GAH PEOPLE! So many of you wont get off my back about this little One-shot XD I made it as a quick little 'Maybe' kind of story I would write but you all kept saying 'make it into an actual story'! "I wanna see what happens!" "Make more"
So, your pushy fanfiction ways have pulled through. I shall turn this into an actual story, just for you guys.
I can't say I will update this often, but I will try to keep it on a normal schedule for when I update. So, here we go!
It is dark… and cold. So very cold. It is strange. I feel like… I shouldn't be cold. I don't really get cold.
Why am I cold? I can't seem to move either.
What is this?
Why am I- Oh god, I'm dead. I'm dead, aren't I? Yup, I died. Aren't I smart?! I can't really think of any other reason to explain this situation. I'm cold, it is dark, I can't move, and I'm starting to get a feeling that something important happened not too long ago. Something like, "I just got shot or something' type of important. I wonder if I really got shot? I don't feel any pain, but perhaps I went numb a while ago?
So yeah, I'm dead. That has got to be it. That or I'm blindfolded and chained to the floor of a freezer.
That is a weird place to be, but that is my only other assumption to what is going on. Cause I mean, out of all the places to put me, why a freezer? Ya wanna keep me fresh for when you eat me later?
Oh whoa, no, back away from that topic. Cannibalism. Not fun. Not fun at all. Changing topics.
Lets go back to the whole, everything is dark thing, shall we? I mean, I know it isn't the best topic to discuss, but it is much better then the cold. Cause we all know where that led us. Again, not going back to that last topic.
Dark.
We are focusing on dark.
Wait, we? What the- who are all you? Yeah, all of you! The people standing there just… staring at me. It is weird that I can see you even though everything is dark? It is like you are all bypassing the laws of nature or something.
Why are you all staring at me anyway? Do I have something on my face? Am I not wearing pants? Well, I can't really look down at myself to know since, as I said before, I can't really move, but whatever. I'm just gonna have trust in myself that I put on pants and not talk about this anymore.
Now, about before, who are you people?
…The Readers of Fanfiction? What… in the world does that mean?! That gives me no idea at all to who you all are! I mean, you are Readers, I get that. What is Fanfiction?
Actually, you know what, I don't want to know. I feel I might regret it if I break down that fourth wall, so no, don't tell me. I'll just accept things as they are for now.
…Where was I? Oh yeah! Dark. Yeah, you people keep distracting me.
So yup, it is dark. I am either blindfold or blind. I'm assuming/pray that I'm blindfolded.
"Hey. Hey you." Something suddenly nudged me. "Ya some agent or somethin'?" the voice asked.
Who ever the person was, they were starting to get annoyed and kicked me. I'm serious, they kicked me.
Who even does that?
Feeling a small tingle in my side from the impact, my body shifted on its own. Something from the way I shifted seemed to jolt the rest of my body and I felt my eyes snap open.
With a yell of shock as pain suddenly coursed through my body I sprang up, gasping out. Lashing out, my body twisted and turned in ways I never thought I could do before and before I realized it… it stopped.
I was panting, for some reason, and standing straight, my fists held up in the air, looking ready for a fight. I felt like some sort of boxer or something.
Blinking a few times, I felt so confused to where I was. Looking around, I began to focus on my surroundings. I was in an alley, surrounded by towering buildings. The alley was relatively empty except for a few trash cans here and then.
I could even hear beeping cars in the distance, meaning I was close to some large roads.
What the- where am I?
"Ugh." A soft groan behind me caught my attention. Turning ever so slightly, feeling awkward, I was surprised to see a man in his mid 40's collapsed on the floor, clutching his stomach.
"Oh! Are you okay?!" I gasped at the sight of him. When I reached down to help him he slapped my hand away.
"Get away from me ya freak!' he screamed. "Ya can't just go attackin' people like that!"
Jumping a bit in surprise, I frowned. Attacking people? I wasn't sure what he meant. I hadn't- Oh, wait a minute.
Recalling when I first opened my eyes and lashed out, I covered my mouth in realization. "Oh jeez, I am so sorry. Really, I didn't mean to." I apologized, understanding that I had attacked the man when I awoke. "You surprised me is all."
"I surprised you?" he gawked at me, his cloudy brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. Rising to his feet, the man trudged towards me. His back was hunched forward and he reeked of alcohol. From what I could tell, and by the cloths he was wearing, I could only assume that this man was homeless.
"Yes?" I shrugged. "You snuck up on me. That isn't a good thing to do against…. Against…"
Against, what? What am I exactly?
Wait a minute… I know this might sound crazy, but hear me out. Cause I'm really starting to freak right now.
…I don't know who I am.
Yeah, that's right, you heard me. You would think I would have brought this up sooner, but hey, I was distracted. Cold, and dark, ya know?
"What ever you are, you better scuttle out of here!" The man motioned for me to leave and sauntered over to the nearest trash can. "Ya hippie." He grumbled.
Scuttle out of here? Who even says that anymore?
