5 Torturing

Matter of convenience?..

Before Anoi could figure out what he meant, Lint's smile stratched into a grin and he lifted himself up.

Disgust could clearly be traced down in that smirk. And Anoi felt herself getting angry. Yet before she could act on her anger, Lint suddenly kicked the lump.

He clearly didn't hold back. And the lump started twitching, without letting any sound out.

"Trash," Lint said,"...should be collected, don't you think?"

The menacing atmosphere got even heavier.

He decisively placed his leg on the lump and pressed down, making the person let out a low whine. By now, he looked as if he was about to get rid of a bothersome insect.

The fear paralyzed Anoi.

And it didn't help that the "insect" had that… That face!

Anoi felt hot inside. She crawled towards the center of the room, and whilst Lint was continuing on kicking the figure, she stretched out her trembling hand, and touched the sorrowful figure.

An impulse went though Anoi's body and she felt her body shaking uncontrollably. Pain. Pain was the only thing she could feel.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw that the injured woman too, started convulsing. And that was when she realized: she was the woman.

It wasn't another person who laid there, half-dead. It was herself. Anoi.

She jerked her head up, unable to sustain the pain any longer, but it didn't stop.

What is happening? Is she dead?

And Lint continued on beating up the woman in front of him. He pulled out a pair of latex gloves and put them on. And then he grasped her chin and looked at her, as if determining her price.

His hand made its way into the bloodied mouth and then he lifted his second hand, that was holding a suspicious instrument.

"She said she didn't like your smile." Lint slowly said, inspecting white teeth, that now were red.

Anoi stopped convulsing.

"She…" – he meant her?

He meant that disturbing woman that appeared in her life, taking away her loved one, and ruining her life.

When Anoi received news of their engagement, she was sitting in a café, enjoying her favorite drink. From then on, eating there didn't seem delicious anymore.

That time her heart was breaking. But she didn't do anything. She accepted that. If the person wanted to walk out of her life, she wouldn't ruin herself, trying to stop them.

If he didn't love her, she would let him go.

And she did.

And yet. Even now, the figure of that intrusive woman continued on reappearing in her life.

Why?

And what does Lint have to do with the three of them?

"Why? What does she want?.." Anoi heard herself saying.

Lint forced the mouth of the dying woman open, not allowing her to speak anymore.

"Naturally, that must be because she wants you dead," he said in a matter-of-fact kind of voice.

Was that so wrong she wanted to live? For what reason must she die? Anoi stared at the man, fearing his next move.

Wait…

Wasn't she dead already? But how come, she could still see herself moving in front of Lint.

The man tightly held forceps and then… a crunching sound followed.

He started removing Anoi's teeth.

One.

By.

One.

Anoi didn't know how much time had passed before she realized what was happening.

She widened her eyes in horror. She wanted to stop Lint, but no matter what she did, her hands passed through him just like air. She… she couldn't touch him.

And so the torment continued. Moment turned into a second. Seconds passed into minutes. Minutes into hours.

The female helplessly stood by the two figures who couldn't even see her. She was observing, not being able to turn her head away.

Time stopped for her.

She no longer knew if the pain she was experiencing belonged to her physical self, or was it her soul that was tearing itself from the inside. All of her senses were blended together.

Her gaze was following every movement in front of her.

"Lint…" she plead. "Lint, please… stop…"

She no longer screamed. Her voice went raspy hours ago, when she was trying to make the man in front of her end his unhuman behavior.

In some far away, hidden corner of herself, Anoi still had a bit of hope left. She no longer believed the man in front of her would save her. She just wanted him to stop.

As if hearing her words, Lint finally ceased his actions and dropped his last tool on the floor. By now, there was a pile of them beside him, all washed in blood, with pieces of bones and strands of hair on them.

He took off his gloves and stared at the small victim on the floor. What was that in his eyes? If she didn't feel like she was going crazy, Anoi could've sworn she saw a trace of pity in his gaze…

And then he turned away.

Anoi couldn't see his actions, but she was hoping something happened and he, in some way or another, would… would show mercy.

And then, she saw it. A sparkle of cold metal pierced her mind.

He…

…he…

...was holding a gun.