Purely Fallen - D. Richardson (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📗

ear grin on her face. The children followed closely behind and it didn’t take long to figure out that they were chasing her. Then she spun around with a sharp ‘Ha!’ and started chasing them.

This carried on for almost twenty minutes before she collapsed onto the floor and the kids piled on top of her. She cried her surrender then got them settled in the living room to watch TV. It wasn’t long after that that the children began to get sleepy. I watched as she tenderly tucked them into cots on the floor one at a time. It was amazing to see such delicate tenderness and affection that she held for each and every child.

When she was done and the kids were asleep she grabbed her school bag and sat at the kitchen table. I sat down next to her but she just pulled out a couple of books and notebooks and started writing.

“You’re very good with them.” She glanced up then back down.

“Who?”

“The children.” She shrugged.

“Kids are easy. They’re innocent and uncomplicated. They never have a hidden agenda and they don’t know how to judge yet. It’s easy to enjoy their company, so long as you don’t want any deep conversation.” I nodded and left her to her school work. Something I was struggling with and it didn’t help my ego.

About an hour later the first of the parents showed up to pick up their little one. I believe his name was Sam. It was the guidance counselor from the school. I kept out of sight. It might have been a little awkward if he saw me in her home so late at night. They had a few moments of conversation before leaving.

It wasn’t long after that that the other parent’s showed up. I didn’t bother hiding from them. They were of no consequence. Eventually all of the children had left and she cleaned up all of the toys and cots. She went to bed and I was able to watch her without upsetting anyone. She was a mystery and I hoped to find her secret.

 

 

 

Raven

 

 

 

The two weeks passed fairly quickly. It was easier than I thought to get into a routine that included my new shadows. But I was getting restless. I could feel my energy building. Dancing and singing helped but they only prolonged the inevitable. I needed a release and soon. Which was why I ditched the stalkers and cornered Brett.

“Hey, what’s up?” Brett asked but his smile died as he took me in.

“It’s time, I need another one.” He sighed. He didn’t like my underground pass time but he understood that I needed it. So he nodded.

“Can you meet me tonight?” I nodded and tried to stop fidgeting.

The rest of the day was unbearably slow. Until finally it was time to leave the house. Sara had left for some meeting right after school so Gabriyel was the only one around besides my parents.

“Hey I’m going out with Brett tonight.” I said as I grabbed my jacket and keys. Gabriyel immediately joined me at the door and it bothered me. I didn’t want him tagging along but there was nothing I could do to stop him. My parents sighed in unison. They weren’t delusional. They knew that every time I left to hang out with Brett I came back with one injury or another.

“Do you have too?” Mom asked and I nodded. Yes, I very much needed to. So they just shook their heads and I walked out the door.

“Where are we going?” Gab asked as I started the car. I glanced over at him.

“Somewhere illegal that I don’t want my parents to know about.”

“I won’t lie to them.”

“I know, just don’t mention it. It’s complicated.” He sat quietly as I drove us past county lines. We finally got there and I led him down into the basement of an abandoned warehouse.

The crowds were as thick as they always were. The smoke was heavy and the whistles and cheers were almost deafening. Gabriyel looked around in confusion until he spotted the ring in the center of the large room. Two girls were pummeling each other, both covered in a fair amount of blood. The look of shock was expected.

I spotted Brett and Tony in the front row. Judging from the progression of the fight I had maybe five minutes. Brett had my bag and he set it on an empty chair. I took off my over shirt to reveal my tank underneath. A lot of the girls wore protective gear, mouth guards and the like. But I never did, they inhibited my concentration. He gave me my fingerless gloves with pads on the knuckles and I put them on quickly.

“You’re late!” Tony shouted over the crowds.

He was my kind of manager. He found the fights for me and got a cut of my winnings for his trouble. Personally I didn’t like him but he served his purpose. I had entered and won every tournament that they held in this place and as such I had the right to enter any fight I wanted. Anyone who beat me in anything but a forfeit got a good chunk of money. Especially if they bet on themselves.

I had just finished getting ready when the fight ended. Brett stayed quiet and never said a word since I had walked through the doors. He hated that I did this. I didn’t blame him, but at the same time I didn’t have a choice. It was either fight once every week or so or become too destructive to be allowed near anyone. My energy built to the point of breaking and a fight was the only way to fully sate it. I had tried everything else.

