"Come on █████, I saw him around here," I said to my friend █████ as we run through the streets. I left my mother's grocery bag by the local fruit vendor for just a few minutes to talk to some friends, and when suddenly, it was gone. It's been two hours since then, and I have been searching around the market, asking the clerks if they've seen a light blue shoulder bag with the logo PINK around. I also started asking my friends if they have seen it. Luckily, █████ saw someone carrying that bag by the basketball court.
While we were at the court, asking the people there for my missing bag, I caught a glimpse of a man carrying the exact bag I was looking for. I chased after him. █████ followed close by me. We kept running after him until he turned a corner. As we make the same turn, we were met with an empty street. We stopped running, trying to catch our breath. "Are you sure that... that was your bag he was carrying?" He said to me.
"Yeah. It was light blue and had the brand name PINK on it."
"There's like, a bunch of bags with the name PINK on it."
"Yeah, but that one is special. The side where the pocket is has a hole. A hole that I fixed with duct tape."
"I don't think that fixed it." I turned around to look at him. He crouched down to pick up something. It was a piece of duct tape. I looked at the ground and noticed a trail of coins heading straight to an alleyway. We followed it.
As we enter, a sudden gust of wind blew my face. Then a sight of a fist headed straight to my face. I dodged the punch by weaving to the left side while █████ started backing up. I tried to counter with a front kick to the stomach, but the man caught it with his left hand. He lifted my leg high up in the air, and I fell crashing down to the ground.
My friend tried to tackle him, but instead, he ran straight to a pile of garbage bags as the man dodge the tackle by seemingly gliding in the air. I grabbed a two by four next to me and stood up. "Fucker! Give me back my bag!" I yelled as I charge at the man. I tried to hit him with a downward swing, but he blocks it with his right arm. Then he slammed into me with his right shoulder, causing me to lose my balance. My butt hit the floor. "Your bag? What makes you think this is yours?" He said, taking the bag off his shoulder and lifting it with his hand. "If it was yours, then your name should be on it? I don't see it anywhere here."
"it's because you're looking at the wrong places." I noticed █████ sneaking up behind him. "I wrote my name on the straps."
"Really now. And what's the name exactly?"
"Doesn't matter!"
"Huh?" █████ grabs him by the waist. That's my queue. I got up as fast as I could and sprinted towards him. I reached out to grab my bag, but it disappeared. Instead, the bottom of the man's foot was there.
*SMACK*
My face went numb from the kick. My butt also went numb after hitting the ground for the 3rd time. Before I realized it, █████ was lying on the floor. "Nice try kids, but you're not stealing this bag from me. I found it fair and square."
"Just because I lost that bag, and you found it doesn't make it yours!"
"Hey! You're the one that lost it! I... Hahaha!" He started laughing. "I just remembered, back in the old days. That's what our enemies would tell us."
"What?"
"Just because we left and you came and lived here doesn't make it your home." He said, using a very sarcastic tone.
"What are you talking about? Were you were part of the war."
"Well yes, but actually no. I was part of a militia, meant to guard our people. So with all due respect, I protected you and your home. So show some courtesy to me, boy. To think I came back home, only to be jump by two kids in tracksuits. But I digress." He looks back at the bag. "Tell you what, I'll teach, no... discipline you two like what they did in the militia, and by the end of the day we will have a sparring match. If you can take this bag from me, you can have it; if not, then it's mine." He turned around and helped my friend stand up. "Oh, and by the way. Don't think this will be easy. It's going to be hell. My unit didn't call me the Catholic Bear for nothing."
-
"Stop them! Go stop them!" The caretakers yell at one another. None of them moved to put themselves between Rock and me. I don't blame them, Rock is one strong baby. I don't even think you can call him a baby anymore.
Our hands were locked with one another as we were trying to push and pull each other. But I was losing to this wrestling match. My legs were giving in, my arms shaking, and my belly continued to growl. I can't concentrate; I'm so hungry. Suddenly, my vision started getting blurry. I can no longer feel my legs. Finally, Rock pushes me to the ground. He got up and was ready to run towards my mother. Oh no, you don't. I grabbed his leg and tried to pull him towards me.
He turned around with anger was written across his face as he lounges at me. I mustered every strength I got on my legs and stood up. I could hear all the caretakers gasp at sight me standing upright, or at least as upright a goblin could stand. I caught him in my arms. He retaliated by biting my right shoulder. I screamed agony; I have to grit my teeth and bear the pain. I lost my balance and fell on the floor.
I tried to push him off, but he won't he budge. His bite just keeps getting deeper the more I try to push him off me. I gave up pushing him. I clenched my fists and began punching him on the sides. I don't know where the liver is for these goblin fuckers, but if my guess was correct, it should the same place where the liver would be in a man. Rock let go off my shoulder and rolled to the side with his hands holding his left side.
I got up on my two legs, ready to strike. Rock did the same. "I hungry. I need to feed!" He screamed and ran towards me. He swings his right arm, but I bend my knees and bend down backward, barely dodging his claw. Then I took my right fist and punched him on the chin. Rock staggered to his feet, swaying ever so slightly until he finally fell. My vision finally went dark, and I could feel my knee hit the hardwood floor
-
"Impressive," The bear said. "That arching uppercut is hard to pull off, but you did it."
"Thank you," I said. We were in the middle of the basketball court practicing different styles of fighting. The sun was slowly setting down. "It's almost night time, which means it's time to spar."
"That's true. Hey, big guy, you ready?"
█████ turned around. "Hell yeah, I am!" He answered back. This time, for sure, I'll get my bag back.
-
My vision returned, and I could see clearly now. My right shoulder was covered in blood and felt numb. I looked back in the direction of my mother. She sits there, motionless. My caretaker walked towards me and carried me to my mother. I was laid there on top of her, and I began to suckle on her breast.
The room was filled with murmurs from the caretakers and crying from the baby goblins. There was a goblin crying on top of his mother. His body covered in blood. It didn't looked hungry, but it did sound sad, regretful even. "Ma! Ma! Feed, ma!" It cried. The woman seemed to have died from blood loss. I guess this one killed its mother too, but why is it crying. Does it actually care? I hear another one crying.
Across from me was Rock, being detained by the caretakers. I can hear him. "Ma, just hungry... no kill you." He whimpers. I see. It wasn't just me who lost control. We were all pushed by our instinct to feed. But I am surprised. I didn't expect the other goblins to care about their mothers, love them even. "Quit crying baby. We have other slave women. You feed on them." Said the caretaker with the curly red hair.
I guess that old saying was right; no baby is born to hate, only to love. I took my mother's hand and held it tightly. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, hoping to dream about my past life again. Back when I was human.