Evil Beneath Innocence
Chapter Five
Aisha stared blankly at the crimson liquid that covered her hands. A strange sensation overcame her. She could only describe it as a bizarre sense of familiarity. The situation she found herself in had happened before somehow. Her brain struggled to recollect the vague memories. Images flashed before her eyes. A man. A knife. Blood. Erik.
...And suddenly it all came back to her.
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As Aisha finished placing the CDRW's on the shelf, she glanced at her watch. Six seventeen. Erik should be back soon. She kneeled down to pull the blank cassette tapes forward on the bottom shelf when she noticed a set of booted feet on her left enter her vision. Figuring it was the customer needing help with something, she looked up.
"Can I help... you?" Aisha inquired, but was met with the sight of a blade in her face.
"Get up," ordered a deep, but shaky, voice.
Aisha complied, slowly rising to her feet, her eyes watching the knife carefully. When she felt the man wasn't about to harm her that immediate moment, she looked into his face. He had pale blue eyes; every so often they would dart around nervously. He had a scar on his left cheek, which was almost hidden by his unshaven facial hair. He was much taller than she, and probably about twice her size. She wouldn't be able to fight him off if he decided to attack her.
"Over to the register. Open it."
The man directed Aisha to the sales counter where she popped open the drawer. She always kept her eye on him and the knife. 'Where was Erik?' she wondered.
"Put the money in one of those bags."
Aisha opened a paper bag and began stuffing bills into it. "There's not much here y'know," she muttered quietly.
The criminal didn't really respond much at first. He seemed to be studying how many bills there truly was. He couldn't get an accurate estimate, considering how quickly Aisha was putting them into the bag. But he figured there was only a few hundred dollars. He wasn't satisfied with the insufficient funds.
"There's a safe, isn't there? Where is it?" he demanded, his nervousness causing his voice to crack. Aisha looked to the crook with her own nervous expression. Indeed there was a safe in a small room behind the storage area.
"Yes, but it's in a locked room-"
"Open it."
"I can't. The manager has the key."
"Then you better find a way to open it."
The man was becoming more hostile by the second. What was she to do? She couldn't break into that room. What was the man going to do when he realized she couldn't open it? The sound of something hitting the ground on her right side disrupted Aisha's thoughts. Simultaneously, she and the crook looked towards the doorway to the stock room. Standing there was Erik, a box of merchandise on the floor at his feet. His face held a look of shock.
The next series of events happened so quickly that most of it seemed a blur. Having not considered Erik's presence a factor in his burglary, the crook panicked and immediately took action with little forethought. Seeing Erik as the greater threat, the thief charged him. The blade came down towards Erik, but thankfully there was a broom within arm's reach. Erik grabbed the broom and used it to shield himself from the criminal's weapon.
With her best friend's life threatened, Aisha reacted instantly and chased after the thief. The knife had glanced off the broom within Erik's hands, but the crook was determined and attempted another slash. Just as he was about to thrust the blade towards Erik, Aisha grabbed the man's left side, trying to pull him away from her friend. Startled by the sudden contact, the thief spun around and pushed the blade forward. Instead of stabbing Erik, he impaled Aisha with the knife.
Aisha froze, her breath caught in her throat. She stared into the crook's unreadable face. His eyes barely held a hint of fear as the realization of his actions dawned on him. A great pain tore up Aisha's body, her stomach felt like it was on fire. She looked down. Blood soaked her stomach. It flowed freely from the wound.
As the blood rushed from Aisha's body and her strength weakening, her head and limbs seemed to be taking on extra weight. But she still managed to lift her head, albeit very slowly. She looked up, passed her attacker, and looked to Erik. Her vision was blurring, but she could still see the unmistakable look of disbelief, shock, and fear etched onto his face.
Then everything became dark.
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Hmmm... To end the chapter here, or not to end the chapter here... That is mine dilemma. I'll go with the eviler choice! (I'm assuming 'eviler' is a word since my spell checker isn't screaming at me.) I shall NOT continue the chapter because I AM EVIL! Muahahahahaha!! I shall now be known as Mikoto "Evil Cliffhanger" Zoku! Bahahahaha! And you will never know the ending to my story! Hahaha!
That is unless, of course, I get some reviews. I'm feeling rather greedy right now, but not ungrateful. I shall not forget my loyal reviewers. Thank you, AquaSword and Concept of a Demon for your reviews. You guys are ever so smart and you know good taste when you see it. Those of you who have perhaps read my story thus far, but not reviewed, I thank you for reading, but I trust you shall review in the future. (I promise a shipload of pointy stabbity thingies at the disposal for those who DO review.)
The smaller turnout for reviews after my last chapter leads me to wonder if perhaps my story is becoming boring. If it is, review anyway and tell me. I don't care, as long as I get some reviews. Anyway, (I don't know if this is good news or bad, you decide) I think this story is only one more chapter away before its conclusion. As it is now going on 4 a.m. and I am about ready to pass out, I shall say thank you for reading, and goodnight. Peace out.
