Asylum

Starving Dogs

And out from behind the tree is One Eye, smirking at me. I stop in my tracks, staring back. Just in my head, I remind myself.

Shaking my head, I keep my eyes glued to the ground to avoid making eye contact with my psychosis. I run right into Kya. "Watch it, moon girl," I growl. She doesn't say anything or even look back my way. Instead, her skin is whiter than usual – and that's saying a lot. Standing stock-still, her body is rigid as she looks straight ahead. I follow her line of sight, understanding her fear.

Pairs of glowing, reflective eyes stare at us with unquenched yearning to kill. I make out about 10 to 15 dogs total. I should've seen them sooner. If I wasn't so consumed with One Eye creeping in the woods, then I would've been able to spot the beasts. "You turn and run while I hold them off," I whisper to Kya, whose body almost shakes from how tense she is. "Warn the others at the cave."

Slowly, she nods, eyes centering in on the animals who slowly creep their way towards us. They appear to be a medium brown shade, as well as scarily skinny. I can count their ribs from here, but whatever meat is on their bones are made out of pure, raw muscle. Their fangs hang out by two inches, sharp as daggers. They foam at the mouth like soapy detergents, which clots together and drops to the ground like raindrops. Their snarls are vicious and the look in their eyes is one of desperation.

"Go!" I yell, shooting fire from my hands as if they're flamethrowers. I bring my arms out in the formation of a "T," as if I was a scarecrow, and arch them together, creating a massive wall of fire. The dogs lunge at me when I move, but shy away from the fire. It won't be here forever, so I better get a move on.

Turning, I start to sprint. Kya's done as told and is already out of sight, warning the others. I hear footsteps next to me and calm breathing, as if running for your life is like a walk in the park. Casting a glance to my right, I see One Eye trotting next to me, dark hair flying in the wind. Looking over to me, he laughs, and the sound is a stab to my heart. "It's just like old times, huh, Ren?"

"What, the 'us running' or the 'running for my life' part?" I wheeze, extending the reach of my stride so I can cover more distance. At least, I tell myself it's just to cover more distance. In reality, it's because I'm trying to get away from One Eye, but how can you possibly outrun your own thoughts?

"You tell me," he says, suddenly very serious. Caught off guard from my vision's sudden change, I'm consumed with the change and trip over a tree root. I somersault, scraping the skin on my arms raw. On the ground, I look back. The dogs are after me and closing in on me. Grunting, shoot fire from my feet in their directions. One of the heated spears is so forceful that it splinters a tree in half, which falls in the dogs' way and ignites with flames.

Without wasting any time, I scramble up and dash back to the caves, where everyone is getting ready to go. "They're fast," I warn. "Almost caught up to me."

"Looks like they already did," Elektra points out, noticing my cuts.

"This isn't from them," I growl, casting a look at the poised One Eye in the back of the cave, smirking. My gaze must've been so intent that everyone looks to where I'm looking. They all look at me like I'm crazy, except for Kya, who looks on as if she sees One Eye, too. Curiously, the apparition looks to the moon girl, a playful expression on his face. "Anyways, it's minor. We've got to get going before they - "

Growls and radical barks snag the entire focus of us all. Whirling around, I face the pack of wild animals that corner us in this space. The reactions of those of us in the cave are quite interesting. I get into fire bending position, while Elektra gets ready to shoot some bolts. Sarah gasps, expression horrified. Leo mirrors her actions. Kya moves between the two parties and says, "We can't kill them."

"They're vicious beasts," Elektra challenges, glaring at the girl. "It's us or them."

"We are them," she protests. "We're starving, too."

I snort. "So, what? Do you want us to sit down for a cup of tea and talk it out?"

Kya frowns. Wistfully, she looks at the dogs as if daydreaming about them. Tears swell in her eyes, but I don't understand the big deal. They're just animals who've brains have been ridded of any intellectuality. The only thing powering their actions are their stomachs, and that's never a good thing with any animal. Turning away, she sighs. "Do what you have to, I guess. But make it quick."

Elektra nods at me and I return the favor. Sarah gasps and turns away, putting an arm around Kya with her lip quivering. And naturally, because Leo really likes Sarah, he follows in her footsteps. "You keep them at bay. I'll run 'em through with lightning," Elektra instructs.

She swoops her hands in arcs, generating lightning. While she does so, I sneak a peek at the trio behind us. What's the big deal about striking down something that's trying to kill us?

One Eye suddenly appears, a spear in his hand and a wild look in his golden eye. "'What's the big deal?'" he echoes, yelling at me with the ferocity he contained during his later part of life. "You really don't change, Ren Walker. You never will. You'll always be selfish. You'd be lucky if Kya doesn't give up all hope on you after this, because I sure know that I have."

Memories flood my mind, but they come in flashes. These memories aren't totally put together because I've tried so hard to push them back and forget them. But I relive the moments in fragmented fear. There's a scene where I'm running towards my sword in my bedroom back in Japan, casting glances behind me. I see One Eye, who had two eyes back then, a spear in his hand. I remember attacking him – my own brother. But it wasn't like the actions weren't reciprocated.

"Ren, ready?" Elektra shouts, snapping me back to reality.

Surely, I nod, setting my hands ablaze. I adjust my stance so my feet are apart and my shoulders are back. Have more confidence, Ren. Look at your older brother. Be more like him. Even the youngest is powerless and he still exudes more appreciation for chi than you, my father's unexpected voice hackles in my head.

Elektra smirks. "Fire!" She sends bolts – it almost seems like hundreds – at the dogs, burning holes through them while I pick off the stragglers trying to get in from the sides. Killing dogs isn't a hobby of mine, but it isn't as hard as Kya makes it seems. They're just animals with brains that have no comprehension.

The whines and whimpers of the dogs cause the others to flinch. There's a tug on my energy, as if a part of me is saying that this is wrong. But I know I'm not wrong in doing this. It was either them or us. So why is there this sort of feeling all of a sudden?

Almost as soon as it started, the slaying ended. The smell of roasted flesh and singed fur is curdling and makes my nostrils burn. "It's over," Elektra tells the three behind us.

Sarah is the first to turn around. Tears already splotch her cheeks, but when she turns around, they pour out double-time. She rushes over to the nearest body, where a dog that I burned has passed. Gingerly, she reaches out and strokes its back, sobbing as she does so. Naturally, Leo crouched beside her and puts and arm around her, lulling her to be calm. He tells her it's okay and that there wasn't a choice, and Leo is absolutely right.

I expect Kya to be hysterical; to get worked up, get in my face and tell me some sob story where the moral is that I'm always wrong. But she turns and looks at the bodies, eyes meticulously scanning over each and every one of them. She's blank. There's no emotion. There's a guilty feeling touching my energy, but I personally don't feel one ounce of it.

A bit of you will go into Ren, and a bit of Ren will go into you, Sarah had said. Perhaps I'm picking up on what Kya is feeling due to the swap. Tentatively, I make my way to her. "There's nothing you could've done. It was them or us."

She doesn't say anything, but she doesn't have to. Kya gives me a grave look, as if to say there was a hell of a lot she could've done about it, but she didn't. And what astonishes me the most is that somehow, I know she isn't lying.