The Silent Fighter

Prologue

Prologue

I walked down the dark alley as I heard shouting off in the distance. I saw a large doorway with men piling in as the dim light came from it. I made sure my hood stayed over my eyes as I pushed by them and kept my head down. When I finally get to the less congested area, I looked around at the place I've come to for the past two years. It's a giant warehouse with an alcohol stand, lockers, some indoor outhouses, which smell disgusting, and a ring in the middle, where I'd be fighting pretty soon.

This is my job. Ever since my douche bag dad disappeared from home, I've had to take care of my sister and myself. My mom ran away, saying she was going to get help. She was afraid of my dad. He hit her just as much as, if not more than, me. Luckily Madeline wasn't his priority- she was only a baby, but my mother left one day, and then she never came back. I haven't seen her in four years now.

I walk over to the lockers and put in the combination to mine. I take off my hoodie, revealing my sports bra and my spandex shorts that I usually fight in. I open look in a mirror on the inside of the locker, and look at my reflection. I see my wavy brown hair that goes down to the middle of my back, my brown eyes, and my pointed nose.

It's not that I care about how I look, I just want to remember what it looks like now, before it's beaten up by some random fighter who comes on my turf.

Whoever wins the around here, is the champion until beat, so you can only guess that I've won every time, and it's true that I have. Sure, I lost a few times when I first came here, but I came back. Plus, I was only a freshman. What would you expect? That's why I started training with a friend of my father. Joshua, my father's ex-friend of course, has been the father that I needed since my biological one disappeared. He and his wife were the only family I had left.

I stuff my bag and hoodie into my locker after I get out my tape, mouth guard, and my hair tie. Funny, the manager here says that usually no one wears any of that stuff, besides the tape, but here's the thing- I'm a girl- I have hair, and I plan on having teeth until I get old. Even then, I'm getting dentures or something.

I slam the locker shut and sit down on the ground as I wrap my knuckles to my wrist. I bend my fingers a few times to make sure I'm not going to lose circulation in my hand. I run my fingers through my hair and braid into a French braid so I don't have it my face. I stand up and make my way to the door where the manager is. I knock and some half naked girl opens it, making me want to gag, but I guess I should be use to this since this manager was a total man-whore.

"Who is it?" the manager shouted, sounding annoyed.

"It's Sara," I called back, with just as much attitude.

"Oh. Yes, yes. Come in, Sara."

I brush past the girl who wrinkles her nose at me then look at the old, gruff, dirty old man in front of me in disgust as girls surround him. He smells like a pig and dresses like he's a homeless man with a beer gut and unnecessary bling.

"Hello, Sara," He grins folding his hands together on the desk.

"Hey, Mark. Who am I fighting tonight and how much is the prize?"

He nods, hopefully knowing I don't like socializing with him, or anyone for that matter.

"You're fighting a man with the name Luca Fisher," he says sliding me a piece of paper with information on my opponent on it. "He is a really easy fight and hasn't won any since he fought in Columbia about ten years ago." The man in the picture is a fit man who has face gruff and a snaggle tooth sticking out of his lip, making him look like a dog. "The prize tonight is one grand. I know it's not that much but-"

"It's fine, Mark." I say setting the paper on the desk and turning to leave. I close the door behind me and walk away. They call out the names when it's time to start the fight, and of course, taking after my mom, I am always early to things so I get to wait.

I sit there, just waiting until I hear the bell. That's when I stand and walk to the ring, waiting for the man, Miguel, to announce me. "Tonight," Miguel's booming deep voice sounds. "New comer, Luca Fisher," the crowd had a mix of claps and whoops, and boos and hisses, as Luca steps under the ropes of the ring and holds up his arms for applause. "Will go against our two year champion, Sara Lloyd!"

The crowd cheers as I step into the ring. I do a small nod, not wanting to be cocky, because I don't do this for the hell of it and fame definitely isn't the reason why I'm doing this. I do this because I like fighting and I'm in this for the money.

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Pictures: Sara Lloyd