Shaking my head, I reached up to rub my temple. My head had suddenly started to throb. It hurt, a lot, and I wasn't sure why.
Well, I can't remember anything, so maybe I hit my head? That was probably it.
"Sorry to disturb you sir." I apologized, pressing my palm against the wall for support before trudging towards the street.
"Whatever." I faintly heard the man behind me as I continued towards the bright lights of the street. Moving out of the ally, my eyes widened at the large city that stood before me.
What City is this? It is huge!
Looking right to left, I was surprised to see that there weren't many people out. It was dark, so maybe everyone had gone to bed? It must be late then. How late?
Unsure of which way I should go, and unwilling to go back and ask that man for directions, I made a quick choice.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, mo-" I began to say, pointing back and forth between the street. Deciding on the left street, I quickly moved down it. Unsure of where I was going, I scanned the buildings for any sort of clue. Anything at all to where I am. Or maybe a Police Station?
I was coming up with nothing. That is, until I walked towards this store that said, New Yorkers Timely Good.
New York.
Oh, that is right. This is New York City. My city. I've lived here forever… I think. I'm not even sure. I'm still not to sure on who I am.
Maybe I should find a hospital or something? I'm sure they could help me.
Where is a hospital though?
Frowning, I hummed in contemplation. Glancing left to right, I looked into several stores to see if anyone was inside, or if any of them were open. I was hoping that if they were, I could go in and ask for directions to the nearest hospital. Most of the stores were closed though.
Glancing to my right, I frowned to find that the store was also closed.
Great just my- Whoa! Go back! Go back!
Stopping, I reversed my path and moved back to stand in front of the window. My eyes widened at the sight of my reflection.
What was I wearing?!
I was wearing some sort of full body black cat suit that hugged my body tightly. Thankfully it was more of a velvet texture than leather. It matched well with the knee high buckled boots and leather jacket I was wearing.
…Why… how… what sort of fashion sense do I have? I don't know about you, but I definitely feel like I wouldn't normally wear something like this.
Moving from side to side to see the different angles of myself, just to make sure I wasn't seeing things, I focused in on the large belt I had strapped to my waist.
I hadn't noticed till now, but there looked to be like to hoisters connected to the belt. One held up a bag that hung limply from my waist, while the other held some sort of closed up device.
Reaching down, I opened up the bag to find several rows of metal arrows.
Arrows?
Taking one out to examine it, I was shocked at the amazing quality it held. The metal was definitely heavy duty stuff, and the feather at the end must have been made using fine silks.
Completely awed, I ran my fingers over the arrow, twirling it slightly in my hand. When I was satisfied, yet very confused, with it, I placed it back in the bag.
Why in the world did I have a random bag of arrows on me? I mean really-
Mid thought, I moved my hand to the other hoister and lifted out the weird looking device. It looked like some sort of folded up-
"Ah!" I jumped when the device suddenly unfolded, showing its true shape. It was a Bow.
Oh! Okay, so that is why I have a random bag of arrows! Wait… no, that still doesn't make much sense. Why do I have a bow too?!
GASP! Am I some sort of assassin?! If so, that is totally wicked. Well, I mean, it is bad that I am killing people, but I must have awesome aiming skills.
Though, I'm sure the assassin thing is probably wrong. I don't feel like I could handle killing a person. If that is the case though, then why do I have these?
They definitely feels familiar to me. So why?
Holding the bow tightly in my palm, I sigh. The feeling of wanting to go home spread wildly through my heart. A home? Did I even have a home?
I think I do… somewhere.
With another broken sigh, my shoulders slouched. Placing the bow back in the holster on my back, I looked back up at my reflection.
"Hey… who are you?" I asked myself, gently touching the window. Tilting my head, I examined myself closely.
Well, since I don't remember my own name, maybe I should give myself on? It would be awkward if I met someone knew and didn't have a name to give them.
Who should I be? Of course it would only be temporary until I remember my own name, so I'll just refer to this new name as I nickname.
Looking myself up and down, I contemplated on what sort of name it should be. It had to be something original. Something unique.
Or maybe something funny? Since I'm naming myself I could go wild here.
"Sparkley Unicorn Pants." I winked at myself, snapping my fingers. With a laugh I shook my head. Who would even have a name like that? I would never be taken seriously.
"Oh!" My head snapped to attention when I thought of a name. "I know!" I grinned. Stepping back, I pointed to myself dramatically. "From hence forth, you shall be known as… Phillis!"
I like the name Phillis.
Oh hey, I wonder if I look weird pointing to my own reflection and talking to it? Hope no one thinks I am crazy.
…Am I crazy? I'm talking to people in my brain, so that might point to me being crazy.
Who knows.
With a shrug, I smiled at myself. "Alright Phillis, lets find you a hospital." I chuckled to myself. I was about to turn away from the window, when I saw movement within the reflection. Watching the movement closely I could see it approaching me from behind.
Or should I say, they were approaching me from behind.
