Broken Glass

Thrill Rider:

Stepping back, I watch as Vengeance charges toward me with a machete pulled behind his head. I keep stepping, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Vengeance will stop. I'm proven wrong when Vengeance swings his machete down toward me at full force.

Grabbing Vengeance's wrists as he swings his machete down, I fall onto my back and place my foot against Vengeance's stomach. Literally throwing Vengeance over me, I kick him into a wall.

Listening to Vengeance as he screams after being thrown, I also hear the sound of his weapon falling to the floor. Quickly pushing myself up, I look around and see his weapon, lying right there.

I jump and grab for it but Vengeance recovers faster than I thought. He turns over and grabs his machete before I can.

"You chose this," Vengeance yells, raising his machete again. Slamming it down, I jump to the side. Vengeance's machete barely misses me but I can still feel the wind as it passes.

Moving fast, I grab Vengeance by his neck collar and pull him down.

"Sorry about this," I say, only a second before throwing my fist into his face. Again, Vengeance screams as he stumbles back. While Vengeance stumbles back, I push myself up and hold out my arms.

"Vengeance, stop this," I yell. "He told me Mick and his gang took someone from you! Someone very special. Well, would the person be happy if he or she saw you right now?"

Vengeance doesn't answer me. Instead, he lets out a battle cry as he pulls out his second machete and charges toward me. He swings his machetes all over, his blades flying in every direction.

Jumping and dodging all over, I do my best to dodge Vengeance's swings but when one finally hits me, cutting my arm, I have to stop.

Sealing my mouth, I fight the urge to scream as I look at my arm. The cut is on my right arm. It's small but still burning. As I look at the cut, I hear footsteps running and look up. I see Vengeance running up to me. I shoot out my hands but Vengeance raises his foot and kicks me hard in the chest.

The breath leaves my body as, still time, I'm the one that is thrown into a wall. Screaming as I hit the wall, I scream again when I fall flat onto the floor. Moaning as I push myself up, I hear footsteps running again. This time, I don't even bother to look. Instead, I push myself to jump to the left.

Jumping to the left, I see Vengeance stomping his foot. His foot lands where my head was a second ago. Pushing myself up as fast as I can, I waste no time and shoulder charge Vengeance. Ramming into him, the two of us run into a wall before falling over. Hearing the sound of Vengeance's machetes bouncing up and down on the wooden floor, I look around. My head snaps left and right as I search for the machetes.

"There!"

Vengeance's machetes are on the floor by the television. Again, I lunge for them. This time, I grab them before Vengeance does. Wrapping my fingers around them, I see a tall, scary shadow looming over me. Looking up, I see Vengeance grabbing the whole flat-screen television.

Grinding his teeth as he lifts the whole television, Vengeance then throws it down at me. Crossing my arms, I stop the television from crushing me. However, the screen still breaks. It cracks and the broken pieces cut my arms.

I try throwing the television to the side but before I can, I feel a sudden pressure. Like either the television got really heavy all of a sudden, or someone is pushing down on it.

"You chose this," Vengeance yells as he pushes down on the broken television. "You chose this and now look at you! I offered you a chance!"

"So did I," I yell back. "Killing Mick won't do anything!"

"I will be saving people by killing him! By killing his whole gang!"

"More killing won't do anything! All it will do is turn you into someone else. Something else! You lose something!"

"I already lost someone," Vengeance says. Somehow, Vengeance pushes down even more. I try to push back up but my arms are shaking uncontrollably. Hearing more stomping, I turn and see Vengeance's boots.

"What?"

Before I can wonder why Vengeance is stomping, he kicks his boot in and hits me in the face. Screaming as he kicks me, Vengeance pulls his foot back and kicks again. This time, he hits one of my arms. When Vengeance kicks my arm, my arm moves to the side and the broken television screen gets closer.

"Nooo," I scream. Moving my arm back, I push back with all my strength. I catch the television but the screen is so close now, I can see my own brown eyes.

"I will crush you," Vengeance says. "I will kill Mick and his gang. I will kill them and make sure they can never ever hurt anyone ever again--Ahh!"

Screaming for some reason, Vengeance stops pressing down on the broken television. He stumbles away from me and turns around. I don't know why but I take the opportunity to throw the television off me. Shaking my hands, I push myself up and look around. I see Vengeance not even looking at me. He's looking at something down the hallway. Or someone.

"Who are you," Vengeance yells.

"I am Ace," Ace answers. He reaches down and pulls out a metal ace from his card holder. Pulling back his hand, Ace holds his pose. "Give it up, buddy. I won't miss a second time."

Grinding his teeth, I look down and see Vengenace's shaking fists. Turning around, Vengeance looks at me.

"You got a new partner really fast."

"I don't know if I would call Ace a partner yet, but I do know this. He's offering you a chance. Like I am. Give it up, Vengeance. Ace and I have you surrounded and you don't have your machetes. You can't do anything. Just, give up peacefully. The police are outside right now. We can give them Mick. He'll be arrested. Thrown behind bars. He won't hurt anyone else."

Looking at me, and then at Ace, and then back at me, Vengeance stops grinding his teeth and shaking his fists. He takes a deep breath through his nose before exhaling.

"It's not enough," Vengeance says. "It's not enough. Prison? That's a joke. A slap on the wrist, three hot meals, and a warm bed? Where exactly is the punishment?"

"We aren't judges," I say.

"You aren't. I am. I am the judge. I am the jury and I am the executioner!"

Reaching behind him, Vengeance pulls out a handgun. Ace sees this and throws the metal ace he's holding. The metal ace hits Vengeance on his back. He screams but doesn't drop the handgun. He aims at me and fires. Jumping and rolling out of the way, I land on one of my knees.

While on my knees, I watch as Vengeance keeps firing. He keeps firing straight ahead instead of me.

"What are you doing," I yell.

Vengeance doesn't answer me. He runs right past me and keeps firing. He then jumps through the living room's window. Breaking right through it, Vengeance lands on the other side, on the house's patio. Running to the broken window, I keep watching as Vengeance limps away.

"Freeze," one of the officers shouts. He shouts but Vengeance doesn't listen. He keeps running until he disappears around a corner. While a small group of officers chases after Vengeance, the remaining officers spot me.

"Thrill Rider," one of them shouts. "Freeze!"

"Yeah," I say. "If he's not freezing, then neither am I. Hey, check the closet! Check the closet! Do not forget to check the closet!"

As three officers run up the driveway and toward the front door, I turn around and run down the hallway.

Ace waits for me by the backdoor as I also limp my way out of the way.

"Are you okay," Ace asks as we enter the backyard.

"Oh this," I say, raising my cut-covers arms. "Would you believe me if I told you I was in a tremendous amount of pain?"

"No."

"Okay. Well, in that case, I'm not going to say anything. Wait, except for this."

Stopping Ace by shooting out my arm, Ace runs into me and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming. Ace must have realized what happened. He takes a step back.

"Ouch," I say, before clearing my throat. "I don't know how you found me or why you chose to help me, but thank you. I couldn't have gotten out of there without your help."

"Don't mention it," Ace says. "You owe me."

Hearing the front door being kicked open, Ace and I quickly leave the backyard.