The Princess's Knight

I followed her off the bus and on to a dimly lit street. I’ve been protecting her secretly for a while and in a few minutes she was going to know all about it.

But at the moment she’s completely oblivious.
She’s walking along with her headphones on, bobbing her head to an obnoxiously loud pop song on her shiny new mp3 player.

I’m only a few steps behind her.

She’s a pretty, petite little thing, and a prime target for sicko’s. Especially out this late, wearing that tight of a dress, and especially on this block.

Here comes a sicko now.

“Hey mama, where you off to?”

Her volumes on high, she can’t hear a thing.

But he keeps going.

“Hey! Baby, were you goin’?”

Move along, punk. You’re after the wrong girl on the wrong night.

Then he rushed toward her, grabbed her arm, and pulled off her headphones to get her attention.

Bad move. I have the right to kill him now.

“HEY!! WHAT THE FUCK?” she shrieks and struggles free. He doesn’t let go.
I step up.
Link saves Zelda.
The knight saves his Princess.

“Hey! Is that? Oh my god! Amanda? It is you! AMANDA! How are you? Long time no see!”

Then I acknowledge the creep.

“Who’s yer friend here?”

“No, not a friend he…”

“No? Then what’s going on here? You should probably let go of her. NOW.”

“Ha, yea or else what?”

Ha, glad you asked.

“Or else this.”

I pulled out my gun. I call her “Mandy”.
She lets out a scream into the night air. The creep gets the point and lets her go. Amanda leaps over to my side.

Mandy points at his head.

“She’s ya girlfriend or something, my bad! Look I didn’t…”

“You. What YOU did was pick the wrong girl on the wrong night. Me? Well I’m just a friend, 'aint that right Amanda?”

She smirks.

“One that’s willing to blow yer’ head all over the pavement if she asks me to. Whataya say Mandy, we make his head go kaboom?”

Amanda shakes her head no. She seems impressed by my bravado, but she also seems quite disgusted with my sudden “rescue”. She also seems extremely annoyed.

“Well, its yer lucky day. But I’m not letting you off that easily. You disrespected my friend here. I’m gona need ya to apologize.”

“What? Man, fuck you and that stupid bitch I…”

Cocked, loaded, I tease her trigger. I should have pulled it.

“I…I’m sorry…. I didn’t…”

“I run if I were you.”

“What?”

“Count of five, ready? One, two, three…I ‘aint kidding asshole, RUN…three and a half….”

He ran.

I turned to comfort a pair of big brown eyes, only to find them laughing, not crying. God I loved her laugh. Loved her. I knew there was a reason I came back to see her again, one last time.

She was a knockout, always was, always will be.
And I’m madly in love with her. She claims not to feel the same, but it’s my pathetic hope that she’s just covering up her feelings that keeps me going.

“What was all that about? Overkill much? He wasn’t gona try anything.”

“He grabbed yer arm, he would’ve hurt you worse if I weren’t here. How do you know he wouldn’t of…”?

“Alright, I didn’t know. Thank you. How are you? What have you been up to? No wait on second thought, i'm not even sure I wana know.”

“How long has it been? Do I get a hug? I mean after all that, at least …”

“No. You don’t. I have that problem, I put my headphones on and up as loud as they go and the world disappears. Since when do you have a gun? Is it real?”

“You saw me fire it.”

“But those were blanks, right? You weren’t gona kill a guy just for trying to pick me up, were you?”

I stood quiet.

Of course I wouldn’t.
Well maybe….

“So this is you now, a super mysterious rescuer of damsels in distress?”

“Well mostly you, really.”

“Mostly? But I haven’t seen you since…. oh my god your STALKING ME!”

“Technically….”

“What? For how long?”

“A week, give or take a few months. I’ve saved yer life a few times.”

“How many’s a few?”

“Lost count”

“Thanks, again, I think. But why’d you pop out of the shadows this time?”

“To say goodbye I guess.”

“Goodbye? That’s not very nice you just got here.”

“Heh, cute, I’m …um.this might be the last time.”

“While your figuring it out you think you could “protect” me over to Summit Theater?”

“A movie? I shouldn’t, but if it’s with you, I’ll make time for…”

“What? No, no, no, I’m meeting Mario there. Relax! It’s a group thing, we’re going drinking, with Sheri, Amy, and a bunch of others.”

Can I go? She won’t invite me and I’m not going to ask.
So we started to walk there, it wasn’t too far; I better start telling her everything.

“I…”

“Jeez, just tell me what’s going on already!”

“Look don’t talk until i’m through, ok?”

“Hurry.”

“I LOVE YOU.”

That was blurted out a lot louder and spastically than I initially intended it to. It even echoed and startled stray cats.

But despite the dramatic pause I gave for her response, she seemed unphased.

“Lotsa really crazy stuff is goin' to go down tonight and I want you to know that your what’s getting me through it. I might not survive to see tomorrow.
Look I was in a real rut before I met you and your what got me through it. You were my inspiration, my muse, my everything; you gave my pitiful, pointless life, meaning. And…I guess I…I want to thank you for that.”

“Are you done?"

“I think so.”
She rushed over and gave me a rather awkward, yet genuine hug, then pulled back.
“What was that?"
“Your hug.”
“Never thought I’d see it, but I think you’re scared for me.”

“Bullshit! your not going to die! You’re a coward, you’ll leave screaming as soon as things get crazy enough.”

“I’m sorry you believe that but things have already happened.”

“Like what? Kill anyone with that gun of yours today?”

“Ummm…”

“You fucking psycho.”

“Hey! your no poster girl for sanity yourself.”

“I don’t go around killing people.”

“Ah, yes but the voices, they will get stronger, and they will get you too. You’ll be were I am soon enough.”

“Your off your medication? That figures. Your so stupid.”

“It’s somewhat liberating. They made me a happy little zombie, it’s not normal.”

“And this is?”

“No. Of course not. There's no big key to happiness, no fairytale ending for me. I’m going to finally accept that and go down in a blaze of glory, well actually it’s a blaze of manic depressive misery but you get the idea.”

“I see, so are you going to gun down every perv that’s ever checked me out or do you have a list or something.”

“Tempting, but no, no list, no concrete plan. Just goin’ to “wing it” I guess. Just going to see who pisses me off.”

”Worst plan ever! Worried about cops?”

“Yea, but I’ll deal with it as it happens.”

“Sounds like quite the adventure.”

“Hope so, wana come?”

“A part of me wants to, oddly enough. But as bad as things are for me, I can still deal. So what now? Do I wish you good luck or something? Don’t worry, I’ll crack too someday, and we’ll meet in an afterlife psych ward or something. I’ll tell you how the funeral went. Heh, were here.”
I took her and kissed her.
I’d never get the opportunity again, and I’d regret it if I didn’t.
After our moment, she pulled back.

“ A tad overdramatic, but if you really aren’t coming back I’ll let it slide. But if you’re alive tomorrow, I will kick your ass.”

I smiled at her, told her I love her one last time, and then walked away into the shadows.

“I know. I love you too.” She thought as she watched him disappear into the darkness.