Prowling At Darkness [Open]

I whirl around when someone sneaks up to me. I pull my knife out instinvctively and crouch down like a cougar, ready to pounce. But I cock my head to one side, the boy looks unassuming, certainly not dangerous. But one can never know. I'm afraid of men, but this one's a boy. He's just a child, so I straighten up, but I keep my knife in my hand.

When he asks my name I let out a low laugh and shake my head. "My name is my business," I say in an as gruff kind of voice that I can manage. I'm keeping up the act, I'm still a boy. "Why should that matter to you? That's my roof up there," I respond simply. He told me his name, of course, it could be a fake one. It's not that difficult to make up a name on the spot. But again, he's still young, no more than fourteen, surely.

I let out an infuriated sounding growl when he grabs my arm. No one touches me, ever. He's certainly not stupid but he's far too trusting, fa too quickly. So the second he drops his own knife, I kick it, sending it flying across the street. The blade of my own knife is now pressed to his wrist, against the vein that is pulsing there. It's the only thing on his body I can reach without having to strain myself, his throat is too far up, there's no chance in reaching that. I smile maliciously and step forwards, making sure that the sharp blade doesn't penetrate his soft skin.

I can tell that he's strong, far stronger than me and tall, even for his age. He pretty much towers over my tiny frame, but that's nothing to be proud of since I'm five foot and two inches small. But of course his face betrays his youth, no amount of muscle can hide that. I flush when I realize that he's seen through me, but I decide not to drop my act.

"It's none of your business, do you hear me!" It's important that he doesn't know, I'm wanted by the Peacekeepers, so I stay out of sight by sleeping on the roof or in the branches of trees by the orchard. "Aren't you the smart one, pretty boy," I whisper harshly. "Unlike you, I will kill you if you don't stop asking stupid questions. It's no bother, one quick swipe of the blade and you're a goner." My voice has gone low and quiet as I talk. There's a pressing urgency in my tone as I lean forwards. "Now, I'll take my shiny blade from your wrist, deal?"

I don't have much of a chance to fight him and even if I did, it would have been incredibly idiotic to do so. He's a boy, of course he's going to be stronger than me. So instead, I just let out a cold, detached sounding laugh. He can't hurt me. He can kill me, of course, it so easy to kill. People like to make it seem hard, but really, it isn't.

Human life isn't invincible and people are so foolhardy. But I'm no fighter, I've never been a fighter. Nor am I a coward, but I value my own life because I know exactly how quick a life can be destroyed. So, I just close my eyes, a smile curling around my lips. I have nothing. "So, kill me. I won't tell you anything." I feel the blade against my throat.

Usually, people would panic, but panicking is stupid and at once sets the attacker at an advantage. I should know. I'm usually the killer, never the prey. So, I remain still and I wonder. Technically, he could kill me, but again, he's young: can he be so corrupt already? "You know how to play, little boy," I whisper. "But do you play these games already? It's irreversable, you know, a human life. But go on ahead, you've got nothing to lose afterall." I'm calm. Terribly calm, dangerously calm.