Human

Chapter 31:



Two gunsmen from the suited side held my arms firmly as they dragged me out the back of the safari truck. "You don't speak." One whispered in my ear, loosening his grip. "You don't move or defy before they release you. In the cars, don't say anything, they are listening, don't speak until you our completely out of observation." His voice so hushed that not even the other gaurd could possibly hear it.

We walked down a strip of concrete, trucks following closely behind us. My gait off, as a clear result of laceration and affliction. Staggering till a fine line of money was visible behind the obedient rescuers. Suits, with guards on one end. Kidnappers, scavengers, and Capitol men on the other. Before the watchful eyes of money, the whips were drawn. Lashes hurt, but nothing feels more edifying than showing no weakness to your peers. Watching them crumble when they thought the upper hand was theirs. Inflicting pain on vultures without harm, fuels my strength. I was getting out, so all I had to was wait. One more. One more.

"Don't you think she's had enough?" A new member joined the party. "After all, if you return our end of the deal in different pieces, what makes you think you would get all of yours?" A black golf shirt and matching pants spoke, adjusting its hat.

"She's under our control until you complete your end of our transaction." The suit stepped on my back. Literary walking over me. The golf shirt didn't even flinch. "Where's the paperwork?" The man and his fancy shoes stepped off my dirty back.

Two more men presented themselves behind golf shirt, handing him a briefcase. In which I suspect contained the important paperwork. "Get off her." The golf shirt started walking at a fast pace towards us.
"Calm down now," The guy laughed, "you take one step closer and our agreement is through."

"You're taking too much of my time. A piece of shit like you has all the time in the world. Time is money, in my world." Golf shirt had two of his armed me follow up behind him. "Now let's get his Goddamn deal done."

"It's all there?" Fancy shoes stepped I front of me. "I don't play games." His fingers twitched, spinning the ringers on his fingers. He knew he was losing his sovereignty.

Golf shirt observed his nervous gesture. "You've lost your ascendancy, give me then girl and get the hell out of my face. You don't scare me." He took a step closer, testing the other mans limits.

"Again, is it all there?" The other man raised his voice. He was loaning it, the end of his voice trailing off.

"Yes." Golf shirt handed him the briefcase.

I took that as my cue. Bolting up from my restraining position, and "accidentally" bumping into the slum leader on my way passed the barrier. "Look down." I snickered at waiting for his enterprise. I spat blood on his "Armoni" shoes without cognizance. The red permanently staining the leather.

Two guards and a please golfer followed behind me. Trajecting my gown and shoes. Head high wih dignity after gimping to the stationary trucks. Crumbling to the seats. Golf shirt facing me. "Nice touch." He smiled.

I didn't speak until we were at least ten miles away from the slums. "Get this bullet out of my shoulder." I was stif, straightening up.

"God Paris, I thought I lost you." The golfer shook his head, smiling a bit. "What happened?"

"Just stop Harry." Had he already forgotten about the tramp he had with him the day before.

"What is it Paris?" He was obviously not recalling enough.

"This isn't safe. I'm not safe. This has got to stop." I started crying a bit, for the first time I could wash done of the blood off.

Harry grabbed a spare button down dress shirt, draping it over my bare skin. "Who said I wanted to be safe?" He smiled a bit. "Im going to protect you, that is my job now." Harry crouched to my level. Elbows on his knees, holding my hands. "This is it."

Weepings of woe deluged from my eyes. I harbired all my grief since the minute I enter this gang, and finally i was allowing myself to rue melancholy. "You can't protect me." I tried to pull my hands back.

"I will always be there, sentinel." Harry challenged.

"No, this isn't a test. It's a fact. I just want to go back to college like a normal student." The back doors of the truck opened up to our street that only goes in One Direction.

"Paris, I've let you slip through my fingers countless times already. I've had you, and I've lost you. And there's no way in hell I'm going through that again. This is new to me, I've never had this before. I know what I want now and I know what I need. There's no way I'm going to let you get away again." Harry persisted.

"Words will be just words, until you bring them to life."

Bystanders lingered in the entry. A few smiled or gawked at the rugidness of my appearance. It has become customary for a member to reappear days late, if at all. And I must not have been the only one, two guys were being stitched up right at the front counter. I plopped myself up between them. A nice combination of shirtless guys and a girl in a mans dress shirt withh nothing but undergarments. "What are you here for?" One motioned to me.

"Don't know entirely. I have a bullet in my shoulder, gasoline in my veins, and blood from beatings all around." I didn't make mug of it, these things were common to this place.

"You're Paris then. The one who was shot at the gala?" The other guy now spoke. I nodded. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Auden." The more injuried and attractive one introduced.

"And I'm Lennon," the first guy spoke again. Shaking my hand firmly. "It's a shame that the night had to end that way, big things were about to happen."

That was news to me, besides the big hostage trade, I thought there was no other action, everything else had gone smoothly. "What do you mean? 'Big things'?"

"Harry hasn't told you yet?" Lennon seemed to be in a bit of shock.

