Thrust Into His Arms

Someone hands the principal a megaphone which he uses to shout up at me from the ground. "Don’t be impulsive young lady! You don’t want to do this. It’s a bad decision.

Leave there and come down to tell us what your problem is! We promise to help you out." I ignored him as he yelled himself hoarse.

I’m busy preparing myself. This is it. I thought about Mom, Dad and Percy. I know this would bring them a lot of sorrow. But I just can’t live anymore. I’m sure they would understand. Fear was starting to get to me, but I pushed it aside, I inhaled and started doing a countdown, "Ten. . . .Nine. . . .Eight. . . .Sev—

"Don’t do it please!" I was sharpy interrupted. I turn my neck to see parts of the reasons I am here, Curtis and Lucas, and two others that are practically new faces to me. "Come back. We’re sorry, okay?" They were both coming close to the railings, Curtis holds his hand out asking me to take it. When did he come close to the railings too? Is that horror I’m seeing on their faces? The sight of them fills me with indignation. If it wasn’t for all of them I wouldn’t be here like this right now.

They’re having the guts to act all horrified, and gawking with wide eyes like I have lost my mind. Which I have indeed lost my mind because I don’t think there is anybody who wouldn’t if they experienced just half of what I went through. "Whatever you’re intending, don’t do it." Lucas said, coming close with cautious steps.

"Stay back! What do you want now?" I screamed. "We’re sorry for everything. It was an accident, we didn’t mean for it to turn out like this." What the hell is he saying? They sound very funny. I would have laughed if I wasn’t so numb right now. "You guys are scared that my ghost would return to haunt you right? Yeah you all should be scared." I say. "You don’t want to do this." Oh I do very much.

A pair of arms clasped tightly around me from behind, caging me into a strong body as I prepare to jump. Lucas. I screamed and struggled fiercely with him, butting the back of my head against his face. He groaned, his hold loosening. Then my body felt weightless, I had fallen off. I hear my name being screamed loudly. I was plummeting down fast, and then everything starts to slow. I liked the feeling for split seconds as it felt like I was flying. "What have you done?"

Several horrific screams snapped me out to real time. I shut my eyes just in time before I felt myself land.

CALIX

Where the fucking hell is that place now? Chicago’s Chinatown has changed so much since the last time I was here. The array of shops and restaurants are so clustered together that you can hardly tell apart one from the other. Looking like one giant Lego work instead of shop buildings. Xiang Ying dumplings, I must have walked through the entire Chinatown searching for that restaurant by now. Did they get busted by the feds or something?

Fuck, I really need to get guns from them. It would be a hassle to find another dealer. I suck some air into my lungs and blow it out. Exhausted and frustrated at the hours of fruitless search. "Hey, mister! can you please take a photo of us?" I believed it wasn’t directed to me at first and kept moving.

But the tiny voice called out to me again, I pause and turn behind me to see two girls, everything from their looks, height and clothes were strongly identical in a way that is almost uncanny. A wonderful looking set of twins. Thoughts of Sam starts to fill in.

"You know how to take pictures right? Please do us a favor." One asked, smiling to show her teeth that is missing a couple ones on the front. The other joins in with a hopeful look eyes. I internally sigh. They’re not great judges of moods and character since they can’t see and sense that I’m not in a good mood and certainly not the type they should ask for such favor. This is fucking Chinatown.

There are people moving around everywhere you look. They should’ve avoided speaking to me and asked someone else that would flash them a smile and happily take their photo. "Damn it." I mutter under my breath and begrudgingly took the camera from them, squatting to take their photos. I thought it would be just one or two—three at most. But they kept doing different poses. I sigh in relief when they finally stopped. "Gracias." They chorused in sync as I gave them back the camera.

I couldn’t help but smile at their action, watching them prance into a shop excitedly. I was about to pass by, when I notice that the name of the restaurant they entered looked strangely familiar. Upon a closer look, I discovered that it was the damn place I have been looking for—Xiang Ying dumplings. I pull out a picture of the place from my jacket pocket to compare as this wasn’t the location or the restaurant that I knew before. It was way bigger than this. The Chinese text letters on the signboard is exactly the same with the one in the picture but it’s a whole lot different than before.

It could still be them. They couldn’t have allowed for the name to used by someone else right? Even if that is the case or not, do they still sell arms?

Well there is only one way to find out. I make my way inside, the place is crowded with customers who are mostly tourists.

I head straight to the counter to talk to the woman standing there. She looks Chinese and seems to be in her mid or late sixties. The hope that this might be the place to get what I want starts to diminish. She doesn’t look like someone who would quietly operate or give shelter to the risky business of black market ammunitions.