Innocence Lost

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What am I doing? I ask myself as I followed Mai, heading towards the better parts of town. What am I doing? I am following Mai so that she may decide to let me live.

We stop at a nice looking house.

She turns and tosses me a blade," You will need this if you want to live."

She takes out her dart gun and aims it at me," Go inside."

I don't remember Mai this cold. I guess having to kill your friends can do this to you. I have some sympathy for her. It was I who ran from Domino. I had lied to everybody since that time. Everything about me was a bloody lie.

She followed me inside and led me to a bedroom.

In the bed with no idea that he is the target, a well known man slept in his bed. Not Kaiba, he caught the classic case of death years ago.

Selvon Mandrake, known as the mayor of this bustling city. Gee, I thought, wouldn't he have bodygaurds to protect him?

"This is it," she says," Kill or be killed."

I look to the victim. I figured as much. In order to save my own life, she is going to make me kill.

I look to her.

Seeing my hessitation, she aims the gun to right in between my eyes. I could tell from the look on her face that she does not want to take my life.

" I will do it Ryou." She says," I will kill you both if I have to, and pin this on your head anyway."

I look to him again. I guess I have to do this.

Raising the blade to his throat my heart is screaming out in protest. Don't do it Ryou! I screamed so loud that I could swear the city heard it.

"Remember" Mai's voice repeated in my head, " Kill or be killed."

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. With one swift motion I slit the man's throat.

"Good job Ryou." She told me.

I look to her," Are you happy now?"

"Come," she said leaving out of the window.

I followed her, as I left the room I fealt guilt. She allowed me to return to my apartment. Before long I forced myself to go to sleep asking myself one question.

What have I done?

"How could you?" I see a ghost like figure in the middle of the dark room.

I respond," I don't know. It seemed like I had no other choice."

Joey appears from the white ghost like figure," You were the smart one Ryou. You should have known that there were other ways to appease Mai."

"I could have said no and let her kill me." I said," But I was too afraid."

Joey shook his head, " Ryou, she will be back for you. One kill is not enough to warrant keeping you around. I came to warn you. She will be back and will have you kill again."

"Thanks for the warning Joey, but what can I do about it? " I ask," I have already the blood on my hands from earler."

Joey thinks," I dunno Ryou. Man, it is nice up here. Death is not all that bad. You just gotta get used to it."

Joey left me to a dreamless sleep.

Is that what I should do? Let her kill me?