The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows [Kiah]

The air is heavy and the sky is turning a gorgeous navy and purple mix, interrupted by flashes of bright light. Directly above me is a cluster of stars and that's why I'm outside, playing chicken with the rain. It looks as if the stars are competing with the building storm, vying to take over the night sky as the superior natural phenomena. I don't think the stars are winning. As the minutes pass and the wind begins to stir the environment around me, I can see them slowly being enveloped by clouds thick with rain.

I let out a sigh, enjoying the scene unfolding before me. Not many things put me at ease. Training is purposeful. Eating is purposeful. Existing is purposeful. The stars are purposeful too in their own way but for us here on Earth? They're something nice to look at. The hard ground beneath my butt is becoming painful. I'll go in soon... Pa and I had gotten into it today. First time in a while actually. It's been a good week or two with his arthritis at bay but I knew it wouldn't last forever. Today, a mouse had scurried through the hallway and he had noticed it. He had turned to me, a devilish smile creeping up, and said, "Want to have some fun?" It had taken me aback. "No sir. I think I'm going for a run."

No, I did not want to have "some fun."

See, I'm conflicted. I daydream about hurting people. I like to think about what their screams will sound like, how their blood will pool as it leaves their body. My dreams are full of scenes of varying morbidity.

But those damn mice.

All I see are a thousand little cuts. Cuts strategically placed to not quite dissect limbs from torso. I don't necessarily feel bad for them - they're small pests, determined to eat our store of food. But... I could never wrap my head around it. They know nothing of the grander world. They have no concept of tradition, history, familial ties, none of it. They're innocent and I don't see how somebody so much larger could get satisfaction hurting such a being.

I rise to my feet, shaking off the feelings. I love my Pa. The mice were lessons, lessons to not let ourselves feel so much lest we end up in a situation like this.

It's time to run.

I take off, slow at first, and ramp my way up. My feet connect solidly with the ground each step. I appreciate the feedback; tripping isn't any fun. I focus on my breathing, powering through the humidity. Buildings shrouded in the cover of night fly by me as I carry on. There's no route in mind tonight, just the looming pressure of lights out and the incoming storm.

I've only seen a few people out. Some are watching the storm form, others are finishing up last-minute duties before they retreat home for rest. Nobody pays me any attention. Well, a gaggle of young girls catch a glimpse of me and they're giggling and softly cheering as I pass by. It's not sarcastic - I think they thought I was cute.

I can feel the lactic acid building up in my muscles. Just a few more steps... No. I cannot. I stop and lift my arms above my head, trying to inhale all the oxygen around me. There's a loud boom in the sky. It doesn't scare me but I take a moment to assess my surroundings.

There, over by the closed shop. There's a shadowy figure and they're... I can't tell. The first few drops of rain begin to fall, trickling down my hair onto my nose. I take a step forward but my brain starts screaming at me - Stupid! You know nothing of the situation! What if it's somebody bad? What if they've got a weapon? What if they're waiting for some idiot like you to be nosy?

Too late. My feet are already carrying me towards the dark shop and the shadowy figure.