Chapter 55: Bloodstains
It's like a nightmare but Mai can't get out of this dream.
Stupid... So stupid.
So much regret in her heart. Why did she have to fight with her friends? Why didn't you just take a taxi, why did you have to take the knife when Nica once said that Mai was acutely careless and her carelessness could injure herself or others. Why did it trip and stab Aaron? Mai covered her face. Oh my God, she could have killed people.
Is the wound serious? What if Aaron died? - thought Mai.
If Aaron died she would be a murderer, just not dying was a fatal mistake. Images of what happened 12 years ago flashed through her head. The feeling was right, she should have stayed away from Aaron.
What will happen next? - thought Mai.
It might happen again, but this time she made a mistake.
They're going to sue me, Aaron, and his family. - thought Mai.
She would be imprisoned for molesting people or maybe killing people. Mai bit her lip, she was crying again. She was scared, not only that she was almost eaten by those thugs but also because she hurt the people who had helped her and even more ridiculous she and Aaron were enemies but the man helped her instead. Instead of a thank you, Aaron got a wound in his stomach.
The little girl's body trembled, her tears were unstoppable, streaming down her cheeks. Fear and guilt surrounded her, swallowing her slowly. Once again Mai hopes this is just a bad dream but unfortunately this is real.
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Aaron drove his car at high speed as if afraid that someone would chase him. His eyes and mind tried to focus on the road. He ignored the wound in his stomach that was starting to throb and he could feel the blood running down his shirt.
I have to stop the bleeding. - thought Aaron.
Aaron caught his breath but it didn't help much, the longer the pain grew. His right hand gripped the steering wheel tightly while his left hand pressed hard against the wound, hoping the bleeding would stop.
Damn, - he cursed.
A soft sob could be heard from next to him, the sound of the sobbing getting louder and louder. He glanced briefly at Mai, the girl's face was pale.
Why the hell can she be so careless, why did she pick up all the knives that fell and why did he trip, and then why did I catch her, - he grumbled.
It used to be like this too. The girl fell, he caught her. The girl survived, he got a wound on his head. Now he did it again and this time he got a gash in his stomach. Next time, maybe he should just ignore her.
He glanced briefly at his stomach. More and more blood seeped from his wound and made the red shirt he was wearing look like a horror movie prop.
This is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! - thought Aaron.
Getting stabbed in a fight feels cooler than getting stabbed this way especially by a girl who doesn't even know how to fight. Where is the level of alertness and good reflexes that he has as a karateka?
Embarrassing!
The brown eyes glanced back at the girl next to him, the girl was still crying, her tiny body even seemed to tremble. She must have been really scared and Aaron was worried that she might have a panic attack any minute. Just now the girl had almost passed out and Aaron had to struggle to drag her into the car.
Weird. His annoyance and anger immediately evaporated, replaced by feelings of anxiety and pity. For some reason his heart changed, he couldn't bear to watch Mai cry in fear. His brain was thinking hard on how to calm the girl down but first, he had to take care of himself.
Aaron pulled over and stopped the car, lifted his shirt a little, checked the condition of the wound which fortunately was as he suspected or rather expected, the wound wasn't too deep. With difficulty he took the white small towel that he always carried for sports in his bag, unable to expect Mai's help at this time, the girl looked in deep shock.
The small towel was placed over the wound, pressing it firmly to stop the bleeding. Mai briefly turned to him with a pale face like a corpse and a look of shock as she groaned as soon as she pressed her wound. For some reason, Aaron had a feeling the girl would pass out before him and he was determined he wouldn't make any more noise as painful as he felt.
Wait... Why is he so worried about that girl. He was the one to worry about right now.
I'm wounded, bleeding, and possibly dying. God what I'm thinking, - he thought strangely.
"Are you alright?" said Aaron.
