Silence of a Siren

Chapter Two

14 Hours 12 Minutes Until Execution

The Princess returned, levitating two mugs with her magical aura before unlocking the cell door and stepping back inside, locking it behind her. The cell was locked with some kind of magic print lock, and given that I had no magic to speak of now, even if I wanted to try and make an escape, it was a pointless effort. My fate was not to escape this execution though, but instead to tell my story to the Princess of Friendship. I had abandoned ambitions involving freedom long ago.

Twilight Sparkle was an enigmatic creature. She seemed so happy-go-lucky for someone who was talking to someone who was soon to be dead; more strange was it was by her hooves that it was to be done, but her demeanor didn’t suggest she knew that or if she did, she certainly wasn’t acting like it. Perhaps she was better at giving a poker face than I initially gave her credit for.

She placed a mug in front of me and I looked down at the steam rising from it and then back to her as she levitated her own cup to her lips, blowing gently before taking a tiny sip. She chewed her thought for a brief second before nodding in approval and set the cup down in front of her. She looked at me with an innocent smile. “Coffee for you, tea for me.”

I nodded as I looked down and noted that she had added milk. Coincidentally, she managed to guess that I didn’t enjoy my coffee so bitter. In the human world, I had grown addicted to lattes, especially that pumpkin one that came around in the Fall. What I wouldn’t have given for one at that exact moment. I could practically taste the bitter and sweet beverage.

Taking a sip, I noted that the coffee presented to me was far from the best that I had ever had, but it was passible.

“I imagine being a princess means you don’t have to make your own coffee or tea very often?” I raised a brow as I took the cup in both hooves, taking another long sip. The warm liquid reminded me of how exhausted I was.

She giggled and shook her head. “Actually, I make my own all the time. See, I grew up like any normal pony, and being a princess is still relatively new to me, so I’m not exactly a big fan of getting a bunch of maids to do the cooking and cleaning for me. It’s just me and my dragon, Spike…”

I nodded, a bit surprised by how humble the mare was. Anyone else would have flaunted their royal status, but not Twilight Sparkle. A mare of many mysteries, for sure. I could imagine that I would have actually gotten a lifetime of enjoyment out of picking apart the layers that made up that pony.

“I see… Well, the coffee is good…” I replied.

Twilight nodded. “I’m glad. I didn’t know how you liked it, so I just did it with milk and two sugars.”

“Not what I normally do, but this is fine,” I replied.

“Well, what do you normally do for future reference?” She asked, taking another sip of her tea.

“Future reference? What’s the point? In less than fifteen hours, I’ll be dead remember?” I raised a brow.

“Oh… Right… Yeah…” Twilight rubbed her neck nervously.

I could hardly believe how daft she was. She had actually forgotten that she was the one who ordered my death and that she would be pulling the switch on my life as she sat there across from me. Twilight had gotten so enthralled in the story that she had forgotten who was telling it.

“Twilight Sparkle, you are perhaps the ditziest princess I have ever met…” I rolled my eyes, albeit I hadn't met many princesses in my time.

“Sorry…” She blushed and looked away bashfully.

“No need to apologize, unless you feel that being ditzy is a quality warranting an apology…” I shrugged.

She sighed and shook her head. “Anyway, what were we talking about before… Oh, that’s right! You had just been teleported to the human world by Starswirl the Bearded, right?”

I nodded, regardless of how ditzy the Princess was, she at least had an impeccable memory. Given that she read all the time, I imagined she could follow along with virtually any story.

“Yeah, that old bastard pretty much trapped us where he thought we’d never escape. Joke’s on him because here I am sitting back in Equestria, sipping a hot beverage with the princess. I bet his blood would be boiling if he saw me right now.” I grinned with pride, knowing that at least in some capacity, I had bested that old mage.

“Now probably wouldn’t be an ideal time to remind you that I’m a big fan of Starswirl, would it?” Twilight asked.

“No, it would not… Not to mention you already did a while ago.” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Sorry, anyway, tell me what happened next?” Twilight pleaded.

