It seemed as though the rain would never end. I felt it fall on my prone body laying on the street, felt the cold of it seep somewhere deep inside. It pattered on the dark asphalt next to me, close to drowning out the voices of the men next to me. So close, but it couldn't even provide the solace of perceived isolation.

"He the one?" a tattooed man I had never seen before dressed in a suit asked the men who had dragged me here. "Why does he look like he's already half dead? You should know they're worth less damaged."

"Sorry, had some stress we wanted to let out. No matter how much you get for this one it won't be enough to pay back his tally, so we wanted to use him as a little example to some of our other more troublesome clients." The man I knew as Snake replied.

Snake was a loan shark I had managed to sign a deal with for an unusually high initial sum. I had dressed up nice and come to him with a prospective repayment plan that involved a house flipping operation I was working on. It had taken some effort but I had been able to get them to warm up to me and agree to my terms, and an hour later I had walked out with three thick envelopes full of cash. According to the payment plan I had provided they would be getting their return plus interest in a short four months time.

At least if a single word I spoke to them had been true they would have.

I had been living this way for close to five years now. It had started after I dropped out of high school and decided playing games was more fun than getting a job. Its not really any wonder my parents had gotten so sick of the sight of me they disowned me and kicked me to the curb. Not that they could be blamed for it. Jobless, shut in, by all accounts a total recluse and leech. Desperate for a roof over my head and food to fill my stomach I had then enlisted, figuring even having to serve wouldn’t be as bad as having to beg for scraps on the street.

I wish I had thrown that worthless pride in the trash where it belonged.

Sent to a sandy hellhole I saw firsthand the horrors that the veterans I had never really respected had always avoided talking about. Maybe I should have put more thought into why they kept their silence, before I was forced to learn firsthand. There came a point in that crusade that seemed endless that my will broke and I felt I had no option left but to leave it all behind. Disowned and a deserter, I wandered for a while. On my own with nothing and nobody to turn to I did the only thing I had ever really been good at doing.

I lied.

Con man, hustler, swindler. That's what I was, worse than the bottom feeders of society. Though, I guess even I wasn't as bad as these guys.

"How much he get you for?" Suit asked with a smirk on his face.

"Almost 20 grand, talked up a big game about some house flipping project, had papers and everything. Then he leaves and I look into it and what do ya know, not a single construction company in the area has ever heard of the guy." Snake replies with malice in his voice.

It was the same usual procedure for me, get money, get out of town, live again for a while. At least it should have been. I think my mistake had been taking an amount big enough they would actually bother looking for, instead of the chump change I usually went for. The rest was really quite simple, it involved a black van, a bunch of guys with baseball bats, and a human piñata party in front of a video recorder.

Guess this is it for me. Finally, I don't have to care anymore. Finally, I can just let go.

I was grateful for the rain in that moment, as it ran down my face I felt blessed to not know whether I was crying or not. Whether I was lying to myself or not.

Lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed that Suit and Snake had finished their conversation. Snake led his gang of lackeys out of the overhang they were under and past my limp body. Without a word or a glance they got in their black van and drove off, the taillights fading into the distance as I watched.

Suit sighed as he walked up to my wretched figure. "You still alive, slab?" he asked as he landed a kick into my stomach. My grunt of pain seemed to be a satisfactory answer.

"Grunt! Get out here!" He called in to the building we were outside of. A burly man in his 30s came out at the call and stood ready to receive instructions. "Strip him down, get him a blanket, and throw him in the cell. Watch him too, I want him to still be warm when he goes on the table." Suit instructed him.

"The other is still in the cell." Grunt replied.

Suit scratched his head, "Yeah, I know." He looked down at me, examining and replied, "It should be fine, just throw him in anyway. I gotta go call the doc." And with that, Suit walked inside.

Grunt grabbed the back collar of my shirt and dragged me inside after Suit.

Grunt followed his boss's orders and within 5 minutes I was in a cell with a blanket wrapped around me. It didn't help much, I still felt colder than I had ever been. Deep inside I knew something was wrong, it was getting harder to focus and the bruises from the thrashing I had received no longer hurt, though I knew they should.

With what felt like considerable effort I looked around the room I was in. There were blankets scattered on a wooden floor in the small rectangular room with padding lining the walls. The door had a window cut into it and no interior handle. There were various children's toys as well, like a dinosaur and wooden building blocks.

Then there was the other.

I looked away unable, no, I simply couldn't bring myself to look at the other. I wished I could blot out the horrible truth of this situation, this room, this world. More than anything I wished I could unsee the dirty pink dress, the ragged hair, the small scared eyes of the one who looked back at me.

