TIME FLIES STUDIOS
BLADES-Saviors of the world
POOR MAN-Juanita, Mexico-
“Life’s not fair” the thoughts kept running through her mind as she dashed down another dusty alley. Mexico is a scary place when you are alone and owe a lot of money. Marina had been one of the best at a time when no one else could bring home the gold for her country. Time and bad luck seem to be following her since those days of glory. That seemed like centuries ago as she stopped for another breath.
“Down there, she’s down there.” A pudgy guy with a bad hairpiece pointed down the alley at the young girl with the long black hair. She glanced up like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. With a burst of frightened energy she leapt up the side of the adobe building and scaled the wooden fence that faced the alley. With the presence of a great athlete she was over the fence and landed in a forward roll landing lightly on her feet.
“I would give that a 9.4” she laughed feverously as she ran down the dusty road in front of her and onto a main street of the small town. Behind the fence she could hear the men swearing and ranting at the loss of their prey.
“Too bad you lose.” She yelled at her tormentors. Her feet could not go fast enough to get her to safety.
“Marina, child, you have to stop doing this to yourself.” She thought as she tried the first door of the broken down buildings.
“No luck,” she wanted to scream. “If it wasn’t for bad luck I would have no luck at all.”
Onto the next door she went nothing and she could hear the men rounding the corner.
“Come on, come on. There has to be a door open somewhere.” Her heart was climbing up into her throat, beating hard and fast as she tried another door. Across the street she ran feeling the effects of the noonday sun.
“Stop her, grab her, she’s a thief.” They cried as they spotted her running across the street. Tears started to blind her as she grabbed the next doorknob. The door crashed open with an ease that took her by surprise and gave her a moment of relief. That moment went quickly as the guys smashed open the door and surrounded the young girl. The air became tense and filled with sweat and dirt. Her eyes adjusted to her new environment as she faced the large men. The first man with the bad hairpiece raised his fist in the air and slammed it down on one of the small tables in front of him.
“Marina Perez, you owe me. I let you bet and you lose. So how come you run from me and my guys? You gonna pay right.” His face was in hers as he spoke, their noses almost touching. His breath smelled of garlic and he spoke his sweat splattered like raindrops on her.
“I-I-I-I don’t have any money, Gino.” She stammered as she tried holding her position. Bad bets and no job, I even sold my Olympic medal to try to pay. I really thought I could pay you Have pity please Gino Have mercy on me.” She felt tears welling up in her eyes as the other two guys surrounded her pushing her against a table. As their hands reached for her she gracefully did a back flip over the small table and landed just out of their reach.
“So you still have a little fire left. We will put that out.” Gino snarled as he reached out to grab her. Her eyes scanned the room an exit or something that she could defend herself from these large men. She suddenly realized she was in a bar with tables and chairs scattered throughout. At the far end of the room stood a wooden bar with a few shabby stools. From where she stood she noticed something odd about this place, swords were sticking out of the walls. They decorated every inch of the room each buried in the walls up their hilts. A thin line of dust and dirt covered most of them as she grabbed at the closest hilts behind her in an effort to get anything for defense.
“Oh lookie guys she thinks she can get away by climbin’ walls.” He laughed as he pushed the chairs and tables out of his way. One after another, Marina grabbed at the handles pulling at then with desperation. At the far end of the room a single sword hilt caught her eye as she did a springboard flip over the top of the men’s heads. They grunted their disappointment at missing her as they grabbed at the empty air. She landed on her feet within grabbing distance of her prize. As she reached for it, she could feel the energy flow from it and into her body. The jewel in the hilt pulled at her and it easily slid into her hands. The blade gleamed with newness and it hummed in her grasp.
“Huh the little girl has a big knife.” One of the henchmen pointed at her as she stood with the blade straight out in front of her tiny frame. Gino’s eyes flashed red with anger.
“Git her” he spat out at his men. The first guy slowly walked to her right. She followed him with her blade as she kept watch to her left for the other one. She could smell his sweat and see the look of amusement in his eyes as he started towards her. With a single stroke, she split his stomach in two, leaving him holding what was left of his insides in his hands. In that moment she swung the sword back and caught the second thug in the top of his head neatly slicing it in half. His mouth opened with a look of surprise as his eyes split apart and he fell forward hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
“Okay Gino, It’s just you and me right now.” The reality of the situation never registers with him as he charged the young girl holding the bloody sword in front of her. His great bulk came down on her and her sword with s fury. The sword went through his body throwing her against the floor with the heavy body on top of her. She pushed the massive weight off and started to stand. The sword pulled her straight up to the ceiling and the room went dark. As she floated near the ceiling electricity filled the air surrounding her body and twisted through her. She desperately tried to release the sword but it melted into her hands and then into her body. As she felt consciences leave she began to fall slowly to the bloody floor.
“Marina Perez. You are chosen save yourself save the world.” The words swam around in her mind as she lay there. The darkness disappeared and she shook her head to clear her mind. Her hands burned from clutching the sword and as she released it, the sword’ jewel which had been a clear diamond turned a bloody red. Her eyes started to see what her heart had already knew. The visions grabbed her and surrounded her. The sword blade read “Save yourself, save the world” In the blood of the dead men. Slowly the blood faded as if the sword had soaked up the very life force of the men. She stood up with the sword in one hand, looking at the clean, shiny blade and then slowly she left the building dragging the sword as if it were a burden.
“Save yourself, save the world. What the hell is that suppose to mean?” She looked up at the sign on the building she just left.
“The sword in the wall. Good name for a bar.” She said as she headed down the nearby alley.
Pete came around the corner just as she rounded the opposite corner. He caught a glimpse of her sneaker as she quickly vanished into the alley. Then he noticed the bar’s broken door.
“Shit,” he said scratching his head, “That’ll teach me not to leave for a quickie.”
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