How does he know my name? And more importantly who is this old man? But at the back of my mind, I kinda knew who he was.

“Yes, Mr.?”

The old man didn’t answer. He stood there looking at me for a few seconds, then turned away and put his attention back to the event. The atmosphere he was giving out was something else. It’s as if nothing can ever faze him in this life or even in any other life. Like a modern day sage.

I survey the old man in front of me and notice that he was wearing a black coat over the Dark suit he was wearing. His outfit was reminiscent of 1920s Great Britain when that type of fashion was common place. He even wore dark gloves on his hands.

“What do you think of the speech?”

The old man asked all of a sudden. I turned to look at the principal, who was still singing the high praises of the school and its founder. I had an inkling feeling on who this was, so i should tread my words carefully.

“Its fine, i guess. It is indeed a day worth celebrating.”

I said in a monotone voice, not wanting to show that i was slightly intimidated by his presenece.

“A day worth celebrating, huh? Malik, stop it. What do you really think of this whole event?”

The old man turning to look at me with his deep blue eyes. His eyes being indifferent, bearing no warmth and satisfaction to what was taking place. Being honest was the best choice i can make, huh?

“Its shit. This day may be a day worth celebrating, but the people who are heading are complete tyrants.”

I responded, making sure that no leakage of emotions was present. But at the end there was a hint of rage i gave out in my voice and looking at the old man, i bet he noticed it.

“I see.”

The man turned around and was about to open the doors to the Social Hall when he stopped, saying.

“You can call me Dale. Ill be seeing you around Malik, good luck with your plan.”

The old man said as there was a subtle grin on the side of his face. Complete shock overcame me as i felt a chill down my spine. My composure was gone in a second, and before i could argue that i had no such thing. The old man opened the doors and left, not leaving me a chance to defend myself.

How did that old man know? Or more importantly How did Mr. Dale know who i was? Question kept racking up in my mind, and the more i try to answer it, more questions pop up. Like a never ending maze with so many twists and turns.

I snapped out of my hysteria and took a deep breath. Exhaling, i calmed myself down and thought of solving this predicament later. So for now i must continue with my plan. But there was an unexpected variable that i did not expect. How it will affect it i have no idea, but the best thing i can do is stick to the plan. And make adjustments later.

I gave a sigh and looked at the stage of the social hall. Mr. Dale, or more accurately Dale Riverview, was already up on stage with a big smile on his face, and was about to make a speech. My guess was right, i see.

Taking one final deep breath, i walked into the dim hallway and took the final step in the plan. And so it begins.

…

“And Let us welcome, our student council President as he makes the closing remarks to finish of the event.”

A round of applause ensued, echoing throughout the room as the clapping crackled like thunder in the room. It was so loud it was almost making my ears ring. Hope they will show the same sort of enthusiasm later on.

Bradley went up into the podium, grinning ear to ear as he had a format suit on. To make it even worse, he had his hair slick back, like to bankers. Though i do admit that the douchery of the haircut fits him well.

“Good Afternoon everybody. Hope everyone had a good time at this event. This day has been a wonderful day, not just because that today is the founding anniversary, but also because that Mr. Dale Riverview himself has attended. Let’s all give him a round of applause, people.”

A thunderous applause then ensued, with Mr. Dale standing up and waving to the students with a big smile on his face. Though from my prior encounter, it’s so fake. But it doesn’t matter, it’s about to start any second now.

“I would also like to thank the principal for sponsoring this event.”

Any minute now.

“And of course i would also like to thank the school staff for letting the event happen without a hitch.”

Its close, so close i can almost feel it. Victory is almost in my hands.

“I would also like to thank the student body for attending this joyous event, for at the end of the day we are doing this for you.”

Now.

“And with that, my role ends for the day.”

Applause rang once again but i could not hear it. I felt the world becoming soundless by the second, my body feeling numb as i sense that something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

I look towards the stage where Bradley was and notice that he was directly looking at me. He pulled out something from his pocket and waved it around in the air with a big smile on his face. No. How did he get it?

Blood rushed to my head as i couldn’t keep myself from calming down, no it’s can’t end like this. I dash out of the hall as i push away the various students getting in my way. I knew that i was causing a ruckus in the middle of the celebration, feeling a lot of eyes boring down on me. But i ignore it as the plan still hasn’t failed yet.

Swinging the door open, i made my way out of the social hall but i noticed something. There were various people blocking the exits out of the school. But there was only one path open, and that was the staircase leading to the rooftop. So what’s your plan, huh?

