Chapter 5 Let Us Be Alone

When they opened the door for me, I heard a wailing. It was a man begging for his life as he got beaten up and until he was thrown into a china vase. Never did I imagine I’d see something like that out of the movies and television series. ‘What's happening? A thud? Kicks? Wait…’

I looked at the thugs that brought me to that place. ‘That’s bullying!’ The floor was bloodied and in a desperate rush of helplessness, I gasped. I raised my gaze and saw the guys blocking the door.

The next event was rather inhumane. A sadistic guy repeatedly smashed the wounded man on the floor with a golf club.  In a snap, I suddenly recalled my fate and why I was there. The guards just bowed their heads and nobody dared to stop it. Instantly, I felt everyone’s silence and the unspoken terror inside the room. I feared for them more than for myself.

The room was dimly lit although the other rooms were drowning in bright lights. Weren’t they able to pay their electricity bills or was it because someone died there?

I clenched my fist and decided anytime I’d be throwing punches too. The guy on the floor was physically huge but he was just begging and weeping for mercy. I was suddenly annoyed. ‘What kind of a man is he if he doesn’t know how to fight? And why am I here? Am I and the rest of the guards just their audiences? Am I going to raise my scoreboard too to give them that ‘madlang people’ feels?’

“Continue,” said a voice in his elegant tongue.

It was the guy who leaned close to the window and was playing with his glass of drink. Then all of a sudden, his eyes were on me. I saw vengeance when our gazes locked. I might’ve gotten everybody’s attention but, upon his word, the sadistic man started beating his prey again.

I just shut my eyes tight when I heard his dying whimper and asked myself quietly why there were such people in the world. ‘Sadists! And why did the poor victim cowardly refused to fight back? Why?’

‘Are they doing it for money? Why would you even let money hurt and enslave you!’

I just snapped. The little pool of blood that was previously a few feet away from me was now flowing under my shoes. ‘I'm just dreaming, right?’ I tried to laugh at myself. ‘It's just a dream my dear. Fun fact, I can also fly like Peter Pan’. No, not a dream but a nightmare.

“Enough,” the boss by the window carelessly threw his wineglass like a banana peel.

The injured man immediately stood up although he’s struggling to move. After him, another man was shoved to the ground in his stead. To my surprise, it was my brother.

Was he there because he’s asking for forgiveness about my mistake? If not, what did he do to deserve that punishment?

I shook my head disapprovingly. Our parents didn’t raise us like that. We do not beg. It’s always an eye for eye and a fair fight when we’re challenged.

“Start,” the boss ordered.

In every blow, the pangs and cries of the victims were music to his ears. There were such people in this world. They weren’t humans but demons in man’s clothing. That was my brother’s voice for f---‘s sake!

My blood boiled when countless strikes of the club hit him. ‘My buffoon of a brother got defeated like that? He of all people? He’s a steelhead in riots, damn it!

Was that a dream? An utterly stupid dream it was. Sena, please fix your imagination because it sucks.

And stupidly enough, I stepped forward and told him… “Brother, they’re beating your sorry ass in my dream. I think you need my help.”

My ape brother wouldn’t let any thugs mess with him! Then, the beating stopped. Joshua Bro, your ultimate attention-seeking sister is here to rescue you. I’m gonna back you up!

The boss just laughed before poising himself up gracefully. He looked like a demon in his smile. I was indeed dreaming, ha! It has been a while since I had a nightmare.

The sadist gave him the club before he stepped closer to me. His guards inched back like weaklings afraid of a big ocean wave.

“You’re next,” his eyes were as sharp as the tip of a keen knife.

The sound of the club scraping against the floor hurt my ears. His aura was so frighteningly deuced that I even deemed him to be the scariest man I’ve ever seen in my nightmare. But honestly though, ghosts and poltergeists were scarier. I didn’t like them, especially Valak. He must be Valak’s son.

On the bright side, he’s the coolest devil I’ve seen so far. He’s taller than me and as I recalled, he’s the foreigner who slipped badly because of my ID. ‘That's his karma and he have to deal with it!’

I shut my eyes again. ‘It's just a dream! Am I losing my sanity over a freaking ID?’ For all I know, I might still be in the uni campus and asleep in my class again.

“Ms. Sontoria!” shouts my professor every time I doze off while he’s teaching. ‘That's what I'm waiting to hear right now!’

But no, I didn’t hear that. Instead, I was brought back to reality when I heard the club hit my… brother’s body?

The fetor of blood was repulsive but it smelled like fragrance to him. ‘Why’s he so bitter?’ I was forced to sit on my knees when somebody kicked my calves. Reflexively, my hands prevented me from falling straight to the bloody floor. Whoever it was I didn’t mind because all I saw at that moment was my brother being beaten to a pulp.

My palms were bloody when I lifted them. Blood... blood... and more blood! The color and the odor made me want to vomit. But I kept my eyes shut like a withering flower whilst convincing myself to finally wake up. Or just lay down and pretend dead. Yuck, my hair got dipped in the gore. I felt like a butchered pig in a market.

My brother’s torturer looked disappointed when he saw what happened to me. And as if he felt sorry for it, he relentlessly beat that shameless man who knocked me down. After a few blinks he was laying on the floor next to me. ‘Or he’s also playing dead?’

My brother wasn’t moving at all too. ‘I’m having trust issues now. Are they dead or acting?’

I thought he’s done when he threw the club beneath my feet but then I heard him say…”Kill them all.”

I had to stop my acting when I heard that! Like the time I was late for school, I got up on my knees and crawled to the boss’ feet before he could leave the room.

“Stop!” I yelled in my sudden menstrual mood swing.

I thought I could calm everybody down if I pretended dead. ‘But alas, kill them all?! Are we playing Counter Strike! Pokemon Go? Zombie Apocalypse?! Mobile Legends?!’ The demon’s bodyguards approached but before they could take me, he raised a hand. They backed away from me immediately.

He turned around so I got up to face him.

I looked disgusting with all the bloodstains but no…he needed to taste my fist before I’d give up. Before he could even look me in the eye, a punch landed in his face.

“There’s my gift, you sadistic piece of crap!” I said. His staff moved in alert but he raised his hand to stop them again. “You’re going to kill people just because you got humiliated earlier? You're acting like a kid. You’re not even human! You’re a demon!”

He just stared at me while he pressed a knuckle against his sore cheek.

“Is that how you’re raised? Are your parents sadistic too?! Do you think they're happy to see you like that? Where's your father… your mom---,” my words were cut short when I felt a backhand slap on my cheek. It should be enough to wake me to reality but no…I was still standing in front of him.

Whoa! I was slapped? My blood boiled to a higher degree. ‘Why didn't I wake up?!

“Is that how a man slap? Wow,” I said sarcastically. If it wasn't a dream, I’d be dead. But before that, he needed to learn some lesson.

‘It’s up to you now Mr. President to find my dead body if they dump me in the river. I’m already pissed of this foreigner's arrogance as if he’s an alien to Earth and does not know the command: THOU SHALL NOT KILL!’

“You think I'm scared? You're just a lonely sadist!” I yelled.

He looked at me from head to toe so while his guard was down, I tried kicking his downstairs. He grinned at me when his arm met my shin and with one leg spin, he sent me tumbling on the floor.

‘Ouch... It hurts’.

My mom used to say that that part is men’s weakest place and that should be my aim whenever I am defending myself. But the guy apparently was very vigilant. Ouch!

“Let us be alone,” he ordered his men without lifting his gaze from me.

@Death Wish