I AM L

2.

Lawliet ran as quickly as his feet could take him while water sloshed all the way up to his knees. As he went farther, the water was slowly morphing into mud. It squeezed its way through his bare toes. It was the first time he had felt anything on his feet except for the pleasant, comfy carpet and polished wooden floors. Lawliet did feel frightened but at the same time, he felt thrilled.

After running for awhile, Lawleit's surroundings began to change without him noticing at first glance. The weather was only getting worse but he didn't care. Normally, he'd take precaution of anything that his feet came in contact with. But now, it didn't even matter. He had only one thing on his mind. Finding his parents.

"Mother! Father! Where are you?" Lawleit shouted in the vacant street. He was trying to be calm, sensible, like his parents had always taught him to be. But it was hard for him to be that way. "I-I not letting you leave without me! I'll be helpless! And y-you'll miss me! I know you will!" His heart was steadily becoming me and more agitated. More frightened. More helpless.

Will they really miss me? What if they're already departed? Have...I failed? Lawliet thought as he balled up his hands into fists. He started to feel different quickly as his original thoughts were fleeting his mind.

"They...they..." Lawleit whispered silently to himself, letting his eyes begin to fill with tears. As he stood in the street, holding back his tears, there was someone in the shadows. Lawliet suddenly snapped out of his trance and could sense a presence.

It was creeping.

It was...watching...him.

He turned around to see a man in a faded ivory trench coat directly behind him. His shark teeth grinned maliciously at him, as if they wanted to rip out his soul. His eyes glowed like a cat's did when it saw its prey. Wanting to kill like life and death were games.

Lawliet didn't understand what was exactly happening, but he knew it didn't feel right. "Who are you?" He managed to say to the man.

He didn't say anything. Lawliet watched the man's gloved hands pull a gun out of his pocket. "You got anything, kid?"

"N-no..." Lawliet slowly replied as he stared at the gun that was in front of him.

"I think you're lyin'," the man told him grisly.

Just when Lawliet was about to try to escape, something caught his eye.

"Stop right there," a woman's voice commanded. It made both of them turn to her. It was then that Lawliet recognized her. His mother.

"Oh, why isn't it Jolene?"

"Get away from the boy," she replied to the man.

Jolene? Is that my mom's name? How could these two know each other? And why isn't she acknowledging me as her son?

Lawliet could see the man's cunning smile on his tenebrous face. "Or what?" He heard a small click as the man's fingers tightened around the gun that was pointed at his head.

His mother grimaced a bit, "I'll put down my weapon if you put down yours. Just don't hurt the boy,"

He nodded in agreement and both of them dropped their guns on the pavement. It was a big relief to Lawliet.

"Now, what do you want?" his mother inquired firmly.

"Heh, you know what I want Jolene. Don't act like you're not filthy rich,"

"Let's settle this later, like how we we're suppose to," His mother's voice was rising, Lawliet could tell she was trying to be calm. She was just as scared as him.