Whirling around, I was surprised when five bulky and very gruesome looking men surrounded me.
They glared down at me, sending warning chills up my spin.
Who were these guys? They approached me for a reason, that much is obvious.
"Ummm, hello," I waved hesitantly. "Do I know you?"
The first man, this guy with a big scruffy beard, suddenly lunged forward, his fist outstretched.
WHOA!
I shrieked and dropped down just in time for it to sail over my head.
Did that guys just try to punch me? Why?! What did I ever do to him?! Oh wait, maybe I shouldn't ask that? Since I have amnesia I have no idea if I ever did anything to him or not. He might have good reason to be trying to hurt me right now.
Doesn't mean I agree though.
"Rude!" I rolled away, back flipping back to my feet. "Very rude!"
…Did I just… back flip?
Now…. How did I do that? The ducking thing could be chalked up to luck (though I'm pretty sure I don't have much and if I did I definitely wouldn't use it for that) but the back flip was just weird. Since when did I have the abs or leg muscles for that?
A glint to my left made me twist around hurriedly as one of the men tried to stab me.
Stab me.
Knife! Knife! Dear god, what is wrong with these people! They were seriously trying to kill me! Why are they trying to do that?!
I panicked and kicked my foot out, taking out the guys' knee and making him fall into the first guy. They both fell to the floor.
Before I could marvel at my newfound assassinness, yes that is a word, the remaining three men charged at me.
Okay, first let me say I have no idea who these people are. You already know this, of course. I know I have amnesia but seriously, what could I have possibly done to warrant this kind of behavior?! Oh, wait, assassin. Wait, I might not even be an assassin! That was a total guess. Killing others just isn't my slice of pie…. Cake… Or um- how does that saying go again?
Did I mention that throughout all of this rambling I was miraculously dodging giant thuggy (this is a word to me as well), yet very well groomed, men? Cause I was.
I kicked out again, sending the two men that were standing up back to the ground. Another made a grab for me but I twisted around and slammed my elbow into the side of his neck. He fell on top of the other two.
Oh. Elbow to the throat. Ouch.
The remaining two men circled me. How was I supposed to get out of this?
Oh, oh! I think I know! How did it go again though?
Some movie with a ninja kid and he kicked butt! What did he do again? He… bent his knees and- he kicked them both at the same time. He was in the air too. I wonder-
The jumped upward at the same time the men leapt at me. Jumping as high as I could in the air I threw my feet out into a swift split kick that caught them both in the faces.
My landing was a little, uh, not so graceful but it totally worked!
I cheered, pumping my fist in the air and accidentally catching one of the thugs in the nose.
Oops.
"Oh, sorry," I turned around, stepping on the hand of another. "Sorry!" Before backing into the same one I had punched and causing him to fall over. "I am so sorry."
I'm just a walking disaster, aren't I?
I wonder how I was able to do all of that though. It kind of just felt… natural to do all of those things. I wonder if I am an assassin. Or maybe a Ninja? That would be cool.
I paused from my thoughts when the men began to move.
They stumbled to their feet, growling under their breathes. I think I might have made them angry.
Hah! What am I saying? I definitely angered them. Look at the steam of anger streaming out from their noses. Totally furious.
The circled me again, their arms out to block me from running.
The jerks. I wouldn't run away from this fight anyway! Though it is cowardly to attack a girl and have an unfair advantage of five to one.
The one on my left kicked forward and I twisted out of the way, hissing when it skimmed my side. Stupid boots. And they are pointed too! What sort of person wears pointed boots?
Well, I think cowboys do. I dunno. I guess it is just some sort of fashion craze.
While I was distracted the one behind me snagged my hood and threw me into the guy directly in front of me who swung out to stab me.
Cheating! Totally cheating! And again with the knife! Have some originality, please!
I barely twisted away in time unable to regain my balance and stumbling into the one on my right. He punched me in the stomach, sending me tumbling back.
Oh... jeez. Air, there goes my air. That hurt… that really hurt.
"Ow, ow, ow," I hissed, holding my sides. The last man cracked his knuckles as he stepped towards me.
Huh. He was much… bigger than the others….
Yup, there was only one true solution to this type of situation. Watch closely audience, for I am about to teach you something very important.
Lifting my fist slowly, I bent my knees, ready for my next attack. He must have sensed how serious I suddenly got, and moved to deflect anything I threw at him.
Narrowing my eyes, I opened my mouth, ready to say something cool.
"…" Nope
…Twirling around I booked it down the other street, sprinting as fast as I could away from those men. Run away!
Stunned, the men's eyes widened as they watched me flee. Taking a few seconds to collect themselves, they dashed after me.
Yeah, okay, I ran away. That was my great solution. Don't judge me! I couldn't think of anything better and I had a really bad feeling that it wouldn't be good if I got caught right now. I wonder why that is though? Those men were definitely bad news. Not just because they tried to beat me up, for no good reason, but the look in their eyes… it was evil
"Bye!" I shrieked as I cut across the street to the wired fence that lead towards a few apartment buildings.
