Defective

Prologue

"Forget what everyone says. We are each other's normal."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J.

Laughs ricocheted through the air. Happiness was alive in our hearts. We thought it was the greatest day ever.

My sister and I walked down the boulevard, hands entrapped. We had just celebrated our 14th birthday.  We went out for ice-cream and dinner by ourselves. Our parents had given us a prepaid card to use before they left for their business trip. We were wearing matching outfits and had smiles on our faces.

As we chatted, I looked up skipping along with my sister. My best friend. Every now and then she adjusted her hearing aids either to better hear me or pretend to ignore me. My heart was bursting with happiness. Up ahead I noticed heavy footsteps echoed behind us. I tugged my sister's hand. When we stopped walking, the sound of the footsteps stopped too. My eyes widened in alarm.

My sister noticed I wasn't smiling anymore. She looked at me in confusion. My eyes seemed to focus somewhere else. I tuned in my ears to any noise behind me.  She caught on quickly to my body language.

"Hey J, What's wrong?" She said turning to face me. "Is there something happening? Let me turn up my aid."

I whispered as we continued walking loud enough for only the two of us. "Astre there is someone following us. We need to run."

We turned a corner. I quickly looked back to see the dark figure was closer and had sped up.

My sister laughed nonchalantly.

"Jou, you can't scare me but nice try." She said laughing. "You always take jokes so seriously. You might have fooled me many times these past years but I'm onto you."

I tug her hand harder now frustration apparent on my face. "Astre I am NOT kidding we are being followed and will be killed if you don't stop playing."

She noticed the seriousness on my face and stopped laughing. She started to get frightened. I can feel my heartbeat in my hand as we walk along  

"Maybe we should call the police. I'll use my phone." She started to pull out her phone in a scramble.

"Don't make it too obvious?" I said looking ahead and acting normally. My voice quivered slightly I gulped my throat parched.

At this moment we turned into a dead end. Shit, we hadn't been paying attention to our surroundings. I urged Astre to hurry up, pulling her closer and tapping my fingers nervously. I heard the dial tone Astre's hands shook in anticipation.

"911. What's your emergency?" The voice on the other line spoke.

"We are being followed by someone by Mortuus Street and Pris Boulevard."

"OK stay where you are. We will be there in 15 minutes. Try walking into the nearest building or into an area with many people." We were getting closer to the dead end. My sister and I began to panic.

"We don't have 15 minutes! We accidentally walked into a dead end. He's getting closer. Please hurry." She urged the police. A hand tapped my shoulder both of us turned around.

The dark figure raised his hood and said in a gruff voice "Follow me before I have to hurt one of you."

We tried to avoid his gaze, while I spoke. My body shook and my mind whirled, but I tried my best to think straight so that my next words would not anger him. "I'm terribly sorry but we must be on our way," I say trying to walk away.

The man's eyes darkened "I believe I said to follow me? I don't have much time left. Your filthy family is in his way. He will tear down your empire. I must carry out my duty. Come with me. Now." He chuckled for a second; but then his smile was replaced with a grimace.

He began to lead us towards a building covered in graffiti and strange signs. My sister grabbed my hand in fear as our eyes widened.

"Please, sir. We didn't do anything we just want to go home after our birthday. If you want our parents to pay you I'm sure they'd be more than willing to." I said in a hurry. The man stopped turned off the safety on his gun and looked at us.

"Do I look like some turncoat? I don't need your blood money. Keep walking. I am more than willing to shoot. One bullet in an arm won't kill you. As a matter of fact, I only need one sister..." A sinister smile appears on his face as he begins to point the gun at Astre.

I clutch Astre to me in panic. I tried to think of a plan, but time was not on my side, "Please! Please! Just think about it. If you only need one of us let her go. I am more than enough right?"I drop down to the floor in an effort to seem non-threatening. Astre follows me shaking and blubbering.

The man steps forward pebbles crunching underneath his feet. He stops and kneels down, I close my eyes in fear.

"Poor little sheep forsaken by all. How long will she go before she falls?" The next thing I feel is the impact of my head on the ground. Astre calls out my name before everything blacks out...

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

I run as quickly as my legs can carry me. The sharp wind whips through my hair. 

Something is behind me, pushing me, urging me, but not allowing me to stop or rest. Everything to either side of me is pitch black. 

In front, all I can see is a bright blinding light. As I approach it, I slip and fall a silent scream escaping my chest. Falling down a black hole an endless abyss beneath me. A strange peace comes over me as my vision clouds.

The next time I open my eyes, I'm in my bedroom. I can feel my heart jumping out my chest. The air escapes my chest leaving me panting for more.

-scene end-