May Peace Grace Us

Chapter 12: Daze

The hyenas had an understanding that they would be going to the city hall to sign up their names for the bloodletting. They decided that it was a good way to spend the day. Other than them doing a good deed, they are also bonding at the same time.

At some point, they fell into a nostalgic trance. As they were conversing, they pulled out some stories from the past. Embarrasing snippet of their young and carefree days.

With the atmosphere being so warm and lively, Aila excused herself for a while to go to the restroom. She just felt a little out of sorts. The overlapping memories she had are making her so out of wack. She needs to get out and have a moment by herself to recompose herself.

Who knew she would encounter some less pleasing people on her way?

B city is a second tier city with an area of sixty square meters, quite big compared to some cities, but the world just seems too small. Of the huge space that the city has, why must one's enemies have such a narrow path?

Aila sees the group who often tormented her in her college life. She would describe the guys as people who have grown quite well physically, but their minds are still stuck in the best time of their lives. Thinking that the world is still so kind to let them do what they are used to in the small fragment of the society they knew.

Aila sees a glint in their eyes that tells her that they are up to good. And most times when she saw that glint she suffered some loss on her path. She understood and had experienced it well to know that it being under their childish maliciousness was nothing but a waste of time in her end.

Only that Aila has an issue with them at the moment as her friends are nearby. Should these two groups meet, trouble is not too far. The last thing that the meeting of these two groups could do is a small verbal argument. But given the virtues of this group, she pretty much could foresee the argument to escalate to a physical fight.

If her friends, by some coincidence, see them making trouble for her, things would not end with just a beating after they would be taken away for making a public disturbance. These people's lives will be ruined because of how they tried to ruin her. Giving someone a social death is quite easy for his friends.

Fully knowing how her friends were, Aila lived her life quite cautiously in order not to cause a large-scale disaster with her friends at the helm.

Aila did her best to be low-key in her college life and tried to avoid trouble as much as possible. Doing what was required of her, getting along with people in a civil way that kept people at a proper distance,neither near nor far. This way, she would not make enough traces for others to attack her for fun.

And although she is not a student now, she still abides by the principle of staying low-key as much as possible. So she made efforts to hasten her business in the restroom. She doesn't want to be trapped in the cubicle once again. She remembered having a cold when this group left her there for a whole night.

She can fight them off, but she had an agreement not to use her skills on others who are not capable of taking her on. Her father would throw a fit at biting a mad dog after it bit her, quite an analogy from him who has quite a history of doing so. These people are weak, no offense to their build, but they are weak for only targeting the weaker. And fighting them outright is a waste of time, so throwing them to the authorities is better than having a fistfight. She just needs a proper reason and time to have them carted.

Just as she was about to enter one of the cubicles, one of them had effectively blocked her at the door to the women's area. No matter how fast she moves, there are seven of them and she is only a lone person. It is quite easy for them to corner her.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here?" A man with a robust structure and Aila inwardly clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"What do you guys want?" Aila said as she sidestepped them out of the doorway.

"Aw, the little poor scholar is talking back." The only girl in the group. Aila didn't remember their names. For her it had been years since she had last heard from them. But she could vaguely remember that this one girl is the lone princess of these boys for some reason.

Aila gave them no response and walked straight away from them. Wanting nothing to do with them as she always does. Smiling and trying to make them deflect them and get inside the restroom as she had planned.

But like people who do mischief on a regular basis, one of them grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her back.

This time Aila was not able to stop herself from making a counterattack. With a quick snap of the other's offending arm, she easily immobilized the other in that one swift move. The other cried out in pain as Aila fell into a daze.

At the end of time, this type of reflex has long become an instinct. With the honed reactions of a veteran survivor of the end of the times, she glared at the rest of the group like they were just a bunch of zombies to be slaughtered to clean up her immediate neighborhood.

The rest of the group were surprised at the sudden display. Out of foolishness or just pure outrage at what their friend had experienced, they attacked Aila. In a deep in the haze of her mind, Aila took them down with a little effort.

Aila watched them with dead eyes. Memories of the past resurface from a tightly locked corner of her mind. Everything was blurry for her at that moment.

Next thing Aila knew was that the troubled teens were already defeated. They looked very sorry and miserable. If she saw it right, they at least nurse some broken bones and some fractures. Without doubt, if she hadn't snapped off from that episode, these people would have died.

Aila took a step back in her haze. From this encounter she knew that no matter how much she would be holding herself back, her chaos-driven self would resurface again and again. If the apocalypse had already arrived, it would be good for her, but it's still the time of peace. And whatever she did violates the laws that are still existing.

If she has not controlled herself well, they will die and she will possibly await the apocalypse in jail.

Aila ran away, away from the signs that made her dangerous. Choosing to turn a blind eye to the ugly truth that she no longer belonged to the time her friends still existed. She wanted to pretend a little longer. Pretend that she is still normal and sane. That she could exist to the last vestige of order and peace.

Without much in her mind, she bumped into a person in her rush to leave. She did not see who it was, all she remembered was that she apologized to them and left without any response. Her thoughts were on the lying figure of her victim.

She called a staff member to take care of the teens and hastily went back to her friends. An ambulance was on its way to the cafe. She promised to settle the bills for the injuries she caused, but she asked the manager to be her middleman to keep the incident under wraps for now. Considering that the manager was in the security room and saw what happened, he agreed with the condition to keep her side of her word.

Aila easily promised and gave the manager a card in which he could contact her.

Afterwards, as she had intended, she went to the restroom and shut herself in the cubicle. Pressing a hand to her beating heart, she could feel her face loosening and an arc of relief reflected in the shinny metallic lock of the cubicle. The girl on her reflection is a strange and familiar one.

Closing her eyes and too a deep breath with the image she saw embedded in her mind. Her heart was beating fast, not in panic or anything, rather an exhilarating feeling of refreshment that whatever had been suffocating her was now relieved.

With a feeling of lightness that was almost freeing her, Aila was able to adjust her mood quite well after doing such deeds.

"Welcome back Aila!" Alexa greeted me with a wave. "How's your trip? Was it successful?"

Bella had a look of disgust towards Alexa for asking such a thing. Liza was still in her own world, focusing her attention on her phone. The boys looked amused and were making fun due to how long she had stayed in the restroom.

In a good mood, Aila went along with their fun and answered them in good humour. The atmosphere was light and happy. Very contrasting to the one that surrounded Aila before she returned to her hyenas' side.

Aila had this greedy thought inside her heart. She wanted this to last longer. But she is realistic enough to know it is impossible.

That Aila struggled to survive is vital to her whole being. She cannot cast aside the part of her who has suffered and lived during the hardest time of her life. Just like she cannot cast aside her past as Aila Fortin.

So she restrained herself as much as possible. She wanted them all to have good memories as they revisit this period of time and laugh at their own jokes and mischiefs.