The Sketchy Neighborhood

The faint sound of the birds chirping welcomed the sunrise, but today the sun was hidden behind the dark clouds. Clutching a few books to her chest, a young girl, dressed in a yellow sundress, took two steps at a time, trying to cover the distance as fast as possible. Her eye, which should stay on the ground, moved from side to side, trying to stay alert of any movement.

The houses and stores having bars on the windows were still closed. Broken windows have been permanently "repaired" with plywood. There were empty abandoned plots with growing weeds, but it looked like no one cared anymore.

Old, rusty cars sitting in driveways, not doing anything, with peeling and flaking paint.

Streets littered with garbage, as if no one wished to visit these places.

Lily rubbed her arms as the cold wind graced her. The sound of the footsteps made her shiver and she started to walk fast.

"Poor baby, she's cold. Got to get her warmed up," a man looking in his 30s said to another one. Both were reeking of booze and stumbling as they walked. Lily tried to push him away, but he was

too strong, wrapping her in his arms, pulling her against him.

"Please, let me go"

"Sure, baby, we'll go," he said. "But we've got to get you warm first. Gosh, you're cold."

"Please, stop," she said. His arms around her had merely been annoying, restricting, but now with a sense

of shock she felt his hands on her body, groping for bare skin.

Lily whimpered in her soft voice again, "please, take your hands off me ."

"C'mon, Baby, don't be like that, I just want to warm you up all over…"

"Let go," she choked out. She tried to wrench herself away from him. The old man stumbled, and then his

full weight was on her, crushing her into the tangled weeds on the ground.

The man tried to roll off, giggling "Aw, c'mon,

don't be mad. I was just' warming' you up. warming' up… You're getting' warm

Now, aren't you?"

Then Lily felt his mouth hot and wet on her face. She was still pinned beneath him, and

his sloppy kisses were moving down her throat. She heard cloth tear.

A sob breaks out from her lips "Please"

And then something picked The man up and threw him against the rusty car.

That was what it looked like to Lily. She rolled to the side, gasping, one hand clutching her torn dress,

Something moved in the darkness, and she saw the person who had plucked The man

off her. The guy from the library. But he looked different today: that fine-featured face was white

and cold with fury, and there was a killing light in those eyes. He

emanated such anger and menace that Lily found herself more frightened of him than she had been of

the old man.

"When I used to live here, I knew some people had no manners," said Ace. His voice was soft and

cold and light. Lily couldn't take her eyes off him as he moved toward the second man, who was shaking his head dazedly and looked ready to attack. Ace moved like a dancer, every

movement, easy and precisely controlled. "But I had no idea that their character was quite so

underdeveloped."

He hit the second man. The larger man had been reaching out one beefy hand, and Ace hit him almost negligently

on the side of the face, before the hand made contact.

The man flew against another car. He tried to stand up, a trickle of blood from his nose.

He was filled with anger.

"A man doesn't force his presence on anyone," said Ace, knocking the larger man aside.

By this time the first man stood up and threw himself at Ace.

Ace grabbed the front of his jacket, whirling them both around and absorbing the impact of the

murderous rush. He shook him twice, hard, and then let him drop.

"He doesn't trouble a lonely woman," he said.

Ace walked towards the Larger man who was trying to get up and kicked just below his stomach. He went limp as a rag doll, his eyes rolling up.

Ace picked the first one and spoke punctuating every word with a bone-wrenching shake. "And, above all, he does not touch her..."

"Please stop...." Lily cried, hearing the utterly merciless voice of Ace "Please, stop ."

His head jerked toward her, startled, his eyes dark, and she thought of some predator, some great

bird or sleek carnivore incapable of human emotion.

"They'll live" Ace cautiously moved towards Lily, taking off his sweater and putting on her, covering the torn dress.

"Are you okay, Princess?"

Lily finally broke down in sobs and threw her arms around him. Her small body, holding the strong one tight, as she continued to cry.

"I...I was.." she hiccuped, too shocked to say something sensible, "they came.." *hiccup* "and it's always like.."

Ace's body was frigid as the pure maiden's hands were wrapped around his waist. He slowly raised his hand and started patting her head.

"Not your fault," Ace said repeatedly throughout the drive. He knew she didn't want to go back home, as when he walked back to the car, she didn't move.

So he had decided to take her away for a few hours before he could figure out where to keep her. He had no idea that she lived in a sketchy neighborhood. An innocent girl like her didn't belong there.

He glanced at her again, making sure that she was no more shivering. She had been, for most of the drive.

"Want to drink some hot cocoa or tea?"

Lily just nodded, not saying a word and Ace slowly parked his car, in front of a small coffee shop. It looked new to him, and he wished for the service to be good.

A pretty young girl walked towards them and handed out the menu. Her gaze moving between Ace and Lily and before Ace could say anything, the girl spoke up "I think you would feel much comfortable there"

Ace nodded at the girl's consideration and made a mental note to tip her well.

Making Lily comfortably seated in the new section, Ace was about to reach the main desk when his back collided with someone.

"Can't you see..you"

"Xander..what are you doing here?"

Ace was surprised to see his friend whom he left on the bed, to be in a cafe, at this hour.

"What," Xander asked nervously looking around.

"Cmmon dude, you heard me the first time" Ace raised his eyebrows.

"I like the coffee here?"

"Stop questioning me, you are not my mom"

"Someone has their panties in a twist" Ace might have continued to tease Xander, but he had someone important to take care of.

"Whatever Man, enjoy your coffee"

He turned to look at Lily, who had her arms over the table and her head over those arms. Her beautiful eyes were tired and searching for him. As soon as they spotted him, there was a calmness in them and it looked like they twinkled.

Ace didn't want those eyes to see the fear again. He needed to find a safe place for them.