by J. A. Areces
***
FLASH!
Lord Alex appeared on the roof of the bus. The twisted and cracked bus sign blocked the street in front of the public transportation vehicle. The startled passengers stumbled inside as the driver opened the doors and urged everyone out. Traffic came to a sudden stop. The thump on the roof made the women scream. Lord Alex pointed his wand at where he last battled Beifar.
The wizard was gone.
FLASH!
Beifar appeared swinging his staff. He struck his opponent on the shoulder and sent him tumbling to the side. Lord Alex struggled to regain his balance. The remaining passengers inside the bus grew nervous, as the fight above seemed to be crashing down upon them. The wizard swung again but Lord Alex pointed his wand and a blast struck Beifar square on the chest. Beifar was thrown from the bus, landing on his side on the roof of a stopped car. He rolled dropping on the hood. The female driver and her children screamed. Beifar felt the pain in his ribs and back. An intense jolt ran down his leg. He closed his eyes. Stay focused, he thought. Clear the mind, he instructed. He could feel his toes, knees, arms, and head, even the space in his nostrils.
FLASH!
The wizard Beifar was gone.
FLASH!
Lord Alex followed.
“Mom! That was a wizard!” proclaimed a young girl sitting in the back of the car. “That was a wizard, a wizard, a wizard!”
The other two kids excitedly joined her in the cheer.
FLASH!
The wizard appeared on another busy corner, just a few feet from the intersection, down the street from the bus. The crowd of people crossing the street pushed away when Beifar unexpectedly materialized amongst them.
FLASH!
Lord Alex materialized just a few feet behind the wizard on the crosswalk. Passengers in the stopped cars jumped out amazed. Beifar turned to face a wand bearing down on him. Eye to eye contact was made. Lord Alex smiled victoriously. Beifar closed his eyes.
Bang!
The driver wasn’t able to break as he hurried to cross the intersection before the signal changed. He swerved around pedestrians just before slamming into Lord Alex, propelling him into a stopped car. The delivery boy fell off his bike, the Chinese food contents in the basket landed all over Lord Alex, whose head struck the front fender and fell hard on the pavement. His nose was broken; his head pulsed from the pain; his knees twisted and gave out under the force of the blow. Lord Alex was in total agony, unable to focus on anything but the pain. People ran over to assist him, but Beifar was the first to reach Lord Alex and whispered the binding hex. Lord Alex went completely stiff. The wizard took hold of his foe’s coat…
FLASH!
They were both gone.
The people left behind were all stunned.