Daydreaming

Part 2

"Let me make this clear," I told everyone. "If you don't want to come, then fine. But that won't stop me from going alone. I made her a promise and there's no way I will ever break it. I've got to at least try."

Paul sighed and realized he was defeated by my words.

"Come on guys," he said. "She's right. I'm going."

"Me too," The rest said.

We decided to search all the shops and restaurants in the building for the masked man and the belongings of the old lady. And I grabbed that one dress I've always wanted from one of the stores. No, I didn't steal it, I put money on the counter! What sort of thief do you think I am? Yana was freaking out and was panicking that we would get attacked out of nowhere, which didn't happen. She can get pretty paranoid sometimes.

We walked through a slightly narrower hallway than usual. We all had the feeling as if someone was following us. We turned around and no one was there. We turned back around and realized that the man in black was standing right in front of us, aiming at us with the same gun as before. Maybe this guy was some sort of serial killer?

"RUN!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, and everyone followed my command. We ran the other way, which formed a chase. Us being the chased, the masked man being the chaser. Thankfully, we found a staircase and ran up it. Seconds later we found ourselves on the second floor. I ran a little distance behind Paul and the rest had a VERY big lead, and they ran into a room, I couldn't see which exactly. We ran swiftly, but I felt someone's foot, presumably the man's, hit my lower back. In pain, I fell down to the floor. I was bleeding. The masked man came closer to me with anger in his dark eyes. He put his hands around my throat and moments later he was choking me. Next thing I know, I feel my feet not touching the ground. He was hanging me, in some kind of way. It seems like my life is flashing in front of me, even though it has lasted very shortly. I was done for. Nothing could save me, he was too strong. I feel myself losing conscience.

"NO!" I hear Paul shout. He tried to come closer to the man but stopped as soon as the masked man held me tight by the arm and pointed his gun at my head. Fortunately, he wasn't choking me anymore, unfortunately, HE WAS POINTING A FREAKING GUN AT ME.

"If you take another step, boy," the masked man said. "I will kill this girl."

"So what?" Paul said. "If I don't take a step, you'll kill her anyways. It's worth trying." Paul winked at me, and I knew perfectly well what that meant. He was distracting him. "Listen, you stay away from this girl. I need her in my life. She's my friend," he explained but Paul didn't get to finish because I kicked the masked man right in his balls, as hard as I possibly ever could have done. I never knew something like that would feel this good. He fell onto the ground, in more pain than I could ever imagine and let me and the gun go. Once I snatched the gun before he could grab it himself, I just stared at it for a few seconds, not knowing what to do next. I didn't know how to handle a gun and I didn't want to hurt people! That was no problem because the mall was empty and I just hurt this man by freaking kicking him in the balls, so I was fine.

"Give me that," Paul said. "We'll need it." I threw it carefully and he put it in his pocket like a real cowboy would. We heard the masked man grunting in anger, trying to get up and kill us once and for all. "We have to run," Paul said.

"Not now, I have something to settle," I said.

"You mean, WE have something to settle?" He said and I smiled.

"Where did you take the old woman's grandson?" I asked but it sounded more like a command. He remained silent. "I demand an answer!"

"He got away," he said. "He was too clever. Just like me..." And he started running away as fast as he could, which was faster than both of us ever could run.

"We will have to catch that guy," I ordered.

"Come on, Reign. You can't go on with the wound you have," Paul said.

"We have to," I said. "I promised--"

"We still have time. You should rest," Paul said. "I'll take care of you."