" Emma says, her voice seeping into my skull.
     I quickly stand and jog out of the apartment, leaving a flabbergasted Emma behind. My footsteps are quiet as I run to the stairwell, skipping the elevator since running would be faster, and I hop down the first flight, just missing Hakeem's head.
     "Whoa!" he exclaims, leaning back into the stairs behind him and dropping the notebook in his lap. "That was awesome!"
      I turn to him before jumping the next few stairs and say, "Go home. Things are going to get wild." Then I throw myself down the stairs to the floor where I heard the disturbance and run on. The hall on this floor is empty and I slow to better listen.
     "Hey!"
     I turn at Hakeem's voice and frown at him. "I told you to go home."
     He runs to me then stops, breathing fast. "What's going on?"
     My ears twitch, the noise that made my skin crawl before sounding again. I leave Hakeem and sprint to the apartment. Hakeem has followed me, moving his short legs as fast as they can go. "Who lives here?" I ask him, looking down at the scratched up lock. It's been picked.
     "Um," he breathes, scrunching his nose. "That guy, I think his name is Carl. He's always alone. His wife is in the army or something."
     A crash makes Hakeem jump and his eyes widen. "Stay here," I tell him sternly. Then I enter the apartment, shutting the door behind me simply so Hakeem won't try to follow me.
     It's dark, and there's a television droning on somewhere, a soft scuffling coming from one of the bedrooms as an undertone. Growling, I make my way to the bedroom and peek inside. There's a dark figure hunched over on the large bed inside, a man in boxers beneath him, both of them fighting for dominance. I push open the door fully and leap at the intruder to send him stumbling to the floor. He grunts as I land on top of him, and I yank and prod him until he's flopping on his stomach with his arm held behind him.
     "These are my people," I snarl. Kahlan brought me here to protect this building, among other things, and I take the job very seriously. "Harm them and I harm you."
     The man in the boxers coughs and starts calling for help, scrambling out of bed and running out of the room. The slight distraction has me looking away and I find an elbow jammed just under my chin, making me bite my tongue. I hunker down over the intruder, grabbing his offending elbow, and lay his arm down straight. Pressing my knee against his bicep, I grab his hand and tug upwards, snapping his arm at the elbow in one swift motion. He cries out, shrill and frightened, and wriggles fiercely beneath me.
     "Lost!" I barely hear Emma shriek.
     I turn my head towards her, holding tightly to the intruders broken arm. Emma takes a startled step back but doesn't flee like I thought she would.
     "K-kahlan's on her way. Don't..."
     My hand grasps the back of the intruder's head and I press his face into the carpet to silence him and his ugly sobs. "These are my people," I growl at Emma. "I protect my own."
     Emma nods as if she understands, then she wets her lips nervously. "I get that, and you have protected your people. The man that lives here? He's fine. You did that."
     "I did," I agree, pushing the intruder's face harder into the carpet. My knee on his bicep grows heavier, and I'll probably break his arm again if I'm not careful.
     "You did. So why don't you come back home now? Kahlan will be expecting you."
     I hesitate, not wanting to disappoint Kahlan. But the intruder attempted to take one of mine and that won't go unpunished. "I will bring her his head," I tell Emma.
     "No, no!" Emma pleads. "Wait, just... Uhm... Look, look! Kahlan's here!"
     Hands already firmly gripping the sides of the intruder's head, I look up to find Kahlan staring at me, her hair slightly wind blown and her breathing faster than usual. "Lost?" she implores, her eyes flicking to the twisted arm I caused.
     "He tried to hurt one of mine," I explain. "When you first asked me here, you told me I'd have a new neighborhood to protect. I'm doing it."
     Kahlan licks her lips and glances behind her. "That's good. Really good. But we need to go home, okay?"
     I let go of the intruders head but remain sitting on top of him. His sobs have turned to pained groans. "And him?"
     "The police will be here in a few minutes. You can't be here when they arrive. I'll take care of everything, so please go home."
     Narrowing my eyes, there's only a moment's hesitation before I stand and leave the intruder on the floor. He moans but doesn't try to get up. "I don't want you near him," I tell Kahlan boldly, my anger making me defiant.
     Kahlan looks surprised, her eyebrows shooting up, and my boldness suddenly seeps away, replaced with meek apology. "Wait for me at home," Kahlan says instead of scolding me.
     I nod and walk out of the bedroom. The man in the boxers, the one who lives here, I guess, is sitting in the living room with a phone held tightly in his hands. A red mark is already forming around his throat and he's shaking. When he looks up at me as I pass his mouth opens but no sound comes out. I nod at him politely and leave his place, going to go home like Kahlan told me to.
     "Are you okay?" Hakeem asks, his face pale. He must have been waiting out here, listening to all the commotion.
     Sirens echo outside the building and I lead Hakeem to the stairwell entrance with me. "Fine. Why didn't you go home?"
     "I wanted to make sure you were okay. Your friend came looking for you, all scared. It made me scared."
     I start ascending the stairs, going slow so Hakeem can keep up with me. "It would make me scared if you got hurt. Go home next time."
     "You think there's going to be a next time?"
     I sigh, opening the stairwells door to our floor and letting Hakeem go through first. "There's always a next time," I tell him sadly.