5th Piece

This is the 3rd post of the book I was talking about in my "What My Blog Is" post

I start my way up the golden stairs that twists in circles.  There are a couple crates around the floor holding who knows what, but I think I hear a growl when I walk past one of them. The walls are covered with paintings of men and women who were some of the best fighters the Agency ever had.

When I was little one of my only dreams was to be on that wall with all the others… until the accident. I get to the top of the stairs and turn left into a hallway decorated with everything flowers, from the walls, to the tables, even the floor. It looked like a meadow exploded in here. Almost all the doors and/or hallways are designed around certain items for comfort I guess.

I head into the second door on the right. It seems like everything in here was designed just for me, then again it kind of is. The Agency programmed all of the things I wanted into a computer and created my dream room, from the purple chandelier, to the mural of a rain forest on the wall, paintings of stars on the ceiling that lit up when the room goes dark, the bay window, and the canopy bed.

 This is the first time I actually like having them know about me. I sit on the window seat and look outside. The trees are in perfect alignment with one another along with bushes and a fountain. I see two people outside with swords in their hands. I can't tell if it's two guys, two girls, or one of each since they both have masks on.

It’s been weird coming back to the Agency, even though it’s only going to be for a "little" while, it seems as though everyone is trying really hard to please me. Like it’s a game of who can pamper me the most. Then I remember that they never pampered me like this unless I was going to get some bad news.

First it was that my turtle died when I was seven. Then it was that I wouldn't be getting a new bike. (Motorcycle that is) Next was the accident, but what could it be now? I ran away about three years ago and this is the first time I've been here since.

I’m still wondering when Benny, my old training instructor, knocks on the open door. He was in his late 30’s and had brown hair and eyes. He was about 6 ft. 5” and was built pretty heavily.

 “Come in Benny,” I say suspiciously. He’s always the bearer of bad news since he’s the one I used to be with the most.

“Hey Audra, how are you?” He asks politely.

“Fine,” I reply cautiously.

He doesn't look at me but everywhere else.

 “Look there’s something I need to tell you.” He finally has his eyes skim over my face and when he notices I’m not going to say anything keeps talking, “We, meaning the Agency and I, want to know if you would like to stay at the Agency… forever.” He says slowly.

 “Wait, what?” I ask quietly all of a sudden out of breath, my heart racing.

“We would love it if you would stay long after your required 2 years. And I personally promise that the accident that made you leave before will never happen again.”

 “You want me to come back? You people really believe that saying that the ‘accident’ will never happen again will make me want to come back?” I fume.

Benny just stares at his hands.

“Of course it’ll never happen again! You only get one family! This is punishment, mostly because I’m around the people who caused the ‘accident’!” By now I’m close to tears.

“Don’t cry,” Benny says raising his arm to comfort me.

 “No.” I say swatting his hand away.

“No what?”

“No, I won’t stay. Once my time is up I’m leaving immediately. And if I don’t leave then it will be sometime before. But definitely not after!” I scream.

I run down the twisting stairs into another guest room and slam the door.

 “I know you’re smiling. I know you got that warm feeling inside when I asked you,” He hisses through the door.

I want so badly to say I didn't at all, but the thing is that a small part of me does want to smile and to feel happy and good. I want so badly to go back to the Agency and back to how my old life was. But, what they didn't know was how much seeing all of what was going on would change me. Now I have a stronger ache in my body. One that is much more powerful than the want of my old life, the ache to stop all of what was happening. To stop the hurt and pain the government is causing starting with the Agency.

 I wipe my nose and eyes with my arm and slowly open the door and see Benny smiling but in his eyes I can tell that he is irritated.

 “See? Everything’s going to be ok! Everything’s going to go back to the way it was. You will get a new family and might even get an assignment! Now won’t that be exciting?”

While he speaks the smile never leaves his face. I start to slip out of the room and smile as realistically as I can, which isn't that hard since I know what I’ m going to do next. He holds out his hand his mouth open about to say something else when my boot connects with his jaw.

He stumbles backwards, then chuckles cradling his still smiling face which is now bleeding and says in a gravelly voice,

 “I really don’t think that was a wise decision Audra. I've trained you throughout your entire life and know every single one of your weaknesses.”

I barley dodge a fist that was about to hit my neck, the old death strike. “Please, you really think I’m going into this fight blindfolded? I guess you don’t know me as well as you thought." We walk slowly in a circle sizing each other up,

"I've seen you fight and it’s not like you don’t have any weaknesses yourself! You are all talk. I know that you were happy to see me go. You were scared I was going to be better than you, and guess what. I am,” I say in a hard tone.

With that the wicked smile leaves his face. That’s when I knew that this isn't training any more. From here on out, he’s not going to be able to sleep until I’m killed, he doesn't care if anyone thinks I should be alive. No, now he is in death mode.

 He comes at me with one hand formed into a fist and punches me hard in the stomach and almost all the air inside me leaves. Gasping for air I scan my surroundings because as he once told me a good little agent knows where she is and how her whereabouts can help her. And as we all know I’m a very good little agent.

 I see the crates scattered here and there. I climb to the top of the nearest one and jump towards him. Sensing what I was doing his hands were already there to catch me. What he doesn't realize is that I'm not aiming for his head or anywhere else, no that would be too predictable. Predictable is not a word in my vocabulary, the entire time I was aiming to where he’s going to put his arms. My feet connect and I hear a sickening crack. He screams and his eyes are now bloodshot.

He comes at me one arm swinging limply at his side, blood dripping from his face, but I’m ready for him. I give him a kick to the chest and he flies backwards hitting the ground with a thud. He gasps and I put my right foot on his chest, lean over him and say sweetly with a huge smile on my face, “Don’t worry Benny, I’ll make this quick.” Then I make sure I have the correct spot and give him what he was going to give me, the old death strike. Now I know that I was never going to be able to go back and live my old life.

I am officially against the Agency.