Masked Ally

Chapter One

'WHAT'S GOING ON?' I muttered with my eyebrows clenched in confusion, I froze not knowing where to go or what to say. It was as if time had slowed down, images of people running in slow motion flashed through my mind and distant screaming echoed in my ears. I looked around in desperation trying to figure out what the heck was going on, as I managed to distinguish the voices, all I could hear was — RUN! At that moment, it made no sense to me, then suddenly everything returned to normal except — there were no voices, no one around.

I stood in fright shuddering as if a bucket of ice had been poured over me, then came the familiar feeling; the feeling I had been used to all my life — loneliness. Just then, I heard footsteps approach; they seemed to get closer and closer before finally coming to a halt, I gasped, startled after receiving a tap on my shoulder. He walked past me and stood a considerable distance away from me, he wore a police uniform and tapped his baton several times whilst looking at me with a combination of shock and disgust written all over his face. 'Does he know me? Has he seen me around? Am I in trouble?' all these questions flooded my mind as I listened to him speak into his walkie talkie.

Before long, I noticed him peering up and down at me continuously, a wave of terror gripped me at the sound of the siren blasting from every angle. Looking around in absolute fright I realised — I was surrounded by the police!

'It was only an apple, I had every intention of paying for it as soon as I got the money,' I quivered.

'Put your hands up in the air and drop any weapons in your possession!'

'Weapons? What weapons?' My eyebrows clenched tighter in confusion.

'B-But, what have I done? What have I done?' I bowed my head in tears and screamed in terror at the most horrific sight I had ever seen. I was beyond shocked — I mean, I had seen a lot of terrible things — but not this; not a man lying dead, in the pool of his own blood!

'Hang on a minute, why am I being surrounded by the police? I had nothing to do with this,' I thought.

'I had nothing to do with this, please I beg you!' I screamed desperately. I was terrified at the thought of going to jail much less going to jail for a crime I didn't commit.

'Place your two hands behind your back, you have the right to remain silent, whatever you say or do could be used against you in the court of law,' he said, locking my hands in handcuffs. At this point, I didn't know what terrified me the most, the thought of spending the rest of my life locked up or the guns being pointed at me. As I walked to the police car, I greedily inhaled every ounce of air; seizing every speck of what I thought to be my last breath of freedom. My heart bled in pain from the arrow that had just been thrust through its depth, I was consumed with anguish and angry at the root of my existence. I was angry at myself for being on that spot at that time, at my mum for leaving me all alone, at the police for arresting me for a crime I knew absolutely nothing about, and above all I hated the coward who committed the murder and didn't have the guts to stand by their actions.

The walk to the police car was the longest I had ever walked in my entire life. 'You have the right to a lawyer,' he said as we approached the car. 'I doubt that can save you.' Another police man standing behind him butted in, glaring spitefully at me. 'I don't have any money for a lawyer,' I muttered.

'You will be provided with a defence lawyer,' he said with a hard look on his face. While he shoved me into the car, I noticed that the once deserted street had become crowded, the people whose eyes were filled with terror and fled like a prey fleeing from its predator had turned around to become the predator. They peered at me in hate ready to devour, I looked through the window at the eyes that glared me. For the first time in my life I was recognised, I had always dreamed of being noticed, being the centre of attention — but never in this manner! I wanted to be celebrated, to be appreciated, I had always dreamed of happiness and hoped that one day all the pain I had gone through will be compensated for. 'I never asked to be born, I never asked to live, why didn't you take me with you mum, why?' Tears trickled down my cheeks, screaming internally in anguish, I bit my bottom lip so hard that it bled and hoped the pain of the bite would alleviate the excruciating pain I felt within.