Rolling my eyes once more, I leaned over the table as I thought about the next events in the story. “I guess I’ll skip ahead to the part after you and Sunset Shimmer team up with those teenagers to defeat us… I think we both remember that part pretty well…”

“Awww… That’s the only part of the story that has me in it though…” Twilight frowned.

“Are you that vain, Twilight Sparkle, that you need to hear a story that you experienced first hand?” I raised a brow.

She frowned and looked down at her cup. “N-no… I guess not… It would just be kind of interesting to see it from your perspective.”

“Then let’s skip ahead. This next part was about two months after our defeat, I believe it was a good few weeks before the other Twilight came into the picture,” I explained.

“So about… two years ago then?” Twilight placed a hoof on her chin as she tried to piece together the timeline.

“About then, yes…” I sighed.

Life after losing our powers was far from easy. For those first few weeks, it was a struggle to survive. Up to that point, we just manipulated our landlord into letting us live rent free using our voices. Without them though, our spell over him wore off and we were forced to resort to other means. Sonata and Aria bullshitted some paperwork together and got part-time jobs working at some taco place.

Oh, tacos are a human food with meat, cheese, and lettuce. Yeah, humans are omnivores, remember? It’s not that strange considering I am one too.

Given that all of our paperwork was about as fake as they come and hardly passible, that meant we were limited to working at places that didn’t ask a lot of questions. It didn’t help either that we looked like teenagers and naturally didn’t have any work references to speak of. I found out in a very short time that living on minimum wage in the human world is not that easy.

Sonata and Aria worked hard to get us by, and while I tried to get a part-time job as well, licking my wounds took up most of my time. The reality was that my thirst was for power, and my drive to work was minimal at best.

Sonata came home from her shift and tossed her visor onto the beat-up old couch before slumping down onto it. She looked over her shoulder to the corner of the room to observe me on the treadmill. It was part of my daily routine, an hour on the treadmill and then an hour lifting weights and exercising. The past two months had been nothing but finding ways to both vent my frustration and push myself further than I had ever gone.

“Dagi, when are you going to stop with that thing?” Sonata asked innocently as she kicked her boots off and lifted her dirty foot onto the coffee table. She began to search for a pair of nail clippers.

Huffing, I tried to focus on my exercise while I answered. “I’m preparing…”

“Preparing for what? A marathon? That’d be pretty cool… I’d root for you!” Sonata grinned with that stupid look of her’s on her face that made me want to punch her.

“I’m preparing for when we finally make a plan to get our magic back…” I groaned, trying to keep my feet going.

“You’re still doin’ that?” Sonata blinked.

Finally realizing that I wasn’t going to be able to continue exercising while Sonata was present, I hit the stop button and stepped off the old battered device, and gave her a puzzled look. “Well, one of us has to, it’s not like you’re doing anything productive.”

“At least she’s not wasting her time doing something pointless…” Another irritating voice rang in my ear along with the sound of a door swinging open.

Standing there in a work uniform, Aria reached into her pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes. She quickly pressed one between her lips and flicked a cheap gas station lighter. “Fuck… I haven’t had a smoke all day… Can you believe that stupid manager basically just kept making excuses to stick around me so he could stare at my ass?”

“I can believe a moron would fall for a moron like you if that’s what you’re asking?” I raised a brow and snatched the cigarette from her, placing it between my own lips and taking a long drag.

Aria grumbled and retrieved a new cancer stick and lit it. “What’s crawled up your snatch?”

“Sorry, I get cranky when dealing with incredibly stupid people…” I looked away and took another drag of the poison.

“You shouldn’t stare in a mirror so long then,” Aria stated with a smirk before plopping down on the couch, laying her legs across Sonata’s lap, much to Sonata’s discontent.

“I bet the mirror would break if you stared at it…” I retorted. Yes, not my best work, it was late and I was tired after running for so long, sue me.

“Bet you spent all day thinking of that comeback…” Aria responded.

“Eat shit.” I growled.

“I live with you, so that’s far worse.” Aria chuckled as she inhaled.

She’s such an insufferable cunt, isn’t she? Sorry… Just thinking about her gets me really fucking annoyed.

