The Almighty General

Powers?

The words that escape my mouth are groans of pain and pleas in between.

They had taken my watch worth thousands of dollars. That was a five figure watch, I didn't mind giving it to them.

“Gimme your wallet!." One demanded, I didn't resist, I gave it to them, then my phone.

“Damn, look at the amount of fat cash lying in this wallet, come here take a look." One of the men said to the other and that was when the opportunity came to run.

I jumped to my feet and I sprang forward towards the main road.

I knew they were chasing after me, but I didn't dare turn back to check the distance.

***

Sweat is dripping down my face and I'm too weak to move a muscle. Everything starts to spin and sooner, I might just give up and fall to the ground.

I touch my temple because it's throbbing hard and I bring it to my face to see blood on my fingers. I groan and raise my head up to the sky.

I look around to see stores in a single line. I see a door that's wooden, it's blue and it doesn't look very strong, if I could break in and hide in there till I'm safe to come out of hiding...

I felt reluctant about going for the door but then I hear footsteps coming my way as it's undoubtedly the footsteps of the men because it's accompanied by small shouts.

I run towards the door and turn the handle, half expecting it to be locked and half expecting it to be broken... The door swings open and I lunge inside and I close the door sharply.

I slide to the ground and I fold my legs up to my knee and touch my chest, it's heaving.

“You think he'll come this way, or maybe we've lost him." A cold hard voice said from outside. They had stopped right outside the store I'm hiding in. My heart is beating against my chest and I can smell death.

“Nah, that rich prick dosen't know this place like we do, we'll get him, let's go that way."

" They're gone." I muttered under my breath and I stand up.

I open the door knob and I take a look outside, I don't see anybody, I want to leave when I decide to turn around and look into the store where I had hidden.

It's a book store. It's filled with the heavy smell of ink and it looks like it has not been used in years. A lot of things are dusty.

In the corner of the store, I see a bright blue blanket and I walk over to it. I pick the blanket up and a book slips out and fall to the floor in a loud thud.

This makes me to turn around to make sure the door is closed.

I drop the blanket and it lands softly on my feet, I pick the book and turn the first page, there's no publication information. It just has a plain red cover and beige coloured pages. There are no words printed inside even, I turn it frantically and still, no words.

I'm about to drop the book down when a loud noise frieghtens me and I clench the book to my chest like an armour. I run to the window overlooking the road to see that it's only a cat that had pushed down a trash can.

Just then, I see the men that had stolen from me walking back to the direction of where they had chased me from.

I wait for about five minutes before I open the door and I run into the streets.

I must find my way back I said clenching the book tightly.

“I didn't return the book." I said realizing that I had unconsciously carried this weird book from the book store.

I couldn't go back to return it and I wouldn't drop it here on the road because the books seems interesting, what hardcover book doesn't carry publication or author information.

“I hope this day doesn't get worse." I mumble to myself.

***

I enter into my bedroom and the lights are sensored so they come on as I step in. I throw the book on my bedside table and I stagger into the bathroom like a drunken man.

I pick out the pain killers from the drug cabinet and I pop the normal dose into my mouth.

I throw my head backwards as I swallow the pills down with water.

I step out of the shower, I slipped on my pyjamas and I walk Into my bedroom. I turn off the lights and I lay calmly on my bed, my eyes catches the cover of the red book which is now glowing blood red in the dark.

I turn on the lights and I pick the book up with shaking fingers, it slips from my hand and falls on the hardwood floor in a sharp loud thud.

I stretch and book the book up, half expecting it to fall into pieces but it's still unhinged.

The page that I'm holding is what seems like the middle page and probably the only page that has a writing.

It looks like a spell in Greek or something, I was never a language person. Beside the spell is a warning that says “Do not say these words out loud if you can't handle the immeasurable cosmic power that follow."

I throw my head backwards in a very hearty laugh.

“Is this a joke?." I said dropping the book on my bedside table, I might probably just throw the book away when I wake up tomorrow.

I'm about to stretch to turn off the lights when I hear sounds coming from outside.

I pause to see if I would hear it again and there it came, as if a chain saw was being used to cut metal.

I scurry to my feet towards my window and I have to squint my eyes to make out the figure of men wearing black, but now that my gate is broken and they're trooping into my compound, I don't have to squint my eyes to see that they're holding guns!.