The Next Lucky Thief

Chapter 1

I sat alone at the second last seat on the left in the bus. She was seating behind me on the right. The noise got my attention. I was asleep. More like taking a nap. My head rested on the window while I closed my eyes leaving my ears absorbing the pelting rain on the window pane but that wasn't the only noise that woke me up. It was her, the girl whom I recognized earlier. The one who stood behind me in the queue at the ticket stand in the bus station.

I enjoyed bus travel but not like this, not when I couldn't take anymore of the noises she made. At first I thought she was just restless with all her muffling groans and sobbing, thinking she too was also taking a nap. She's probably stressed out I thought. So I let my mind wonder aimlessly. Then it got a bit more serious than I expected. She was crying now. I never even thought about looking back over my shoulder, then thought again about looking back. So I did and to my surprise the sight of the scene behind me caught me off guard.

There weren't many people on the bus I was in since the bus was on its way to the last stop. That left a few people on it. While the rest had gotten off earlier.

The rain grew heavier by the second and the sound of raindrops on the roof of the bus began to grow so did the rattling. The noise was deafening. This time I couldn't hear her and I was left thinking if anybody on the bus even heard her too.

The guy was all over her. Trying to fill her up. He looked decent enough but the kind of decent guy who never is what he seemed to be. That wasn't until my eyes focused on her, she was a brunette and judging by the frown on her face her smile would definitely be something. I could tell that those kind of smiles would make my day, but not today. She was twenty-something and her eyes held mine for a second before it was diverted to the guy who continued shagging her. I was annoyed, clearly. So I turned facing forward again. But the noise she created turned into cries of desperation.

Being annoyed is one thing but losing your temper is rather something else and I for one had a reputation for throwing tantrums. Yet, surprisingly I mostly kept to myself. Reserved. But not always oblivious.

Then I heard it. It was whispered but I caught on quickly. She was saying 'please' but in a hushed tone. So I turned around just in time to see her silently mouthing 'please' again with her sight dead straight in my direction. The guy nibbled her ear and ran his mouth, occasionally slipping his tongue along her neck. I was utterly disgusted, but moreover it was anger than disgust that coursed through me. Then she did it, she tried to shove him off her but he was stronger than her and this provoked him to grab and pull her tightly close against him. She squirmed under his grip. God, I felt pity on her. This proved more difficult on me since I was bickering whether to help her or just sit here like an idiot and let the guy have it. So I faced forward again. I would sit here besides it was none of my business.

I surprised myself by standing up and the will to beat the crap out of that guy was growing. I was fueled not only by anger but a sprinkle of concern and sympathy. I felt sorry for her. Guiding myself steadily through the bus I moved around so I was standing now right in front of them. Knowing what was going to happen I cursed myself silently reminded by my stupidity for what was going to come.

The guy kept on groping her and trying to fill her up, oblivious to the world. Her eyes held mine for a brief moment and I have to actually admit it she had beautiful eyes.

Then the mood seem to change. The guy obviously sensing the change in the atmosphere stopped and looked up at me. His gaze leveled on me and I knew he was sizing me up. I couldn't care less. Judging from where I stood I had a couple of good pounds of muscle on him but I could tell the guy was also in good shape. But that was about to change. I was more than annoyed. I was mad. He spoke first.

"The Fuck you want?" Leaving the 'what' out of his question.

I didn't answer. Let him have it. So he spoke again but this time louder.

"I asked you a question. What do you want, asshole?"

I've learned that having confidence is good it helps a lot but too much confidence can be problem.

Overconfidence was written all over him and I could tell. I smiled inwardly but not showing any hint of it. So I let him have it again. I remained silent. He kept staring but turned to the girl and gave questioning look. Then he laughed.

"Ashley, babe, please let your new boyfriend here learn to know his manners on how rude it is to interfere in someone's business, especially mine. And tell him to get the fuck out of my face before... you know, what happens." On the last sentence he turns to me and puts on a 'told ya so' grin and returns to groping her.

I felt pity for him. I was I ticking time bomb ready to go off and if I did there was no going back. No regrets. He must have realized I hadn't moved so he stopped.

"You deaf or something? Get the fuck outta here!" This time he glared at me and knowing the look on this girl called Ashley she was frightened, her cheeks had lost color and she looked somewhat flustered.

