Amidst the sea of panicked people, she saw one of her "friends" that is also staring at her. Tears built up at the corner of her eyes.
Even though wasn't pure friendship, the two of them still spent time together. While she was being pulled away, that "friend" of hers wasn't running but lying down on her front on the pavement. The girl tried to say something but nothing came out of her mouth but blood and she can only stretch out her right arm towards Mei. But that stretched arm only made her suffer more as the running people stepped on her outstretched arm.
Mei wanted to help and tried resisting over her fiancé's grasp but a frail girl like her did not have the strength to do so and was pulled away with even more force.
She heard her fiancé shout at her but his words did not enter her ear as she watched her "friend" grimace in pain for every stomp she received from the people running for their lives. The scene continued until Mei's view was drowned with people.
Being pulled away, the two reached the mall and ran inside along with the other people. She saw the guards ignore the people running inside and concentrated talking at their radios with stern expressions.
It wasn't long after they entered the mall when they started hearing gunshots.
Mei looked behind and saw the people running away, the "people" chasing after and those who already made a bloody pool on the floor. She then saw a pair of guards as she was being pulled inside the mall.
One of the guards was caught and fell down while being bitten on his neck. Thought the other guard managed to shoot the assailant but he also fell after another one jumped over his back.
She then saw the guards who fell first stood up sluggishly. Surprised she stared at the guard as she ran. As if he felt her gaze, the guard suddenly turned his head like a scene taken from a horror movie and faced her stare.
Mei would never forget that scene, those bloodshot eyes, that bloody face and that nightmarish expression. The guard then dashed, ignoring everything else, towards her. Like a beast wanting to devour her whole… in a literal manner.
She felt afraid and she was shivering inside.
"F*CK!"
She heard her fiancé curse. She looked at her fiancé and then back at the guard running after her and she was filled with horror.
The guard was already close and was on the verge of lunging towards her.
Then, a train, no a column of stacked shopping carts came creaking blocking the lunge of the guard. The guard lunged and crashed on the shopping carts causing a loud crashing sound and toppled shopping carts scattered around him.
"HEY! OVER HERE!"
The two was stunned by the sudden situation before hearing several shouts towards them. When they looked at the source of the shouts, they a group of oddly dressed youths who looked younger that them holding weapons and are calling them over.
As if he saw light within the darkness, Mei's fiancé started pulling her towards the group's direction with haste as the event with the carts gave them a small leeway to escape.
She did not want to go but can't resist against the boy pulling her. She also felt weak feeling fear from the encounter just now. But, it isn't the end.
Clattering noises echoed behind her as the guard charged through the scattered shopping carts blocking its way. He restarted his pursuit towards her.
Scared, Mei stopped resisting and ran towards the odd group. The odd youths waited by the escalator, when the Mei and her fiancé arrived, they started leading the way up.
With the guard on their tail, they ran up until they reached the cinema on the third floor. They can't see the guard behind them. It seemed that they lost him somehow.
The group then led them inside the cinema which lacked any employee.
Mei had a bad premonition.
Actually, she felt it odd when the group specifically called for her and her unwanted fiancé. When they arrived, the odd group did not call for anyone else. Then, when they were running, despite her fear, she can't help but notice the odd youths stealing glances at her.
The look in their eyes as they glanced at her… she knew those kinds of eyes… her hated fiancé looked at her with those eyes from time to time. Many other males she encountered before would eye her like that.
Then, one of the odd youths locked the cinema doors.
And hell started for her.
Her hated fiancé was shot. Not because he tried to defend her but because of his arrogant attitude as he tried to sell her off after being threatened.
Then the one who held the gun who were called boss by the other three forced his body unto her. She tried resisting but she lost all her strength as she was punched on her stomach. Even so, she still tried resisting with what is left of her strength but a merciless slap came hitting her face.
Tears welled up on her eyes as she felt the pain and humiliation.
Her clothes were torn off her body and she became a toy for the pleasure of boy in front of her. As she lay naked on the cold floor of the cinema, feeling the pain in various parts of her body, her sight grew dimmer and dimmer.
She felt helpless and powerless and she just wished she would die as soon as possible.
Laughter and jeering echoed around her but for her…
For Mei…
It doesn't matter anymore…
Everything is already black in her eyes…
BANG!
She heard a loud sound but she did not react but still, she could feel the warm liquid that splashed unto her body after the sound. She also felt the weight on her crotch lightened.
She heard loud wails of pain but she did not react.
Soon she lifted her body. She saw a man standing in front of her with his back facing her. She stared but did not do anything else. She saw the boy called boss by his group crying in fear and pain just by the man's foot. She did not react but felt that he deserved this.
She saw the blood that scattered on the floor but did not notice it.
Mei looked back at the man and the man looked at her. She felt his stare as if scanning her body. Though, she did not react to it.
He just might be the same she thought.
She felt her sight going dimmer. This might really be my fate, she thought.
Then, she saw the man taking off his jacket.
Her emotions started to vanish as she dropped her sight to the cold floor…
And then…
She felt warm…
Her sight somehow grew a little brighter and saw a black jacket draped on her body. It smelled a little sweaty yet it felt warm.
Then something soft touched her face. She looked up and saw the man half-kneeling in front of her and wiping her face with a warm handkerchief.
Unknowingly, she reached out and slowly grabbed the hand that held the handkerchief with her both hands. The man looked surprised. He let out a deep sigh and smiled gently. Using his free hand, he reached out to her head and patted it disregarding how dirty or sticky her hair was.
He then said as gently as possible.
"It's alright. Everything is fine now."
To the man, it seemed that those were nothing but simple comforting words but to her…
Her tears started to fall and her wails of resentment are all let out.
Those words are the words she wanted to hear all her life.