“What’re you wasting your time with that for anyway? Don’t you get it, Adagio… We’re not getting our powers back, plain and simple… Our amulets were destroyed, and I’m sorry but gluing them back together like you did didn’t work. Face it, they’re broken and we’re fucked, end of story. You should focus more on how we’re going to survive rather than chase after pointless bullshit that won’t happen…” Aria stated. Her annoying matter-of-a-fact voice pissed me off. I wanted to punch her, maybe smack her so hard in the tit that she’d- sorry, got carried away there.

“At least I’m trying to do something…” I hissed.

“You should try to forget… Face it, your plan backfired and the part of our life where we get to be powerful immortal sirens is over. Why waste what’s left of our lives trying to escape our fate… We’re mortal now…” Aria sighed.

With those words, I tossed my cigarette onto the ground and stomped on it with my bare foot. I stormed over to Aria and lifted her from the couch by her shirt. She coughed and struggled as I gazed into her eyes viciously. I could see the anger in my eyes reflected in her’s as I held her there threateningly. “Don’t you dare compare us to those things… We’re not mortals, we’ve just had a minor setback, that’s all…”

She wasn’t afraid of me, instead, she just gave me that smart-ass smirk of hers'. “Minor… Right…”

I dropped the woman and sighed. “Whatever… I’m going to work, toss me a pack of smokes…”

“Whatever gets the sand out of your vagina…” Aria chuckled as she fished a fresh pack out of her pocket and tossed them to me. I caught them viciously and wandered toward my room.

I tore off my workout clothes and slipped on a pair of tattered ripped jeans, black in color, and then a dark red button-up blouse that I left untucked. The shirt was a bit too long for even my tall form, but somehow I felt attractive in it. Unbuttoning the top two buttons, I allowed a small peak at the fabric of my navy blue bra before smiling at myself in the only mirror in my bedroom.

Satisfied with the look, I quickly slipped on a pair of tall black boots and stepped out of the room, retrieving a cigarette from the fresh pack that Aria had given to me and placing it in my mouth, I snagged a lighter from an end table in the living room. “By the way, these cigarettes fucking suck…”

Aria shrugged. “Had to pay the fucking electric guy, so I was short on cash. I had to buy the cheap shit… You’re right though, it tastes like smoking rolled up dog shit…”

“Then it probably tastes just like you.” I smirked.

Aria let out a genuine sounding laugh as she took another puff. “Heh, good one…”

Rolling my eyes, I took my exit to head out to my night job.

14 Hours 3 Minutes Until Execution

“Sounds like you and Aria don’t get along that well?” Twilight asked.

The temptation to scold her for pointing out the obvious was immense, but I managed to hold my tongue. To contain my inner smart ass, but still, I couldn’t refrain from commenting entirely.

“We’ve always been like that. I honestly can’t stand that stuck up pain in the ass…” I growled.

Twilight took a long sip from her tea, finishing it off as she did. “Yet, I can sense an almost sisterly relationship between you two…”

“How do you figure that?” I raised my brow.

She shrugged. “I noticed that you two take turns insulting each other and even apparently grade each other based upon your insults. It sounds like a part of both of you actually enjoys the other one’s company.”

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to discuss the topic further. “What’re you, a therapist?”

“Just a very analytical observer.” Twilight giggled.

There was a short silence between us before Twilight changed the subject.

“So the other two girls worked at some kind of fast food place, but what about you? You mentioned that you had a night job, but earlier you said that you didn’t exactly have much of a work ethic?” Twilight asked.

I nodded and a grin came to my face as the memories came rushing back. “Yeah, see I was more used to getting what I want a little faster. Working for eight hours a day for pennies… That wasn’t my style. I was chasing bigger cats, I just needed a little time to get myself an in so to speak… That night was going to be a big one for me…”

“So what happened after you left?” Twilight leaned in excitedly. She had become a child listening to a bedtime story from her mother almost. A part of me found it slightly adorable, but in a pathetic kind of way.

