Hello everyone,
thanks for the reviews as usual.
Disclaimer: Still nothing changed.
The next week passes slowly. It got really cold again, hopefully that will pass soon. I am freezing every night. But at the moment I don't have the money to buy a warmer jacket than the worn out black coat I own. I am afraid it might affect the baby but I can't do anything against it. Gambling for money is not going well either. So tonight I decided to go to a club I usually don't visit because the criminality is high around there, but I can get far more money there than where I usually play and I desperately need it.
It's half past ten in the evening and I'm standing in front of the doors. I take a deep breath, pushing them open. Immediately a hard smell of alcohol and smoke assaults my nose making it scrunch up in disgust. I try to ignore it and walk over to one of the tables. Fortunately they don't care whether you're a minor here. I sit down and throw a fake smile into the round. Let the game begin!
Some hours later I have successfully cheated over two thousand pounds out of the other players. By now it is close to four in the morning and I'm dead tired. Staying up that long is exhausting to begin with but it is draining me more than the others. So I take my money and head out, slightly swaying when a dizzy spell hits me at one time. I step into the cold morning air, taking a deep, refreshing breath. Unfortunately I don't notice one of my former adversaries standing up and following me outside. I walk some streets ahead and then stop, leaning against the wall, to count the money I made tonight. Suddenly I hear a voice behind me.
"See, who we have here! The little cheater content over his win!"
I shoot around at the sneering sound. My eyes widen in fright when I see a group of men standing there, grinning evilly. One of them stands out. Expensive suit, hair gelled back, jewellery and a round face. Imagine your cliché mafia boss and you know what I mean. I remember playing against him and him getting pretty angry after losing money to me. Behind him are four bulky looking guys. I straighten myself up, one arm unconsciously trailing over my stomach.
"What do you want?"
"My money back," the mafia boss smirks.
"No, I won it. It's mine now," I answer, trying to appear brave.
"You cheated!" he hisses, "You are a dirty cheater! The money doesn't belong to you!"
"I didn't!" I defend.
But before I can say more a new dizzy spell hits me, the cold, malnourishment and lacking sleep finally getting to me. My body is demanding what he needs. And he does it now. Shit! I curse my bad luck again. Of all moments it had to be now!
"Heh, what is this? You sick, cheater?" the other teases.
"I'm not sick," I groan out, working on keeping on standing straight.
"Doesn't really matter. You're weak. So it would be better for you to just hand the money over."
"I won't! I rightfully won it!" I growl out, ignoring the momentary black seeping into my peripheral vision.
"It was by no way rightful!" he yells, then points to me, "Okay, you got your chance. Now we're going to simply take it ourselves! Get him!"
He shouts and the four henchmen run towards me. I shake my head to keep the world from spinning. To say I go down without a fight would be wrong. I manage to actually knock out one of them. But there are still three left. And even though normally I'm a really good fighter as weakened as I'm now I can't do much. Soon I'm on the floor, my head spinning and my sight blurring.
"That's where a dirty cheater like you belongs," the evil voice of the boss taunts again, "On the ground. In the dirt of the street."
I cringe when the wetness of the floor under me starts to soak my clothes. My head hurts and I have a hard time keeping my eyes focused. Suddenly a kick in my back lets me give out a shout. An evil laugh resounds through the street.
"That's what you deserve for cheating, you bag of shit!"
Countless hits and kicks rain down on my whole body. Desperately I try to shield my abdomen, but it only barely works. So it doesn't take long until I start coughing up blood. The red liquid is also soaking my white hair from a wound on my head and I have some bleeding scratches on my hands. I groan and am fighting to at least keep consciousness. The boss, seeing that, gives a malicious grin. He grabs all the money I had and gives me a last kick right in the face, effectively breaking my nose. Then he turns away and walks to the bigger street with his henchmen.
"That should teach you, cheater!"
And with that he is gone. I groan, not being able to make any other sound, and cough again, some blood spluttering on the ground. I lay there for what seems like an eternity to me, not being able to move. My whole body hurts. But I can't keep laying here. It will only make everything worse. So under a lot of pain I manage to lift myself onto my feet, using the next wall for support. I am panting hard and shaking from cold and pain. Carefully I make steps forward and cry out because of the pain. Nonetheless I pull myself together and force my body to continue walking. Where exactly, I don't know. I just know that I can't keep laying there. I'm only doing step by step, maybe also in the hope that someone notices my state and helps. But my hopes are disappointed when I reach the end of the small alley I was in. Even on the bigger street, no one seems to care, they only walk past me. It's still not the best part of town after all. I am moving forward like in a trance.
But not after long I can feel my legs finally giving away under me, my vision blurring beyond recognition. A sharp pain shoots through me from my abdomen. Shit! Then suddenly I hear a surprised shout.
"Moyashi?!"
I try to rip my eyes back open. There was only one person who ever called me that. But it can't be him, can it? Please let this not be some kind of hallucination. After a moment I see a blurry figure entering my field of vision. He is running towards me but I'm too exhausted to distinguish his face. I try to say something but exactly at that moment my legs decide that they had enough and collapse. I brace myself for the hit on the ground, closing my eyes.
But it never comes. Instead I feel two strong arms catching me. I sigh at feeling safe for once. I force my eyes back open, but all I can see is a blur of pale skin and dark hair. Though I can distinct the piecing gaze he's giving me, the deep orbs showing surprising concern.
"Oi, moyashi! Moyashi, is that really you? What the fuck have you done to yourself?"
His deep voice, always able to calm me down sounds and I feel happy for the first time in years even despite the pain. But that only works until another ripple of pain from my stomach erupts through me, but I don't have the energy to shoot up and crouch myself together, only let out a whimper.
"God, moyashi. I'm taking you to a hospital! Immediately!"
He lifts me up, carrying me bridal style in his arms, but I grip his shoulder.
"N-No…" I weakly force out.
"What?"
"N-No hospital, p-please…"
"But you need medical treatment!"
"Pl-please…"
I plead him not to force me into a hospital. I hate doctors more than anything. I can't directly say why though. Maybe because of the accident of Mana. He looks at me for a moment, then curses.
"Fine! I'm taking you to my home! But if you get any worse, you're bloody going to hospital! And no fucking discussion, moyashi!" he growls.
I smile slightly, letting out a whimper when another wave of pain washes over me. It takes my consciousness away. In the last moment I see his features sharp for only a second, marred slightly with concern. Then everything goes black.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading.
Hope to see you next time and please review.