Ninja Within Shadows ► Ninjago [REWRITING]

00: Prologue

written by: aj

A teenage girl with very long, pin-straight black hair that touched her upper thighs ran through the dark streets, a small, white backpack bouncing on her spine with each step. Her only form of light were the distanced lamps yards above her head.

She stopped for only a second, holding on to the pole and taking deep, quick, and uneven breaths. Her face was stricken with fear, her knees nearly buckling.

She whipped her head around. About half a mile away, a very lanky man with a short, unkempt beard smiled. It was crooked, and the way his eyes squinted trying to locate her, it looked sickening.

"Miss Scarlett, don't run! It took me so long to find you in person..."

Hearing the proximity of his voice, she started hustling again. The teen had no clue where to go. She had passed her apartment already, and even then she couldn't afford to let this creep know where she lived.

That's when her widened eyes landed on a coffee shop across the street. Her possible salvation.

And right outside the door preparing to lock up for the night stood a young girl, not much younger than she. The barista with long, wavy crimson hair in a side ponytail exhaled a sigh of relief, glad that the night was finally over and she could go back home.

Until a loud shriek made her lift her head. "Wait, please! Open the door!"

She blinked in confusion. At first she couldn't really tell who it was running toward her, but she was reluctant to do as she asked; it was ten o'clock, after all, and a bitch was tired.

But then she tilted her head to the side and realized the black-haired girl was being chased. The weirdo wasn't running exactly, but his walking—limping, better yet—was definitely quick. And the teen was still headed for the café in hopes the closer would open back up for her.

The redhead sure as hell did not want to deal with whatever problem she had going on. But her chest began to tighten. The way this girl practically pleaded with her with just the look of her eyes. They were desperate for help, and she never stopped running.

Plus, she would hate having someone walk away on her if she were in the same situation. She knows she doesn't care that much for the girl's well-being, but it just wouldn't be right.

And the cherry on top was that she realized the man had a knife in his hand.

And so the barista hurriedly unlocked the café doors, opening them up for her. "Come on, hurry up!"

The hustling teen widely beamed, almost unable to believe she had been so lucky. Listening to her savior's demand, she ran even faster until she stepped foot inside the small place. She damn near stabbed her side with the corner of the register the way she struggled to hit the brakes.

The smaller teen managed to lock the inside of the café just as the creepy stranger slammed against the doors. She let out a small yelp as she jumped away.

"Scarlett..." the weirdo uttered against the glass. "Miss Scarlett, I won't let her take you away from me!"

She turned to said girl, who she discovered was now named Scarlett. She was already on the phone, surely with the police.

"Yes, there was a man chasing me... yes, I'm in a safe spot right now... I don't think he's well, he's trying to get in and he has a weapon... I didn't get the name, but it's a green and white café right on the corner of Miller and Elm..."

Now that she got a good look at her, the redhead actually did know the possible victim. Who in the city didn't? She was the face of every magazine cover, every clothing store that pertained to women. Hell, she was even in commercials.