I took a deep breath as i try to calm myself down. It took a few more breaths,, but I managed to calm down my nerves somehow. Thinking clearly, i notice that the men wearing dark masks made no movement as i calmed myself down. They stood straight in their spots as they didn’t even look at me, just dutifully guarding their owns spots.

It’s a trap. They’re leading me to a trap. With no possible exits except the one leading to the rooftop, they’re herding me like sheep being driven to the slaughterhouse. We will see who will be the sheep in the end.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

In a tranquil state, I walked towards the staircase leading up. Walking step by step on the stairs, i felt my heartbeat matching its rhythm to my own steps. For every step i took, my heartbeat. It was in complete harmony with each other, with me hearing my own heart pump blood through the various parts of my body.

I clench my fist tightly as i admit that this was not part of the plan. The plan was supposed to be that a video was to be played out he big screen of the stage. But it did not. Instead, Bradley somehow got the USB stick in his hands. Wait, where’s Neil?

Wiping it off my mind, further speculation won’t help my cause. I need to think in a level-headed manner. But luckily, i made a back-up plan. So there is still hope.

Making my way up to the doors of the rooftop, i open it and notice that there were various dark masked people. Standing straight as an arrow, making no apparent movements. These guys… They are different from the previous schmucks that Bradley brought.

“Impressive isn't it?”

A chilling voice penetrated my hearing, and it came from behind me. I didn’t turn around as i already knew who it was. An arm wrapped around my shoulders as Bradley came close to my face, and he brought a USB in front of my eyes.

“So, this was your plan, huh? Well, it would have worked if you know, if i was a complete idiot.”

Bradley grinned as he let go of me and proceeded to walk towards one of the two chairs in the middle of the rooftop. So this again, huh?

“Come on, Malik, we don’t have all day. Oh, wait we do.”

Bradley said in a teasing voice. He sat down in his chair and pointed to the chair opposite of him, signaling me to sit on it. But i did not move.

“Sit or i will make you sit.”

With indifferent eyes, i only looked towards Bradley and for several seconds, silence ensued between us. The atmosphere tensing up and being chilled to the bone.

I broke the standoff as i made my way towards the chair. I sat down and crossed my legs, confronting Bradley from the opposite end. We gazed at each other for a few seconds until Bradley broke the silence.

“Still indifferent as ever,, huh? No matter, we got time.”

He said as he waved at one of his goons. A goon stood out from the rest and went up to me, forcing me to my feet. He was strong. Too strong. He started patting me from my shoulders, all the way to my legs. He started cupping me from my legs and he found it, the voice recorder i brought with me.

Pulling it out, he showed it to Bradley with only him reacting as if nothing had happened. The goon then went back to his previous position. I look away from him and sat down once again, crossing my legs as i mentioned my indifferent position.

Bradley smirked and started waving the voice recorder in front of me. HIs eyes showing apparent arrogance as he looked down at me.

“So, this was your plan? A damned voice recorder? I mean, i thought of better of you, Malik, but instead this was your plan? I’m disappointed.”

He held the voice recorder at his palms and crushed it between his fingers. Letting go of his hands, he let the pieces of the now crushed voice recorder fall to the ground. But i made no reaction and i didn’t even look at the voice recorder, now in pieces on the ground. I kept my eyes on Bradley.

“What, no reaction? You’re no fun, so how about this?”

Waving his hand again, one of his goons stepped up to me. Towering above me in both height and shoulder width, he pulled a knife from his pockets. My eyes slightly bulged but i managed to stop a shocked expression from showing.

I thought that Bradley was only threatening me but it seemed not, as the goon then plunged the knife towards my right leg, crossed on top of my left. The immense pain traveled to my pain receptors, making me feel as if a huge fist barreled down on my legs.

For a second, I felt breathless, clutching the sides of the chair with a slight groan coming out of my mouth. It was so painful that it prevented me from even breathing. It took several seconds for me to recover myself, and in that span of time. The constant cackling of Bradley rang through the air.

He laughed and laughed like there was no tomorrow. Like he was seeing a good show. Though breathless and my mind in disarray, i no longer gave any reaction to the pain. I refuse to humor his sick, twisted sense of comedy.

Bradley stopped after a while, as he no longer smiled. With a cold and indifferent face, he waved at all of his goonies and said.

“Alright enough play time, iv learned my lesson, so it’s better to end this quick. Kill him.”