Okay, so far my assassin luck has been going pretty well for me. I just need to play my cards right and hope my luck lasts. So, to see just how assassin like I was, I was going to try something out.
Hopefully I didn't fail and land flat on my face.
"Please work, please work, please work," I ran up to the fence, and in one motion leapt up, grabbed the top, and flipped over the side. Landing in a roll I jumped back up, a little unsteadily, and booked to the apartment buildings.
I heard the men pause behind me as they started to slowly climb the fence.
Mwuahahaha, take that suckers!
A loud bang suddenly sounded off and something whizzing past my ear just about giving me a heart attack.
AH! Holy- what in the world?! Was that a bullet? A bullet from a gun?!
They had guns?! Little metallic creations of death?! AHHHHH!
Chancing a quick glance I could see two of the five man had already made it over the fence and were charging after me like a herd of rampaging elephants.
A stampede!
Turning abruptly into an alleyway I threw the trashcans in front of me to the ground in hopes of slowing them down.
Okay, that had to slow them down just a bit-
Looking behind me I saw them leap over those like professional Hurdleists.
Oh… they were good. Okay, new plan.
Ducking down another street, I sprinted as fast as I could towards the other end.
I don't know how I knew where I was going, heck I probably didn't, but I took whatever turns seemed right and somehow never ended up in a dead end. These streets felt familiar in a way I didn't understand.
Strange
A ladder up ahead caught my attention. The thugs (because honestly, who does stuff like this?) hadn't turned the corner yet and the ladder wasn't actually touching the ground. It was pulled up and kind of hidden.
Not entirely sure how I saw it but I'll take what I can get!
Leaping up onto the nearest trashcan I jumped up and grabbed the closest bar of the ladder I could. Climbing up swiftly I pulled myself up onto the fire escape right as my pursuers turned the corner. Pulling my hood up I pushed myself into the darkest corner and held my breath.
Calm breaths. Calm breaths. Keep quiet Phillis… keep quiet.
…Jeez I really like that name. I mean, I have this feeling it definitely isn't my own name, but I still liked it.
Cutting my thoughts short, I heard the men rush into the alley. They looked around for a few seconds before nodding and splitting up.
That was creepy. There wasn't even any sign language. What, did they just look into each other's eyes?
Oh well, I could question that later. First, safety.
For now, I was safe. Those goons were still looking for me though, so I had to move carefully.
Instead of jumping back down I decided it would be safer to climb up to the roof. I didn't want to take the chance of running into any of those goons so it would be best to go up instead of down.
I smiled and patted myself on the back. Good job Phillis, a well thought out plan.
…For once.
Pulling myself up to the roof, I let out a heavy sigh I didn't even realize I had been holding in.
…Well, I definitely had a fun day. Woke up in an alley way unable to move and cold, got yelled at by a hobo, and was attacked and chased by big gorilla men. Oh, and I am hungry.
It is like high school all over again.
…I think. I can't really remember. I might be over exaggerating.
Turning my head, I looked out to the city. It was calm and the lights sparkled brightly in the night. Even if you couldn't see the starts above, the city lights illuminated the area enough to seem like stars.
Titling my head, I smiled a bit.
It was beautiful.
And the funny thing is, I think I've seen this view. Several times actually. Like I grew up with such a beautiful view.
It is only sad that I can't seem to remember all those views. Or even who I am, who I was with, or how I was feeling at those times.
I was… alone.
Sliding down to the ground, leaning against the railing, I pulled my knees up to my chest.
I was tired, hungry, and alone. I could put up with being hungry, being tired was to be expected… but being alone. That felt like a hard thing to deal with.
Being alone scared me for some reason. Like I had been alone a lot or something. Isn't that depressing?
Closing my eyes tightly, I hid them within my knees. To be honest… I wanted to cry. I'd rather be chased by those men then be alone.
And that is saying something.
With a lonely whimper I reached down and pulled out my bow. Staring at it, I titled my head at the unfamiliar engraving.
Had I always had this bow? To be honest, it felt really knew. Like I was only recently given it. It didn't feel like the bow I always carry with me.
…Why do I always carry a bow with me anyway?
"Hey! Watch out!" a sudden voice called out to me. Before I could react, something smacked against the back of my head.
"OW!" I cried out in pain when my vision blurred and I saw stares. When they started to clear, my brain snapped into attention. Panicking, thinking those men had found me again, I whirled around.
Behind me a figure started running towards me, they movements quick, as if they were gliding. I couldn't see their face, but I could tell they were wearing this black and white hockey mask.
…Something about a guy wearing a hockey mask and coming at me just freaked me out. I think there was a movie on it or something.
"AH!" I screeched, placing an arrow on the bow and pointing to meet the person head on.
Freezing, only a few feet from where I was, the person jumped back. "Whoa! Whoa!' they screamed, holding their hands up, hoping to show they meant no arm. "Sorry! Sorry!"
