The Remains

XLVI - Cecilia

 I brandished my nice, new knife.

He pulled out a nightstick from his belt, and twirled it. "You know, I'm really happy it's this way. I want you to feel every iota of control I have over you, as you die. In your final moments, you will belong to me."

The whisper stuttered. Walk forwards.

I started towards the cop. He raised an eyebrow, and raised his nightstick. My mouth tasted sour. I kept walking forwards. He was only ten metres away now. Then five meters.

The whisper crackled to life. Duck left.

The cop launched towards me, and swung the nightstick. I dropped to the ground, just to the left of his charge. The stick swished above my head.

Roll backwards. I twisted, and flicked my legs back over my head. I heard the stick clatter against the cobblestones where my head had been.

Jump right. I dove to the right, and heard the stick smash into the cobbles again. Stab at head height. I lunged forwards, and jabbed the cop in the thigh with the knife. He smiled.

Jump backwards. I pushed my body weight backwards. The cop stepped forwards, and slammed his boot into my collar bone. I flew backwards, and skidded on the cobbles. My hands tingled. I shook my head, and stood up.

The cop prodded the wound on his leg. "The other man in here is screaming because of that." He unholstered a pistol, and pointed it at my head. "I liked it better when he was quiet."

The voice stuttered. Obey, and survive. I focused on the voice. Let it consume me.

The cop poked the stab mark with the barrel of the gun, before pointing it at my head again. "Such a shame, such a waste. You would've been fun."

Move head right. I jerked my head to the right. There was a loud crack, and something zipped past my left ear.

Right foot behind left foot. I dragged my foot around. Another gunshot. Something hummed past my chest.

Left foot forwards. I stepped forwards. The bullet zipped through where my head was.

Duck. I dropped to the cobbles.

Right. A bullet ricocheted off the cobbles where I had been moments before.

Jump up. I leapt upwards. Another bullet ricocheted off the cobbles beneath me.

Backwards. I backpedalled across the alleyway, until I hit the opposite wall. The cop fired three shots in rapid succession.

Push away. I shoved away from the wall. Another shot hummed past my head.

Run towards the cop. I sprinted towards the cop. The gun clicked. Empty. The man recoiled in surprise, and pulled out the magazine. I was five metres away from him.

Keep running forwards. I dug deeper, and turned on an extra boost of speed. My chest hurt from exertion. The cop dropped the gun, and picked something up off the ground. The nightstick.

Keep running. The cop swung the end of the stick upwards, and slammed it into my ribs.

I couldn't breathe. I dropped to the ground, and rolled around. Couldn't breathe. I tried to sit up, and suck in air. Couldn't breathe.

The cop walked in front of me, and raised the nightstick. "I just want to thank you. It's so much more this way." He grabbed my left hand.

Stab right knee. The blade grated as I slid it underneath the cop's kneecap. I yanked the handle towards me.

There was a wet pop, and the leg folded in half. The cop dropped to the ground with a thud. I crawled away.

The cop leant forwards, and started dragging himself along the ground towards me. He tapped the nightstick against the cobbles as he crawled. "Fun, fun, fun, fun."

I rocked forwards, and grabbed his earlobe with my left hand. His earring glinted.

Cut upwards. I pushed the blade of the knife against his ear, and sawed through the earlobe.

The cop rolled away from me, and screamed. He was clutching his ear, and his knee. Blood was running into the cracks between the cobbles. The earlobe with the earring was in my hand. I tucked it into my pocket, and started to crawl away.

"Thank you." 

I turned around, trying to find who had spoken.

The man on the ground was looking at me. "Thank you. Thank you for getting it out of me. Thank you for making it go away."

I smiled. The world began to spin. I concentrated, and threw my thoughts outwards. Lionel? Can you hear me? I won. I cut out the earring. The maniac is gone now.

Lionel said something. The world was still spinning. My head was on the cobbles.

Everything went black.

Albane scooped me up, and walked away with me into the night.

I think he gave the guy his earlobe back.