Christopher stood silently by the window staring out into the night.
A storm is forming and the clouds appear dark and heavy. These kinds of days are the ones he hated the most. It stirs up too many awful memories.
A bolt of lightning etched in the dark sky illuminating the night. As if being hypnotized, it took him back to that night.
“We should get to the shelter quickly!” his father yelled at them in a mix of panic and anger.
“Grab only some food and clothes.”
Thud! Thud! A pounding sound was heard on the door.
Christopher’s father gestured to his mother to take him to a safe place. He was only five then.
As soon as the two were out of sight, the door immediately crashed open.
At that moment, Christopher was safely in the closet, which was being held shut by his mother. He tried to call for his mom but when he heard the shouts he lost his voice. He peeked through the slits of the closet and he could see two men, armed with swords, who just stepped over his father’s lifeless body.
His eyes widened as he heard his mother’s voice.
“Please leave us alone. We didn’t do anything to y..” She was not even able to finish her sentence as one of the men cut her up.
Tears rolled down Christopher’s face; he involuntarily moved back upon seeing the horror that fell upon his parents. His foot struck something metal behind him that made a clashing noise at it fell.
The two men heard it.
What Christopher apparently hit was his father’s old katana. It had been in their family for generations. Christopher fearfully picked it up as he noticed the two figures slowly approaching his hiding spot.
The two armed men quickly opened the closet door to discover a small child holding a katana, tears rolling down his face.
They could not help but laugh.
“A brave one, this lad is.” The tall and skinny man said.
“Brave but foolish. I don’t think you’re up to dealing with the likes of us, boy.” The older one said.
A flash of lightning etched the night sky and the two men fell. Christopher found himself covered in blood.
It scared him enough to drop the sword that he was clutching.
Another lightning struck and Christopher was brought back to the present. It was fifteen years since that incident happened, and it had greatly affected him ever since. Trusting others became hard for him.
For years, he wandered the world, alone. How he managed to survive since then even surprised Christopher. It was a very long and grueling road that took him to where he is now. A lot has changed.
“Hey, Chris what’cha doing over there?” It was Jack calling out to him. “It’s time to eat already. Everyone’s waiting.”
Yes, a lot have indeed changed. For years he had been wandering alone but now he had found friends, friends that are here for him, most importantly, friends that he could trust with his life.
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This post was written in response to Becky's Writers' Block Busters, Session Seven from the Writers Bloc.
Prompts Used:
1. Write about being alone.
2. "No offense, but I don't think you're quite up for that."
