Eclipse

Chapter 11- Running Like A Renegade

  The second his black boots tapped the group, he was off like a shot of lightning in the night. He had no idea, he realized as his boots pounded the bustling sidewalks, where his sinister counterpart had fled. However, with all the slaughters Darth had forced him to do, with some twisted variation of a smile, he was eerily certain the media wouldn't be long catching wind. And once they got the shadow murderer's true identity... then he was in trouble. 

It vaguely occurred to Anakin that he actually labeled himself a Sith with that teasing label. 

Fate had a twisted sense of humor. 

The screaming and vile memories gradually returned to Anakin as he dashed, and twirled around numerous obstacles in his way. He felt bad when he shoved some creatures aside, and heard their cries of fright as he steamrolled through the crowds like a tornado. It only added to the victims terrors, but he couldn't stop now. He had to keep running, shoving, jumping, flipping, anything to get away from the screeching of helpless children, their sobbing mothers and furious fathers because he knew if he stopped, he would collapse. 

But he couldn't outrun himself forever, and he knew it as he drew upon the force and all his stamina to push forward, the farther from the crime scene the better. No one was chasing him, there were no sirens yet, and kindly, there was no cleché rain soaking his garbs. Only dark grey clouds. If he had the courage, to pause and look up at the sky, he would have laughed an empty laugh of hopelessness. What else could go wrong? 

He easily answered that question as he rounded a sharp corner, took a wrong step and tripped clumsily over a rough, protruding stone that led into a dreary alleyway. 

Letting loose a slew of Huttesse profanities, Anakin lay face down in the damp dirt as his chest heaved with exertion. He knew by all means he should jump back up and keep plowing through the cluster of beings before the police forces swoop in to place him under arrest, but against all better judgement, he paused.

How did it come to this? He couldn't help but wonder.

He was the Hero With No Fear for force sake! He was no renegade, no relentless murderer! Slowly, without waiting to catch his fleeting breath any longer, he lifted himself back up on all fours and shook his head to clear the dirt from his wavy blond mane. 

A dingy looking alleyway, devoid of sun-rays lay before him in all its filthy emptiness. A rusty old garbage can was filled to the brim- overflowing with trash and everywhere his eyes wandered he discovered various types of revolting litter. It took him no longer to realize he was previously resting in said waste. 

Appalled despite sleeping in much worse due to the war, Anakin blinked rapidly to rid his nostrils of the putrid oder of garbage and alcoholism. He still breathed heavily, but he was ready to get back up again. A mantra continued to repeat in his mind. 

Don't stop. Keep running. 

And he obeyed it every time... except now.  

Pluck. 

Anakin winced as a wet sensation dropped on his head. 

Force no.

Followed by another. 

Why...

And another. 

Why was the force laughing at him?

Before he knew it, rain dripped down his hair, trickling down his tunic and down onto his face. A gift from the bangs he refused to cut. Bangs Obi-Wan told him to cut. 

Every bone in his body; every neuron in his brain demanded him to get to his feet and bolt. His mantra was all but forgotten as the commands raged inside his mind, trying to seize control of his tired, quickly soaking limbs.