Part 325: Innocence Lost; A Hero Born

Eddie felt someone jerking his chest around. He slowly opened his eyes; feeling warm blood caked just over his right eye. He heard a whining sound, following by coughing. Sebastian was trying to wake him up. Before the young boy could ask him if he was okay, he was interrupted by someone screaming. Eddie then understood Sebastian was pointing in the distance. His friend turned and witnessed one of the more horrific sight of his life. Bunny had been impaled by a tree branch through her chest.

And Woogie was trying to pull it out.

“YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Bunny screamed in tears.

“Shut up!” Woogie retorted, “If you stop screaming, I might be able to get it out.”

“LEAVE . .ME . .ALONE . .YAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Eddie then looked around and found a large rock near a tree. He quickly grabbed it and ran toward Woogie. “GET AWAY FROM HER!” he screamed.

Woogie turned around, just in time to see the rock collide with his forehead. A small spray of blood echoed from his forehead as he jolted and fell down the small quarry which contained the crashed jeeps. Eddie collapsed next to his wounded friend. He started to panic, wondering what do to do about her punctured lung. “Bunny? Bunny, can you hear me?” he asked, gently touching her cheek.

“Eddie . .” she fought to breathe, “It . .hurts. . .”

“Don’t try to talk. I’m going to take you to my friend Jack and he can save-“

Eddie was interrupted by a swift kick to his mouth. He felt back hard and rolled as Woogie stumbled toward him. The young boy then got up and grabbed the taller boy by the legs bringing him down. The boys screamed as they exchanged blows, hitting each other in the face. Woogie then quickly slammed his knee into his opponent’s groin. Eddie gasped for air and collapsed on his side. The taller boy then got up and kicked him again in the stomach, making him cough. “This is your fault and Woogie will punish you.” He hissed.

Eddie tried to get up.

“Bunny is family,” the taller kid opened his eyes wider, “It corrupted her. It turned her against her family. “

“NOT ME!!” Eddie screamed “YOU CORRUPTED HER! YOU AND THAT FREAK, GOODWIN!!”

Woogie then sneered, bending his eyebrows inward. “It . .will not speak . .about the father.” He hissed.

“Go to Hell, weirdo.” Eddie slowly stood up.

Woogie then started to walk toward Eddie but then grunted as rock hit him in the back of his head. He turned around to get hit with another rock. Sebastian was picking up rocks left and right, hurling them toward the psycho kid. Woogie then grunted as Eddie took the oppurunity to ram his forearm into the taller kid’s kidney. He screamed in pain as he collapsed on his knees. Eddie then grabbed his hair and proceeded to ran the head of his enemy into the rocks repeatedly. Woogie quickly shifted up his hand and rammed the back of his head into his nose, temporarily dazing him. Eddie collapsed and rolled, coughing from the blood shooting out of his nose. The whining he heard in front of him grabbed his attention.

Sebastian was handing him Woogie’s automatic weapon.

Eddie quickly grabbed it but Woogie in return, grabbed him. The younger boy fought hard, trying to get out of the headlock. Woogie held onto his wrist, pointing the gun in another direction. Sebastian quickly ran behind one of the jeeps while they fought. The younger boy breathed saliva through his clenched teeth, trying to fight back. He could feel and smell the hideous breath of the psycho leaning against his ear. “It can’t win.” Woogie hissed, “It has . .no faith in it’s masters. It . .is . .. weak.”

Eddie grunted with all his might, shifting the gun upward. Woogie fought hard to keep his arm down but the boy was finding a strength that he seemingly pulled out of nowhere. Eddie did wonder why he was winning this fight, considering every other fight he ever had he lost. He realized why he was winning. All those previous fights, he was only fighting to protect his own skin. At that moment, he was fighting for Sebastian and Bunny. He hoped in some distance boat, Tony was proud of him. Woogie grunted as the gun got closer and closer to his face. “It . . .wants . . .you . .to . .SHUT . .UP!!” Eddie screamed as he finally pulled the trigger.

He jerked as Woogie’s body vibrated behind him and his head was covered in a shower of blood. Eddie fell forward as the taller kid fell backward. The young boy panted for breath as he stood on all fours in the quarry. He coughed for air and quickly wiped the blood from his cheeks that was dripping from his head. Eddie then slowly turned around and stopped when he saw Woogie’s legs quivering. He decided not to look at the remains of his face.

