Chapter 11-Rain

" Cash." The high-pitched voice of my childhood friend rang through the summer air. School has been out for 3 weeks. . .My grandma has been gone for 2 of those weeks. " Come on, let's play."

". . .No," I sat with my head sulking in between my arms, she's asked me since I moved in with her parents. She simply doesn't understand why I won't.

". . .?" She simply shot me that same confused look. . .How can she be so dense, I know she has lost people too, both of her grandparents are dead as well. Why does she look at me like I'm the one making no sense? " Why are you crying?"

" I'm not crying." I sulked my head even further now, in between my knees as my voice began to break as I struggled to hold back tears.

My grandma was the only family I ever knew. My father and mother- as my grandma says- are working in a faraway place. She was kind, thoughtful, empathetic. She always knew what to say. Liza and her parents have been neighbors with my grandma since I could remember, that's how we became friends—playing in the massive field in front of our houses with a playset.

"There's no way. . ."

" Huh? What did you say." I lifted my head, meeting her gaze with a hint of anger.

"There's no way you don't understand!" 

The emotions I had been trying to hold back in front of LIza spilled out, in a ball of anger I raised my voice at Liza. After which I fell back into my sulking now feeling worse than before. Even so, I continued speaking.

" You knew her too. How do you stay smiling like that after someone who was so kind to you and cared for you has died... You act like you never knew her"

There was silence for a long moment, I heard the birds chirping and the wind slowly brushing off the grass in front of me. I slowly raised my head expecting to see either a face of anger, a face of sadness, or that same face she had been making this whole time.

When I looked up, she wasn't there. Instead, she had taken a seat next to me on the porch that belonged to my grandma's house. Her short red hair blew in the wind as she looked dead ahead at the playset she desperately wanted me to join her at.

" I am sad...Vary." I looked to the same playset, imagining the days my grandma would push me on the swing set allowing me to feel as if I were flying.

" You sure don't act like it."

" Act.? Is there a certain way someone should act after losing someone dear to them?"

Her question confused me. I thought about it and figured the answer was no, but I also feel that there is only one response to such an event. . .Sadness.

" Everyone can grieve over a lost one in different ways. . .Remember how your grandma would sit on this porch and watch us play all day during the past summers?"

"Yeah, I remember. . .I miss her."

" Then let's go play!"

Liza jumped up and grabbed my arm pulling me down the porch almost causing me to fall. Her head was only facing ahead as she raised with me to the playset.

"Hey! LIza...!"

" If you want to be sad over her then that's completely fine. . ." Her head flipped around as her hair flew into the air revealing her bright red eyes. " You can be sad and still have fun can't you. . .Your grandma wouldn't want you to sit around sulking on this beautiful day."

I looked back to the porch and for a split second. . . I could see my grandma waving to me as I was tugged off to play.

" She wants to see you have fun. Not cry., but if you can't help the second one. Then do both."

I looked back to Liza as her hair now exposed more than just her eyes, but a single tear crawled down her cheek.

...........................

The cold rain rolled down my face as I sat against a wall in this destroyed and abandoned city. The rain washed away loose sediments from the concrete along with the blood stains from when this creature was first here.

Liza stood in front of me with Tolu standing tall a couple of feet in front of her. The rain didn't even seem to land on it; instead, it seemed to run from it as the beast looked completely dry compared to us.

Liza pointed her sword at the Tolu, but it showed no fear. It stood tall, staring directly at her with its eyeless face. Its muscular arms seemed to sway in the wind as it gazed at us, resembling a hunter waiting for its prey to die.

Liza turned to me and signaled with her eyes for me to run. At first, I hesitated. Leaving her to fight this thing while I hid seemed repulsive, but what could I do? Right now, Liza is the only one capable of fighting, and I'll only get in her way.

I attempted to stand with my injured arm. I made it to my feet and attempted to take a step, but as I went to move, my legs gave out and the entire right side of my body received a shock of pain. . .My ribs! I knew it immediately, I had broken ribs during baseball two years ago and this pain was similar. It Must have happened during my crash with Liza.

Liza saw as I crashed back down on the concrete as I signaled to my right side. She narrowed her eyes as she faced the Tolu once more who hadn't taken a single step up to this point, almost like sizing up its opponent.

I sat and realized, there was a good chance I was about to watch her die. . .This thing is way stronger than anyone I've seen so far, Mina is already out of the fight if not dead! I'm gonna sit her on the sidelines and watch her die, then I'll die!

" Tch! I can't do anything!" I spoke but the rain covered up my words. . .I have to believe in her, that's all I can do.

The Tolu raised its leg to take a step. Liza in response shifted her weight forward. Two clouds of dust and debris were summoned behind them as they both launched at the same time crashing together about 40 feet in front of me.

