Drunkards

Arthur walked down the empty street, his steps echoing in the silence of the night.

The city lights were bright as he walked on, shivering slightly from the cold breeze that hit his body, seeping through his thin, torn clothes.

He kept his gaze on his surroundings, hoping to find some out-of-the-way corner where he could rest until morning.

As he passed a row of bars that were beginning to close up for the night, the sound of laughter caught his ears.

A group of three men stumbled out of a nearby pub, their voices loud and slurred, their eyes bloodshot and unfocused.

They spotted him almost immediately, their attention drawn to his slender frame and handsome, youthful face.

One of them, a burly man with a dishevelled beard and unsteady stance, squinted in Arthur's direction.

"Hey… look at that one over there," he slurred, nudging his friend with a grin. "Is that a girl or a guy? Can barely tell from here."

The second man, tall and skinny with a crooked smile, squinted as well, leaning forward to get a better look.

"Oh, that's a guy alright… but damn, look at that pretty face. Could probably mistake him for a girl in the dark, huh?"

The third one, shorter and stockier, let out a drunken laugh.

"Hey, pretty boy! What are you doing walking alone at night? Looking for some fun?"

Arthur stiffened at their sound, his shoulders tensing as he picked up his pace, hoping to leave them by putting some distance between himself and them.

But the men noticed his quickened steps and took it as a challenge, laughing among themselves as they began to follow him.

"Hey, come on now, no need to be shy!" the tall man called out, his voice mocking. "A gu- girl like you doesn't walk around looking that good unless you want some attention, am I right?"

"Maybe he's just lonely," the bearded one snickered, stumbling slightly as he followed Arthur's path. "Or maybe he's a little scared out here by himself. Poor thing looks like he could use some company. heh."

Arthur's mind raced, his pulse quickening as he considered how to escape without confronting them.

There was no one around, no witnesses, just him and these three drunkards.

They were getting closer, their expressions were filled with lust, becoming more intense with each step they took towards him.

He clenched his fists, assessing the situation.

'Running might just encourage them to chase me.'

'Maybe if I take one of them out, I can use the distraction to get away.'

The fat man in the lead stepped closer, his grin widening as he reached a hand out toward Arthur.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart. We're just trying to have a good time."

"You look like the kind who could help us with that… you know?"

Before he could finish, Arthur snapped into action, throwing a quick punch directly into the man's face.

His fist connected on the man's jaw sending a jolt of pain through Arthur's knuckles, but the effect was immediate.

The man's eyes widened in shock as he staggered back, his expression frozen in surprise.

He didn't even manage a gasp before he collapsed to the ground, his body twitching slightly before going limp.

A faint trail of foam dribbled from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Arthur froze, his heart pounding as he stared down at the man lying motionless on the ground.

'Did I hit him that hard?' he thought, a wave of confusion crossing his mind.

He glanced at the other two men, expecting them to lunge at him in anger, but they were both standing rooted in place, their faces pale and eyes wide as they stared at their fallen friend.

"What… what the hell?" the tall man stammered, taking a shaky step back. "Did you see that? He… he just knocked him out with one punch!"

The shorter man swallowed hard, his gaze darting between Arthur and his unconscious friend. "He's… he's foaming at the mouth! What… what did you do to him? You killed him!"

Arthur didn't wait for them to recover from their shock.

Without another word, he turned and bolted down the street, his footsteps slowly disappearing he put as much distance between himself and the men as possible.

His mind reeled, his thoughts racing as he struggled to make sense of what had just happened.

'So weak?' he thought, glancing back briefly to see the two remaining men still standing there, their faces etched with disbelief.

They made no move to follow him, too stunned by the sight of their friend lying unconscious on the ground.

Arthur quickened his pace, leaving them behind.