Coming From the Shadows Series
In the late evening, Yasmin and Raven returned to the flat where upon trying to find what was present in the cupboards, discovered everything was vacant; Yasmin raised her eyebrow a moment “Huh…” she mumbled “We need to go and do a bit of shopping” she said, glancing towards Raven, she noticed the distracted look in her eyes as she just mumbled in agreement, Yasmin couldn’t help but smile at her softly; after a quick check of the fridge, she discovered they were also out of milk; making her way over to Raven, she stood directly in front of her, before tapping her on the nose and smiling at her
“Hmm?” Raven brought her attention to Yasmin as she came back to the present, realising she had not being paying any attention
Yasmin giggled lightly at her “Your very distracted” she said “We need to go out to the shop; no food, and we’ve got no milk” she said smiling
“Can’t have that” Raven commented “Need to have milk; or there is no cups of tea in the morning” she said, her tone hinted at the very idea being a crime, Yasmin found the tone rather amusing
The two took their leave; as they passed by the small living room, Raven stood briefly, she felt as though she had seen something out the corner of her eye, shifting her attention towards the window for a moment, but saw nothing there, shaking her head; she moved to continue walking, leaving the flat with Yasmin.
It wasn’t far; but under the lashing rains; it was long enough of a walk for the two before they would reach the inside of the store.
The fluorescent lights of the 24-hour store hummed a discordant tune, a stark counterpart to the silence of the near-deserted aisles; rain was lashing against the windows, blurring the already indistinct streetlights into a haze of halos; Raven, one again lost in the labyrinthine thoughts that having been plaguing her throughout the door, absently scanned shelves; Yasmin maintained a warm smile as she watched her girlfriend as she trailed patiently behind her, a basket swinging gently by her side
The air hung heavy with a peculiar stillness; a silence that felt less peaceful and more pregnant with unspoken menace.
The scent of stale coffee and cheap cleaning products couldn’t mask the underlying aura of unease that seemed to cling to the shadowed corners of the shop; and tonight, Raven’s distracted mind seemed to be amplifying the strange feelings; a strange aura just seemed to follow her.
the hairs on the back of her neck seemed to prickle with a premonition of something wrong.
When she finally stopped in front of one of the fridges, she pulled open the door to retrieve a bottle of milk; as she was reaching though; a low growl, barely audible above the drumming rain scrapped against her awareness.
It sounded almost animalistic, she glanced up a moment, her fingers wrapped around the bottles handle; though she didn’t see anything as she looked about, just an empty aisle stretching into the dimly lit recesses of the store “Hmm” she mumbled, dismissing it was trick of the mind, something conjured by the sounds from the heavy rain; perhaps even just due to her mental exhaustion; returning her eyes to the milk, she pulled it out from the fridge before closing the door.
As she moved back a little before beginning to walk back to Yasmin, she felt a strange, cold dread blossoming in her chest; her mind felt as though she was being screamed at, it made her freeze up, then she felt a searing pain exploding across her shoulder; it instantly caused her to turn her head, twisting her body as she dropped the milk bottle and quickly bring her hand up towards her shoulder.
A scream caught in her throat as she stumbled quickly away, her world violently tilting; she felt the cold sharp bite of steel piercing her flesh; a searing heat blooming outwards from the wound; she had to catch herself against the nearest countertop; her eyes snapping to her shoulder to see crimson soaking through the edges of the white jacket she was wearing beneath her denim jacket; the multiple layers of fabric already felt soaked.
Michael, a gaunt figure with eyes that burned with a feverish intensity, stood over Raven as she slowly found herself collapsing downwards; she was desperately trying to stay upright as her legs gave out beneath her; he moved a little forwards, the knife gripped in his hand dripped obscenely; he was a creature of shadows, his face pale and contorted, his breath was ragged and uneven.
His eyes were devoid of any hint of humanity, and they were fixed on Raven wth a chilling predatory gleam; he hadn’t made a sound, his attack was swift and brutal, catching Raven completely off guard in her mental fog.
Taking notice, Yasmin let out a sharp cry that sliced through the night; her reaction was instant as she dropped the basket and lunged forwards; her martial arts training kicked in without a moments hesitation; she became a whirlwind of punches and kicks; compared to Michael her smaller frame belied her strength and agility, her movements were precise and brutal; she fought with the ferocity of a cornered animal; that he dared to harm Raven fuelled her burst in rage; all she saw was a red haze.
But despite Michael’s fractured mental state was given an advantage; he was surprisingly strong, much stronger physically that Yasmin; he lunged back, his knife was a deadly extension of his frenzied assault; Yasmin parried his attacks, but his sheer strength was pushing her back; forcing her to be more defensive.
She was skilled, but outmatched in raw physical power; the fight between them was a dance of deadly violence; a desperate struggle within the confines of the store; the air crackled with tension; the sounds of struggle a horrible counterpoint to the relentless rain hammering against the windows
Then, suddenly a figure loomed into view; Adonis, his intervention came with brutal efficiency; he wasn’t wasting time on fighting techniques or finesse; with a speed that defied belief, he grabbed Michael’s wrist, twisting with a sickening crunch; the attacker let out a scream before there was a swift strike to his throat that silenced him; all before the knife had even clattered t the floor.
Adonis held onto Michael’s arm, he had a grim expression present.
The sudden and violent intervention had silenced the chaos; Yasmin stared at Adonis, momentarily frozen; her breath hitching in her chest; the raw power that Adonis had unleashed was frightening in its simplicity, a shock contrast to her precise, control fighting.
He hadn’t just subdued Michael, he had utterly destroyed his capacity to cause further harm.
His eyes shifted to Yasmin before they moved in Raven’s direction; Yasmin quickly snapped back to reality, looking over to her girlfriend and rushing to her side; Adonis though, he shifted his gaze back onto Michael; an expression of controlled rage was present as he brough his left hand up, clasping his fingers around Michael’s throat and clenching, the rage he was beginning to display sent even more fear through Michael, he could only stare silently into the eyes of what looked like a predator eyeing its prey.
Yasmin’s attention now purely on Raven, took little notice of what was happening behind her, she raised her hands to Ravens face, gently tapping her face with urgency, her eyes drifted to the wet patches seeping through the denim, moving her trembling hands, she unbuttoned the jacket; she flinched when she heard something heavy hit the floor, but she wasn’t taking her eyes away from Raven.
“I would put pressure on her shoulder” Adonis’ vice said from behind “I’ve already called the emergency services, they should be here soon”
As the sirens wailed I the distance; Adonis, quietly backed off further, choosing to take his leave rather than stay any longer, Yasmin never got to tell him thanks, her concern was on Raven, and she remained by her side even as paramedics finally came to attend the unconscious girl.
Written By: Westley H.
- A Cold Night in March: A Tale of Love and Loss
- The Vanguard Incident
- Struggling with Sadness: Eleanor’s Journey to Find Help
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