Pagan Min

Blood for Bail

The cop car smells like shit. I guarantee if they ran a black light or something over the seats they'd discover this vehicle should be driven into a volcano. My things sit next to me in a small pink bag. What a revolting color. I think. Too bad I didn't have enough time to grab my dark green one I always used for my important fight nights. The windows are full of dirt, blood, and vomit molded together. The curvy roads throw me all over as they speed.

It's not until I am thrown into the side door that I realize my hands are bound. They glance back and then radio someone telling them something I don't understand. I use my elbow to lift myself up and feel the metal cuffs, then I notice us pass the police station lined with other police vehicles. I shake my head and ignore the pain as I ask, "Excuse me?" the two just face forward. "Excuse me... Where are we headed? Officer?" The passenger hits the cage when I ask that, yelling in some other language that sounds like grinding stones.

The driver glances back multiple times as he clarifies, "You not going to over night cell. You going to prison." then he laughs, "We just joking, you not actually go to prison. But to palace. I toy with you, not serious. In few months you be in fancy clothes and gold jewelry."

I lean back and think. I ain't wearing some fancy dress or expensive jewelry... Wait, Palace? But I killed eight people... I start to get lost in the memory of what happened, but when the first serious blood is spilled I shut my eyes and start to tear up. I ain't turning into no proper person with edicate. I ain't going to prison! "LET ME OUT!" My thoughts become shouting words of fear and anxiety.

I start to use my boot to break the back windshield. When it finally shatters, the driver quickly stops in the middle of the road and they both get out. I wiggle over the cutting glass, pink bag on my back, and roll off the trunk into the dirt. The passenger grabs and throws me back on the trunk, trying to shove me back inside. I send my foot into his jaw and he stumbles back, giving me enough time to get to my feet and maneuver around the driver. Just like in the ring. There's nothing to worry about, the only upper hand they have against you is a gun... That you know about.

I swipe the driver off his feet and take the keys on his belt, trying each one. The passenger guy puts up his fists, dancing with his feet. I imitate him and dance back, finally hearing the click from the cuffs as they fall to the ground. I lung forward, then back, multiple times to test his reaction time. Then I lung forward, step to the side, and push him where I used to be standing. The driver gets off the ground and puts on a pair of brass knuckles. Great, guns and brass knuckles. What next? I think too soon, the passenger spins a combat knife in his hand. Wonderful.

I get in my defensive stance and wait. They both come at me but I can't muscle up to stand my ground. Running to the hood of the car they chase after me yelling in that strange language I don't know. They finally get smarter than me and each go on one side. Frozen at the front bumper I look around and see civilians watching me with their children. When they get close I just book it up the hood and over the front windshield. Then try running up a large hill away from people. But I slide in the leaves, falling back to the cop's clutches.

I land on the one with the brass knuckles and rip them from his hands. The passenger comes at me with the knife and I immediately put up my arms, signifying I surrender. He sheaths his blade and gets behind me to cuff me again. Even though I'm scared shitless the adrenaline holding me together says to push on, just like in the ring. I hit his face with the back of my head, takes out the knife again and cuts me a couple times. As he comes closer to spill my guts I drop kick him.

Removing the combat knife I notice the other possibly useful gadgets on his belt and just take the entire slither of leather instead. As I run up the hill once more, this time grabbing the trees and rocks for support, the driver gets the rifle from the car and starts to shoot at me. The dirt around me flies up and the sound of ricocheting bullets make my cringe in fear. My heart must be beating a hundred times faster than before. I just wrap my hand around the last tree before the top when a numbing pain hits my shoulder. I slide down a foot or two but manage to get over the top.

Run! Run! Run and don't stop running! I think frantically as bushes hit me and trees fly by. I can still here the guards chasing me, shouting to each other. When I clear the brush my foot slips and I tumble into a raging river. The current drags me down, only to come up for short breaths full of water. Somehow I manage to keep the belt above water. Before I know it the bullets wiz by, when I look back u spot the two officers shooting from the bank. Suddenly the current doesn't bother me and I begin to help it take me away.

Blood leaves a trail when I look behind me, I trace it to my shoulder and see an open bullet wound. I start to cry, the numbness has passed and the water is starting to make it burn along with all my other cuts and scrapes. The police officers jump into the river when the bank stops and the river splits. One is sucked down the other path carved by the river but one still pursues me.

The officer starts to scream and paddle for shore but the current has taken him in the center. I look ahead and grow cold when I see a waterfall approximately two hundred feet away. It comes closer, making me feel less and less alive. The rocks become scarce and a tree lies to my right. If I can just make it there I might live. Paddling with all my might in one arm I catch the fallen tree and climb to shore, hoping to escape. I watch the man plunge into the abyss, screaming for his life.

Holding my head I start to cry. Why did I come here? I sit there for hours, I ripped my old flannel work shirt and bandaged my shoulder and torso. I wipe my face, throw on my duffle bag, and slowly make my way down. Steps have been carved into the cliff side with small statues and candles that have melted into trays. The waterfall is just a few feet away and makes the slanted steps wet and rounded at the end of the path. Near the bottom I slip and go tumbling down the rocks before hitting soil.

My vision turns to a blur. I see three of every figure and suddenly get real dizzy. I lie there on my side and watch some birds, their flaps seem slow and graceful. I smile, shutting my eyes and giving up. The pain is horrible, but I don't react. Death has me by the throat, but I refuse to fight back. My screams should be blocking out the constant chirps and roaring water, but I'm too out of breath. If fighting and killing has gotten me this far, then what happens if I refuse to fight?

My thoughts the best of me, I here gunfire, like small pops, and several loud booms that shake the ground. In the water there is splashing. Men and women crying, it sounds like the children are being carried away in the river. Others seem to be dieing. I hear the water pour off the ones who made it, but quickly a louder type of gunfire erupts and suddenly their heavy footsteps come to an end. I just lie there. Eyes closed, wounds bandaged, skin slowly starting to dry in the burning sun.

I open my eyes for a brief moment and see a helicopter shooting people down. An RPG fires from both sides while an MG mounted on the farthest side aims for the river. Mud and shells fall on me, it burns worse than a simple twenty two shell going down your shirt. I rise up and throw them off of myself. At least until an RPG hits close by and I am pushed farther down the river bank.

I feel something push me over, my back touches the cold ground and arm relaxes at my side. Good, it was just a dream. I feel the hard dirt crack on my face as my head rolls to the sky. A hand is under my head, holding it up so I'm elevated a little. I hear a man call from a distance, but my ears ring too loudly. A cold finger presses against my neck and shortly leaves. I fall back asleep and the next time I wake up I barely open my eyes. A very close and large bird hovers above me, it makes a beating sound and pushes the hot air onto me.

The hand is gone, so is the ringing sound. I can't move, my shoulder hurts so badly and my body has been deprived of food, water, and shade. My lips are split, tender with dryness. Which only makes me want to lick them more. But even if I did nothing would happen. My mouth is dry, lips are dry, and body frozen in pain.

The giant bird leaves from my sight but can still hear and feel the wind from it. It gets stronger before finally stopping. The beating slows down and the breeze stops. A pink figure stands above me and gets closer as it crouches down. Another figure, multi colored and blended in my blury vision, hands a blue thing to the pink guy. "Shhhh, sh sh sh." I suddenly feel the burning liquid hit my lips and tongue, I wince at first but the taste of water makes up for it. "Don't worry. It's okay, your safe now." My mouth and throat seem to absorb the liquid faster than a sponge. I remember to breath when he lifts the bottle back up and says, "I've been waiting for you."