C13: Remember Me?
The gloomy, indefinite night sky just about complimented the uncomfortable tension looming around Malcolm and Shelby as they made their way from the bar to the sidewalk just across the road.
"Shell", Malcolm said a couple feet from her, trying to catch up to her annoyingly quick pace. "Just hold on", he continued. "Come on, chill", he said, frantically trying to match her pace, his baggy jeans dragging him down a little. "Shelby!" he shouted in a petrifying voice making Shelby jolt to a halt at the exact position beside the spooky building she was about to walk past. Malcolm angrily walked closer to her, grabbed her by the wrists, and pinned her to the cold, brick walls of the building, making her groan in discomfort. The dying streetlight by the sidewalk a couple feet from them did just enough to light up the distinguished darkness. "Are you crazy or something woman? You trying to piss me off?" he said, staring into her indifferent eyes, "Now let's make one thing straight. I didn't force you to come to Exasthen with me and I sure as hell didn't ask you leave your husband, or surprisingly enough, your daughter. Now you're telling me I chickened out?" he continued, heavily breathing, becoming visibly more furious with every exhale. He got even closer to Shelby, now just a couple millimeters between them both. "Unlike you, I didn't keep running from the past, hoping that someday it would get tired and stop. That's why I reached out to Jacob immediately I left your office and was able to at least try to reason with the man. So, if we actually look at this situation from an unbiased point of view, you chickened out". They stared deep into each other's eyes, peering deep into the darkness and the gloomy emptiness that lurked inside. Shelby rapidly tried to throw a deafening slap in Malcolm's direction but he easily grabbed her hand and was about to say something when all of a sudden, from the murky, silent, darkness in the alley that led up to the brick building where Malcolm and Shelby were having their "little tussle", a cold, raspy, dark voice echoed, "Can we join in".
Malcolm unhurriedly turned around, he and Shelby's eyes gradually drawn to a hazy, dim figure in the darkness. "Why… why don't you just run along pal", Malcolm said in a voice clouded in fear.
"Oh come on", the chilling voice continued, "that's not very nice". Malcolm and Shelby were still trying to make out something from the unclear figure, when the shadow slowly began to, well, duplicate. First to two, then five, and eventually about nice hazy figures, their brightly colored spectacles being the only thing one could make out from what they looked like. Malcolm and Shelby began to murmur and tried to make a break for the sidewalk when a sharply dressed, young looking man, who was resting on the streetlight stood up and started walking towards them.
Malcolm's jaw dropped in surprise. He tried to gather himself and said, "Isn't that…"
"…Sam?" Shelby completed. Now he stood a couple feet from them and rolled the napkin he had earlier used to clean the tumbler back in the bar around his clenched fist. He cleared his throat and stood straight up then innocently said, "I'm sorry Miss Shelby." A lot of thoughts that she was trying to piece together in her mind flew right past her with the chill of winter breeze, and her attention was now turned to the nine men walking towards her and Malcolm. With each and every exhale, they kept on getting closer and closer, sending streams of fear and pain through the veins of Malcolm and Shelby, until they stopped about seven steps from where the two were standing. They halted, folded their hands behind them, and focused their attention on pair, all in discomforting unison. Their description had become less inconspicuous now. They were all dressed in similar patterns. Spectacles, with purple-colored, glimmering frames, a dark jacket complimented by an even darker shade of purple trousers, and unsurprisingly, black sneakers.
And there they were, each and every one of them striking poses that sent a message of nothing but 'you're about to get really fucked up'. The setting just beside the building now drenched in absolute silence, until…
"Michelle Claire Jacob, or should I just call you Shelby", a young discomforting voice echoed from the back of the men in black. He let out a discomforting chuckle, cleared his throat and then said, "Malcolm "M" Lautner…",
"Lautner?", Shelby thought to herself, while stealing a confused glance at Malcolm's trembling demeanor.
"…Or should I call you outright stupid", the young voice continued. Then in the midst of the looming darkness, the men in black, and the obvious confusion, the footsteps of the young but remarkably resilient voice got closer, and closer and then eventually halted just behind the men in black. He let out two claps and they parted in the middle, like Moses at the red sea, making way for him to come face to face with Malcolm and Shelby. He was about 6'1, wearing a pair of black, formal shoes and a perfectly fitted suit, that made his muscular body almost too obvious. But annoyingly enough, he also wore a mask that covered the entirety of his face. And It didn't look like any regular mask. This mask had a design that made it look broken, right down the middle, and as this slowly sucked the attention of Malcolm and Shelby, he spoke up again and said, "Look at yourselves, as frightened as you were the day you were leaving Raven. But unlike then…", he moved closer, "…I'm not going to let you out of my sight for a single second". He sent a jab at Malcolm making him bang his head on the brick wall, and then on the floor, writhing in pain, then slowly turned his attention to Shelby.
He looked at her for about 10 seconds straight and then slowly began removing his mask. He gently took it apart from the right, not revealing too much detail but when he took apart the left, everything came together. His pink lips were pouted in distinct anger, taking all the attention from his fuming nose, but obviously not his eye. His left eye had a white glow to it, but his right was sealed shut as a result of a long scar that travelled from his black afro hair to the top of his cheek. With a devilish smile, he said, "Remember me Michelle".
Shelby began to shiver even harder in fear. The winter breeze couldn't hide the beads of sweat and utter discomfort running down her face.
Malcolm had gradually just sat up from the floor with his back against the wall and said, "You know him Shell?" The young voice looked at Malcolm in anger, and then back at Shelby then said, "you didn't tell your little boyfriend who I am. Come on now Michelle", he said with a devilish smirk. "Come on, tell him. TELL HIM!", he screamed, making Shelby shudder in fear.
"Who is he?" Malcolm asked.
Shelby looked at the young man and then down at Malcom and said, "He is…", she closed her eyes in guilt, "Jonathan".
"Who's Jonathan?".
Shelby let out a sigh just to try and relieve herself, opened her eyes, looked at the young man and said, "Jacob's Brother".