"Well he will as soon as this bullet is taken out of my shoulder. I'll make sure of it." My temper raised. Unless he was planning on telling me after I cleaned up, he's going to be in for a real treat.

"Good luck." Lennon and Auden moved away from the first aid counter. Glancing back at them now, they must have been apart of this "big news". Lennon said it himself, "It's a shame that the night had to end that way, big things were about to happen."

Shortly after, the nurse gave me the okay to leave. I just had to follow a few cleaning and treatment procedures at night. Immediately I was on the hunt for Harry. Still dressed like a modest stripper, i was flying through hallways and floors. We needed to talk about lots if things, and there was no way he's gonna escape it.

It took me fifty-five minutes to ferreting nearly every room and catechized each person I came across. Finally I had given up and retreated back to my room. Just when I thought Harry was incognito, I heard his familiar voice.

"Paris, come to the bathroom please." That made me extremely nervous and anxious. Harry sat, tending a bubble bath with flower petals. Candles lit all around the tub. "The water is kind of hot but it will feel nice." He tried to help me remove the nagger shirt draped on my shoulders.

"I've got it." The man's shirt came off but the undergarments remained present while I cautiously lowered myself in the hot water. "We need to talk."

"Indeed we do." Harry handed my a juice box. "But, you must be relaxed when we do." Harry smiled and leaned back in his chair. Basking in the hot steam.

"What's this big news? Or big thing that was about the commense the other night?" My mouth ran.

"Before I answer any questions like that, I want to make sure you and I our on a good place." Harry didn't open his eyes. His words giving a clear insite to this idea. We were going to be tested beyond limits. "That night, you had a nice time with Brice, I assume."

"Yes, Brice is a very kind, funny, and attractive gentleman. A pleasure to be around."

"Well it's my understanding that you two may have kissed-"

"Hold on, don't be putting anything on me! I saw, merely two feet away, a barely upwards from naked, stripper sit on you and both of you intimidate like there's no tomorrow!" This water helped my temper boil.

"I know. I was going to apologize about that. Paris, in the energy and moment of the night, I let a slut get the best of me. And I promise you, if she didn't hold the position she did, I would have never even spared a glance in her direction. I'm sincerely sorry." Harry actually looked at me with promising eyes.

"I forgive you for now. But I want to know about this news." It was eating me away inside.

"I need you to forgive me completely, before." Harry was begging for my approval. I nodded, allowing him to now tell me. "This," Harry motioned all around him. "This whole gang is built up by hatred. My father, he's murdered hundreds, if not thousands. Everyone here lost someone. He killed my mothers first, an abussive husband. That was the beginning. He deals with a dangerous business, anyone who gets in the way is killed. We've wanted revenge. None of us deserved this, nobody should lose someone to homocide." He paused. "But that's only half of the truth for this gang history. We found his grounds." Harry started getting anxious.

"So you can put this to an end soon, right?" I tried to stay on the same page.

"If only, there's too many world wide. We want him." Harry added more flowers to the tub. His eyes never leaving the petals.

"So when you get him... What are you going to do? Question him... Or?"

"Don't you get it? He killed my goddamn mom! Right in front of me!" He hollered, flying petals burning up in candles. "This all," Harry swung flowers at the wall. "His fucking game, is going to end." Harry paced, running his hands through his hair, before exiting my bathroom.

I took the alone time to scrub all the blood and dirt off of my skin. Seems to be quite a ritual around here. Tears Welled up in my eyes, the petals blood stained. We've all lost someone... Someone that should be at home, safe and sound.

And sometime while my sight and mind were blurred, Harry returned. Helping me out of the blood bath and into the security of toweled arms. Still dressed, warm towels clothed my bare skin. Harry's arms tightly wrapping around my waist from behind. His tender and unassailable hold. We sat, leaning against the tub, silent. His chin resting on top of my head. Our breathing in sync to calm.

Harry's new tattered sweater smelling like home. His long, bandanaed, curls nuzzling against my neck. Amorous lips dancing on the top of my head. "Come on." Harry stood us both up, his hold not giving up to the resistance that movement creates. He gave me his welcoming sweater, and crawled into my blankets. Shielded by a black t-shirt and layers of comforters. Momentarily changing into dry necessities. I slipped in besides him. Harry's cold and bare arms finding a wag around my thick guarded body. I curled into his chest, my face comfortly nestled in close. With another kiss landing upon my forehead, the last audible words were said, "I love you."

Like a peaceful and warm spark. The anew couple who fights hard, but "loves" harder. It's a neoteric word to me. Hardly ever directed towards someone like myself. Although it seems strange and rushed, it also feels like a long coming. The words finally being said. A deep breath of relief.

We have been the ones you know will split, we are the ones you know will stay. But I think it's bipolar for me to say. I love the hate, I love the passion. The dramatic change, a striking flare. The intriguing rush, thick of musty air.

The way you can't see the future. Tomorrow's a new day. Almost anything is okay, as long as you stay.

When I need you.

Notes

Enjoy

That lovely moment between the two