Not this. Anything but this. You can have my life, world. Why must I be subjected to this cruelty? Please why can't I just die in peace?

Locked inside this tiny padded room with me was its initial occupant, a small girl of less than ten years in a dirty pink dress. A girl with eyes that seemed to hold an ocean of sadness. I had thought myself the most miserable person in existence before this moment, yet now I felt as if I had been blessed.

Yes, I had truly lived a blessed life. I just threw those blessings to the side like garbage. My misfortune was a product of my own self destructive habits, I could accept that. I could accept that I was a worthless piece of shit who deserved to die.

But that's exactly why I couldn't accept the reality in front of my eyes. I couldn't accept the cruel injustice the world was showing me in my final hours.

I can't take this… no… I will not accept this end… for you or for me.

Mustering what little strength I had I pulled myself up and walked and stumbled halfway across the room.

I saw the girl recoil in fear and attempt to curl into an even smaller ball. I bent over and picked up the largest of the building blocks, one with a pointed edge. The girl's look of fear turned to one of confusion as I wordlessly turned away and went back to the door.

Grasping the block in my right hand and fighting the sickening feeling in my gut from simply moving I pounded on the door with my left.

"Help. Help. Please, my insides don't feel right." What I had meant as a yell came out as a croak, but I kept going.

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After about a minute of my ruckus I heard the latch on the other side of the door click open. The door swung open as I started collapsing onto the ground in a fit coughing that shook my entire frame. “Hey! Hey! What’s wrong with you!?” I heard Grunt exclaim as he grabbed my left arm to hold me up and look at me.

Summoning my strength through my coughing and weariness, I brought the block in my hand up in violent desperation aiming for the man's temple. I felt the edge connect and I was released as both Grunt and I collapsed onto the ground.

My coughs wracked my body and I couldn't move. I waited immobile for a punch or kick to come from the man I had just assaulted but they never came.

As my cough subsided I looked over my shoulder and saw Grunt’s body lying on the ground, his head propped against the wall. I could see his ragged breathing so he wasn’t dead, just unconscious. That was fine by me, I’m not usually a particularly bloodthirsty person.

I roll over and hurriedly search his pockets until I find what I need: his phone. I took a moment to regain my strength then slowly got to my feet again. Turning to the girl I saw she had barely moved, still huddled in a ball with the same terrified look in her eyes.

Ah, how awful this must be for you.

I held out my hand from my still blanketed body and asked, “Would you like to leave this place?” She looked from my hand to the unconscious man on the ground and then met my eyes again, remaining perfectly still.

Ah hell, I’ve never been good with kids. Please just take my hand and let's go.

“Don’t you want to leave this place? I promise I’m not like these bad men.” I try putting on my kindest smile, but I can’t remember the last time I earnestly smiled so I’m sure I look terrible. Regardless, she still doesn't move.

Please just take my hand and let's go.

I look behind me beyond the door to check that Suit hasn't come to check on things then meet the girl's gaze again, “We don't have much time, if the bad men come back they’ll hurt us.” I can hear the desperation creeping into my own voice.

Please.

“I won’t leave you here, please take my hand.” I try and sound reassuring but all I can hear in my own voice now is the desperation.

Please.

“Please.” I beg.

Please allow me to save myself, even if just a little.

Then I saw it in her eyes. Maybe it’s her own desperation winning over her fear, maybe it’s me standing over her unconscious captor, maybe she looked into my eyes as I had into hers and saw a fraction of her own pain reflected from within me. Whatever it was she found within herself was enough for her to slowly stand up and take my hand.

“Can you talk?” I asked.

She nodded, then in a small voice said, “Yes.”

I gave another smile, one that felt much more genuine than my last attempt and said, “Let’s leave and never return, ok?”

She nodded.

I led her out of that small room and started tracing my steps back through the building. As we slowly and stealthily retraced our steps I pulled out the phone I had picked up off Grunt and dialed the emergency services number.

It connected very fast and I heard a feminine voice on the other end say, “Hello this is emergency services, what is the nature of your emergency?”

“I’ve been kidnapped. I knocked out one of the kidnappers and am using his phone. There was a little girl confined with me, I am currently attempting to escape the building we are inside. I don't know where I am, can you track this cell phone's location?” I try and convey our situation as concisely and quietly as possible.

“Er, yes leave the call running and we’ll send officers to your location. Can you tell me anything about your kidnappers? Wha-” She starts to ask for more information but I quickly cut her off with, “I have to be quiet now.” She shuts up and I leave the call running.

