Cold Stares

Chapter 2

tw: blood, falling from high altitude.

I saw how the cruel world turned its back against me. I saw how people forsake me because of my situation. They say that in order to achieve Nirvana one must have a good heart.

But why does everything leaves whenever I reach out? Why does everything disappear when I needed help? Does God create me only to receive tragedies?

"This kid will only bring unfortunate to your family! She's a disgrace. Leave her alone! She deserves to die." The fortune-teller said after my me and my parents came across her on the street.

My parents were devoted to believing in the deities and heavenly traditions that they decided to send me to a spiritual house in order to cleanse my soul. I was a kid back then I had no one to lean on, and my parents who supposed to nurture me left without any hesitation.

"How many times do you have to teach you the prayer for you to memorize it!" The Lady said as I receive my fortieth beating. I cried, silently as every time the stick hit my skin. And with every hit, I filled my heart with so much grief that all I could think of escape.

A year passed and my wish came true. I escaped the terror inside the spiritual house. The house caught a huge fire that killed everyone inside it. I was left outside kneeling below the scorching heat of the sun. I heard screams of torture, I heard them plead.

I watched it burnt.

I watched it consumed by the flames with a smile on my face. It was freedom, I felt free.

I opened my eyes. My head was spinning probably made by whatever drug I inhaled earlier. I felt as if my hand was tearing apart, I looked up only to find my hands tied with a rope in the balcony. I looked down only to find a deep dark river beneath me.

I saw Ethan and Reyn beside me. Just like me, they were both tied. Their hair was disheveled together with their shirts. My eyes fled to Ethan's face. He has Bruises. An indication of struggling. He looked tired and furious with his brow furrowed.

"Hey! Wake up!" I said slightly raising my voice. "Ethan, Reyn, wake up!"

I saw them opening their eyes. They were both surprised to see us tied on a balcony and beneath us is a fifteen feet river.

"Are you okay?" I nodded as he asked me. I asked Reyn and he said that he was fine.

"I think my wrist will rip off," I said. As I saw how swollen my wrists are. The ropes were rough and tight, my skin had already scratched and I can saw blood flowing from it.

"It's too tight. I can't pull my hands out." Reyn said while trying to figure out how he would untie himself.

We were all startled as we heard a screaming noise coming from the balcony. We all looked up only to see Julie, a masked man was dragging her from her hair. He made her stood up facing our direction, Julie's dress was full of bloodstains. We gasped as we heard Julie's scream because of pain as the man cut her shoulder with a knife he had.

"Put her down, you psycho!" Ethan exclaimed. We heard a laugh as if he was losing his screws. "Me?" He pointed to himself. "A psycho? what can you say, Dahlia?"

"Shut the fuck up!" I said. Afraid that he knows my sin. Terrified of cards he will pull.

"What do you want from us!" Reyn said. He held his chin as if he was in deep thoughts. Julie was still in his grasp.

"I was offended when you didn't invite me to your game." He sounded lonely but it made me sick!

"As if you're invited," I said.

"SHUT UP!!!" We heard gunshots and Julie's terrified scream. I was forced to be silenced.

"As I was saying... It's common courtesy to invite all the guests if you will start playing right?" We were silent weighing what will happen next. "Why don't we play another game?"

"What game?" Ethan asked.

"It's a game called, save this princess before dawn or else you'll never get see her breathing." He laughed.

As far as I'm nervous I know Julie feeling it three times. She was trembling, and her eyes scream help. My eyes were flying from the masked man to Julie, to Ethan and Reyn, and the river below us.

"Okay. What are the mechanics?" Ethan asked, among us, he's the only person who gets his humor.

"The mechanics are simple. Get her or else she'll die, If I see you, I'll kill you." He said. "Shall we start?"

Before I could react he already cut the rope that was saving me from falling to the river, I crashed the cold waters. The impact was too strong that I immediately sunk to the bottom of the river. I tried to untie the rope in my hands and feet but it was no use.

I struggled before I felt that I was lacking air to breathe. My heart was beating so fast, I tried to reach up but with my hands and feet tied up, it was impossible for me. My eyesight gets blurry. I ran out of hope to live.

I may have been secretive but I can't believe that my wasted life would end up like this.I felt someone's arm slip to my waist. It dragged me out of the water. Alas! hope strikes me again. I breathe heavily as I gain a line of vision. I saw Ethan, worried eyes we're shot at me. I hugged him and cried.

"I thought I'm gonna die!" I exclaimed still shoving my head on his shoulders. I felt him caressing my back to calm me. We both removed our embrace as we heard Reyn calling my name.

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Reyn rushed towards me, checking every inch of my face. I held his cheeks too.

"I'm fine. We should look for Julie."

"Aaaaaaaaaaahh!"

Julie's terrified screams disturbed us. Her screams are coming from the mansion. We stood up and looked around. Everything's dark due to the cold night. The balcony's light turned on I got blinded for a second but when my vision cleared I saw the man pointing his gun at Julie.

"Get this brat Dahlia, I know you would!" He shouted. The man showered us bullets. Ethan grabbed my hand as we shelter our lives from the menacing man. I looked at the masked man.

Those cold stares of him I know I met them before.