-------------- Arthur ---------------------

I suddenly had a certain impulse that felt like something bad was gonna go down. But that feeling left quite quickly. So I just shook my head and entered the store.

Going towards a certain part of the store, I grab a bag of chips, and looking at the row of candies I wonder, which one should I get?

Should I get the Starbucks or maybe switch it up and grab the Twix?

"Starbucks it is then."

So I grab the Starbucks, and I started walking, as I reached the fridge I heard someone yelling.

"Now!"

'Probably just some homeless guy getting bored. Or maybe it's just a customer, whose card didn't work and now he wants to start a war,' I thought.

I turned my attention back to the fridge and opened it to take a can of drink.

"I can't afford to keep buying energy drinks every day," I said as I shut the door and turn around.

And as I am heading towards the counter with my drink I heard a voice shout, "Hey, open up the drawer!"

I immediately understood what might be going on and I crouched on the floor.

Peaking around the aisle, I saw a man in a ski mask point a gun at the forehead of the man that was behind the counter. Now my heart is pounding and I'm praying.

'I won't die today, I can't die today. I got things to do.'historical

Trying not to shake, and while plotting my escape. I placed a hand in my pocket to get my cellphone.

'Oh no. Where's my cellphone at? Dang, it, I left it back at home,' I found to my dismay.

"I want every penny I want every dime. Once you're done with the cash, open up the bag and throw some cigarettes inside!" The robber yelled at the cashier.

The cashier put the money in the bag he was given as fast as he could. I could see him shaking while doing it.

"The cigarettes!" Yelled the robber once more.

"Which ones do you want? Which ones do you want?" The cashier asked in a trembling tone.

'What is with the cigarettes? Can't you just take the money and go?' I said in my heart, hoping things do not get bloody.

"Well, I'm not picky give me any kind! Give me all of them. Yeah, just toss'em in. Keep it moving now, I'm running low on time here."

The cashier nodded hurriedly and he did as he was told. But the robber was not satisfied with his speed.

"I advise you to move a little quicker. Trust me I don't wanna have to pull the trigger. I have done it before, and it's not a pretty picture."

"What, you don't believe me? Well, I'm just playing you," he said with a grin at the end.

"Nah, No I'm not, hehe!"

"Just do what I said cause if you even think of trying to pull a fast one on me. I promise you'll be sorry...oh my driver's calling, I can't miss my pickup and...!"

That's when I did something stupid, and my jacket knocked over a can of soup. And he got quiet.

'Did he hear me moving?' I thought in fear as I held my breath.

The man turned in my direction at this point making me think, 'Oh my God, he must have heard me do it!'

But turning in my direction distracted the robber enough to allow the cashier to grab his own gun that is behind the counter. Now they both got weapons.

'Time to act!' I thought as I silently pray for a miracle.

I finally summoned the courage to peek around the edge and saw the robber with his back facing me and his gun pointed at the cashier who had his own gun.

With the fastest and stealthiest speed I could move I ran towards him.

At this moment the only thought in my head was to take advantage of whatever I can to ensure I survive this. After all, from what the robber said earlier, there are two of them.

I quickly covered the distance, and he didn't see me coming I jumped on him and grabbed his neck as I tried to choke him.

He tried to shake me off while still pointing the gun at the cashier who was also trying to aim right at the robber with the struggle and shaking going on.

And then the robber's elbow hits my nose and, "Argh!"

My nose was broken and it started bleeding. I tried not to let go but my hands are getting slippery and before I knew bullets start to fly as I fell to the ground.

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

'Shit!'

The sound of bullets stopped and I raised my head to find to my dismay that the cashier was shot, and his current state was unknown.

While I was still lying on the floor, I tried to crawl away, and then comes another guy. The robber's partner.

He runs inside while shouting at the other robber, "What's going on, where's the money, did you get the money? Where's the bag you brought?"

"I don't know. I think it's still behind the counter probably behind the cashier I just shot!"

"Who is this on the floor?"

"I don't know..."

"Well did they call the cops?" The other robber said as he runs up to me and grabbed my shoulder.

As he flipped me over then my jaw dropped. I thought, 'This voice sounded familiar.'

Looking at him, although he got a mask on his face, the shirt he wore, 'Oh shit, it's the same one he had on him this morning. Mark's brother!'

He stared right into my eyes and I could see the surprise in his. I know he knows that I recognized him.

'Things got shitty in the end,' I thought in despair, knowing he wouldn't let me go at this point.

He stares at me and says, "Sorry Arthur, but I don't have a choice. I can't risk getting exposed."

He holds up the barrel to my head and I screamed, "You can't be serious!"

He just went silent and pulled the trigger and then the gun...

*Bang!*

My eyes closed, expecting my death after the sound of a bullet going off. But time passed and I felt nothing.

"What the hell?!"

Opening my eyes, I got shocked by what I saw in front of me.

"Is this real? Time really got paused, but how, and how can I move?"

Yeah, time stopped, literally. I can still see the bullet that is a few inches from my head in the air.

And a fly froze a few feet away. Along with the cashier who had suddenly stood up with his gun pointed at Mark's brother.

And I also notice a policeman at the door who also had a gun pointing toward the other robber and looks like he was about to pull the trigger.

"What's happening?" I asked myself.

That's when it happened and the headaches came again.

This time, it was much greater than anything that had ever happened before. And I felt like my head was about to split open.

"Arrgh!" I screamed in severe pain.

That's when I heard an aged voice that felt it was coming from all directions.

"Sigh, it seems the time has come to leave outsider. I have done my best in helping you. Now go back to your reality and whatever happens next will depend on your fortune."

I barely heard what the voice said due to the pain in my head. But before I could react, a portal suddenly opened behind me and dragged me in faster than I could blink.

"What the..."

*Vroom!*

The portal closed and then time was restored within the store and gunshots went off.

*Bang!* *Bang!*

"That boy has quite a Fate. Well, that's his problem anyway," said that same voice.

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--------End of Chapter-----------

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A/N: So Arthur's going back home, hmmm let's see how it goes...