We were in a basement of some kind. Getting to the stairs proved to be simple, though going up them was nerve wracking because they were wooden. Wooden stairs and the creaks they make are the enemy of burglars everywhere. I would know, I tried my hand at it a few times. It never went well.

Getting to the top without issue, we stop and I listen for any signs of life in the building. Hearing nothing in the immediate vicinity we continue forward.

We get to the entryway and I hear what sounds like a TV playing and peek around a corner and there’s Suit laying back on a couch and watching some crime show. What is he doing, trying to up his game and learn from tv? Either way, this presents a problem because the entry door is within line of sight of the couch. The TV is facing the opposite way though, so Suit isn't looking in our direction.

This gives us either the option to try and sneak out or go back and look for another way out. Trying to sneak out had immediate and obvious risks to it, but I was also worried about Grunt waking up and catching us, or there not being a back exit at all.

Fuck it, neither of us want to be here any longer than possible.

I turn around and crouch down in front of the girl and put my finger in front of my mouth. She didn't say anything, or react in any way so I just hoped she understood as I turned back around.

Staying crouched I hold her hand as I slowly walk out into the open, keeping my eyes on Suit as I go.

Slowly does it. Slowly…

After what feels like an eternity of moving slowly we make it do the door without drawing our captors attention. Looking at the door in front of us I realize it has a locked deadbolt. I slowly stand up and as gently as I am able to I nudge it back. The deadbolt makes a small click as it sets home. My head whips around at Suit and I watch with my full attention to see if he noticed.

I feel a second pass. There's some action scene on the TV. His attention doesn't leave the LCD.

Clear.

Going back to a crouch I put my hand on the doorknob and slowly turn it to check if it's locked as well. I feel it open smoothly and completely. I breathe a sigh of relief and feel a smile form on my face.

Ah, maybe this won't be my end after all.

Something about that thought sticks in my mind. It bothers me, yet I can't immediately think of why. I think they call that something, but what?

I try pulling the door inwards yet it doesn't budge. I push it gently outwards and it starts to slide open.

It creaks.

My breath catches and it feels like time stops. With a fraction of a second feeling like an hour my head turns back. The sound of the rain fills my ears. There's a pair of eyes looking back at me from the couch. The door continues its opening motion. I watch in what feels like slow motion as Suit stands up. His mouth opens but all I hear is the rain.

He reaches for something at his waist.

Oh yeah, that's what they call a death flag, isn't it?

Holding tight to the girl's hand I yank her out of the door ahead of me, following behind her. Shoving the phone into the hand of the girl I had been holding, I turn and slam the door behind me, throwing my body weight against it.

“Run!” I yell at the girl, now standing there dumbly. My shout causes her to jump and little and look from the phone now in her hand to me. “Run away!” I yell again.

Coming out of her shock she turns from me and bolts down the street. “Hide somewhere!” I yell after her, knowing Suit would be able to catch up if she just kept running straight.

I feel the knob of the door wiggle violently and then a slam on the other side. He’s trying to force the door open but I somehow manage to keep it shut. I guessed Suit wasn't very strong considering I was holding it shut in an extremely weakened state. I shift my body so the whole of my back is propped against the door and plant my feet on the cement as solidly as I can.

I feel the slams come once again, twice, three times. I hear him swearing to himself on the other side. Then the slams stop and I get a small reprieve.

Is he going for another exit? Maybe that's my chance to r-

My thoughts are interrupted by four deafening bangs from the other side of the door.

Huh? What was that? Why is there… pain…?

My thoughts are interrupted by another slam from the door. This time it's enough to send me sprawling out into the street. I feel the violent onset of another coughing attack as I land and feel the rain start pelting me again. I cough into my hand and try to control my breathing and it subsides after several seconds.

The pain is worse now. I feel the same creeping chill I felt earlier return with a vengeance. I pull my hand away and see the blood I knew would be there.

I roll and look back at the door and see Suit standing over me, a gun in hand. His eyes burn with hatred and his face is contorted into a look of rage.

He just stands there for a few seconds before turning away and running off down the street. I can't focus enough to tell if he leaves in pursuit of the girl or if he's attempting to make an escape before things go even worse for him. Either way, he clearly decided I wasn't worth the effort of finishing off.

I distantly feel the rain pelting my face. The sound fills my ears, a sweet soothing lullaby as my warmth fades away.

In my mind I see that girl in her dirty pink dress running. Endlessly running away from the darkness that had trapped her for God knows how long.

Ah, at last I think I feel human again. How long has it been since I felt anything except disdain?

The sensation of the rain on my face leaves as I go numb. The sound of the rain fades away.

Into oblivion.