v2.0 C10.2

Here you go!

Previously…

I caved in and groaned. “Oh, alright. I’ll be there at nine.”

They whooped in joy. “Can you…” Erin began.

“Erin! Cara! You won’t get any candy if you don’t come with us,” the old lady threatened.

Erin hugged my knee one last time. “See you later!”

I waved, grinning madly. “Bye!” As they retreated into the distance, I shook my head, chuckling. Hunk of cheese?

-

The pumpkins glowed eerily in the meagre light, their hollow eyes following my progress down the road. I shivered in my coat as a chilly breeze swept past, blowing hair into my face. Brushing the strands away irritably, I moved to the right as someone dressed in a dark hooded cloak swept towards me.

The wind promptly blew them back into my eyes again. I groaned. I really needed a haircut. Badly. I blinked rapidly, sweeping stray hair away from my face.

I was contemplating whether Ma would object if I cut my hair really short when someone gripped my shoulder hard.

“What…”

My words were cut off as someone pressed something against my face. I tensed involuntarily. Adrenaline gushed through my veins. Instinctively, I held my breath. Was there chloroform in the cloth? No matter. He’d just assume that I’d fainted. I made my body go slack, and the person behind me fumbled slightly to support my weight. Damn. He was strong. Escape would be my best option, then. Where to, though? Back home? No. I almost grimaced. He’d catch up with me within ten metres. Seek refuge with a neighbour? Yes, that might just work. I felt a pressure being lifted from my nose. Oh, excellent. My ruse actually worked.

Mustering all my strength, I heaved forwards. Caught off guard, the hooded man was thrown forwards into the pavement. But I’d breathed in too soon; there had been chloroform on the cloth. Damn. I teetered forwards unsteadily. Hell. What had I been planning to do?

As I tried to collect myself, he came at me with the cloth again. I lashed out at his torso and my hand hit steel. The impact jarred my whole arm. What the hell? Was he a body builder or something? I took a step back. But he was quicker.

He reached out, grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back. I yelled. Pain shot up my right arm. Moving behind me, he pulled my arm higher. A moan escaped from me even though I was gritting my teeth. Was he trying to dislocate my shoulder? Well, hell, probably. I resisted. No way was I going back to hospital. Not that it wasn’t a nice experience, but the pile of homework that I had to deal with after getting discharged was… well… I didn’t want to think of that at all. And if he broke my arm I wouldn’t even be able to do Sudoku when I was immensely bored. I suppose I could try writing with my left hand, but…

Then I felt a light fleeting touch under my ear. What was he… Then he dug his fingers into my neck.

I screamed.

Pain like I’d never experienced before seared through me. I was burning alive. Then abruptly it was gone, but it still felt as if my whole body had been scorched. God, he knows Dim Mak? What else does he know? And why was he… Darkness invaded the edges of my vision. Then I heard a sickening crack. A fresh wave of agony from my shoulder washed over me and, in a perverse way, soothed away the remnants of the burning sensation. I felt myself slipping away. Come on, focus. Focus on something else. Like…

Escaping?

I hooked my leg behind his and tugged hard. He stumbled backwards, and I broke away immediately. But my legs almost gave way beneath me. I staggered forwards. Then I felt a sharp tug at my feet. I fell. The ground rushed up to meet me. But then a hand grabbed my injured shoulder brusquely, yanking me upwards. I yelled. This time, he pushed the cloth right into my mouth and pressed me tight against his body. Pain wrecked my body. I gave up struggling. Sheer frustration surged through me. Why hadn’t I been born male? Why was he doing this to me? Why…

Step on his foot, you eejit.

Mustering all my strength, I stomped down on his foot. He let go immediately. I wrenched the stinking cloth out of my mouth, spitting the foul substance on the ground. I tried escaping again. But I hadn’t taken more than a step before he grabbed my elbow. Pain shot through me again. I shrieked. Then he punched me in the gut. That took all my breath away. Blackness clouded my vision. I doubled over in agony. Was he trying to kill me or incapacitate me?

At that moment, a group of children in Halloween costumes emerged from a doorway two houses ahead. I yelled, and the children began running towards me, shouting and screaming. The man froze for a millisecond. Then he bolted, cloak billowing behind him, a dark shadow streaking away into the night. I bent over, coughing out the vestiges of the cloyingly sweet chemical. Ugh.

“Kathy?” A voice piped up. “Kathy!”

The lump of cheese bumped into me and burrowed into my side. Erin peered up at me with frightened eyes. “Who was that?”

“I don’t know, Eree.” I cradled my right arm gingerly. Now that the danger had passed, I realised that my whole body was really battered. Various degrees of pain assailed me at different parts of my body. I still couldn’t believe that he had used Dim Mak. But I’d felt the pain; I could hardly have imagined it, could I? What the hell had he been trying to accomplish?

“Oh my god! Did he hurt you?” A granny hurried over in a lumbering gait.

“My shoulder… I think it’s dislocated.” Tears began streaming down my face. I dashed them away, irritated with myself for crying. It wasn’t that painful.

“Oh dearie me.” She put her arm around my shoulder and led me away. To my absolute mortification, I began sobbing uncontrollably. “Shh. It’s alright now.”

“Aunt Laura’s at home, Mrs Prestwick,” Cara said with an impressive measure of calmness, walking by my side. “She’ll know what to do. When Darla injured her arm she twisted it back.”

“We’ll head over there right now, okay, dearie?” She peered at me in concern

I nodded mutely.

“No, Bess, you go right in here with the kids.” A younger woman – Mrs Noelle – stood in the open doorway, arms akimbo. “That’s an order.”

Mrs Prestwick seemed like she was going to argue, but then sighed. “Bossy as ever,” she said in a undertone. “Come along then, children. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” A subdued cheer erupted among the children.

“There’re cookies somewhere in kitchen.” Mrs Noelle said as she passed her elderly neighbour at the gate.

“I know. I baked them, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“How could I not,” she retorted as she closed the gate behind her. Briskly, she approached us. “You’re sure your aunt’s at home?”

“Yes, Mrs Noelle,” Cara replied.

“What happened, Kathy?” Erin peered up at me again as we started walking.

“Shush, Erin. Don’t be insensitive,” Mrs Noelle reprimanded.

“What’s ‘insens… in…’?”

“Shh. I’ll tell you later.”

“But I really want to know,” she muttered.

“You’re being…”

“No. It’s alright.” I interrupted. When they all stared at me in doubt I added, “Really.”

“So what happened?” Cara asked carefully.

“The man tried to… Well, I don’t know what he was trying to do, exactly. Mug me? But he had a cloth with chloroform on it, and he didn’t even have the courtesy to demand for my money, so…”

“Chloroform?” The middle aged lady was alarmed. “So you weren’t quarrelling?” She inquired.

“No. Of course not. I’ve never even met him before.”

She remained sceptical. “Do you remember his face?”

I tried to shrug, then winced. Heck. My shoulder must be dislocated. “No. He was wearing a hooded cloak.”

-

Don’t I just love abusing my characters?