Chereads / The Unseen Future / Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: On The Run

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: On The Run

'I need to run.'

For the first time in 16 years, Einar Raine, felt as if he was in a close-to-death situation. What should've been a simple day of school, what should've been a typical walk home, what should've just been a regular day, something he'd experience for the next two or so years, could now possibly be his last.

The eerie atmosphere created by the dim flickering lights most definitely didn't help Einar's palpitating heart. In theory, his situation shouldn't be something to be considered 'life-threatening,' an unarmed woman began to start laughing insanely. It shouldn't be hard to deal with, a quick call from the cops, stall a little and watch her get driven to a mental asylum by the cops or something along those lines. However, she didn't seem like a normal person, her eyes were that of a beast focusing on hunting its prey.

'What should I do in this situation? Should I run? Would I even be able to outrun her? Is she even human?'

Out of the questions that ran through his head, he could only answer one;

Is she even human?

No, she isn't. She couldn't be.

"Ahhh, I love that look in your eyes!"

"W-when did you become sadistic!!!"

Einar Raine screamed while taking off.

***

"Live with no regrets," people say, but if I were to meet my end today, there would most definitely be one regret of mine.

I really should've called the cops earlier!!!

"Never send a boy to do a man's job." Is that the quote? I really shouldn't have tried to settle things alone. She seemed so reasonable, why'd she suddenly turn ballistic?!? I'll without any doubt let the adults do their job next time… if there is one.

Is this what I get for asking for something 'new' every day I go to school?

Argghhh, I haven't even talked to Celina yet! I'll survive, I'll definitely live through this!

***

Huff… Huff… Huff… I'm way too unfit now…

What felt like hours were merely a few minutes.

Did I lose her? I couldn't hear her heels anywhere, all I could hear for the past few minutes of running were the contents of my bag bouncing around. Thank goodness my bag wasn't that heavy today…

Putting that aside there's no way she could catch up to me while wearing heels, especially with all these cracks along the path.

"Thank goodness… I lost her."

Huff… Huff…

Right! The cops!

I quickly grabbed my phone out of my pocket to dial the emergency number, yet my phone wouldn't turn on.

Earlier I tried to call the cops while still on the run and my phone didn't turn on back then either. I thought that I had just turned off the power but that was proven to not be the case.

'Did it die? How could it have died? Wasn't it at 52% earlier?'

Tak. Tak.

My train of thought quickly came to a halt as an all too familiar sound echoed from behind me. I couldn't hear her at all…

"I kinda thought you'd get further. But, what's the use in complaining in making my job easier?"

She walked towards me, still wearing the same heels from earlier.

She caught up to me… in heels!!! Way to point out how unfit I am!!

Also, 'job'? isn't she taking too much pride in chasing around minors? Could I possibly have reeled in a creep?

I turned around to begin my legendary escape once more. Both my arms and legs slowly began feeling numb, but I ignored the pain and started sprinting once more, ignoring my aching lungs.

"Running again? Why don't you try to fight back?!?"

I felt like I heard something, but I was too focused on running to process what was said.

My new plan involved getting out of the backstreet as fast as possible and onto the main road, that way, even if the chances are slim, if I run into a person I'll be safe. Not to mention, it'll signify that I'm close to home.

I continue to make my way through the maze of narrow alleys. I can't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up on me, what seems like I've been running for hours, were in actuality mere minutes. My breathing grew ragged once more.

'I promise I'll start jogging in the morning from now on.'

The buildings around me are all old and run-down, their walls covered in layers of peeling paint and graffiti.

Finally, one that works!

Chasing a functional street light, I finally found myself out of the narrow alley. What I wished to be in a bustling street filled with people and activity was instead contrasted by the reality of pure emptiness. No cars were driving, no people to be seen and all lights are seen through the window of the surrounding units were off with their curtains closed. Even in an empty suburb like this one, there should at least be some cars on the road, not to mention, how could this entire neighbourhood be asleep..? The suburb was merely unpopulated, not abandoned.

But, I still felt a surge of relief as I realised that I was now closer to home. I breathed a sigh of relief as I ran past an all too familiar bus stop post.

A few more metres.

-

-

-

Huh?

"Heyo."

It seemed as though I was watching her in slow motion as she raised her fist. However, at the same time, it occurred all too fast for my eyes to follow, too fast to try and block.

'The bus stop? But I just ran past that stop! Was my last thought before an overwhelming surge of pain flowed through my body.'

"Gah!"

All the oxygen in my lungs left my body. The punch was as heavy as a bullet, as it sent me rolling across the path. My entire body was now in pain, my arms and legs were heavy from all the running, and I couldn't even scream for help as the simple act of breathing was now hard.

"Haaaaa… aghhhhh…" The excruciating pain wouldn't dispel as I tried to breathe.

