Pieces of my memory

Massive rainy clouds bore the bright full moon and its rays lit the dark sky full of sparkling stars. Light wind blew away fallen yellow leaves. Flashing lamp posts brought the half-destroyed district back to life after another hassle. By that late time owners of stalls and little shops closed their doors and most people went home, locking up in their apartments, checking twice if they did it. The night street dived into sleep. No cars on the road, no people outside. 

Along the endless sidewalk a person is going. Over his body hung a submachine gun. His hands are holding it tightly. The young man’s face is hidden with a black balaclava and eyes are covered by snowboard goggles. His torn sneakers are soaked with freezing to numbness water. A blue windbreaker with a patch of American flag warmed his thin to bones body. In other words, he was the only one appearing in the area. At least, he was supposed to be the only one.

By the other end of the sidewalk a squad of people was approaching. Their necks were wrapped with red scarfs and the moon reflected on their military boots. All of these people had a rifle with themselves. A guy with three stars on his jacket led the gang with a raised chin, carrying his position with pride.

The young man with a straight back was walking in their direction. He broke into a wide smile as his swallowed lips contacted with wool. With the thought of what would happen next a flame shone in his brown pupils. The leather of his fingerless gloves squeaked with a movement, taking the gun comfortably. When the distance between him and the leader lasted about ten meters, they stopped, staring at each other. 

“Hey, sucker, we are on your territory, will you do something to restrain us?” With a mocking voice shouted the leader, stepping forward with arms on his sides. A lock of his red hair fell on his face and he needed to blow it away with his mouth.

The young man’s jaw slack. He blinked many times with wide eyes. “Oh, I see you have enough courage to show up after ruining our buildings!” He amazed, stretching his neck.

The guy rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “This life teaches you nothing, Darkhallers.” He grumbled in annoyance and grabbed his rifle, pointing it at the young man. 

“I’m so scared!” He cried out and smirked, fixing the aim at the guy. 

The squad followed its leader. Tens of weapons were aimed at the young man. If he shots then the squad will do the same. Narrowing his eyes into slits, his body tensed in a string. The young man heavily sighed, his hand touched his chin, head slightly turned down and in a pensive voice he said: “Okay, I let you in, but…” something in his tone dropped. He slowly tilted his head, with a menacingly, bottomless stare glaring at the leader. “The boss will be disappointed if it happens.” The same second his hands grasped the gun a loud bang thundered in the space. 

Birds flew away from the tree. 

The ringing sound overwhelmed his hearing. His back scraped along the surface before stopping. A hoarse cough broke out of him and, hardly swallowing, with furrowed eyebrows his sharp sight went down. From the hole in his jacket is leaking a scarlet liquid. He took a deep breath as it stuck in his nose and came back with a light giggle, with no chance to take a normal breath. “And this is all that you can do?” The young man broke into a laugh.

He, staggering into sides, stood up as bent over out of prickling pain. The unstoppable laugh faded. The received bullet caused discomfort in his abdomen, with a burning radiation cooking his flesh alive. 

The young man bit his bottom lip. The leader of the gang and he exchanged a cold gaze. A portion of new energy ran through his veins, spreading to his muscles. The corners of his mouth turned up and his eyes playfully blazed. The young man ran forward, carrying the gun in his trembling hands, squinting due to ache. But after all, he did what he does as usual - protecting the territory of his family.

Without any warning his body hit the metallic stall and it came out with a thunder. Crushing pain took control over himself. Every movement felt like a torture. His hand lifted up to scratch his head but it weakly fell down. He didn’t manage to clearly see the attacker as his side accepted a striking kick into his ribs. Saliva flew out of his mouth. The young man capsized on his agonizing back while his body was getting paralyzed. The heavy boot dived into the hole in his abdomen and he groaned. It hit again. With every strike it gave out with more pain.

On his hand somebody stepped, smashing his knuckles. Everything twisted in his blurred vision. His ears deafened with laughs and mocks. 

“Good job.” The leader praised his subordinate. 

The attacker nodded and stepped back, clearing the way. The leader grasped the young man by his throat and tightly squeezed it. The young man couldn’t concentrate on him and his pupils shifted from one spot to another. His face melted in a curved smile. If this is the last moments of his life then he is ready to say goodbye to this world. Even if he failed, he, at least, did all that he could do to earn this position. 

“Let’s see your stupid face, sucker.” Swore the guy and pulled snowboard goggles off the young man’s eyes. 

It was full of spinning stars, kindly glaring at the mean, grinning ones eyes. Then he removed the balaclava, throwing it aside, and his eyes satisfyingly shut, seeing blood drops on the chin. 

“We’ll take over your territory and every ship on the coast will be ours.” Finally he finished, raising his fist.

The young man spat drool mixed with iron taste in his face. “Only over my dead body.” He wheezed out. His cheek got slapped before his head powerlessly fell to the side.

The leader aggressively took away his digged nails from his neck and commanded: 

“Throw him into the river!” He said in a dead tone, walking away with curled up hands. 

Water sneaked into his nose, suffocating him with chilling coldness, filling his fighting for single breath lungs. Waves spinned him in the whirlpool, like playing around, before consuming his body, dragging him down and down to the deep, into the depth of the bottomless river. 

His breathed out bubbles got to the surface as dissolved. His hand reached out, squeezing out aqua, as he was trying to climb up and get out of there. But instead of trying, he let the river swallow himself. 

His head can’t sink in with one thought. He is going to die. And there will not be a second chance to see this world again. He will die, protecting the territory from the enemies with honor. Maybe nobody will remember him but…he did what he does as usual - trying to survive in this cruel world. 

The young man closed his eyes in peace. He is going to die. The corners of his lips wanted to quirk up but he had no ability to do so. All his battery ran out, leaving only heaviness over his body. Like he turned into a stone, drowning, asking for help but why does a stone need help? 

When fresh air hit his nostrils his nose wasn’t going to take a breath. A man with snowboard goggles and helmet on his head carried the body in his burning to deadness hands. He threw the body of the young man on the bank and started pressing his chest, breathing into his mouth in and out.

“Wake up, boy.” He begged him while pressing his chest.

His eyebrows curved up. His mouth opened and pupils ran from place to place. The young man coughed water. His eyes widened and he got on his elbows. His head turned into sides before stopping at the man. He peered at him with confusion. “Huh?”

The man pulled off his helmet and chestnut hair fell on his goggles. He lifted it up and widely smiled. “God, I thought we lost one of our best members. I only went away for a couple of minutes as I saw them getting rid of you.” The man exhaled, got up, took off his shoes and shook them off. “Don’t like when they break into our territory like this…altough, we get used to it.”

The man glanced at the young man. The poor fellow blankly stared at one spot, not blinking. “Hey, Rory, are you okay?” Asked him the man with a note of worry in his voice.

“I’m fine.” Meekly said Rory, with exhausted eyes glancing at his friend, and broke into a smile.