I paint the earth with Droplets of blood drops that ooze from my mouth, still not in tune as to where I am headed or how much longer is my journey, my conscious continuously slips between black and white debating whether or not to let me keep my soul.

Something rattles inside my stomach the sharp end of it repeatedly poking a sensitive part inside leaving me to heave out raspy cough and breaths, I'm exhausted, cold, bruised and weak, but still probably have more ways to travel to.

Feet finally steps onto the cement walkway of the earth leaving behind the prickly wheats of grasses, I have now entered my part of this town, the lowly commoner's ground, where man kills man for sport. With nothing to lean onto I constantly topple over, small knees meeting the rocky ground with a thud swallowing the pain that immediately follows behind it.

I need to keep moving, despite my body ready to crumble my memories cause more pain, hot tears sting like salt to a fresh cut, how could I have spoken to her like that?

Being a punching bag, all my life has never angered so much until now. Mind numbing pain shooting all throughout my body as I turn around looking up to the castle far beyond the horizon. Like a fairy tale in a children's book its sits up on a mountain, a light clicks on in the highest room of the tallest tower, a faint shadow passes by, round sun disappearing into the horizon just behind it, letting the stars twinkle for their shift.

A heavenly sight that helps me forget my current agony when the curtain of the very room slides open just an inch, someone was looking out to me. Hadn't even noticed I was smiling until it wiped off my face hastily turning back to the pathway before me, back to my cruel reality, a fairy tale I can never live. My life instead is overfilled with misery and pain, never having anyone to say they care for me until those very words left her lips, my only best friend and Allie.

Mind now swirling with overwhelming regret, all she did was try and defend me for once, nothing to do with me looking weak. What have I done, it won't end like this, I refuse to let it. Wrapping my arms around my stomach in hopes to soothe that sharp pain that randomly pokes at my abdomen, darkness is almost upon me. Thankfully I reach the alleyway, instantly planting my back against the stoned wall for a quick recovery, glass shards pierce the bottom of my feet, with stings of any bites.

I noticed only than this was an unusual pathway nothing familiar, I am lost. Panic surges through me, of all days of course it is when I'm stealing time. It's over for me, my father will sever my legs, so I never leave the house again, I am at a dead end planting my back against the wall in defeat roughly breathing out my panic.

Not safe in the streets and not safe if I get home after him, a tear lingers down my cheek this was the end of my life. Suddenly the wind blows to me in the quiet, whispering a ghostly chant beckoning me to look around my surroundings when I spot something twinkling in the darkness. Fireflies, orange to a faint green -- My mother's old favorite.

How symbolic-- Not all was lost.

They fly around scattering around like mini lanterns in the darkness creating a pathway for me by diminishing the darkness, the gravel in my ears clear up in time to hear faint laughter just on the other side of the walls, society is nearby. Gritting my teeth to push my steps further until I finally reached the end. Energy slipping me -- at any moment could fall from the exhaustion, and blood loss.

I hear conversations just up ahead closing in until they stop, leaving me to wonder of the gasps and whispers. Thoughts probably scrambling to find out what has happened to this young boy; sold or escaped? or gotten into the rock crowd? An awful stench crawling in my nose.

"Mommy?" A little girl says nearby. From the way her breath releases she was jolted by the arm to steer clear of me.

Rounding a corner, I spotted my run-down home, not a flicker of light within. I just about made it. But once again nature speaks to me, without proper thought I was ready to cross the road when I stilled in my tracks feeling someone watching me in the distance, My brother. Ghostly apparition standing in the middle of the dim streets, a hard look in his only eye gesturing me not to proceed any further, gently turning his head slightly to the left at an approaching vehicle. Apparition disappearing when the light beams right through him.

It was only then I realized the silence, not even a cricket but the soft engine revving, poking my head out the corner to witness a car is approaching, all black and stainless with that familiar license plate. Just when the night could not get any worse my heart leaps at the familiar tag. And now I know the reason to the sudden silence, for everyone knows when they see that car, run as fast as possible. Whoever they were children and women would go missing and never brought back, The shadow man. Lingering only in darkness snatching anyone nearby.

The man that stole my brother, anger flushed right through me but I'm in no position to play hero. The beams suddenly flash to my location barely grazing my curls, in a frantic I duck behind a few trash cans next to dead rats, pain flies throughout my system like waves and I can barely breathe.

Was I spotted? I wait for the car to pass by but instead it comes to a whistling stop in the middle of the street, to my dismay turning off the lights. Car door opens and closes, my heart crystalizes, fingers jittering violently.

Clicks of shoes onto the ground, "I know you're out there" A grave voice speaks before chuckling gutturally, A very rich scent of perfume creeps in closer to my location. "Hmm, I have candy?" he chuckles footsteps heavier drawing closer, cleverly he silences his breathing, steadying his footsteps to where the clicks would not be heard anymore, leaving only me in the silence with my heart ramming violently in my chest.

