Don't You Come Crying When They're Rippin' Out Your Throats (Sequel to AsHollow)

11 - A World That It Seems, Was Never Really There

I walked out of the metal shop, a bag of bits and pieces for building weapons in my hand and looked around the stalls for any sight of Rose - but there was no sign of her even being there. My brow furrowed as I walked out and continued looking around as I worked my way through the crowds for any glimpse of her.

As I got to the heart of the crowd I felt someone jump on my back and I stumbled forward slightly before hearing someone giggle in my ear, " 'Bout time you got out of there."

I chuckled and let her slip down from my back as she walked round in front of me and smiled, "Got everything that you needed?"

She held up her arm which the basket and two paper bags were suspended on. Her basket that had been not quite half full was now completely full with all the food that I was sure could fit in there. I smiled and held my hand out for her which she took and the two of us started the walk back home, her swinging the basket gently, a little skip in her step.

The market had quietened down a little and there wasn't much sound other than a few people who were talking away or packing some food up, so when there was a crash from the side it caused the two of us to stop and spin round to where it was coming from. There was a guy dragging something into an alley across the street - and he was moving pretty fast. Rose gently tugged on my hand and we both walked over, but suddenly stopped.

It was a trail of blood.

My eyes followed it up and round the corner and my feet were soon to follow as I ran down and spun round the corner and as I got there I saw someone - a hooded figure dragging someone into the next lane, but I didn't get a chance to see their face or any kind of description of them.

"Rose stay there!" I called back as I ran down to where this stranger was. "Hey!"

Even if he hadn't heard me there was no way I was actually going to be able to catch up with him and my thoughts were confirmed when there was no one in the lane, except the body that was being dragged... Unidentified so far as they were lying on their front - all I could really see was that they had black and red streaked hair, but it didn't mean anything to me as to who they were. They were definitely dead - no movement or any breathing coming from the body...not to mention the massive gauging hole that was sliced into his skull.

There was a few bloody footsteps running away from the body and I resulted to following them out the alley - seeing as I could do nothing to help the body that was on the floor. Someone shouted something from the other side of the road behind me, probably Rose, but I ignored her - my mind insisting that I should get whoever did this.

As I ran round the corner, I saw the murderer at the bottom cast a glance behind him but was off again when he saw me, but I was on his heels. He wasn't getting away.

I broke through the last lane I saw him ducking in and out the crowds, barging past and through anyone that could stop him from getting away. I followed as much as I could, trying not to knock anyone over, but within a few moments he had disappeared from my sight and was gone.

I let out a small growl and spun back on my heel, heading back to where I'd just come from to try and see if I could identify the body that had been left behind. My mind was spinning quite a lot - it didn't seem like the work of The Cardinal... It was dramatic enough for him... Maybe it was just some random thugging? I wasn't too sure, and I tried my best to try and think of anyone possible to be behind this that wasn't so much into the dramatic side of things, but no one stuck out. All the criminals or people who held grudges against someone in Grandomina had put aside their differences for now until everything in the city had calmed down.

I walked down the lane to where I remember the body being and stopped in my tracks. A large crowd had gathered now and were all standing around in a circle - where I was fairly confident I would find the body. Everyone that was gathered was just being nosy and wanted to see what was happening, nothing more. I walked closer and heard a faint sound of crying coming from inside the circle, and after a quick look round the people who were standing I noticed that Rose wasn't in sight.