Walking downtown wasn’t always the safest of things, there were all kinds of dangers that awaited a young-looking woman. Fortunately for me though, I had a pretty intimidating scowl that kept most of the unwanted attention away. Had Sonata gone down that way, she would probably get jumped in less than three seconds. Guys go crazy for an airhead like her, I hear.

The other good news was that our apartment was already in the shitty part of town, so the walk was far from arduous.

See, I learned pretty quickly that the fastest way to get money in the human world was through a lot of illegal means, and if I’m anything, it’s practical. It’s better to get the boring nonsense parts of life out of the way quickly, isn’t it? Paying rent, earning money… Those are all tasks that should take up the least amount of time possible, it leaves more time to chase the things you really want or the things that matter.

Thank you, I know it is an interesting life philosophy. No, spare me your’s Twilight, we don’t really have time for it, we're on a time limit after all.

Anyway, after a good twenty minutes of walking, I found my way to a familiar hideaway. A small club in a basement, one that required the correct know-how and information to enter. I approached the door and tapped lightly as I lit a fresh cigarette.

Behind the basement door, a small window slid open and an older man peered out at me. He gave me a nod before closing the window. Within a second, I could hear the sound of the door unlock. I followed inside past a few other men of varying ages, a few shooting me an approving look or two, but one, in particular, looked up when he saw me enter, a smile growing on his young face as he placed the cards in his hand down and stepped up from the poker table he sat at.

When he approached, our height difference was evident. In the human world, I was a relatively tall girl, towering over most shorter men, and this little guy was no exception. He stood only at five foot six and so I had a good three inches on him. What? No, that wasn’t a penis joke.

A grin came to his face as he eyed me up and down. “Dagi… You’re early.”

“I’ve told you before Striker, I hate that nickname…” I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms and looked away, making sure my discontent was visible.

It had little effect as Striker merely chuckled and ran a hand through his long messy black hair. His facial hair was neatly trimmed and he was sporting a nice pressed black shirt over his jeans as he shook his head. “Dagi, I don’t mean any disrespect. I give you this nickname as a sign of my friendship.”

“Funny, because I have something to give you as a sign of mine…” I smirked before reaching into my shirt and under my bra to retrieve a wad of twenty-dollar bills. Human bras are pretty convenient actually, sort of like extra pockets, especially since I’m not the bustiest of girls in that world. What? Oh sorry, rambling.

“Damn girl, how much did you bring home last night?” He whistled in approval as he took the wad of ill-gotten cash and began to count it.

“Two grand…” I replied.

“Two fucking grand!? I could kiss you!” He laughed.

“Please don’t…” I groaned at the thought.

“Oh man, Dagi, I don’t even know how you do it!” He nodded as he walked back to the poker table and laid the money out in front of himself, pushing it to a man across from him to count.

“I’m very persuasive…” I winked. Yes, even without my powers, I can still con people into doing what I say to a small extent.

Striker leaned forward and clasped his hands together. A grin on his face suggested that he was scheming something. There was a certain look he always got when he was plotting something.

“This is big, Dagi. Clearly, your talents are wasted pushing that skunk weed. I’m moving you up to some of our better products. A bit more expensive, but I think you can push them with ease. Keep impressing me and you’ll be sitting at this table with the big boys…” He grinned.

“Sorry to disappoint but I lack a penis… I know it’s a shock to me too…” I rolled my eyes.

“Big boys, big girls, doesn’t matter. Point is, I’m going to give you a taste…” He smirked.

That definitely piqued my interest. I turned and uncrossed my arms as my brow rose in curiosity. “Go on…”

“I’m giving you some higher-end weed we’ve got. What’s more, is I’m increasing your cut… Starting now…” He gestured with his hand to the man counting the cash I had handed him.

The big brute took a large wad of the bills and offered them to me. I blinked as I looked down at the amount I was being offered. It was a substantial raise over my previous… Salary. It was clear that Striker expected big things from me, things that I did not want to disappoint him on.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

Striker nodded. “Never been surer about anything. You’re the girl for the job, Dagi. This is only the beginning.”

Needless to say, I was excited.