Shocked, my eyes widened at the small figure before me. Small? Those men weren't small… or lengthy.
Quickly reaching up, the new arrival removed their hood to reveal his face.
He has slicked back black hair held back with a black bandana. His face, slightly rounded, had a few freckles dusting his cheeks. Blinking his wide brown eyes at me, he tilted his head. "H-Hey uh… lady? Can ya put down the sharp arrow?" he questioned nervously.
A… child? Oh! A child!
Snapping to my own hands, I froze to find I had set an arrow to the bow. I almost attacked a child! My hand has just moved on its own. It was reflex!
Quickly lowering my hand, I let out a sigh of relief. "I…I'm so sorry, I mistook you for someone else." I stammered.
"Someone else?" the kid questioned, glancing at my bow in confusion. "Ya in some trouble or somethin'?"
Unsure of how to answer, I glanced down to the alley, hoping I wasn't followed. "…In a way."
"It is either ya are, or ya aren't." the kid chuckled. Moving back a bit, he pushed off against his feet. Oh, he was wearing roller blades. That is why it looked like he was gliding. I thought he was a ghost or something. "Well Lady, you just came into my side of the town." He smirked.
"Your side of the town?" I frowned.
"Yeah. I watch the streets over here. Nothing goes down that I don't know about." He smirked, reaching behind him to pull out a hockey stick.
Had he always had that with him? I didn't even notice.
"So don't ya worry. If any one is ruffin ya up, I'll take care of em'." he assured me.
Heh, that is kinda cute. He is like a little vigilante.
"Heh, thanks." I chuckled, slowly frowning, "But I don't think you can-"
"Name is Casey Jones." The kid leapt forward, twirling his hockey stick around. "Who are you? It is a little early to be dressing up for Halloween. What are ya, an assassin?"
Hesitant to answer, I lowered my head. "I um…" I trailed off. "I'm Phillis."
"Phillis?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah… well, sort of." I nodded.
"Is Phillis sort for somethin'?" he question, looking ready to laugh at my name the moment I said it.
"No."
And with that, he laughed. "That is such a weird name!"
"Is not." I frowned at him. "It is a wonderful name that I gave myself."
That made him stop his laughing to give me a weird look. "Ya gave yourself? You legally changed your name to Phillis? Why would you do that?"
"I didn't legally change it. I just gave myself the name a little bit ago." I folded my arms, looking away from him.
Oh, wait a minute Phillis, what are you doing? Stop talking.
"…Why a little bit ago? Why not just stay with your original name?" he didn't look any less confused.
Don't do it. Don't say it.
I hesitated. "…Cause I don't know my own name."
Anddddd, I said it. Way to go Phillis. Ya gossip.
"Don't know?"
I nodded meekly. I don't really know what compelled me to tell this boy who I was, but the words came out before I could stop them.
"I don't know my name. I just woke up and now… I'm being chased by these creeps." It felt nice to talk to someone and not be alone.
"Whoa, seriously? That sucks." The so called Casey, said bluntly.
"You have no idea." I sighed, moving to lean against the railing.
"Oh hey, sorry. I didn't mean to upset ya or anythin'." He said quickly, looking a little guilty. I must have had a pretty depressing look on my face for him to suddenly act like that.
"It is fine." I assured him. He didn't seem very convinced but nodded anyway.
"So um… anythin' I can do to help? It is my job to help the weak after all." He said proudly, slamming his fist into his chest. Chuckling at his enthusiasm, I shrugged.
"I'm not sure. You could start I guess by telling my where I am."
"East Hampton." He explained. "Ya need a hospital or somethin' JD?"
"Yeah that would be really helpfu- JD?" I tilted me head when he called me that.
"Yeah, you know, Jane Doe? They call people that when they don't know their name and stuff." He explained.
"I told you my name is Phillis." I frowned.
"There is no way I am calling you Phillis." He frowned back at me.
"Phillis is a great name!" I argued.
"It isn't at all. Not even slightly. It is a name for nerds! If you get a chance to name yourself, you got to give yourself a cool name. JD is way cooler then Phillis."
"That is where we disagree." I turned away. Phillis was an awesome name. Anyone who said other wise was weird. There was a small pause before I felt him shifting side to side behind me, as if it was uncomfortable to him not to move around. Glancing back at him, I blinked. "You said we were in East Hampton, right?"
He nodded. "Yup. The nearest hospital is a few blocks from here."
Nodding my head, I rubbed my chin. East Hampton. Okay, that sort of sounds familiar to me. I think I've been here before a few times.
Yeah, I came down here with… with… who did I come down here with? There was definitely someone with me. A friend maybe?
I think we were-
"AH!" I sudden hot flash of pain shot across my eyes. Gripping my head slightly my upper body collapsed to the ground, scrapping my side against the concrete.
At the piercing pain in my head, I could faintly hear Casey calling to me.
"JD! Hey, JD! You okay?!" he had kneeled next to me, trying to calm me down.