Red and purple sparks went flying as they engaged in fierce combat. It sounded like a violent thunderstorm. I saw red rose petals and glass-like skin being sent off in all directions.

Liza swung her blade at the Tolus waste line slowly chipping away at its armor, using rose petals to create blind spots. The Tolu used its arms which seemed more fortified to block these strikes.

Liza seemed to match the speed of the Tolu as they dashed around bouncing off buildings and launching each other into the sky. I saw the Tolu jump around 30 feet in the air and come down on top of Liza.

" Liza!"

Out of the dust cloud came Liza sliding to a stop, dashing back in she summoned a large number of rose petals to cover herself like an extra layer of skin. The Tolu summoned its claws and prepared to swing.

As Liza closed the distance the Tolu swung cutting the petals in half, I almost screamed until the body of Liza was nowhere to be seen within the rose petals...An empty husk! Even with no face, the Tolu looked as confused as me.

Behind the Tolu, I saw a red flash as Liza appeared with her sword at her side ready to swing. Her right eye seemed to glow.. Her eyes had they look of someone determined to live, someone ready to kill.

Before she could swing the Tolu found her. Violently swinging it's arm into it's blind spot where Liza was but no connection was made as Liza slid on the floor under it's arm. In three swings Liza chipped off chunks of armor.

With the sound of glass shattering. The tolu jolted at each impact. The waist was struck horizontally. The chest vertically, and the Face at an angle from left to right. 

" RAWW!" 

My eyes widened as for the first time the Tolu showed some hints of pain as it screamed... However, it didn't sound like one they make when they're injured.

Liza prepared her sword for another swing, but the Tolu reacted by slamming its fist into the ground causing the floor to shake. Right before impact, Liza launched into the air spinning over the Tolu landing on the side closest to me.

The Tolus wounds healed quickly as it pulsated a new color. . .Blood red coursed threw its body as it stood tall once again...That scream wasn't out of pain but. . .Anger!

" Hm."

Even with the Tolus' intimidating stature, Liza stood confidently out in front of it. Suddenly rose petals began to spin around the Tolu like with that B rank so long ago.

The Tolu continued to stand tall as the petals surrounded it spinning like a cyclone/ A moment passed and the Tolu was no longer visible. . .A bad feeling entered my gut.

Liza dashed in and launched herself in the air in preparation to land a powerful attack with all her strength to kill it in one blow.

" SHWIP"

The Tolu ripped threw the petals with its pulsating red arms, looking up it found Liza descending on it.

" THE HELL!"

On its face. A hole opened up revealing a black abyss where its mouth should be. It reared back its entire body as if it were to let out a scream.

" RAWWWW!"

A shock wave shot from its mouth smashing into Liza and sending her flying back toward me. She hit the ground with a thud as she lost grip of the sword, it landed off the the right of me about 15 feet away.

That scream was a hire pitch. . .Is this thing even real, that hole revealed nothing besides a black abyss beneath its skin. I looked as Liza lay seemingly unconscious on the ground, mud covered her bright red uniform as the ground had become softer due to the heavy rain.

I started crawling for the sword seeing as Liza was unconscious I would have to protect her in whatever way I could. My legs were no good so I had to craw-Shit!

Heavy footsteps approached Liza laying on the ground as the Tolu walked toward her. I haven't even reached halfway to the sword. I looked in horror as the Tolu stood over Liza looking down on her like a wolve to an injured rabbit.

" FWIP!" Behind it!

Mina appeared to my surprise, she can still fight huh? Her right eye was closed with blood surrounding it. Her sword was raised over her head ready to swing.

" CRACK"

" NO!"

The Tolu somehow reacted and flipped around landing a clean strike on Mina's left side sending her again crashing into a building. This was the hardest hit of them all though.

The Tolu paid no attention to her though as it prepared to kill Liza with one swing of its fist. I continued to crawl with all my strength...I'll throw it If I have to!

The Tolu looked to the floor as a spot in the ground began to erupt between Liza and itself. It jumped back as a tornado filled with dirt erupted from the ground. That gave me enough time to reach the sword as I clasped it with my one weak hand.

I turned expecting to have to fight this thing but to my surprise. Liza had reached her feet and had her hand outstretched for the sword. With all my strength in my body, I threw the sword for Liza.

She reached out her hand and caught it luckily by the handle. She then pointed it the direction of the Tolu ready to attack once again.

'You got this!" I screamed as I collapsed back to the ground. We shouldn't have to hold out much longer for backup.

" Crack!"

A pain rushed threw the left side of my body. " ARGH!" I let out a short scream as I looked at Liza. Her eyes were wide in horror as the Sword cracked in multiple places.

I watched as the rain landed on it and ran its self threw the cracks of the sword. At that same time, a piece fell and landed on the ground shattering completely on impact. Like the rain.