He stood up and started to make his way out of the rooftop, but just as he was about to leave. I laughed. I cackled like a madman with nothing to lose. I laughed and laughed as the sound of my laughter was the only thing anybody could hear on the rooftop.

His goons stopped approaching me and stood in their place, watching me cackle like i was going insane.

“What are you laughing at?”

Giving a few coughs due to laughing so much, I turned to look at Bradley with a wide grin on my face.

“I’m laughing at you, idiot.”

I said, with a teasing tone in my voice. Fury filled Bradley as his face turned all red and just as he was about to wave at his goons to kill me. The door was swung open and who came in was the Principal. Red in his face filled with fury and a bit of hysteria.

“BRADLEY! WHAT DID YOU DO!”

Shouted by the principal in his madness, his voice echoing throughout the rooftop. But they did not hear his cries of anguish as the cops came in with Mr Dale Riverview leading them.

Mr Dale began to survey the rooftop grounds and saw me besides Bradley. He gave me a nod and signalled for the cops to do their jobs. They spread out on various fronts as they began arresting the dark masked people on the rooftop.

And just as I was about to be saved. Bradley pulled out a knife from his pocket and put it against my neck. Drawing some blood in the process.

“Don't move! I fucking said don’t move or this fuck won’t be alive to see tomorrow.”

He began threatening the police and Mr. Dale, shouting with hysteria in his voice. He pointed the knife directly at my artery, making sure that a slight push was enough to make me bleed out. But i wasn’t worried. This was also part of the plan.

It should be acting up by now… Ah nevermind it’s started.

All of a sudden, Bradley let go of his knife, standing wobbly in place. I looked at him and notice that he was holding his head, and from my guess, he was trying to maintain his last bit of consciousness.

I uncross my injured leg and clasped both of my hands in my lap. I sat to watch as the prince crumbled on his throne. He looked at me in the eye as he barely slurred his words.

“What did you do!?”

I looked at Bradley in the eyes and smiled.

“Whatever do you mean?”

Due to almost being driven insane, he tried to lunge at me in the last second, grabbing the knife, but he failed as he toppled forward at my feet. I looked down at the once arrogant Bradley, no longer conscious.

I won.

Giving a sigh of relief, i try to stand up but fail. So instead i enjoyed the show being played out in front of me. The cops started arresting Bradley’s goons with Bradley himself being carried out on a stretcher. I sacrificed a few things for it to work out.

“So this was your plan huh, nice job Malik.”

Mr Dale said, standing beside me as we watched the sunset on the horizon.

“Yup, though there were a few problems with the plan, it all worked out in the end.”

Responding with apparent satisfaction in my voice. Though getting stabbed was part of the plan, the video not planning on the stage was definitively not.

“Clever work you did there, i mean, setting up a hidden camera on the rooftop and filming your whole interaction in front of the whole students was something else, Malik.”

I smiled as it seems the decoy worked. The video containing the various crimes of Bradley may not have played. It still didn’t matter as we expected for it to be discovered. I mean, we did bribe the guy manning the thing, who we found out was Bradley’s goon.

“Thanks Mr Dale.”

“But i gotta ask, how did Bradley faint? He showed no signs prior to being poisoned.”

Mr Dale asked with apparent confusion in his voice. But it was understandable, even i didn’t hope for it to work.

“Ah that, well i just slipped in some unsavory things on his water bottle. I knew that he was protective of the things he owned, so it was the best way to poison him without harming others.”

I said with apparent satisfaction and pride in my voice. But my joy was cut short as what Mr Dale said next made me despair over my next problem.

“By the way, i called Lorelai before your little plan started and told her all about it. About how you had a plan to take down the principal and Bradley and about how you did not tell her.”

Shock overcame my entire being as i was left speechless of what he said. As i was about to ask why he did that, there was an even more important question.

“How do you know Lorelai?”

Mr. Dale looked at me and said with a bright smile on his face. His smile reminds me of someone.

“I’m Lorelai’s Grandpa and your soon to be Grandpa in law”

A feeling of overwhelming shock visited my being once more, amplifying my chaotic mind, filled with questions and answers in my head. I was about to ask him further but I noticed that he looked at his watch.

“Any time now.”

Confused, i was about to ask him about it, but then the door to the rooftop busted open and a person wearing a yellow floral dress and a sunhat came in. She had dark hair and ocean blue eyes. And rage filled those beautiful blue eyes.

“Malik!”

Thankfully, my world turned dark once again as my conscious fell into a deep sleep. I can deal with it later when i wake up.