'The bus stop. I-I went past the bus stop already. How am I back here?'

Out in my sight right behind the woman before she punched me was a bus stop post. One that I just ran past. I quickly cast aside my bag hoping nothing inside was broken.

Without even realising it, tears began to form as a result of the pain.

"Ooooo. That's a new face you're making"

"W-what… the hell… are you?"

"Isn't that what I asked you first?If you answer me first, maybe I'll tell you."

This… ridiculous woman. A random woman that walked past me really just chased after me, a mere teenager, just to punch him in the stomach. Does she have something against adolescents? What's her problem?

"Why are you so quiet?"

She asked before immediately following up with a kick to my stomach.

"Why aren't you fighting back?"

"Ack!"

While ignoring my pain-filled cries, she continued to shower me with her cannon-like blows solely from her kicks.

My body was engulfed in pain as she naturally began kicking me along the pathway as if I was a rock in her path. Her hands were in her coat's pocket and her face was one of boredom as she continued to nonchalantly kick me.

***

Violence. What is the purpose of violence? To oppress. To assert dominance over others. That was what Einar Raine had learnt at the mere age of ten years old. In a world with billions of people, no one in the world could be at the top. If there's something you enjoy, there's someone else in the world that loves it. There exist people of talent, but there are also people who can reach those levels through hard work alone. So why pick on those you consider to be lower than yourself? Especially when the person committing the acts of violence is no different from any other ordinary individual.

Looking down on others can be natural for some, but why should one resort to violence to prove that?

When Einar was young, he never truly understood the idea of violence. Thrashing and injuring someone to feel a sense of superiority? It only sounded arrogant and conceited. The only thing that awaited those that relied on violence for power was despair at the realisation of their impotence when compared to the rest of the world.

Never resorting to the act of violence resulted in Einar being an easy target among his peers in primary school. He'd get kicked, punched, and pranks pulled on him, though not serious enough to get any involvement from the teachers, to any outsider it seemed as if they were just playing around.

As he never retaliated, the acts continued.

The reason Einar never fought back was to live according to his mother's words. "Never resort to violence." Was what he remembered she used to tell him. It was the only memory he had of her before she moved away.

However, coming home bruised sparked the instincts of a worried father. His father had told him that the only time violence was acceptable was when it was carried out as self-defence or to serve 'peace' in the society like the police.

However, the next day, for the first time, Einar fought back. Two got away with minor scars, while one ended up with a broken collarbone. When speaking to the teacher, Einar refused to admit that what he did was wrong and got expelled on the same day.

He could still vividly remember his father's look of anguish as he apologised to the parents of the children that once bullied him.

'Wasn't the use of violence in this case good? It was self-defence. So why… are you making such a sad face?'

So when is violence acceptable?

Never. That was what Einar concluded.

Growing up Einar came to terms with the idea of violence. It could act as a measure of discipline or justice if done accordingly, yet could also be a means to imbue fear into others or pure enjoyment. Even after being a teenager, Einar still thought the day he would use violence to solve a problem would never come.

-

-

-

In a time like this, what irked him was how easily she came to terms with the use of violence and the fact that she was just nonchalantly kicking him as if waiting for something exciting to occur.

Despair, fear, and agony were what swelled inside him. But what overcame all those emotions was rage.

After getting sent flying for the last time;

He was battered with bruises, and the result of rolling along the concrete pathway scraped the skin on his arms and legs, blood flowing out of them. Maybe if he trained his body better he'd be better off or if she showed the strength of a normal human he would've been fine. But for someone like himself, a normal high schooler, against an unfathomable amount of strength, the pain was unbearable. And that exact pain manifested into anger.

"I-I'll… kill you!" It wasn't a matter of whether he could or couldn't. It was a declaration that he would.

Einar, currently on all fours, his battered body convulsing accompanied by his tears drizzling down his face made for a very unconvincing statement.

In response, the woman stared at him both silently and pitifully.

Einar was once more reminded of his mother's wish.

"Never resort to violence." Except, his memory was cut short.

"Not for me, but for the people around you."

Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped Einar's hands.

At the sight of a sudden glow that began to light up the area, the expression on her face was wiped off instantly and replaced by one of stupefaction.

As if a bomb had detonated, the footpath Einar's hands were placed upon blew up within a 20-metre radius into smithereens. An intense pressure filled the atmosphere along with a powerful gust of wind scattered as a result of an unknown discharge. The sound produced was both silent and loud.

The last thing he saw was the chunks of concrete and dirt, flying at an incredibly slow speed, a woman appeared from within holding back her fist like she was about to initiate a punch. The expression on her face was completely different from earlier. It made Einar feel like he won.

"You're pretty cool."

That was the last thing he heard before blacking out.