The guy following my gaze looked at me then at her then lastly back at me and got so worked up. He was mad at me, maybe at her too I couldn't tell.

"Hey! Pervert quit eyeing my girl, you got a problem with me? Cause if you do you gotta iron it out with me."

I continued remaining silent. But returning his cold stare with delight. He was full of himself. That was good for me. Straightening his foot, he got up from his seat or almost did at the point of standing up.

"I said—"

He never got to finish that sentence because at that very moment I shut him off with the hardest head butt I could conjure up. He let out multiple curses of "fuck" and "motherfucker" as he awkwardly sank back into his seat with his head snapped back.

There were 5 things I learned about engaging in a fist fight or probably any fight for that matter. Trust me I've done these five things and if you mastered these five things you can never go wrong or even better lose in a fight. Its always a win win situation for you. You play your part you get results. The first thing I learned was to strike first, it surprises your opponent and disorients them giving you advantage. Second strike fast. Speed always helps it always gives you the upper hand. Third strike hard, hard hits is a major factor and does most of the damage. Fourth, strike the most weak and vulnerable part of the human body you see fit. Lastly have no regrets always knowing your doing the right thing if not then get the hell out of dodge.

And that's exactly what I did, first, fast, hard blow on the nose with a head butt did the trick. His nose was broken. Blood spewed from his nose and kept dribbling off his chin.

I couldn't tell if he was being dumb or trying to prove himself but what he did next surprised me and for a second I was proud of him. Grunting he quickly recovered and gave a mean but lanky left jam as he got up. All I could do was dodge the swing and with one fluid motion catch his arm, hooking it with mine and twisting it from the elbow down. His face full of agony he went down on one knee trying to hold the pain inflicted on him but couldn't. Seeing the opportunity I kneed him on the nose again. Hard. The girl named Ashley gasped in surprise. His head snapped back and more blood gushed out from his now smashed nose.

There's another word for overconfidence. It's called pride. Like Grandma used to say as it was also in the good book "pride leads before destruction". Apparently it also lead to his destruction too.

Like I said, proud. Not of his will to keep fighting but not knowing when to stop. I let his arm go leaving him lying there with a broken nose that was sending him millions of pain signals to his head. He was hurt bad. Real bad. Questioning myself whether what I did was completely necessary. Did I do the right thing? Yes. Was I supposed to go that far? Well...I stopped thinking from there because what I realized was that the rain had stopped and that dawned on me because when I turned around the passengers on the bus were watching, mouth agape and all. But above there was silence except for the hum of the engine. A couple of them with their phones out pointing at me presumably taking a video or photo of me and what had happened. This was bad. So I did the only thing that came to mind. I ran for the door.

No regrets, he asked for it and that's no way to treat a lady. Every dog has its day, but today wasn't his. Neither was it mine because my journey had stopped short there. It took a few seconds for the driver to figure out what my intentions were and didn't quite agree because my stop wasn't a scheduled one but that quickly changed when I shoved a couple of bills in the guys' palm. The bus didn't stop. I was glad it didn't. It was still in motion but at a slower speed. I hopped off quickly as the bus gained momentum at a steady rate but not before being met by a more than curious glance at the window of the bus by the girl named Ashley. The bus did leave me on an open road, in the middle of nowhere.

Chapter 2

The first thing I felt was the slight chill in the air. It was cold considering the rain had just stopped. Turning back and forth the roads on both sides were empty. I looked up at the sky and what I saw made me shiver in thought. The sky was dull and the clouds were in the process of going gray to a darker shade of black. Just over the horizon a thin wire of lightning streaked through the sky followed by a rumble of thunder which could be heard some good miles away. A storm was brewing and on its way here and I didn't want to be a part of it.

I walked on facing the oncoming storm and with some luck I hoped to find a motel nearby or some willing souls kind enough to welcome me.

All around me was a barren grassland that lead to no where. I walked. Fast. I kept at this pace for quite a while but started to doubt if there was any civilization were I was heading. The storm looked bigger now. Was I walking to it or was it coming to me? Who knew, I knew I wasn't prepared for the onslaught the storm would throw at me. I cursed myself again but sighed out loudly because I was feeling sorry for myself. Sorry for being in this situation in the first place. It is what it is...right?