There certainly were quite a few benefits to working the higher-end product. While it required asking people to part with more money, it was an easier sell. One sniff of those bags and anyone could tell it was the cream of the crop. It was nothing like the ditch shit I was forced to sell prior. It didn’t take long before I was bringing in twice what I did previously. My talents really shine when I'm given the proper canvas to paint with after all.

Even without magic, something I learned pretty well was the art of persuasion. I either convinced them they weren’t cool enough to have what I was offering which made them want it more, or I flirted my way to where I needed to be. Boys are stupid sometimes, though I can’t deny that there would be some benefits to being one. Did you know that almost no women’s jeans have real pockets? Also, the lines for the women’s bathrooms are ridiculous. Men are lucky, they can just whip it out and- Oh… Sorry.

Anyway, I was in the fast lane to becoming Striker’s best seller. There wasn’t a pothead in town that didn’t know who I was. Within a few weeks, I was on top, and the money began to roll in. I had convinced the others that I got a raise from the club I told them I worked at during the night shift. Sonata and Aria were seldom ones for asking questions, especially if things got taken care of.

Worrying about paying rent became a thing of the past, and before I knew it, I was bringing in the kind of cash that let me treat myself.

I think during that time I learned something about myself; I have very expensive tastes. I don’t know what it was, but somehow buying things filled something that was missing in my life. Designer boots, gold bangles, expensive earrings, I had to have it all. Before I knew it, I was letting the world know that Adagio Dazzle was a success.

No longer did I do business on that old budget phone, but instead on the latest iPhone with a solid gold Apple Watch to boot. Oh, iPhones are sort of like… They’re more or less a brand name cell phone I guess. I’m not that familiar with them, Twilight, I just used them for work. It’s a status symbol thing, I guess. What? No, of course, they don’t taste like apples, that’s just stupid.

Striker was pleased, my pockets were full of cash, and I was living far better than I would be working some shitty part-time job like those other two idiots. When you dream, you have to dream big, and I dreamt bigger than them all.

In the back of my mind, however, I was always trying to figure out how I would use my new status to get back to Equestria and eventually regain my magic. Reforging a siren’s amulet is challenging, but not so long as all the pieces are together, it’s far easier than forging a new one.

One night though when I came home, Sonata decided to bore me with the details of her shift at work. I was in a half-dazed state as I only partially listened to her ramble about nothing.

“So, the guy ends up ordering two taco supremes in the end! Can you believe that? After all that crap he gave me!?” Sonata was giggling out of control, apparently very amused by her own humorous story. You’ll find that’s a common thing for that girl.

“Yes, very interesting, Sonata…” I lied.

She took in a few breaths to subside her laughter as I inhaled a cigarette. The blue-haired siren looked over at me with a frown. “You know I heard those things will kill you.”

“I’m already dying slowly being stuck here… If these things kill me faster, I’ll consider them a blessing.” I grumbled.

“You and Aria are so pessimistic.” Sonata rolled her eyes but kept that annoyingly chipper smile stuck on her face. I know I’ve said this before, but I really really wanted to punch her. Not punching Sonata is probably the biggest test of patience that many could ever face. I mean she has just such a punchable face, and who really can stand someone who’s that annoyingly cheerful all the time?

“I’ll be optimistic when there’s something to look forward to in my life…” I sighed before leaning back on the couch and staring at the ceiling. I had chosen to wear a new pair of black jeans, with a belt stylized with fake bullets around it, custom made of course, and solid gold. It went well with the white blouse I had tucked in.

I liked gold, so naturally, that was sort of my theme. On my right hand a pair of gold bangles, on my left my gold watch, and around my neck the amulet that I had glued back together. Ironically the ancient amulet that at one point was the source of all my powers was the tackiest part of the outfit.

For some reason, I kind of always felt like I gave of a mixture of a masculine and feminine vibe. Feminine in that I definitely had the subtle and gentle curves of a woman, but I could give off the presence of a man if I wanted to. My height and smaller breasts gave me a powerful aura. Honestly, I bet I’d make a pretty sexy guy.

Thank you, Twilight, I’m glad you agree. Is that a blush I see?