I was glad he was there. This would have been unbearable on my own.
Another wave of pain hit me, and I thought I saw something. Like a picture just flashed in front of my eyes. It was of this girl.
She had bright orange hair and warm blue eyes. It was a little blurry though, so I couldn't make out her face to well. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt though.
When the flash stopped, the pain went away. Panting heavily, I pushed my self upward. Casey was at my side, looking panicked.
"What was that?!" he demanded.
"S-Sorry." I stammered.
"Jeez, ya really are messed up in the head." He murmured. "We better get ya to a hospital, fast." Grabbing my arm, he helped me to my feet.
We hadn't even gotten two steps towards the stairs leading into the apartment when something heaved itself over the side.
Snapping out attention to it, my eyes widened in horror to realize it was the 5 men chasing me before.
"Who are those guys?" Casey frowned suspiciously at them.
"My stalkers." I mumbled, pulling myself out of his grip to glare at them. I wasn't in the mood for this. Yet at the same time, I had a feeling I could handle them. "Casey, get out of here." I commanded, lifting up my bow. I didn't want him involved in my fight.
"No way." He smirked, twirling his hockey stick. "Protecting people who need help, it is my destiny!"
"Destiny?" I blinked. Stepping forward, he reached behind him to pull his hockey face in front of his face. It was a little creepy, to be honest, but the gruff look of it definitely fit his personality.
"I got your back JD." He promised, giving me a thumbs up. Stunned, I stared at him.
"Wha- No!" I argued instantly. "This isn't your fight. I can't drag you into this with me."
Giving me a smirk, Casey titled his head. "Do you know what this is? This will be Casey Jones' official, first attack against creepy goon creeps!"
"First?!' I gawked at him.
"Don't worry about it! I've had plenty of practice. Plus, it is better to work on the job, right?" he asked cockily, looking too confident in himself.
I- what- ugh! I had a feeling I wasn't going to get through to this kid how dangerous this was.
Feeling a small smile tug at my lips, happy to know he wasn't going to leave me alone, I nodded.
"I don't think I could convince you to leave at this point anyway." I agreed softly.
With that, the five men chased at us. Twirling his hockey stick once more, Casey charged. "Goongala!" he screamed as some sort of battle cry.
…Goongala? What on earth did that mean? There is Goon in there so- no, never mind. I'm just not gonna ask.
Shacking my head, I turned back to the fight. While Casey charged to the two men to the left, I took on the other three. Ducking when the first tried to punch me, I side stepped and jabbed him hard on the side.
He stumbled, running into the other, who shoved him away roughly.
I wasn't even going to question how I can do these sort of things anymore. It honestly just wastes time.
Catching the punch from the third guy, I twisted his arm, making him wince when it twisted it almost to the point of breaker. Unable to go all the way though I twirled him around, like a ballerina, and shoved him into the other three.
Furious the three men turned back to me. Rushing at me all at once, they all went different directions to surprise me. I some how anticipated this though and dropped down to a sort of animalistic crouch. Waiting until they were close enough I leapt towards the one straight in front of me. Gripping his shoulders I lifted my self up to balance my self on top of him in a handstand and flipping over him, landing safely on my feet. Still rushing forward, it took only a half a step more from all three of them men to crash into each other in the place I was once standing.
These guys weren't the brightest.
Whirling around, I called to the boy I had met not to long ago. "Hey Casey! Are you alright?" Turning around, I was pleasantly shocked to find Casey was beating down his two opponents easily. Twirling his stick, he looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes glistening with excitement.
"You kiddin'?" He cackled. "I'm having a blast!"
Hands on my hips I shook my head at him. You would think these sort of things happened to him every day or something.
A shuffle to my right pulled me out of my thoughts just in time to catch the fist of the big thug. With a squeak of surprise I took out his legs and head butted him when he dropped down.
With a cry of pain he started to fall back. Moving quickly, I reached out, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt to hold him up.
"Who are you?!" I screamed in his face, tightening my grip on the collar of his shirt. "Why are you after me?!
Growling, the man shoved me away and stumbled back to his friend.
Lifting his head, he glared at me. Looking to his team, they had one of those creepy eye communication looks again and bolted for the fire escape.
"Hey! Come back and fight you cowards!' Casey yelled to them. Grabbing his arm before he could chase after them, I shook my head.
"It is fine. Let them go." I said quickly. I had a feeling I would be seeing them again anyway. Which was sort of depressing.
"Man, what a rip off." The younger teen grumbled, turning away. "Who were those guys anyway? You owe them money or something?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. Looking to where they disappeared, I was surprised when something glistened on the ground. At first I thought they had dropped one of their pockets knives, but closer inspection showed that it was a cell phone.
One of them must have dropped it during the fight.
Moving forward I lifted the phone up.
"What is that?" Casey questioned, balancing his hockey stick on his shoulders. Frowning I could see there was a new message on the phone. Glancing at Casey, who shrugged, I clicked to answer the text.
