As the last
remnants of his flesh evaporated into the wind my mind caught up with my body
and I realised that there were still two guns trained on all of us. In that
moment I knew that my reaction would have to be faster than the scavenger
scum’s and for that I had to let go. So I did.
Two gunshots
boomed mere metres away from me, but they sounded oceans away. I felt time
stand still as my black dragon burst its way free out of my chest, thrusting my
arms outwards and snapping my neck back almost to breaking point.
Everything became still and quiet. I tried to
open my eyes, but my lashes fluttered freely—it was simply pitch black.
“Is this
death?” I whispered to myself. My voice broke the silence and I could hear
Luiz’s wailing, diminished to a scared whimper, overshadowed by the rapid
voices of frightened boys.
Five more
gunshots fired off in quick succession. They sounded muffled and delayed, but
there was no mistaking them for what they were. I felt each of them hit me, one
after the other after the other. They entered the embodiment of my darkness and
were swallowed up by it.