Wearing something completely girly never really seemed for me, but I guess I always preferred the subtle feminine traits. Yes, I’m aware that the outfit I wore when we met was obnoxious. It was retro, it was in then, and my tastes got more refined as time went on.

“Well… You’re still hot?” Sonata winked and nudged my shoulder affectionately.

“Gee… Thanks… That means so much coming from you, Sonata…” I rolled my eyes.

Sonata rolled her eyes back and laid her head down in my lap, looking up at me with a goofy grin. “You could be one of those ugly mortals. That would suck.”

“Boy, that sure helps… Thinking of all the ways my life could get worse! Thanks, Sonata!” I spoke sarcastically.

Admittedly, Sonata had gotten better at detecting sarcasm over the years, and instead of actually believing I was being legitimate, she quickly discerned that I was being completely facetious. Impressive for her, really.

“Do you really think… We’ll ever get our powers back and go back to Equestria, Adagio…?” Her tone grew serious and her expression followed.

As I looked down at her, I could see the sadness in her eyes. I sighed and exhaled from my cigarette and put it out in a nearby ashtray as I had the girl sit up so she could meet me at eye level. Our height difference made it a bit challenging, but I placed a hand on her cheek.

“Sonata, we’re going to get our power back, I promise. I’ll think of something… I just need some time…” I spoke sternly.

Sonata merely closed her eyes and smiled as a content sigh escaped her. “I know… I trust you, Adagio…”

I’m not sure why, but her trust… It made me feel better, if not for only a moment.

13 Hours 44 Minutes Until Execution

A grin was stuck on Twilight’s face, the same kind of grin that usually annoyed me when I saw it on Sonata, except punching Twilight was definitely not an option that was available to me. Instead, I was forced to humor her. “What?”

She leaned in, and I could already sense how giddy she was becoming. “You cared about Sonata…”

“No, I didn’t!” I argued.

“You felt happy when she looked to you for answers… You felt better knowing that she believed in you… Admit it, Sonata was your friend!” Twilight teased.

I hissed and banged my hoof on the table. “I didn’t give a shit about that stupid girl, or Aria for that matter! They were nothing more than minions who would help me accomplish my goal!”

My performance didn’t seem to phase Twilight as she continued to sit there smiling. “Really?”

Admitting defeat, I sighed and looked away. “Okay fine… I at least cared about Sonata’s well being… But she wasn’t my friend if that’s what you’re thinking. In case you haven’t forgotten she helped Sunset take me down, and is part of the reason that I’m sitting in this cell at this very moment… Friends don’t turn on you like that!”

Twilight frowned and blushed. “Oh… Right…”

“If I ever see that stupid blue-haired bitch again, I’ll strangle her!” I growled. I could actually feel myself grinding my teeth in anger while I thought about Sonata’s ever more punchable face.

“Either way, I could care less if I see those two traitors ever again…” I grumbled as I crossed my hooves and refused to make eye contact with the Princess. “They fucked me over and I could care less what happens to them…”

“Did it ever occur to you that you put yourself in this position?” Twilight raised a brow.

Suddenly, Twilight’s face was looking a lot more punchable.

“Honestly, what difference does it make now? I’m dead soon, so what’s the point of self-reflecting now?” I groaned.

Twilight rolled her eyes and decided to leave the subject alone. “So, you were a success in the drug selling world. Not exactly a profession that I approve of, but at least you were passionate about something…”

I laughed and shook my head. “Weed is hardly a drug. I didn’t get into selling the hard shit until later. However, I’d be getting ahead of myself then. I didn’t get to the part where I met Shining Armor yet…”

That little sentence definitely caught Twilight’s interest. She leaned in and blinked a few times. “As in… The human counterpart of my brother!?”

I smirked from the corner of my mouth as I realized I had the Princess practically wrapped around my hoof. She would do anything to hear the next part of my story, anything to get pulled in further to the epic I was telling. Every detail was like a slow drip-feed, and I controlled the flow. It felt good to have some kind of power over someone again, even if it was so minor.

“Yeah, that’s the one…” I nodded.

