Broken Promises

Chapter Four; Jade

Jade lost her footing as a large chunk of concrete came flying towards her from behind. 

Frantic, she tripped due to the speed and her injury, just in time for the large piece of building to fly into the wall at the end of the long hall, passing just above her head. She hiccuped, unable to contain her tears as she flinched, immediately glancing behind to see the source. The two monsters were on a full-out rampage, jumping at each other with obvious intent to rip the other to shreds. She was grateful that the Cat had been distracted in time to save both Jason, and herself, but it still didn't change the fact that she had just seen her best friend's headless body in a gruesome shock. 

"Kid!" A middle-aged man in a long, tan, trenchcoat, shouted, holding his hand out for her to take. 

No doubt an attempt to get her out of the battle-zone and into cover by pulling her into a dark shop, Jade forced down a feeling of distrust for the stranger, and grabbed his hand. She allowed him to pull her off the ground and into the shop, holding her steady when the teenager, again, lost her balance.

Jade winced, but allowed him to hold her up. She needed the help, especially with the blood she lost from her gashed leg. She huffed in pain as the man set her down to examine her injury, him stiffening only slightly at the rumbling of the mall as the Cat and Dog fought outside the small, abandoned shop that they were both located.

"What happened?" the stranger asked, his voice gruff but gentle. Removing his tan hat, he set it down as he stared at the wrapped sleeve Jason gave her for pressure on the wound.

"I... I t-tripped." Jade stuttered, doing her best to hide her agony when he carefully removed the jacket sleeve from her bloodied gash. "O-On... s-some wood. Before w-we were spotted."

The older man frowned, turning his green eyes from her wound to her wet face, then just sighed in what seemed to be relief.

"Okay." he muttered, setting the sleeve next to his hat as he slowly stood up. "You're lucky you weren't stabbed - or impaled. Good job on wrapping your leg for pressure; the bleeding has stopped. I can get you a proper bandage... just hang tight. Don't move."

As he turned to make his way to a back room, Jade felt a rush of worry whoosh through her gut. She forced out a question, stopping him in his tracks for a brief second.

"Wait..." she murmured, sitting on the broken wooden floor, near the entrance of the shop. "Who are you? Why should I trust you?"

"Ah. Right." he muttered, running his hand through his short brown hair in exhausted frustration. "You can call me the 'Creator.' I assure you that I'm only here to help. I can explain everything to you, but first let me get you stuff for your leg?"

Jade let her uncertainty show, but she eventually nodded and let him rush over to a back supply room. She attempted to force her overwhelming feelings back to study her surroundings. Curling back into a corner away from the entrance, she noticed a stairway to what seemed to be another story of the same shop.

The first floor, where she was, also appeared to be connected to another part of the store that had collapsed. Upon further inspection, she noticed the damaged counters around the shop... along with multiple shattered bottles of liquor and what had probably been drinks. Maybe this had been a bar... of some sort?

She whimpered at being left alone, flinching slightly at a clunking sound from the... mostly collapsed dining section. Unintentionally pulling her legs up to her chest, she grimaced at the pain it came with. Immediately regretting her decision as the bleeding began again, she let the tears fall. Remaining in her corner, she hyperventilated, rocking back and forth until another unfamiliar, but younger voice, spoke to her.