Anthony, with cold sweat dripping down his temples, ran towards the back door. He managed to reach the car that was already prepared, his heart pounding. He immediately jumped in and started the car engine. The car sped away from the warehouse, which was now filled with smoke and screams.
A police car with red and blue lights flashing like predator’s eyes, chased him from behind. The siren wailed, cutting through the silence.
“Damn it!” Anthony hissed, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, cold sweat soaking his palms.
He stepped on the gas pedal, his car roared, speeding along the fairly busy road. Anthony glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing the police car chasing him getting closer. His heart was pounding, but he had to control himself so he wouldn’t panic. He had to escape.
The afternoon sun shone on the road, casting long shadows on the asphalt. Anthony weaved through the streets, avoiding other cars that were driving at normal speeds.
After a while, a road repair project made the road narrow, leaving only one lane. Anthony, who was speeding, didn’t realize this and crashed into the road barrier.
“Thud!”
Anthony’s car hit the road barrier, his car swerved and stopped right in the middle of the road, trapping Anthony.
The police who were chasing him immediately stopped their car and pointed their guns at him.
“Get out, Anthony!” shouted a policeman.
They ordered him to get out of the car. Anthony realized he was surrounded, so he had to get out of the car. However, before he got out of the car, he took the gun that was stored under the seat.
“Don’t move! Put your hands up!” shouted a policeman.
Anthony ignored the warning, his fingers quickly pressing the trigger. Bullets whizzed, hitting the hood of the police car, making the policeman flinch and dodge. “Damn it!” shouted the policeman, firing back at Anthony.
Anthony, with a quick movement, crouched behind his car, returning fire. Bullets whizzed around the police car.
“Anthony! Stop!” shouted a policeman, his voice swallowed by the sound of gunfire that continued to echo.
Anthony laughed, his voice gasping. “You won’t catch me!”
He crawled behind the car, trying to find a way to escape. However, he was too late to realize. A bullet fired by the police pierced his stomach, making him stagger.
“Damn it!” he hissed, his hand holding the wound on his body. Fresh blood flowed profusely, staining the asphalt.
He looked at the sky, his eyes starting to blur. A wide smile was etched on his face, as if he found peace. Then, his body collapsed, lying stiff in the middle of the road, surrounded by police cars that were silent witnesses to the end of his journey.
“Is this the end of my life?” Anthony murmured as he looked at the sky in front of him.
Anthony’s thoughts drifted among his childhood memories, like a thin fog that enveloped his memories. The twilight light dimmed, breaking through the cracks in the curtains and shining on his mother’s tear-stained face. Anthony was still a child at that time, peeking at his sad-looking mother from behind the door. His eyes were fixed on a photo that his mother was holding tightly.
His mother slowly put the photo back into a box.
“Mom,” Anthony called softly. His mother turned, a faint smile etched on her lips, trying to hide the sadness that radiated from her eyes.
“Are you home?” his mother asked, her voice slightly hoarse. Anthony nodded, his eyes fixed on his mother’s face, which was covered in purple bruises, her hands covered in red scratches and purple bruises.
“He did this to you again?” Anthony whispered, his voice gasping.
His mother immediately hid both her hands behind her back, trying to cover up the traces of violence that had just occurred. “You must be hungry. Let’s eat,” she invited.
“Mom, I hate seeing you hurt! I don’t want to see you suffer anymore!” said Anthony, his voice trembling, his eyes welling up.
“I’m okay, honey. Don’t worry,” said Anthony’s mother. Her smile felt forced, as if trying to cover up the wound in her heart.
“You’re not okay! Look what he’s done to you all this time, Mom! I don’t want to have a monster stepfather like him. He always hits you. Let’s just leave here,” said Anthony as he reached for his mother’s hand, trying to pull her away, but his mother immediately pulled her hand back.
“I told you, I’m okay. Let’s eat,” said Anthony’s mother with a smile. His mother’s bruised face and hands made Anthony feel a burning anger in his chest. He wanted to destroy anyone who hurt his mother. But he knew, he was just a powerless little kid. His hands clenched tightly, holding his breath, trying to control the anger that was bubbling up inside him.
When his mother wasn’t at home, little Anthony decided to go into his mother’s room and look for the box. He was curious about the contents of the box, which his mother always hid.
Inside the box, Anthony found a photo of his mother and a man who looked happy in the photo. His mother looked young and beautiful, her eyes sparkling. The man had a warm smile and kind eyes.
“Who is this man? Could he be my biological father?” Anthony murmured.
Inside the box, he also found a newspaper. A picture of a man who looked like the man in the photo was on the front page of the newspaper.
“Jake Winston? W Company?” Anthony murmured, reading the headline in the newspaper. His curiosity grew.
The next day, little Anthony, with a pounding heart, came to W Company. He waited in front of the building, his eyes searching for the figure in the photo.
“Maybe he works here? Can he help me and Mom? Is he really my father?” he murmured, his hope began to grow.
Then, he saw him. A man who looked like the man in the photo was walking towards the entrance of W Company. A faint smile was etched on Anthony’s lips.
“Dad,” he called, his voice slightly trembling.
Jake Winston, who was about to enter, turned to hear the call. He saw a little kid smiling with hopeful eyes at him.
“Who?” Jake Winston asked, furrowing his brow, confused.
“Please save my mother from that man. If you are really my biological father, I hope for you,” said little Anthony, his voice trembling, his eyes welling up.
Jake Winston frowned before speaking. “What do you mean? I’m not your biological father, kid,” he said, his voice cold, and continued walking away from little Anthony who was still standing there.
Anthony tried to break in, wanting to follow Jake Winston, but several security guards stopped him. “Please let me in!” he shouted.
“Go away, kid,” said one of the security guards.
Anthony shook his head vigorously. “He’s my father! He has to help my mother! He has to help…” Anthony fell silent, his eyes welling up. He remembered his mother’s bruised face, her injured hands.
“Helen!” Anthony shouted, his voice echoing in front of the building.
Jake Winston was silent when he heard the name. Helen. A name that had long been forgotten, the woman who had once filled his life. He turned slowly, his gaze fixed on the child, the little boy’s face full of tears.
“She’s my mother!” Anthony shouted to make sure Jake heard.
Jake Winston’s heart pounded in his chest. His breath hitched, and he felt cold sweat dripping down his skin. The child was his son.
The truth, so unexpected, so devastating, hit him like a tidal wave. He was frozen in place. The new life he had built, the life he had carefully created, crumbled around him. He couldn’t destroy that illusion, tear apart the life he had carefully woven. He couldn’t go back to the past.
He took a deep breath, trembling, forcing himself to move. Finally, he turned and walked into the building. He chose to leave Anthony, who was still standing there, his heart broken.
Anthony’s little life was shattered again when his mother died at the hands of his stepfather. Anthony, who was still a child at that time, was powerless against the monster who had destroyed his world. Memories of the violence his mother suffered, blow after blow, haunted his nightmares every moment.
Anthony grew up with a firm resolve, using all his strength to seek revenge. The cruel stepfather and the biological father who had abandoned him were not spared from his anger.
His thoughts drifted back, if only his life hadn’t been so bad in the past, could his life have been a little better than this? He killed a monster by becoming a monster, but his heart felt empty. Anthony’s breaths became heavier as his eyes felt heavier, surrendering to fatigue. The Shadow, which had been shaped by wounds and revenge, finally fell asleep forever.