“How exactly did you meet him?” Twilight spoke in awe.

“Well…”

Working the same beat as before, the night was coming to an end for me. Around three AM, I usually turn in. Sue me, I like to sleep. After working a three-hour shift, I have to get the fuck out of there. No, I’m not exactly concerned about my business hours, my customers know that if you don’t show up on time, you don’t get shit. Twilight, are you really going to lecture me on business ethics regarding drug selling. Trust me, it doesn’t exactly work like other businesses, for starters I can tell people I don’t like to fuck off.

The night was going pretty normal, however, when I began my walk home, I couldn’t help but notice I was being followed. A strange dark figure looming in the shadows behind me… No, I am not hamming it up, Twilight! That’s what it was like! Just shut up and let me tell the damn story!

As I was saying, he was lurking behind me, I think he followed me for a good few blocks before I was certain he was trying to follow me home. At first, I thought perhaps he was a customer that didn’t understand what “go fuck yourself” meant. I think the phrase is self-explanatory, Twilight…

Either way, he was on my metaphorical tail for a good few blocks, and I was starting to wonder what he wanted. Before I knew it though, he made a rapid approach, picking up his pace, walking faster and faster, forcing me to increase my speed as well to keep a distance from him. He only reacted to my speed increase by going faster still until finally, he was in a full-on sprint, and as was I.

My cardio workouts gave me the advantage in the situation, so I bolted away and turned into an alleyway, hoping to lose him.

Luck was not on my side, however, as I turned into the alleyway, I realized that I had trapped myself into a dead end. Turning, I could see a slovenly man with a wide perverted grin. I think it was safe to say that his intentions with me were not of the pleasant conversation type.

“Fuck, you’re ugly…” Were the first words that came out of my mouth. Yeah, perhaps not the smartest thing to say in that scenario, I know.

“I’ve been watching you, pretty girl…” He spoke, his voice crazed.

“I have a name, and it’s not pretty girl. Why don’t you go yank your cock out through your mouth, assface?” I raised a brow as I crossed my arms.

Again, not my wisest choice of words, I get it.

“How about I put it in your mouth instead…?” He giggled as he took another step forward.

I stood my ground and raised my brow. “Are you on some kind of new medication or something? I said piss off.” Rhetorical question of course.

The pig took another few steps, and I stepped back to try and put a little more distance between us. The closer he got, the more I could smell his foul odor. Soap and he clearly weren’t on speaking terms, to say the least. He smelled about as bad as a dead skunk in a trash can, or Sonata’s cooking. It’s bad, let’s just leave it at that. Once I was questioning if something she cooked was still alive.

It was pretty obvious what he was after, and I wasn’t about to be a willing participant, but judging by the look on his face, I don’t think that was a concern of his.

“Hey… Back off…” I stuttered as I found myself backed up against a wall with only a yardstick length between the two of us. My brain was already turning, trying to think of any way out of this situation.

“It’s alright, beautiful… I’ll treat you right…” He grinned before unzipping his dirty pants.

“You put that thing anywhere near me and you’re going to lose it!” I growled.

He chuckled and reached into his pocket. With the flick of his wrist, a blade extruded from a small metal object he had retrieved. Opening his mouth, he ran his tongue along the blade playfully. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll be doing anything like that, my little flower…”

I gulped and my eyes started darting around the alleyway, trying to find a way out of the situation that didn’t involve trying to get around the pervert blocking my way.

“I’ll only say it once more… If I so much as see your cock, I am going to take that knife, cut it off and wear it as my own as a trophy. NOW BACK THE FUCK UP!” I screamed.

He laughed and pinned me against the wall, the knife pointed directly at my throat. “Feisty… I like that…”

Leaning in he whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry, baby… If you relax, I’ll be quick…”

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. I felt helpless, a feeling that I hated, and at that moment, my self-hatred was through the roof. I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him, and I couldn’t get away.

That douchebag may have had his way with me if it hadn’t been for the words I heard next.

From behind him, a deeper voice rang in the alleyway that caused me to open my eyes and my pursuer to turn his head over his shoulder.