Eddie began to crawl up the quarry, where Sebastian was waiting for him. The moment he got to the top, the little child hugged him. Eddie wondered if he could comprehend these things happening around him at three years of age. He must have, cause he didn’t hesitate to help when he was needed. Then he saw Bunny looking at him, and smiling as a trickle of blood ran down her chin. Eddie pulled Sebastian with him as he scrambled up the hill to get to the young redhead. He gently let of his younger charge and picked up her by the arm, helping her to walk. She yelled in pain, gasping for air. “Hang in there, Bunny,” he told her, “I’ll get you to my friend Jack and he’ll patch you.”

Eddie began to walk face with her in the jungle with Sebastian right behind him. He didn’t know if he could make it in time but he wasn’t going to just give up. He knew Uncle John wouldn’t have wanted him to.


Eddie coughed as he found it difficult to walk fast and carry her. Especially since they had to stop for Sebastian, considering the inflammation in his lungs was stopping him from running with them. He looked at every corner, hoping to spot something familiar but it was all foreign terrain for him. “Stop,” whispered Bunny.

“We can’t stop, Bunny,” Eddie told her, “I got to get you-“

“Please, stop,” she cried, “I can’t . . .I can’t run anymore.”

Eddie then paused and gently let her lay down on her back. She coughed and coughed, spitting up blood. The young boy looked her over. A large amount of blood had fallen out of her chest wound. Her skin had grown a soft pale of white. Eddie started to cry; he realized he was too late. “Eddie . .” she whispered.

“Shhhh,” he replied, stroking her red hair.

“My . . .left . .pocket . .please. . .”
Eddie gently felt of her left pocket and understood something was in it. He then pulled it out and saw that it was a necklace; specifically a silver locket. “Open it . . .” she replied.

Eddie cracked open the locket and saw the pictures inside. It was woman with glasses and another man with curly red hair. “My mom . .and my dad . . .” she said, taking the locket from him.

“I thought . . .I thought you were born here?” Eddie stammered.

“I was . .taken . . .found this . .in Goodwin’s files . . .wasn’t . .supposed to look but I needed to . .know if . ..they hated me. I don’t . ..think they did.”

“Goodwin was a liar, Bunny.” Eddie wept, “No parent hates their children.”

Bunny then closed the locket and placed it back in the young boy’s hands. “Don’t . .every forget me, Eddie . . .” she wept.

Eddie closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Sebastian silently wept near him. The young boy then cradled the girl in his arms, holding her head closer to his chest. She gripped his hand tightly as she started to cry even more. “Eddie, “ she wept, “I’m scared . . .”

“Don’t be, “ the boy replied, “it’s not going to hurt much longer. . .”

Bunny took a few short breaths. Eddie noticed her grip was loosening. “I would . .have liked . ..to have seen . .your home.” She whispered.

Bunny’s grip then went limp. Eddie finally broke down and continued to cry. He held her closer. A young woman that had come into his life even only by fate. What was she meant to teach him? What did he learn from her sacrifice? Eddie even wondered what the future would have held for both of them but he’ll never know. The young boy the reared his head and screamed in sadness and rage for an event that held such meaning.

Eddie then slowly let her head down. He wiped away his tears and then gently leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Sebastian wept and cried at the same time. Eddie walked over and held his little friend. He then looked to the sky. “God, if you are listening, “he said with slow tears flowing out of his eyes, “I just wanted to ask that you watch over us for a little longer. And Bunny . . . .make sure you show her real parents when she gets up there . . . .”

Eddie then stopped his prayer short when he thought he heard someone screaming his name. He looked to Sebastian and judging by the look on his eyes, he heard it too. “Was that Ecko?” he asked the kid.

Before Sebastian could respond, they heard a new sound behind them.

Whispering.

Eddie then grabbed the boy and hoisted him toward his back. Sebastian grabbed onto Eddie’s neck as he slipped into a piggy back ride. The young boy grunted and breathed as he ran fast as he could toward the sound of his friends. He tried not to panic when heard the footfalls of the Fleshmonger behind him in the distance.