True Defeat

It was a sultry dawn with a cloudless sky painting a light cerulean blue across the heavens. The wind was only a light brushing of air, barely even noticeable. Something cool wiping your arm really. People walking down the streets were doing so in baggy, sleeveless t-shirts, they weren't in the thick wool sweaters they had worn in winter with their pants rolled halfway up their legs. I believe it was in blessed June, the hottest month of the year. As I simply relished in the breeze's presence on that day, it was lifting my hair with an enjoyably light, spider-like movement, I noticed Ben, sitting halfway across the field (where no one would expect him to be). Let me tell you about Ben. He was the youngest in my class, nothing more than a timid, frail, exceedingly polite boy who in my opinion, still was clinging onto that last bit of boyhood far too tightly. He had moved here from somewhere and hence joined my class only a few small weeks ago and much like me, lacked any true friends (sad to say). But that was just the way that things were right now. In spite of sharing the space with your classmates during activities like lunch and sports, Ben never spoke to anyone unless they were the first to speak to him. ("Never talk unless you are first spoken to."--It was a weird rule.) I decided to be the first to get up and speak to Ben, and when I was still approaching him, I could hear nervous sobs escaping from his lips. Was he really that painfully shy??? I was just trying to be friendly. "What up, Ben?" I asked him, trying to seem casual, thinking that would make him more comfortable, "um--What is wrong? Um--Why are-Why are you crying?" I didn't get any reply from Ben but the steadily gathering sniffles. (He probably could fill a brook from those alone!) He then slowly raised his head, and I straightaway took in the scratch marks that covered his neck. What??? My resolute instinct told me that it had to be the Iblis'. I truly had been one of the innocent prey of the Iblis' too, chased down by the cruel pack even all the way to the doorstep of my home, startlingly. Their rule was no mercy. They were always on my back, like a pack of wolves. They were actually on everyone's back, it seemed. No mercy, even if you happened to be the simple, innocent, new kid (as Ben was). "It's Sorrel," Ben managed to whisper, only slightly louder than the wind (very difficult for my straining ears to possibly catch). "I honestly don't even know what I ever did to him." Ahhh...Sorrel was by far the most intimidating of the Iblis'. His awfully chubby cheeks made it seem like he was big for his age (bigger than anyone else), with hair that resembled more of a rat's nest, and boots with the crust of the dried mud from the most recent rain. His fairly few friends were nowhere near as huge, hence the losing record of his team as a whole. Luckily, I had somewhat of an idea of how to get out of the mud which Ben had sadly got himself into. My bright idea was simply to confront Sorrel, and I thought that if I possibly could finally defeat him, the astounding alpha, then his friends would surely respect me. The plot made sense in my head. I was allied quickly by Ben, and we rapidly devised something of a plan. Precisely on the lunch hour in the auditorium, toward the very center of the school, currently packed with students by the hundred, one of the opposing predators noticed me standing with Ben. As he directed Sorrel toward us, I quickly mumbled to Ben to stick flawlessly to the plan that we had made as Sorrel walked with a very high-chest to our table. "Well, then, I guess you earned yourself a new pal," Sorrel said, matching his voice to the foreboding chill of the night. "Is he the one who is supposed to protect you," he added fearlessly, meanwhile dumping his complete yogurt on my hair. I was furious and reacting to this before I could have a second thought about it, I stood up (as if from electric shock) and had my fists held up and ready to supposedly protect myself. (The scene was truly laughable, since it was obvious who was the most likely to win any tussle, and it wasn't me.) (This was a terrible idea!! How could I ever think that it was clever! The world was so blurry now...I doubted that I would ever see or think straight again. Owww...My head.) I planted my first livid blow on Sorrel's nose, semi-proud of myself, (but not thinking too much, or else I would lose my nerve) but Sorrel was able to catch my second throw of my angry fist before it slammed into him. "Come on! Is that all that you've got??" Oh no. Gulp. Next, I felt a big, bruising blow on my chin. The next bit is foggy as to what exactly happened to me in those next few minutes. (I felt like there was no time to feel pain--but don't worry, I did.) All I can really remember is after those few minutes had passed, I woke up to a vile crowd of mocking, laughing students (that had to have been praying that they weren't the top dog's next prey). I didn't know whether to believe it or not. My body hurt so much! Maybe the truth was that I was never going to be free from this fight and break into a liberating, rectifying freedom.