2 The end is now

A crackling whip-like sound could be heard echoing down the streets. A whip, strong enough to tear a man's skin, was thrown full force towards my back. The stinging pain was something I was not allowed to forget.

"Wake up." The guard spoke as he threw a bucket of cold water at my face.

Everyday it grew increasingly harder to open my eyes. I lifted my head just to see the king with a savage smile planted on his face.

I do not remember when it happened, but it became part of the kings daily routine to let out his anger on me. Compared to the guards, when the king slashed me with the whip, it was twice as painful.

As each whip lands, a new scar is made. By the end of the morning, my back was drenched in blood.

It had been many years since this had started, for I have grown accustomed to the pain. There was no groans or changes in facial expressions that came from me. This infuriated the king. He usually left filled with more anger than when he entered. This pleased me.

This time though, it was different. As he kept on whipping, a large smirk grew across my face-this was a first. The king noticed the difference and became driven by rage. Each slash he threw became increasingly stronger, yet the pain continued to dim. Laughter was spat out of my mouth. My joy increased rapidly just like the kings anger-he could not take it anymore and he stormed out. My satisfaction did not increase nor decrease-it remained the same. That was until he came back with an execution order.

"Slaughter this man tomorrow afternoon-no exceptions." The kings red face was extremely noticeable, but so was the depression that filled mine. This lightened the kings mood. The day passed by as usual and I fell asleep.

Darkness filled the void in my mind, just like the night before; I dreamt of my parents being murdered in front of me, but this time it was different. A person in a cloak leisurely walked towards me.

"So many gifts, yet bound to a chain." The person covered in a cloak sat beside me and the dream began once more.

"Do you want to end up like your parents? No, right, but what can you do?"

"You are trapped and waiting to be executed." There was a slight pause before he spoke again. "You are wasting what your mother gave you."

Michael was surprised with the final words that were spoken, "gave me?"

"She could not bare the thought of leaving you so she naturally left you departing gifts."

"So, would you rather perish here? or escape and be given a new life."

"What do you mean?" Michael could not believe the words that were spoken by the cloaked fellow.

"Let me put it in simple terms. Do you want to live, or die?" The dream began once again and all Michael could do was watch. Watch as his parents died while all he could do was view the pain they went through. While they struggled so much to protect him, yet he could not help in any way. The feeling of being helpless was difficult to bare. This filled him with despair and anger alike.

Motivation arose in Michael's heart-a motivation for revenge. "I want to live! I want revenge!"

Michael's body was shaking intensely.

"So, you want to live?"

"YES!"

"Then prove it to me."

Michael woke up from his dream-he was in central street of the city which connected with most of the popular streets and the kings castle.

!!!

"Had I been moved while I was asleep?" Suddenly a clang sound was heard and Michael plummeted straight to the floor. All that could be heard afterwards was the sound of his body hitting the ground.

Michael groaned, "oww!" He began to stand up, but after a few seconds his legs gave out and he fell back down. He had trouble just trying to stand. After each attempt he would collapse onto the floor.

"Disappointing", the voice took Michael by surprise. He raised his head and noticed the cloaked man down the street. "If this is your will to live, then it is miserable." The cloaked man vanished and reappeared above a roof top. "I have alerted the guards and they are currently heading this way. Good luck and farewell. Do not disappoint me, once more." After he spoke his words, the cloaked man had vanished completely.

Michael was enraged by the actions of the cloaked man. "I cannot stay here", Michael thought inwardly.

He tried to raise himself off the floor, but in every attempt, he fell back down. "COME ON, MOVE!" Michael yelled to himself, but his struggle proved to be feeble.

Once he attempted again, the sound of metal boots clattering could be heard. Panic took over him. "This cannot be happening", he repeated these words to himself constantly. "It cannot end like this."

Michael felt a sudden strength overtake him. Although his body was shaking intensely, he managed to crawl his way into an alley just before the guards had arrived.

"Where is he?!"

"We are not certain-we just arrived!"

"THEN SPREAD OUT AND FIND HIM!" The guards had a small conversation before each one went their separate ways.

By the time the sun fully rose, Michael had already gotten used to the feeling of walking, but the news of his escape had already spread throughout the kingdom.

"I have to escape without being seen," he spoke to himself as many guards ran past the alley he was currently in.

He began running bit by bit just to get used to the feeling. His heart began pounding with each step he took. His speed gradually increasing compared to when he had just began.

The joy of being able to run once more overtook him as he ran through several alleyways. The accelerating feeling convince him to keep on running.