When I have finished reading the article, the article I will remember for the rest of my life, I silently fold it, and place it neatly beside me. I say nothing. I get up, and I say nothing. The Columbian is standing, watching me. I say nothing. I do not give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he has hurt me. I make a decision in that millisecond. Becoming attached to the people around me, trusting people, letting myself be vulnerable to others, is too painful. It hurts me, and it hurts them. There is no joy in that. I make a choice; I choose to detach myself completely. I choose to not be hurt. The Columbian shifts awkwardly. Finally, he speaks, unnerved by my silence.

"You like that, cop?"

He says the nickname, cop, as though it is a curse, the worst possible thing that he could possibly call me. Fine. Let him think that. I don't care. I turn around, to face him, slowly, calmly. I say nothing. He speaks again.

"You know what comes next, doncha, cop? We go after everything you got. That woman that come to see you, that other man…"

I turn around suddenly, and with my forearm against his neck, I pin him to the wall. I have decided to detach myself, but my first and foremost duty will always be to protect Michelle. Whatever else I may do, I will always protect Michelle. This man has threatened to hurt her, and I know he has the means to, and I know that I must stop him. I must convince him not to. Whether to use my powers of persuasion, or to use force, is entirely at my discretion. I choose to use force, if only because it will help to feed my anger at this awful man.

I press harder, and the man begins to choke. He is breathing, but barely. His feet dangle, inches from the ground. He deserves much worse, but I show surprising control, both in my actions and my voice.

"If you lay a hand on her…" I growl, my voice so low that no-one else could possibly hear, "If one of your 'boys' so much as goes within one hundred feet of her, I will rip you limb from limb. I will make you watch as I remove your organs, one by one. And finally, when there is nothing left inside of you except for your brain, your lungs and your cold, empty heart, I will cut your body up, and your mother won't even have a corpse to bury."

I release, and the Columbian drops to the ground. He rubs his throat, gasping for breath. He looks up at me, and I glare back down. I show a fierceness in me that I had kept hidden before, and maybe it is this that causes him to cower in fear. I think he saw me before as an easy target, a punk. I have just shown him that I am no such thing.

"You hear?" I say, loudly, to reiterate, without actually repeating my speech.

He says nothing. I kick him.

"I said, you hear?"

"Yeah, man, I hear."


Please review! I would really really apreciate it :) Reviews are what keep me writing! Cheers, Kathleen.