When they cleared the ring and announced the start of the next fight I jumped over the ropes to the ring. As soon as I appeared the crowd went wild. Most of them had witnessed my climb to fame in the underground fighting circle, and as much as it disgusted me, were my long time fans.

It truth I hated this place. I thought it was disgusting for grown men and women to support an underground fighting ring where the contestants were teenage girls. Most of whom didn’t have a choice. I had forfeited more than once and helped more than a dozen girls break away from this world. I still got post cards from some of them.

The other girl climbed through the other side, and I watched her carefully. Her trainer rubbed her shoulders and tried to give her a quiet pep talk. She seemed able but something was off about her. Then I put my finger on it. It was the fear. She was saturated in it. She didn’t want to be here and it scared her. But watching her with her trainer, he cared about her. She wasn’t being physically forced into this.

Her body was sturdy and she had well enough control. Her blonde hair was pinned back to keep it out of her way, and her gloves were a lot like mine. She was about an inch shorter than me, and by all appearances she looked like a good match. But she wasn’t. just looking at her I could pick out her weak points. Her left side was weaker than her right and when she faced off she left that side unprotected. She had very little technique.

So when the fight started I didn’t go in. I let her come to me. She swung twice but I dodged easily until I could get a good grip on her right arm. When I had a hold of her she panicked and started to flail with her left fist. I caught hold of that one too and pushed her arms down so she was defenseless and in close enough for me to talk to her over the crowd. She looked at me with so much fear I almost vomited.

“Why are you here?” She met my eyes when I spoke.

“What?”

“It’s not a hard question. Why are you here? Why do you want to fight?”

“I have too.”

“Why?”

“I…I don’t…” I sighed.

“Are you being forced?”

“N…no”

“Then why?” She took a deep breath.

“The money…I need the money.”

“Why?”

“My mom is sick, she can’t work. If I don’t come up with the money they’ll take my house.”

“And your dad?”

“He died when I was little.” I nodded and let her go. She backed up a couple of steps but stood her ground. I turned to the referee.

“I forfeit.” I had seen this particular referee several times and he just nodded.

“What! You can’t! You have to fight me, I have to win!” The girl exclaimed. I shook my head at her.

“I won’t fight you.” I jumped back over the ropes and tore my gloves off. I would have destroyed her in a fight. I had too much experience and she had no technique. She wouldn’t have lasted five minutes. The crowd booed but they could go to hell as far as I was concerned.

“What are you doing!? Get back in there I have a lot of money on you!” Tony screamed at me. Instead of answering I turned and delivered a right hook to his jaw. He was a big man and only stumbled back a few steps.

“Give me my money.” He slowly reached into his pocket and came back with a large envelop. It had almost fifty thousand in it from past winnings.

“I told you. A fair fight! An equal opponent!”

“She was fine, she…”

“She is weak! This is the first tournament she’s ever been in, I would have slaughtered her!”

“But…”

“I don’t care, those were the guidelines, you chose not to follow them. You’re fired.”

“I’m the best manager you’ve ever had!”

“If you want to keep lying to yourself fine. But do it where I don’t have to listen to your bullshit.” I snapped at him and he flustered for a minute before stomping away.

I looked over at the other girl and watched as she cried into her trainer’s shoulder. When she was finally done he grabbed her bag and she started towards me. I was right next to the only door in and out of this place. When she was close enough I grabbed her wrist and spun her into me. I put the envelop in her hand and wrapped my arm around her.

“Get out of this. It’s a dangerous world and there’s a reason why it’s illegal.” I pulled back and she stared at me in shock before looking down at the envelop. She opened it just enough to peak inside and the shock doubled as tears filled her eyes again. She lurched and hugged me this time. She squeezed as hard as she could and I could feel her body shaking. Finally she let go and ran for the exit as fast she could hiding the envelop.

I turned to Brett as he watched her run out of the building. When he turned to me he swallowed hard. He knew what was coming. I had no anger towards him. He was what was considered my handler. His job was to keep me safe not pick my fights.

“Two weeks Brett. It’s been two weeks. I need a fight.” He nodded.

“Come on, I’ll call the boys on the way.” I nodded this time and signaled for Gabriyel to follow me out. He hadn’t said a single word since we had pulled into the parking lot.

Chapter 4