Axel

As a twelve-year-old kid, I watched as the flames went up, burning brighter and brighter so much that I started to feel the heat from where I stood. Maybe it was real, maybe it was in my head. The voices coming from the burning building were loud. Screams upon screams, calling out for help. Still, my stand was firm. In that moment, it was important I felt a sort of empathy. Instead, my feelings were that of relief. Why relief? In my conscience, I knew the emotion was wrong for that period. It would mean I was heartless. Yet, there was no lying to myself. I was a kid and twisted as it was, my feelings were real.

I opened my eyes and like every past morning before this one, I lurked my eyes a little to the left and right to be sure I was back in the present. Only after that did I sit up on the bed then eventually step down from it. For like half a minute, I buried my face in my hands. Living with the memory of that day was a torture I wondered when I'll be able to free myself of it. It has been so long since it happened and yet, during most of my sleep, I'm reminded of it. Clear and vivid. When I withdrew my hands from my face, Thunder was in front of me. The sight of him made me show a slight and still brief smile. I reached out and played with him for a little while. It did the trick as I soon forgot the dilemma that plagued me.

The evening of the charity auction, I stood in the hall in a proper suit and tie. As Mordecai gave his little speech, I brought the champagne glass in my hand to my mouth and took a sip from it. Classy parties full of the rich ready to give away money like doing so automatically makes them redeemed and exempted from their sins wasn't my thing. But for Steele's sake, here I was. Neither was I his bodyguard nor part of his entourage. He believed one way or another, he had people who were envious of him and upset about what he might do in the future. He wasn't sure when they might strike and it was better I act like his shadow without really being his shadow. At first, it seemed a bit unnecessary to me. I'm not surprised he didn't really want to be seen with me in a public place. His reputation was also on the line. Well, guess he was right after all.

Now, the table knife this woman once had in her hand was in mine and she stared at me. Surprised at first and angry then on. It was the same relentless young lady. The one who seemed to take my words way too lightly.

Steele straightened his jacket and looked at me. He seemed calm but I could read the anger in his eyes. "It's ridiculous how little the security at these functions are."

He shifted his gaze to the young lady who was wise enough to remain still. Once, his eyes scanned her up and down before he turned away.

"Wait!" She tried to go after him but I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her along with me towards the back exit of the building. Only when we were outside did I let her go. She stared at me, loathly. Somehow, I was used to that stare from her and after that, she always manages to daringly find her way back into where she was thrown out of. If I am to get her to stop, I'll have to do better with how I handle her this minute.

I stared at the knife in my hand, turning it from side to side. "You have guts. I'll give you that." My eyes were back on her.

"Say or do whatever you like. The only thing that can get me to stop is my death."

Hmm... Zero fear for death.

She made an attempt to walk past me but I stretched out an arm, hindering her advancement.

"Perhaps, you have no fear of it but what about her. What about your mother?"

Right away, her eyes were on me. Wide, a little filled with hope and the right amount of fear I wanted to see. Indeed, her mother was her only weakness. I let my arm fall to my side and tucked my hands into the pockets of my trousers.

"You've been really annoying. I don't think I'll ever let your mother go... well, not alive."

Her shoulders slumped; her lips slightly quivered while her lashes battered a few times. Her eyes gave out just how weak she felt before she lowered them.

"Go home." Those were my words to her before I turned away. Her hold on the lower sleeve of my jacket forced me to look back at her. Her gaze met with mine. They were suddenly firm and void of the weakness I'd seen in them not long back.

"If anything happens to her, I'm going to kill you."

A light and yet amusing scoff left my lips. It was cute to watch her threaten me. Really, I've never met anyone like her, so void of fear. Either she was too bold for her own good or she was just deranged. Anyone calling upon death the way she has been doing has to not be ordinary. I won't lie. I was starting to find her intriguing. Intriguing in the sense that I wondered what made her tick. Was there more to her? At the same time, it was kind of upsetting. It would be a shame for me to kill her in the end.

I withdrew my arm so her hand slipped off my jacket and then I was on my way back into the building. She wouldn't find her way back in, right? Not after my warning and all I've said to her. She's a peculiar one though and it seems nothing will be impossible for her.

The minute I walked back into the hall, I picked up a champagne glass off the tray just as a waiter walked by. I brought the glass to my lips to take a sip, careful of the quantity I drank because I would have to drive myself home. My eyes met with Mordecai's while he was still having what seemed like a light discussion with two other guests. He smiled at them and presented himself as humbly as he could. I knew it was a facade. Mordecai Steele never did anything that wasn't ever going to benefit him in one way or the other. But I admired him. He was patient, strong and resilient. When he managed to free himself of the guests with him, he gestured to me with his head to follow him, which I did from an adequate distance until we were out of the hall and into the men's restroom where luckily no one was in.

"Do you know who that young lady was?" He asked right away and I shook my head at his words. I watched him run his hand over his face and down his neck. I've known him a long time to be able to recognise his nervous characteristics and right now, I could see he was.

"Can you believe it? She pointed a knife at me. Any wrong swing and she could have slit my throat." He said and I simply watched him. Over the years, I've developed the habit of not speaking unless being spoken to. It was important to recognise that we weren't related in any way and personal attachment was just going to get in the way.

Steele sighed. "Did you get rid of her?"

"I made sure she wouldn't return back into the building."

A brief chuckle left his lips and suddenly, he held a different gaze. "You should've killed her. She pointed a knife at me."

Killed her? Here?

"Besides, I don't have time for this. The shareholders meeting is close and I can't have a girl running around saying I have her mother in my custody. I don't care what you do or how you do it, just make sure what happened today doesn't repeat itself." Steele finished and without waiting to see if I had anything else to say, he turned away and was first to leave the restroom.

I turned my head to the mirror hung above the sink. Though the reflection that stared back at me belonged to me, I didn't feel an ounce of pride when I stared at it. Nevertheless, somehow, I'd grown numb to that. Pride or no pride, all my life, all I've ever done is try and survive. How I do that is what I can never get into detail about and I certainly don't expect anyone to understand. The second I turned away from the mirror, I walked out of the restroom.

Later that night while I drove home, I couldn't help but notice through the side view mirror that a particular scooter followed from behind. At first, I ignored the thought that I might be the one the rider was following and instead believed we might simply be heading the same direction. The more I took a look at it, somehow it felt familiar like I've definitely seen it before. Still, it was hard to tell. There could be ten people in this city with a vespa of the same colour. Nothing was sure. But when with every turn I made, the rider did the same, I became convinced that I was being followed. It was funny because whoever this person was, clearly doesn't know what he or she was getting into.

Unable to take it anymore, I parked to the side, turned off the engine and stepped down from the car. As expected, this person came to a stop a good distance from where I parked. As I walked towards this person who had a helmet on, something felt more and more familiar. I was more convinced I'd definitely spoken with this person before. It wasn't until I stood in front of this person still seated on the scooter and pierce a gaze through the face shield of the helmet where I watched the eyes lurk a little left and right then glared right back at me did I finally realise who it was.

At this point, I was pissed off. Really, she was never going to stop.

When she didn't expect it, I reached for the key plugged into the ignition point and took it out.

"Hey!" She exclaimed and before any reaction from her, I threw the key to the side. When my eyes met with hers once more, she glared hard at me and I could feel her hatred. Good, because I could care less. Perhaps, now, she'll give it a rest. I turned away and walked back to my car.

Before I drove away, I took another look at her through the side mirror and saw her get off her scooter in order to search for the key.

Thank you for reading! Votes and comments are appreciated. New update coming next Monday.