Chapter Five
Aisha stared blankly at the crimson liquid that covered her hands. A strange sensation overcame her. She could only describe it as a bizarre sense of familiarity. The situation she found herself in had happened before somehow. Her brain struggled to recollect the vague memories. Images flashed before her eyes. A man. A knife. Blood. Erik.
...And suddenly it all came back to her.
///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\ \\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///
As Aisha finished placing the CDRW's on the shelf, she glanced at her watch. Six seventeen. Erik should be back soon. She kneeled down to pull the blank cassette tapes forward on the bottom shelf when she noticed a set of booted feet on her left enter her vision. Figuring it was the customer needing help with something, she looked up.
"Can I help... you?" Aisha inquired, but was met with the sight of a blade in her face.
"Get up," ordered a deep, but shaky, voice.
Aisha complied, slowly rising to her feet, her eyes watching the knife carefully. When she felt the man wasn't about to harm her that immediate moment, she looked into his face. He had pale blue eyes; every so often they would dart around nervously. He had a scar on his left cheek, which was almost hidden by his unshaven facial hair. He was much taller than she, and probably about twice her size. She wouldn't be able to fight him off if he decided to attack her.
"Over to the register. Open it."
The man directed Aisha to the sales counter where she popped open the drawer. She always kept her eye on him and the knife. 'Where was Erik?' she wondered.
"Put the money in one of those bags."
Aisha opened a paper bag and began stuffing bills into it. "There's not much here y'know," she muttered quietly.
The criminal didn't really respond much at first. He seemed to be studying how many bills there truly was. He couldn't get an accurate estimate, considering how quickly Aisha was putting them into the bag. But he figured there was only a few hundred dollars. He wasn't satisfied with the insufficient funds.
"There's a safe, isn't there? Where is it?" he demanded, his nervousness causing his voice to crack. Aisha looked to the crook with her own nervous expression. Indeed there was a safe in a small room behind the storage area.
"Yes, but it's in a locked room-"
"Open it."
"I can't. The manager has the key."
"Then you better find a way to open it."
The man was becoming more hostile by the second. What was she to do? She couldn't break into that room. What was the man going to do when he realized she couldn't open it? The sound of something hitting the ground on her right side disrupted Aisha's thoughts. Simultaneously, she and the crook looked towards the doorway to the stock room. Standing there was Erik, a box of merchandise on the floor at his feet. His face held a look of shock.
The next series of events happened so quickly that most of it seemed a blur. Having not considered Erik's presence a factor in his burglary, the crook panicked and immediately took action with little forethought. Seeing Erik as the greater threat, the thief charged him. The blade came down towards Erik, but thankfully there was a broom within arm's reach. Erik grabbed the broom and used it to shield himself from the criminal's weapon.
With her best friend's life threatened, Aisha reacted instantly and chased after the thief. The knife had glanced off the broom within Erik's hands, but the crook was determined and attempted another slash. Just as he was about to thrust the blade towards Erik, Aisha grabbed the man's left side, trying to pull him away from her friend. Startled by the sudden contact, the thief spun around and pushed the blade forward. Instead of stabbing Erik, he impaled Aisha with the knife.
Aisha froze, her breath caught in her throat. She stared into the crook's unreadable face. His eyes barely held a hint of fear as the realization of his actions dawned on him. A great pain tore up Aisha's body, her stomach felt like it was on fire. She looked down. Blood soaked her stomach. It flowed freely from the wound.
As the blood rushed from Aisha's body and her strength weakening, her head and limbs seemed to be taking on extra weight. But she still managed to lift her head, albeit very slowly. She looked up, passed her attacker, and looked to Erik. Her vision was blurring, but she could still see the unmistakable look of disbelief, shock, and fear etched onto his face.
Then everything became dark.
///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\ \\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///
Hmmm... To end the chapter here, or not to end the chapter here... That is mine dilemma. I'll go with the eviler choice! (I'm assuming 'eviler' is a word since my spell checker isn't screaming at me.) I shall NOT continue the chapter because I AM EVIL! Muahahahahaha!! I shall now be known as Mikoto "Evil Cliffhanger" Zoku! Bahahahaha! And you will never know the ending to my story! Hahaha!
That is unless, of course, I get some reviews. I'm feeling rather greedy right now, but not ungrateful. I shall not forget my loyal reviewers. Thank you, AquaSword and Concept of a Demon for your reviews. You guys are ever so smart and you know good taste when you see it. Those of you who have perhaps read my story thus far, but not reviewed, I thank you for reading, but I trust you shall review in the future. (I promise a shipload of pointy stabbity thingies at the disposal for those who DO review.)
The smaller turnout for reviews after my last chapter leads me to wonder if perhaps my story is becoming boring. If it is, review anyway and tell me. I don't care, as long as I get some reviews. Anyway, (I don't know if this is good news or bad, you decide) I think this story is only one more chapter away before its conclusion. As it is now going on 4 a.m. and I am about ready to pass out, I shall say thank you for reading, and goodnight. Peace out.