"The Girl in the Alleyway"I had been out on a late-night run, trying to clear my head after a long day of classes and the weight of my new powers.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was calling me to that alleyway. I didn't know what I was looking for when I turned down that dark alleyway. But I definitely wasn't expecting to find a young woman, bloodied and bruised, lying on the ground. I knelt beside her, searching for a pulse and hoping she was still alive. As I examined her, I surveyed her appearance more closely. The girl was young, her face was bruised and there was blood on her clothes. She looked like she had been in a fight, but I couldn't see any obvious wounds. I sighed in relief to discover she has a pulse.
Suddenly, a voice behind me said, "You shouldn't have come here, kid. This ain't your kind of trouble."
The moment it spoke I can feel nausea forming within me and my senses going out of control. I tried to stand up to the best of my ability to catch the source of whoever spoke to me.
His face obscured in the darkness, but I could feel the menace radiating from him. He was at least a head taller than me, broad shouldered and imposing, like a wall of muscle. The moment I looked into his eyes, a wave of nausea hit me and my eyes started to hurt. His eyes were like black pits, sucking the light out of the alleyway, and I knew then that this was no ordinary man. He was something ancient and otherworldly, something straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.
I tried to stand, but my legs felt like jelly. I couldn't take my eyes off the figure, even though my head was pounding, and my vision was starting to blur. He stepped closer, and I could feel the chill of his presence, as if he were radiating coldness instead of warmth.
I remembered the meditation training that Cody would teach me. I centered myself and took a few deep breaths. I looked at him with determination in my eyes as I walked and stood before the young woman. "Hate to break it to you but you're not the only otherworldly being that tried to intimidate me. Unfortunately for you, I'm not that easy to intimidate."
"You should go..while you still can" A faint voice spoke behind me, much to my relief the young woman still had fight in her. But I decided to not take her up on it. No way I'm leaving her at the mercy of this thing. "Just who are you?!"
He gave a cold, humorless laugh. "I am a servant of the Ancient Ones," he said. "And you are nothing but a mortal, a mere toy for us to play with."
"So you're a bully, good to know. You see, where I'm from, I protect people from the likes of you."
"You have no idea what you're dealing with, boy," he sneered. "The Ancient Ones are beyond your understanding. They are beyond your power to defeat."
"Maybe so," I said, my voice steady. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stand here and let you hurt this woman. Or anyone else for that matter."
"Brave words," he said, taking a step forward. "But I am not one to be trifled with. You would do well to heed my warning and leave while you still can."
"I'm not going anywhere," I said, standing my ground. "Not until you leave this woman alone and get out of this alleyway."
He stared at me for a moment, his eyes boring into mine, and I could feel the weight of his gaze like a physical force. But I refused to back down. This was my town, my people, and I would protect them no matter the cost.
Finally, he gave a snort and turned to leave. "You are a fool, David King," he said as he disappeared into the darkness. "But perhaps you will learn your lesson in time."
I watched him go, my heart pounding with adrenaline. I knew that this was only the beginning and that there would be more challenges and dangers to come. But for now, I had saved this woman, and that was enough for me. I take that fact to heart, maybe it would help prevent me from wanting to throw up.
I turned back to the woman and helped her to her feet. "Thank you," she said, her voice weak but grateful. "You saved me."
"Don't thank me yet," I said, looking around the alleyway. "This is just the beginning. We need to get you somewhere safe."
I took her arm, and together, we walked out of the alleyway and into the night, unsure of what the future held, but ready to face it together.