"Gotcha!"

I hear in the distance nearby, heart ramming painfully against the broken bones.

"Hmm, you hide well." he chuckles, suddenly the beams flick on and the man's slender shadow displays on the wall before me, instantly I fling my hands to cup my mouth repeating over my montage. Left and right it looks maniacally, a bushy beard underneath his chin, tears gliding faster watching the shadow stretch longer, as If it knows my location and just taunts me for fun.

The silence is unsettling, the beams of the car flick off just as the shadow approaches closer to my hidden location. In my crouched state I look up what appears to be fingers slithering until they hook on just on the edge on the wall, dark green designs against the ivory complexion.

"I know your there" he sings breathily, inner system malfunctioning with bile quickly rising to my throat, I bite my tongue watching the fuzz of his beard coming into view when someone shouts in the distance.

"Get out of here you good for nothing."

Just nearby across the street was a bar door that flings open, two large men appear from the darkness each hand holding a man in the middle upright. "I don't ever want to see you again." One of them roars, with that the larger man slams him against the wall massive hand ball into a fist, like an arrow aims it back before delivering a sickening blow across the mans face, impacting rattles his skull loud enough to be picked up in the empty horizon.

A stream of dark liquid leaks from his mouth as he falls face first to the ground, barely even enough time to recuperate before both men corner him stomping and kicking on each side of his body, heavy blows and grunts cover the horizon, PTSD's are suddenly activated watching the scene holding onto my ribs, I hadn't even noticed the shadowman disappeared until I couldn't see his fingers anymore.

Maybe it is my chance? I keep low to the ground on all fours as the assaults towards the man continue, crawling my way like a rat through the trash cans.

"Next time you come in here I'll mount your head" The man spats making me freeze midway. The car is gone it disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway. Still no light from my house, it would seem I can make it out before my father.

"You can have my son" A slurred voice says. My ears perked for a strange reason, that voice, though its rasp and broken but there was no denying that thick accent.

F-father?

"Keep my son if that is what will settle the cause."

The man pause in the middle of the door each turning to face him. Seemingly Intrigued by the idea, my father rises to his knees a tear slips my eyes at his attire under the dim blue light of the bar, that gray jacket with my brother and y Initials tainted with smeared blood. It's confirmed, this really was my father, he is willing to sell me? the home isn't too far, I mustn be spotted.

The men take a step closer to surround him the largest one conjures something gravely from his throat before projectile spitting a mucus on my father's face kicking him back down to the ground. I panicked watching them laugh proceeding back inside, the distraction is running out and I'm still a good distance away. Ignoring the shooting pain within my body I dash across the street staying in the shadows staying alert for any sounds, My father rises to his feet just as I reach the door.

With haste I'm twisting the weak knob keeping keen eye out in the shadows when I paused to something, a figure lurking out in the shadows. A burning cigarette bud in the air before it comes down resting on the side, thick steam blown into the air creating halo's. Someone was there they were watching this whole scene unfold. My staring disrupts when the sound of gagging comes beside me, my father bent over expelling bile from his throat. Shoot, with one more look in the shadows I am through the door, stampeding up the steps.

Only when I am safely in my room does the pain come down like bricks, I fall to the ground in agony, bolts of pain shooting in every direction while I silently cry, I am finally home -- dodged almost every obstacle and almost came face to face with the shadowman. Shivers race down my spine just from the thought of him, does he still linger out by my door?

Curiously I pull myself together for one more attempt to move to the window, a slight open of the curtains I look down to nothing like the shadow he, is he disappears. The door downstairs slam jerking my heart in the process, my father made it home.

"Nasir!" he roars out in a slur, the sounds of him toppling over old furniture makes me wince. "Come out here you little shit."

I am too broken to face him, I'll die instantly.

"Come and fight me like a man." Glasses shattering onto the ground. "Arghhh," heavy footsteps stomp up the steps and I fling to my closet quickly turning on the night light beside it.

"I'm going to kill you, you little shit, you ruined my life. you should have died with your brother."

Drunk and beaten he look for ways to ease the stress and with no one around his target is me. The footsteps draw in closer before he kicks the door open just as I am closing the closet door, hearing him appear inside. "Where are you?" he slurs.

In the years I have witnessed him the one thing Is to remain calm, Practice a breathing method like my brother taught me, Silence and steady my heart rate, intently focusing on your senses and in this case it is sound and sound and sight. They ignite to unify against threat. Place yourself within the enemy shoes, I inhale. Tuning out unnecessary noise, sole focus on the heavy patter's on the ground until I became one, in silence.

Moments of lingering around he comes up with nothing, too drunk to think logically; in my room there is only a bed and a closet. But he doesn't think twice to look in the darkness, my tricks of telling him I am afraid of the dark succeeds. Throwing a slight fit before I hear him leave out.

It looks like tonight i will sleep in the closet again, with no food.