THE INVISIBLE WALL

BRIA

"Bonnie!"

"Huh?"

"My headache has just grown more than in the morning." I began rubbing my forehead. "Aahhh..."

She stopped me at the side of the footpath and asked in worry. "What is happening, Bria? Are you okay?"

She held my shoulders and asked. I took that time to estimate how many men were there. Those bastards had tried concealing in the crowd well, but they couldn't slip out of my sharp observation!

Alright... alright... I may happen to watch a lot of videos on human body language on YouTube. But I know my guess never fails!

"I don't know, Bonnie! Can you please go for the class alone? I think... I should go back home."

My eyes didn't leave the men in my sight. I knew they wouldn't try anything funny in a public place, because if they did, then they wouldn't have waited for this long.

My foremost priority was keeping Bonnie safe.

"Okay, then I am coming with you too. Come-"

"No, Bonnie! I don't want you to miss the class. Besides, you know I don't like reading notes from other people in the class. I can only rely on you!"

"Bria! Are you crazy? Look at yourself and you are still worried about the notes?"

"Please, Bonnie! You know that this is my dream, my family's dream. Please!"

She contemplated for a minute. Unwillingly she had to agree with me.

"Then at least let me get you a taxi. I will pay-"

"No. I will get one. You should hurry now or Miss Bailey indeed cut you into kabab!"

That worked. If any person could ever give Bonnie Fernandes a nightmare, then that was Miss Bailey!

"Okay Okay! Just text me once you reach home. Alright?"

"Yes! Thank you!"

She hugged me before waving at me and almost broke into a run to get to the school. I released a sigh of relief. At least she was safe now!

I noticed how they communicated through the Bluetooth earpieces. My brain was working faster, and I knew what I had to do. I picked up my pace and began walking in a familiar way.

As expected, the men followed. I left the main road and turned into an alley. It was not a safe place, and I accidentally discovered it near my school. But I knew it was pretty much isolated, and no sane person walked there without a solid reason.

I heard the footsteps behind me as I reached the backside of the buildings and into an open space.

"We know you have recognised us!" I came to halt hearing that.

Alright then!

I turned around to face the eight men standing in a chain obstructing the only escape from there.

"Who have sent you?" I asked directly without wasting any time.

I was not interested in the reason because, in the past two years, they were not the first ones to attempt this mistake. Unfortunately, they had underestimated Bria Maxwell!

And every time... the reason was the same!

I found my heartbeat fastening inside my chest at that thought... at his thought!

"You don't need to know that pretty girl!" A sick smile came into my view.

God! Why don't they use some of their money on those dirty, stinking, yellow teeth?

"Hmm... alright! Then tell me... how do you want me? Alive or dead?"

Eight guns pointed at me within the next seconds and behind them were the wickedly smirking faces.

"So you want to fight a powerless girl with weapons?" I asked them tauntingly.

One of the men stepped ahead and chuckled. "Don't try your tricks on us, Bria Maxwell. You like people doing their homework first before meeting you, don't you?"

I clenched my fists because now I began feeling nervous about it. "You have attempted this before, haven't you?" I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Yes! And you escaped! But not this time pretty girl. We know that you are not only beauty with brains but also have a tough fist. So don't act smart!"

What smartness I could show in the middle of an isolated place without any resources at my aid?!

Dang, it!

"If you think that you can easily defeat me then why don't you come for hand to hand battle buffaloes?"

I am sure if Bonnie was here, then she would have given me that incredulous look of hers for giving people such lame names in such a serious situation where my journey to death was only one bullet away.

But what can I do?

Old habits don't die!

"Why waste so much energy when we can end your story with one click?"

Dread filled my system inside out. No matter how many times I imagine this scenario and act like I was ready to face it, nothing could prepare a human to face death.

I inhaled through parted lips and closed my eyes, ready to take what was about to come my way.

And do you know what was the first thing that flashed in front of my eyes?

Forest and Ocean!

And then I heard it... the firing of bullets!

I frowned in confusion. Why not a single one hit me?

I opened my eyes in time when someone pushed me behind him and then behind the wall of the building. I looked up at the man wearing a black suit with a white shirt and pursed my lips.

Not Again!

"Why the fuck are you here?"

And just like every other time, I didn't get any answer. I hate this army of robots!

The fight was in all its glory. One could definitely use that scene to get an Oscar Award for the best action film.

And the funny thing was? This was my life! Bria Maxwell's adventurous life is full of thrill and mystery!

I watched as bullets were put into eight heads... multiple bullets. Those sounds ringed in my ears, deafening me, and I knew they were going to hunt me down for the rest of my life.

The baggage was only growing, and I had no idea how much load I could carry more and for how long?

One could have blinked, screamed, cried or even laugh at the eight dead bodies in front of me with blood splattered all over the place.

But this is me... Bria Maxwell! I have grown immune to such feelings when it comes to death!

Like a daily drill, the men in black suits and white shirts began pulling the dead bodies into a van that stood a few metres from me, and four men began the cleaning of blood.

Skilled criminals!

"Miss Maxwell? Are you alright?" The man, who shielded me finally opened his mouth because he was permitted to ask only those words and nothing else.

Anger and longing surged inside me, and pushing him out of my way, I marched to the building in front of me. I stood at a few feet's distance and glared at the wall.

"I know you are there! I know your men follow me everywhere I go. Stop this now! Please!"

Hot tears of anger and agony rolled slowly from my eye, travelling on my cheek only to go waste in the dust under my feet, just like my words as they evaporated in thin air.

"Can I... see you once? Please?" I sounded like a heartbroken and hopeless twenty-two-year-old woman who had lost her everything in life.

And that was no exaggeration!

It was my reality!

I waited patiently, praying to get a positive answer but even after ten minutes, I didn't get any. Not able to hold on anymore, I ran around the corner only to be greeted by thin air.

But I knew he was there... right there watching me from afar, keeping his eyes on me, instructing his men and ready to burn down the whole place if something had happened to me.

I fell to my knees as somewhere behind, I heard the revering of the van and I didn't need to turn my head to know it was already gone far.

A loud sob vibrated my chest as I cried, letting out everything that I was holding inside for months. I wailed, screamed and cried my heart out.

No matter how much I want but I couldn't pass through that invisible wall!

"I miss you, morons! I fucking miss you so much!" I hide my face in my hands and sobbed louder until I felt numb from inside and walked back home like a dead corpse.

Little did I know that Gabriel Wilson was still around me, following my every step since the beginning and didn't leave until I reached inside our apartment and locked the door.