Hello, I welcome you to my game. I hope you are having a nice time with my henchmen?
Surprised, my eyes widened. This text message sounded like it was meant for me. In fact, I think it is meant for me. Casey, who was leaning of my shoulder, must have thought the same thing, cause he scowled.
"Who is this creep?" he growled.
Deciding to reply, I quickly text back.
Who are you?
"The Game Master."
"That is cheesy." Casey commented dryly
Agreeing with him, I texted back once more. Why are you doing this? "What do you want?"
"I want you to compete in my game."
"Game? Like a Hockey game?" Casey inquired, leaning against his Hockey stick to stare at me. I shrugged, not sure what to answer.
"As for why I am doing this, I have many reasons. For now, lets say it is just for my entertainment. Do not worry though; I am a fair Game master. I shall give you hints for you to win."
Confused beyond belief I titled my head. Hints to win what?
"Your past. I must warn you though, going to authorities is a violation to this game. Bring in any legal assistance, and you shall lose; everything."
Freezing, my body felt numb. Before I could even think about replying, another text was sent in.
"The games shall start very soon. I suggest you keep a hold of this phone if you wish to know the clues. I shall only give you four though. So be ready."
"So… that means?" Casey frowned in confusion.
"It means-" I narrowed my eyes. "That whoever this guy is, he knows who I am. And If I ever want to learn the truth, I'm gonna have to play his little game."
Surprised, Casey looked back and forth from the phone to me. "Jeez… sorry JD." He apologized.
Giving him a weak smile, I shook my head. "Don't be. I'll just have to win this game, that is all." I liked games. At least, I felt like I did. So this shouldn't be too hard, right?
But it was definitely scary. I didn't even know who this man was or what his intention was. So who knows what could happen in this game.
"So, what are you doing to do now?" Casey looked around the roof, as if making sure the Gamer Master's henchman didn't show up again.
Oh… what was I going to do now? I didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to turn to.
I gave him a sheepish shrug. "I'll figure something out." I didn't want to involve Casey in my problems any more than I already had. It would be best if I just left.
Casey seemed like a nice boy, after all. I didn't want him hurt.
"Do you have a place to stay?" he folded his arms, staring me down.
"No, not really." I admitted, looking towards the fire escape. "I saw some nice benches on the way here though. I'll just find some newspapers and wrap my self up like a little homeless lady." I cooed the last part, hugging myself tightly.
Throwing his head back, Casey laughed. "No way! I can't let ya do that." He cackled.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I frowned. "I don't have anywhere else to go. So it is really my only option."
"Hey, don't you worry about it JD." Casey slapped a hand on my shoulder. "You can stay with my old man, sister, and me."
"Eh?" I gawked at me.
"Yeah! We got a spare room. My Pop was thinking about rentin' it out anyhow." Casey began to pull towards the fire escape and to the alley below.
Hold the phone! What did he just say?!
"What? No, no Casey. I couldn't- really! I've already imposed enough as it is!' I disagreed, trying to yank my arm back. His grip, tight as steel, didn't loosen.
Oh jeez, this day was just getting weirder. Now some kid was leading me to his house like I was some stray cat!
How would that conversation play out between his Dad.
"Oh hey Dad, guess what. I found this stray girl on the way home and she needs a place to stay. Can we keep her? I'll feed and water her, promise!"
Yeah, that would be awkward.
"Casey wait-" I tried again when he yanked me up some steps towards this small shop. It was a nice little shop that seemed to sell a large variety of things.
"Here we are, home." Casey beamed, letting go of my wrist to open the door. Stepping in, he motioned for me to come inside.
Standing awkwardly on the street, I blinked at him. "Casey, seriously. You don't have to do this."
"JD, just get in here." He reached out to pull me in, but I stepped back.
"You heard what the Game Master said. The game hasn't ended for me yet. Those goons were just the beginning. I don't want you getting hurt because of me." I insisted, my voice sound desperate.
Caught of guard, the younger boy blinked wildly at me. After a short pause, his eyes softened to a warm and happy grin. "JD, stop worrying. We're cool, really. If anything, I can at least give ya a place to crash." He motioned me in again. When I didn't step inside he added, "And he is one mean cook."
At the mention of food my stomach growled. I was starving! When was the last time I ate?
My stomach getting the better of my I finally agreed to come inside and pushed pass Casey into the shop. From what I could tell, there was a door at the corner of the shop leading to the actual apartment above.
Staring around, my eyes gazed over many different objects. Most of the equipment involved hunting, but there was also a lot of Hockey supplies within the room as well.
"Is this your shop?" I inquired.
"Yeah, it is the family business. My old man is the head guy here." He smirked at me, throwing his stick to the corner of the room. With a large thumb, it landed, echoing through the building.
"Casey Jones!" A booming voice filled the air, making me jump. "Where have you been boy!?"
I could hear heavy foot steps coming from the steps and turned towards the door. Someone was coming towards us, and they sounded big. Really big.
