Housecall – Part 1
Bullets From the Heart has had a really good run, but I’m going to move on with something new today.
Bullets is turning into it’s own Novella, and I’m a few thousand words into that already. Between what I’ve done here, and what I’m working on during my downtime at work, I should have more than enough to get something together prior to the end of the year.
Once I get towards a novella release and have a date and everything, I’ll most likely pull the posts down. It’s unfortunate, but not every story I write has the legs that Bullets has shown. When I can take all the hard work I put into these blog posts and turn it into something with potential monetary gain, I’m going to do so.
I love all of you, but seriously. I have bills to pay, and when I find something that good during my daily writing exercises, I’ve earned the right to be paid for it.
Fear not, however! I have lots of great ideas ahead, so lets buckle down and get to working on something new!
Housecall Part 1 –
The knife slicing across my ribs caught me off guard. I stumbled, cradling my wounded chest as I circled my opponent on the greasy floor of the packed warehouse that had been abandoned until yesterday.
At first, I was angry. That scumbag brought a knife to my illegal underground fistfight. Then I had to smile. It was just like the slimy bastard to do something like that. I hadn’t even noticed the blades he’d worked into his cloth gloves, and I doubt anyone else had either. I smiled even wider, taking a defensive stance that shielded my wounded chest from further harm. I’d have to treat his fists exactly as I would a knife.
That just meant I’d have to keep him from hitting me again. No problem.
I circled slowly, exaggerating my wounds slowly as I went. I feigned a slowing of motion, trying to make him jump at me. He might’ve been crazy to take up the call for a fight with me, but he wasn’t stupid once he’d stepped into the ring. The crowd began to grow louder as they spied the blood ruining my shirt. They knew something was afoot, and you don’t come to an underground, illegal bare fistfight looking to be bored.
I feinted, quick and sure but slower than normal. He slapped it away easily, yet still he did not strike. I ceased circling, increasing my breathing as I stood there, letting my left arm fall to a low guard as if I could keep it up no longer. I stepped forward, staggering slightly.
I’d need him to strike soon. The act would soon become reality.
As I tottered backwards slightly, and let my weight all fall on my back foot, he struck.
He was quick too, I’d give him that. I let my weight fall further backwards, my front foot coming off the ground as I feigned surprise. Then, as his face came into range, I turned the backwards lean into a snap kick with my front foot. I shifted all my weight forward, my foot connecting with all my weight behind it.
His head snapped backwards, and with a slow, liquid grace he crumpled to the ground.
The crowd went berserk.
I held my right hand high, reveling in the tumult as I held my left hand against my ribs. I staggered, this time meaning it, and quickly reached out to take the towel being offered to me. I lifted it to my ribs, pressing so hard that tears came to my eyes, and slowly made my way out of the ring.
The hands that had given me the towel thumped me on either shoulder in a familiar gesture, and I couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my face from ear to ear. There was a lot of blood showing in my teeth, and my face was a mess of cuts and bruises. My unconscious foe must’ve used the blades once he realized I wasn’t going to fold like some cheap suit.
“You’ve got a nine-thirty and you need to do a full replacement for a left servo motor at noon.”
My aide placed a coat across my shoulders, and walked me towards the door.
The chant started then, as it always did when I fought. Win or lose, the chant was always the same.
Doc… Doc… Doc… Doc…
The white of my coat shone brighter as my shirt became more stained with my blood, and I left the warehouse to head back to my clinic.
To be continued…
Docfully,
Justin