“You’re gonna look really stupid with that knife up your ass…”

The attacker raised a brow and took note of the middle-aged man standing there with a revolver in his hand. His grey uniform alerted me right away of his profession.

“Hey… Tell you what… How about we take turns with her, officer?” The attacker asked.

“Well… If that’s the case… You’ll have to wait in line…” The officer smirked.

My attacker rose a brow curiously. “Oh?”

“Yeah, behind them.” The officer jerked his head to the right over his shoulder and sure enough, a group of four officers were all standing behind him, all with weapons drawn.

“Fuck…” The attacker released me from his grip and dropped his blade onto the ground and put his hands in the air. “I was just playin’ officers…”

“Yeah, tell that to the DA. Let’s go shit for brains…” One of the cops behind the first one stated.

Before I knew it, my attacker was being taken away in handcuffs and the initial officer approached me with a smile on his face. “You alright?”

I looked up at him and nodded. I was taken back by how in shape he looked. His blue hair was messy, and he looked a bit tired, but his smile was genuine. “Yeah… I’m fine…”

He offered his hand to me and I looked down at it before back up to meet his eyes. “Name’s Armor, Officer Shining Armor. You can call me Shining though.”

“Adagio Dazzle…” I replied as I cautiously took his hand and shook it gently.

“Those were some pretty cool moves there…” I stated.

He grinned and nodded. “You like that? I got that line from a movie. Anyway, do you live around here? I can give you a ride home.”

I wanted to decline, knowing that I was carrying some of my leftover stock on my person along with all the cash that I had netted from selling it. I wanted to do that, but the words that actually came out of my mouth were the total opposite of my actual thoughts.

“Y-yeah… Sure… I live about two miles that way…” I pointed to the right.

Nodding, Shining gave a finger wave to gesture me to follow him. Absentmindedly, I did so, passing by the other officers that were handcuffing and questioning my attacker. Shining gave them a wave before letting them know that he was going to take me home. He was given a series of approving nods before he opened the back of his car and smiled at me. “Come Miss Dazzle, let’s get you home.”

I locked eyes with him for a moment, but then I nodded and stepped into the car and allowed him to close the door behind me.

I could hear the low volume of the police radio from the front of the car as I watched Shining through the cage that protected the driver from the passenger in the back, usually a suspect. Luckily for me, he hadn’t asked to search me or what I was doing out there.

“So, what’s your address?” He asked, his voice as friendly as ever.

I blinked and pointed. “Down that road, I’m at the fourth apartment building on the left…”

He nodded. “Ah, I know that place… Used to be pretty big gang territory… I used to do my rounds around this place…”

I stayed quiet, not wanting to offer any information that I might regret to him. The rest of our car ride was in silence before we came to a stop across the street from my building. To my good fortune, Sonata and Aria were fast asleep, so they wouldn’t see me stepping out of a cop car if I was quiet.

Waiting patiently for Shining to open the door, he instead opened his mouth and looked over his seat at me, his eyes more serious now.

“Listen… Adagio…” He began.

I gulped. Part of me wondered if he smelled the weed on my person.

“I know this is a rough neighborhood. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t know you were selling pot in this area… I know the kind of things that teens your age out here do to survive… You’re all alone, you feel like you have no options… I get it…” He said.

I could feel the hairs on my neck not only stand up but feel like they were ready to jump out of my skin entirely. I said nothing, wanting neither to confirm nor deny what he was saying.

“I guess what I’m saying is… I get it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you in or anything…” He smiled at me before hitting a button to unlock my door.

I blinked in confusion. “Why though?”

“Maybe because sometimes I believe some things are better fixed by being a good person than getting the law involved…” He winked before reaching into his pocket. After fishing out his wallet, he retrieved a business card and offered it to me through the bars.

I took it gingerly and looked down at it before looking back at him.

“My number… If you’re ever in trouble… Give me a call, alright?” He smiled.

“T-thank you… Officer…” I replied as I stepped out of the car and shut the door.

He only laughed and shook his head. “I told you, call me Shining.”

With those words, he drove off, and somehow, I was off the hook.