"Hey Pop, chill, will ya?" Casey called back to the voice. "We got a guest."
There was a loud stomping before a large form came trotting out of the door and into the shot. He was tall, looming over me like a giant.
"Who is this?" The man questioned, his voice gruff, yet oddly welcoming.
"This JD-"
"Phillis." I corrected, still baffled by the giant in front of me.
"J Phillis D." Casey decided to compromise. "Anyway Dad, not the point. I found this stray girl on the way home and she needs a place to stay. Can we keep here? I'll feed and water her, promise!"
He said exactly what I was thinking of before! Word for word! I'm not a pet Casey Jones!
Tilting his head back, Mr. Jones began to laugh when I whipped around to slap Casey on the head, yelling at him that he couldn't just 'Keep me like his pet'.
"Okay, what is this really all about? I knew Casey would bring a girl home eventually, he's got the Jones family charm after all, but I didn't think it would be an adult women. Unless of course you like older women." Mr. Jones playfully nudged his son.
"Oh jeez Pop, no. As I said, I found her on the way here. She was being attacked by these dirt bags who attacked her Five to One." Casey explained.
Frowning, Mr. Jones' attitude changed. He was suddenly serious and I felt a sudden urge to run from how he narrowed his eyes, ready for a fight. They were so cold, ready to murder anything that attacked him. "What sort of creeps? The Purple Dragon?" he growled
Oh, am I sensing some bad blood between those two?
…Who are the Purple Dragons anyway? Some sort of rock band?
"Naw, it was someone else. This creep called the- the uh-" Casey paused to recall the name.
"The Game Master.' I answered for him.
"Yeah, that!' he pointed to me. "The Game Master sent his henchman after JD here. He wants her in his game."
Turning to me, the large man stared me down, as if trying to read my mind or something. Hands on his hips, he frowned. "You owe the guy some money or something?"
Casey was so much like his Father.
"No." I shook my head. "Well-" I hesitated. "Maybe. I don't know." Once again I was left clueless from my amnesia. It was scary to not know what I had done, or who I was. Was I a good person? Or was I… was I someone evil?
Sensing my sudden change in mood, Mr. Jones titled his head. "How do ya not know?"
"She's got amnesia Pop." Casey piped in when I found I couldn't make the words myself. "That Game Master guy says he knows how to get her memories back, but she has to play in that game of his." Turning to me, Casey motioned to my pocket. "Show him the texts."
Oh right! Stuffing my hand in my pocket I rummaged around for the phone. Finding it, I whipped it open and held it up for Mr. Jones to investigate.
Scanning over the words, he blinked, standing straight.
"That is definitely a large scrap you got yourself caught into Ms." Mr. Jones nodded grimly.
I nodded meekly. I was ready to say that I would leave, so I wouldn't bother Mr. Jones and his son, when Mr. Jones suddenly spoke up.
"Well, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you need." A wide grin spread across his face.
"What?" I lifted my head in surprise. I… I couldn't! This is beyond imposing!
"I insist." He patted me on the back with his bulky hand. I stumbled forward at contact, not expecting such strength from him.
"But…" baffled, I lowered my hands, which I held up in confusion. I was so confused. I didn't understand why these people were doing this for me. "…You don't even know me. I'm a stranger." I pointed out.
Nodding his head wistfully, Mr. Jones' smile never faltered. "You're right little lady, I don't." he agreed. "But ya know, I'm a stranger to ya too."
He was right. I had just walked into Casey's house and talked with his family even though I know nothing about them.
"So, if it is so bad that you're a stranger to us, then why is it okay we are strangers to you?" he folded his large arm cross his chest, his eye glinting in the light of the lamp.
Speechless I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say.
Looking to my feet, I shrugged like a small child being scolded. "I don't know Mr. Jones. I just… I don't understand. Why are you both doing all of this? I have done nothing for either of you."
"Well o'course ya haven't." Mr. Jones tilted his head back and laughed. "How could ya do somethin' for us when we haven't done anythin' for you?"
He kept turning my words around and slamming them right back in my face.
"A strangers just a friend ya ain't met yet." The larger man above me said with such confidence that I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I couldn't explain why I suddenly felt so safe.
…Hey, wait a minute. I think I've heard that quote before.
"Aw Dad." Casey groaned. "Not another one of your quotes again." He shook his head at his Father, who apparently quoted a lot of things.
"It is a good quote boy! You should learn from it." His father poked his forehead. Swatting his hand away, Casey huffed.
"I do, I just don't say em' 24/7 like you do."
Nudging his son playfully, Mr. Jones' turned back to me. "That little lady was a quote by the man called-"
"Will Rogers." I said breathlessly. Surprised, the two males in front of me looked at one another.
"Oh, so you have heard of him, huh?" Mr. Jones seemed very pleased, unlike his son, who seemed to be dreading that I might be a fellow quoter like his Dad.
…I think I was a quoter, actually.
Hesitant to answer, I frowned. "I'm not sure… I think I have."