In Between

Chapter VI:

Aden charged through the alleys of Lithium City like a maniac.  Two men followed behind shouting along the way. Both men well dressed, easily simulating your everyday wall street materialist. One of the men shouted: "COME ON, OLD PAL! WE'RE GONNA CATCH UP TO YOU SOONER OR LATER. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME."  Aden's feet skidding through the deep puddles of rain water, as he raced through the congested alley.  Two maroon brick buildings stood to his left and right.  Cables dangled across from one building to the other, everything from Jeans, T-shirts all the way down to panties were pinched on the cable.  The purpose of drying clothes on the cable deemed impossible, given the fact of Lithium Cities best companion: rain. A city of which it's filthy smelly dark streets were flooded to the neck every other day.   It took Aden centuries to get away from the consequences of his curse, or at least he thought so.

To finally be able to fall asleep without the fear of waking up to see the stranger that owned his soul. The man everyone else referred to as the Boss.  He was tired of all the missions, of all the mayhem, so many massacres provoked by his hand, before and after the curse, when would it stop.  The body count just kept accumulating, he knew it had passed the thousands a few centuries ago, but the total sum was a number he'd rather not remember. 

Lithium City had become his safe house, a place of which he'd come accustomed to, a place where he remained unknown, where he could remain in the shadows amongst himself.  He even became quite acquainted with some of the alley bums, they'd sit around trash can fires drinking telling there war stories.  No one believed Aden's stories they'd just listen, they figured he was probably an escaped mental patient that just wanted to be left alone.  As long as he didn't cause any problems he was more than welcome in the alleys of lost hope. Aden believed that if he ran for long enough, he'd be forgotten, the stranger would lose interest and simply find some other broken soul to manipulate and use as his pawn. He figured if he entangled himself in the sad and solitary streets of Lithium City it would be more than enough to disappear from the Strangers strong grasp.  As he zipped past blue garbage dumpsters, tossing can'ts to the floor behind him hoping such obstacles could slow down the wall streeter's. His long wavy hair gliding off his shoulders, while a river of sweat raced down his face.

Whom would've know that becoming a bum somehow became his advantage, he knew the alleys like that back of his palm, he pulled around each corner and rushed through every abandoned building at last minute to throw the wall streeter's off his tail.  The escape marathon was finally was taking it's toll on his body, it had been centuries since the long battles of sweat and blood. It didn't matter how many victories and how many missions he was sent on after the curse. He had been out of shape for so many years, especially when against supernatural beings. 

Aden's hazel eyes gazed upon a flyer soaked flyer as he zipped by it, which read Lithium City Carnival in bold red letters.  A carnival would be full of little buggers all over the place, was the first thought to cross his mind.  It was his best and possibly only chance at survival, at this point his body was running on fumes.   His tired feet seamlessly changed route toward the carnival. The carnival lights were visible from afar.  Upon arriving at the park, a huge sigh stood above the once more in in red bold letters read: LITHIUM PARK CARNIVAL, which stood above the Gothic steel gates that were spread wide open welcoming it's guests.  Behind stood a Grey cemented path to both sides of the pavement stood nicely cut grass soaked in rain water.  The path led into a quite and solitary forest.  With no options available, the dark forest was his only option.  At this point sparing one minute could be the factor to determine life or death. 

Aden gazed around desperate and tired, the only thing visible was the brown tree's that stood in the black darkness of the forest.   He could see the crowd of people from afar but knew, it was impossible for anyone to see or hear him, and if he was going to use his last bit of energy, it had to guarantee that someone would hear him.