Oh no he even asked how the girl was, the situation was completely reversed. Instead of answering, Mai's cries got even louder. In this position he should be the one wanting to cry, the wound in his stomach hurts unbelievably and he tries hard to hold on. You can't look like you're in pain, let alone lose consciousness.
Aaron took another breath and then touched Mai's shoulder with his left hand while his right hand was now pressing the wound on his stomach.
The girl gasped, her pale face looking even more frightened.
"It's okay... It's alright. You're safe now," he said trying to calm her down.
"Anyone hurt? Did they hurt you? Let me see." Said Aaron again.
He was worried that the thugs had hurt Mai. Recalling the assholes who had almost done something rude to the girl next to him made him feel angry again. It's not enough to make them battered.
"Hey... Mai, tell me which one hurts?" Aaron said, he turned to Mai's arm and saw a trace of redness there. It must have been the result of the rough deeds of the bad guys earlier.
Mai immediately withdrew her hand, shook her head slowly, and then turned her face away making Aaron surprised by her reaction. Aaron was confused for a moment then he noticed Mai's frightened expression as she glanced at his left hand. His left hand was covered in blood. No wonder!
"Sorry, it's a mess," he regretted then hurriedly grabbed a nearby tissue and wiped the bloodstains off his hands.
Crazy...! He should have focused on the wound instead of cleaning his hands and now he was instead focusing on the girl who was about to have a panic attack next to him.
"Don't look! Take a deep breath... Think about something else," he ordered the girl when he heard Mai's short breath.
Mai didn't answer but she followed Aaron's words. The girl closed her eyes, avoiding the horror scene next to her.
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Mai still closed her eyes, her hands clenched in front of her chest and she tried hard to catch her breath. Her chest felt tight, she seemed to run out of oxygen.
Oh my god, that's a lot of blood. - thought Mai.
Mai tried not to think about blood, trying not to have a panic attack. She had not had another panic attack in the past three months.
Mai tried to think of something else like Aaron suggested, trying to listen to the shrill voices of two broadcasters from the radio who were making funny jokes, usually, it would make her laugh but not in this situation. No matter how Mai tried to distract her, all she had in her head was the image of herself falling and Aaron caught her without realizing that Mai was holding a knife in her right hand.
"Ss... Sorry... I... I didn't mean to... Sorry," she said in a trembling voice, still with her eyes closed.
Can a problem like this be solved with just an apology? The mistake she made was fatal.
I stabbed him, - she regrets.
Stupid... Stupid... I could kill him... He could die... Oh my God what if he died... I'll be a killer... This time I going to be a killer. - thought Mai.
Remember for twelve years Mai thought she had killed the boy she pushed off the swing and now the boy might be killed.
Mai is getting scared and she also remembers what happened earlier, those thugs. If Aaron didn't come, what would happen to her. Her body trembled remembering what the thugs almost did. It was disgusting to think back to those hands trying to caress her body.
"They... They don't want my money, they... want me. If you didn't come I would have... and I did...." Mai said she told her story in an indistinct voice. She didn't even know what she was saying, she couldn't think.
"Shhh... It's ok now... They won't hurt you. I won't let them hurt you." said Aaron.
A soft touch on her shoulder made Mai froze for a moment. A strange feeling she didn't understand filled her mind. Behind her fear, for some reason, she also felt safe and comfortable.
"Tt...thank you," Mai whispered.
"We don't even talk to each other but you want to help me," Mai said, she felt embarrassed, they were enemies.
It was Mai who asked him not to appear in front of her again but today she was grateful that Aaron appeared and did not ignore her. What would happen if Aaron wasn't around? The thugs had eaten her but Aaron's presence brought bad luck to the man himself. Aaron must have regretted helping her.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
awisantoni
awisantoni Here is today's chapter guys. I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you guys thought. I love reading the comments and I try my best. Quick shout to everyone that votes with power stones. I really appreciate it. Seeing the notification that you guys voted is a such huge motivation booster. Thank you guys for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful day :)
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