CHAPTER 2 - MYSTERY MAN
1152 Words
Freya’s POV
My ear rings loudly from the gunshot. For a split second, I could swear I've been shot. My soul rips out of me — and then I realize, there's no blood, no pain. I'm alive.
I blink, trembling.
The gunman is right in front of me with a cruel smirk stretched across his face. The weapon is still in his arms but his arm is tilted upwards. He didn’t shoot me, instead, he shot at the sky.
“Still think it’s a toy?” He sneers, “Now hand me everything before I shoot you for real.”
I breathe out raggedly and my body shakes uncontrollably but I stand my ground.
No! No! No! No!
I can’t - I can’t possibly do that. My wallet, my ID, my phone, my lifeline, the cash that would keep me alive till the next few months, and most importantly, the only thing I have left of my late father.
It’s all I have left and I would guard it with my life.
“You deaf?” The gunman growls, stepping further. “I said, hand it over.”
He forcefully grabs my bag and rips it right off my shoulder.
My eyelids shut, giving way to a pool of tears to stream down, but I hear one speak up again. “That coat seems all fancy. It could be worth something.”
Another butts in. “True, I’m more curious to see what’s underneath though.”
“Let’s find out then.” I heard one reply.
“Please.” I whimper, “Please don't. Le… let me go.”
I kick, scratch, and fight with the little strength I was able to muster.
They don’t listen.
Two of them hold me down while one forcefully tries to undress me.
And then it happens.
A shadow moves way too swiftly for anyone to understand what or who it was.
Then it finally stops right in front of the scene. “Step away from her. Now.”
The voice slices through the night causing everyone to pause in an instant.
The hands holding me down freeze immediately. The three robbers quickly whip their heads around.
One of them snaps. “Who the f**k are you?”
The man who seems taller than all three men combined, steps closer. “I won't ask again. Let the girl go.”
“Okay, big guy. Since you wanna act tough…” The one with the weapon points the gun right at his forehead. “You think we're gonna be scared of some punk in a hoodie.”
The man doesn't even flinch. “You should be.”
“Why don't you come make us, Batman?” The one holding my coat, growls.
The man sighs like he was hoping they'd walk away.
Then he moves swiftly, faster than any man I'd ever seen.
The sound of bones crushing and grunts of pain followed — neither came from him but from the men he was breaking.
The armed robber drops to the floor like a sack of meat before he is able to pull the trigger. He is knocked straight to the ground along with his weapon.
“What the…?”
The other two didn’t get to process what was happening before the man hit them like a wrecking ball.
The third lunges but it’s already too late. A hard punch to the jaw sends him flying backward. He tries to regain balance but he is kicked and pinned right down.
It’s all happening so fast, so chaotic.
I can’t see clearly through my swollen, teary eyes but I see him standing over them - He isn’t just a man, he is a force. His black hoodie, combat boots, and leather pants, made him resemble a fictional heroic character but nothing about this was fictional, everything was happening in real time. — A real-life hero was saving me.
Blood trickled down the side of his face from his temple. His fists were his only weapons and somehow he knocked the light out of three grown men.
The guy with the gun recovers and tries to draw away but my hero doesn’t allow it.
He kicks the weapon away, then drives his knee into the thug’s back with so much force I hear the breath leave his lungs. The man slumped to the ground and that was the last time I saw him move.
It’s over.
Just like that.
I lie there in disbelief.
What just happened?
The stranger turns and our eyes meet.
For a second, I forget to breathe.
He’s not just that handsome - He’s striking in a way that’s otherworldly. Sharp Jaw, messy dark curly hair, and blue eyes that pierce into my soul.
For a second, everything stops. My heart pounds irrationally for reasons I don't understand. The chaos around us blurs until it's just me and him.
And then out of nowhere….
A loud banging sound disrupts the moment and the air reeks of gunpowder and wet asphalt.
He flinches, then staggers, that’s when I notice a dark bloom spreading across the side of his left arm.
A choked gasp escapes me, raw and trembling.
He'd just been shot!
He turns quickly - one of the men he thought was out cold, had regained consciousness and made his way to the gun.
The thug tried to fire again with his one good hand, but the mystery man swiftly grabbed the weapon, tossed it far away, and drove a vicious punch into the man’s face. This time he's knocked out for good.
The alley is now dead silent except for the sound of my own ragged breathing.
I limp towards him, clutching my damaged rib. “Mister…Thank you. I owe you my life.”
He turns to look at me but says nothing.
“You're bleeding.” I blurt out, panic flooding my chest. “You’ve been shot, oh my God…let me help you, we've gotta get you to a hospital fast!”
He clutches his injured arm tightly as he winces in pain but he turns away from me, exiting the premises.
“No… You can't just walk away like this. You're hurt.” My voice cracks. “Are you even going to be okay? At least, tell me your name.”
He doesn’t look back.
He breaks into a sprint and vanishes into the night and just like that, he is gone.
I'm left alone, bruised and in a state of confusion. Unconscious bodies surround me but I couldn't stop staring into the space where he’d just disappeared.
I drag myself to a sitting position, cradling my ribs with a hammering heart.
It hurts. Everywhere hurts, but at least I'm still alive — thanks to him
He took a bullet for me and saved my life.
But I don't know who he is and I don't know if I’d ever find out.
- Writer
