Sweat drips from Anican’s forehead as Darren comes for him. His hands hold onto the trophy tightly as he tries to whack Darren in the head.
Anican misses.
Instead he is met with Darren's move. He flips the ax around Anican’s body, slicing through his shirt. Anican ducks and tackles Darren into a wall, then is hit with a reverse move by Darren. The belly of the ax is now at his throat.
The trophy falls from Anicans hand. He gasps and his eyes bulge. The oxygen that’s left in his lungs begins to collapse rapidly.He uses his strength to pull the belly of the ax away from him, by fighting Darren’s grip on the handle.He leans his head back, and headbutts Darren four times, knocking him over.
The ax slides underneath the kitchen table, and the two of them scramble for it along the red checkerboard floor. Anican takes hold of it, and Darren elbows him in the jaw.
Anican stumbles backward, then swings the ax wildly before trying to run at Darren.
Darren smiles, then runs towards Anican, and takes out his legs by sliding into them.
Anican falls, cracking his hand open on the blade of the ax. He shrieks, as the gash peels open.
Darren grabs Anican by the collar from behind and slings him up. “I’m not done yet.” He smirks. Then takes the ax from the ground next to Anican whose shaking.
Darren tosses the handle around and hits Anican violently in the stomach then he swings for his gut again this time with the blade but the heel of the ax slices clean through Anican’s arm instead. His arm is clinging to the bone, flesh exposed and blood flooding down his arm.
The blood travels down Anican’s hand too, falling upon the floor. He starts to run.
Darren follows him patiently, sliding the ax through the trail of blood Anican left behind. He starts to whistle.
Anican keeps running, throughout the apartment until he makes it to the front door. He falls through the door and is gasping. He gets up then slips a bit in a small puddle of his own blood.He grips his arm, wincing.
The air is even more clouded, casting a gas filled fog. Anican coughs rapidly. “I’ve breathed in too much of the gas. I need to find the exit...I gotta get out of here.” His hand rest against a wall in the hallway, as he tries to catch his breath.
Off in the distance he can hear a faint whistling.
Anican starts moving again. He pulls his phone from his pocket, and tries to use the flashlight to guide him through the fog. He sees the exit sign, and the staircase entrance.
The whistling sound begins to close in.
Anican turns around then makes a run for it. Once he makes it to the emergency exit, he tries to open it but the knob is striped. He instead uses his shoulder to ram the staircase door open.
Darren hits Anican in the back with the head of the handle of the ax. He stumbles forward on his heels, then takes hold of the railing on the staircase. He flips over the side of the banister.
Darren laughs then takes a look over the edge, he sees a set of legs down at the bottom. “Too bad, I guess he suffered the same fate as that pathetic mailman, from earlier. Hmmm, looks like Nina lost another game piece toda--.”
Darren is cut short.
“NOT TODAY!” Anican shouts.
Darren has the wind knocked out of him. He’s hit in the face with a sidekick from Anican. He never even noticed that Anican was hanging from the banister. Darren’s head hits the side of the railing.
“Just die you piece of sh*t!” Darren takes hold of the ax again, swinging blindly.
Anican swings at Darren with his left arm, punching then grappling with Darren. He headbutts Darren then bites the side of his face, directly near his right eye.
Darren screams. “My face, My Beautiful FACE!” He falls into the wall. Blood seeps between his fingers as he holds his face.
Anican takes off, jumping down flights of stairs. He spits out bits of Darrens skin. Once he hits the base of the stairs he sees Tim. He checks him for a pulse. “D*mn. If he’s dead, then where the h*ll’s Nina?” He takes a deep breath. “At this point I can only hope that she's okay.”
Darren screams, "You are mine," off in the distance.
Anican's hands shake. He holds in his tears.“I’m so sorry Tim, it should have been me. But you won't die in vain.” Anican closes Tim’s eyes. Then exits the staircase. He uses a fake plant and a metal freestanding lamp near the front desk to barricade the staircase door. Then he snatches a piece of his sleeve off, and lays the strip underneath the door. Anican, takes a deep breath then he runs back to the front desk.
Sam notices, Anican, running back and forth. He gets the last of the tenants out.
“What are you doing? Get out of here!” Sam, runs over to the front desk. “Everyone needs to evacuate!”
“I know, I know but there’s something I have to finish.”
“What are you looking for?”
“A lighter, something, a match, anything.” Anican’s eyes run through the contents of each drawer housed at the front desk.
“What?!” Sam gets on his walkie talkie, and calls for Security. “This tenant has lost his mind. There’s a gas leak and he’s preparing to start a fire. Send in back up, send them in!”
“There’s no time, Tim’s dead, and Nina is..” Anican starts to throw key, knickknacks and trash from the drawers.
“What happened to Tim and Nina?! Why..Why do you have his walkie.”
“That guy, killed Tim, and Nina is gone.” Anican, fumbles through the drawers
“What guy? All I see here is you!” Sam reaches over the counter and tries to grab Anican but he dodges.
They both turn as a loud bang, rattles the staircase door nearly off it’s hinges.
“Yes!” Anican finds a lighter. He runs to the staircase door. Darren’s screams continue on the other side.
When the security guard reports to the lobby, the police are running in with him.
Darren's screams echo throughout the lobby.
“There’s someone in there! STOP!" Sam shouts.
“STAND DOWN!” The Police follow with their guns drawn.
“No, there’s something I have to do.” Anican holds up the lighter; just as he’s about to set the strip of clothing on fire, a barrage of gunfire hits him; piercing the door, setting off an explosion that engulfs the entire lobby.
Nina’s hands were on the door knob just outside the lobby. First shards of glass hit her in the face. Then a wild rustling surge of wind spitting fire threw her backwards and into the frantic crowd.
-------
Thanks for Reading! Stay Tuned for Part 8. Updates Release Every Friday at 7pm!
~Lovietta
Mr. Red Copyright © 2017 By Lovietta Simpkins.
Published Envision & Wonder
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