A LIFE
A bloodied Aaron fought for dear life with a dented dust-bin cover as his shield, panting hard.
The Nightcrawler is not that much better, one of its eyes is bleeding and most of its old wounds are opening, bleeding ever so slowly.
The Nightcrawler growled as it glared at its opponent who is still on guard; Aaron stared back waiting for the Nightcrawler to make its move.
Garr!
Tired of the standstill, the Nightcrawler lunged forward with a claw strike aiming for Aaron's neck!
Clank!
A loud metallic sound is heard as Aaron blocked the blow and even counterattack with an elbow strike to its one and only functioning eye!
The Nightcrawler released a pathetic scream of pain as it staggered backward.
At this moment, Aaron's eyes met a pair of half-dead eyes full of despair, it is the half-dead woman that was the prey of the Nightcrawler.
'No…' Aaron shook his head when he saw what she is trying to convey.
This woman was in such a miserable state that she seemed to be begging for death!
'I've to attend to her quickly' Aaron thought and gathered all his strength furiously kicking the now blind Nightcrawler away with all the strength he could muster which sent the Nightcrawler tumbling.
Aaron hardened his resolve and approach the woman; even if he had to put her out of her misery, if that is the only way, then he will do just that.
Realizing his intention, she squeezed out a smile, "Please… kill…" She muttered with some difficulty.
Aaron's expression darkened as he contemplated what the right thing to do is.
"I… can't… be… saved" She added with pleading eyes.
A piercing pain erupted from his heart as he shook his head repeatedly; Aaron felt that for her to suffer this much, maybe death is truly a relief.
'But still… I cannot kill a human'
"There is another way, there must be another way" Aaron frantically searched for anything that could help yet he found none.
His mind trying hard to come up with a way to save her; He felt a lump formed at in his throat when he realized he couldn't.
"This… is the… only way." She spoke in a weak but pleading tone.
Deeply inhaling, he sighed heavily and nodded his head.
He grabbed a sharp object he found nearby.
Realizing his intention, she gave an appreciative smile; a smile so beautiful that it can melt the hearts of those who saw it but damn, this is the woman he is about to kill…
"Thank… you" She muttered while clutching something in her hand, as if trying pass it to him but her strength failed her and Aaron wasn't able to caught sight of it.
Aaron nodded heavily.
With one swift motion, he slashed, a stream of blood gush out.
He watched with a red eye as her body twitched for a few moments and with that, her struggles seized, and she drew her last breath.
There she lied, still as a corpse, the corpse she now is.
A suffocating feeling came over him as he clutched his heads with both of his bloodied hands, breathing rapidly as if hyperventilating.
"What have I done…?" Cried Aaron softly.
He clutched his makeshift knife, trying to recollect himself.
A myriad of thoughts flashed through his brain until it finally stopped on his daughter.
Now knowing that this vile creatures are out there, he could bet his life that his daughter's life is in grave danger.
'May your soul rest in Aotl's everlasting peace but I had to go… I can't give you a proper burial' He prayed over the corpse of the dead woman.
How he felt at this moment?
Total regret and disgust at himself, at his very existence, not only is he a disgrace to himself and his humanity but to the noble medical profession he served.
But that is all he could do for her.
There are no equipment, no pain killers or sedatives, heck, even if she was taken to a hospital, it'd be hard for her to survive.
But despite all these reasoning, he still couldn't forgive himself not now and definitely not anytime soon.
All the above reasons that passed through his mind did nothing to ease his guilt but enraged him even more for thinking of such things!
He sighed, 'Aotl… I have no choice' he mumbled.
As if by some divine will of some sort, something attracted his guess prompting him to further inspect the object.
Quickly reaching for her clenched fist and that is now half-opened, there, he found something that she was holding onto despite all the immense pain she was in.
'What is it… that is so important?' Aaron wondered, he then took it away from her as his last act of kindness; who knows, this might be her last wish.
"A locket?" He muttered, it must've meant a lot to her.
Indeed it is a locket and he can't help but open it.
Within the locket, even though the lights are dimmed, he managed to make out the face of a beautiful woman in an expensive dress with dazzling jewelries.
Beside her is a man in black suit but he cannot make out the face and standing before the two, is a young little boy in black suit.
To his astonishment, the woman lying before him is the same beauty in the picture.
'I just killed somebody's mother…' He thought depressingly.
A new scar tore at Aaron's heart, now what will he say to her husband or even her son, if he is to meet them one day? That he killed their beloved as an act of mercy?!
Tsk, like who the hell will believe such bullshit?!
A single tear slid down his cheeks as he shook his head in regret and closed the locket with the thought that he had to get back to Lily quickly.
'There is no time for regret' He reminded himself.
Grrr!
Right at this moment a low growl reached Aaron's ears and his expression darkened further, his guilt and hatred transforming into anger as he clutched the sharp object in his hands.
It is the blind Nightcrawler!
It is all this bastard's fault and he will make sure he felt every ounce of pain possible!
He stood up and kicked the Nightcrawler, now standing over the Nightcrawler which fall on its back and bruised all over, Aaron slowly plunged his weapon through the throat of the Nightcrawler.
Watching the Nightcrawler struggled, he felt no remorse, the blood of the Nightcrawler spill from its neck with a gurgling sound and Aaron continued to push until he nailed the Nightcrawler's neck to the earth.
At last he stopped and leave the scene where a body of a half-eating woman lied on the cold floor and a Nightcrawler with a bloody-mess in place of a face.