Kabanata III

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Static noises blared inside my eardrums. I blinked, trying to see clearly but my vision is still clouded. Why does my chest hurts so much?

The colors faded.

"We're loosing her!"

An electric shock runs within my entire body till the image became sharp again. Only to reveal a horrifying sight that had turn my blood to run cold.

Butterfly sensation arose from my guts. Am I sick or is it the adrenaline rush pumping inside my vains? Making me lose more blood.

Either way, I gaped in terror. Red oozing liquid runs vibrately from tile to tile near a small kid, probably between three or four. Some where still dripping from above the floor, that's when I noticed the dark shadow over my shoulder.

"Lazulith."

I woke up with a start. Curious from the bitter dream. Cold sweats bead on the side of my face.

I don't feel so we'll lately.

"You're awake." A man in his late twenties said.

He is wearing a surgery gear, completed with white surgical mask. He was reading a hard covered book. I bet it weighs ten kilo more or less.

"Manhi chumusyossumnikka? How are you feeling now?"

"Depends on how did I got here." I sat up, closed eyes.

"Someone found you unconscious on an alley and called 911."

I tried to stand.

Key word: TRIED.

The moment I stood up the world spin faster than a spin mop does.

"Oh and try not to add pressure on your right foot. Your ankle still needs to heal."

"Thanks for the warning. Can you say it like earlier next time?" I swallowed the words for getting hit by a dictionary as a wake-up call will only knock me into sleep again. Yeah, I better not.

"How long was I out?"

I rub my eyes and adjust to get used from the brightness of the room.

I hate white.

"For few days. You had a slight concussion. I'm still watching you for internal bleeding though but aside from broken ankle so far, so good." He told me, not lifting his eyes away from his clipboard.

I managed to take a peek but then my lids have failed me.

"I feel.. kind of sleepy..." my voice was muffled.

"It's the pain killers." He replied.

I would feel more safe if he didn't smile before stepping outside.

"Get some rest. Well talk later." Then the door closes.

I wonder how is the house doing. I can tell he is still mad about it. It has been two years since I last saw Triton. He haven't changed a bit —well, excluding the growing shades of silver on his head.

Still workaholic as ever.

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"Are you sure you don't need anything else?"

"For the nth time, I'm fine. Now leave me alone."

"Okay ok, if you need anything I'm just one call away."

I laid back again on the bed after pushing aside what Nadedja brought earlier and place it all in the table next to the bed. Her poison cooking isn't helping. =_=;

Finally some quiet time-

"are you sure you don't need extra pillows? Wait— Laz don't!"

Too tired to argue with her I stood up and jumped over the window. My ankle recovered pretty fast though I'm exhausted as hell but I can't sleep as long as Nadedja won't stop babying me from here, there and then.

Cold midnight breeze welcomed me as I escaped. The left side of the university's boundary was deep woods, luckily enough close to the dormitory's location.

My mind drifted but I don't care if I get lost again in the woods. It's not the first time to happen anyway.

I saw the wall and jump over it to get out from the school's premises, with a smirk plastered in my face. Okay there's a hole right over the corner so i don't have to jump that high.

Freedom here I come.

I planned to roam the woods first then look for the tallest peaceful tree to spend the night.Oh maybe I could even dig a hole in there to push Intruders with.

My mind was rambling again when something caught my attention for a sec. Someone leaning on the wall on the other side. But before I could fix my gaze to clearly catch on, the wall caught my foot instead. Knocking me in the process and went tumbling down the ground.

My left cheekbone stings as I quiver in pain. What in blazing inferno was that?

I sat up, scanning my eyes for any sign of life and squirt my eyes for better view, adapting in the dark.

No one is on sight.

Something was rustling behind the bushes not so far from my eight o'clock.

Too big to be a weasel. Too clumsy for an owl. Too decisive to be a jacal. Too hurried to be a person - wait wait wait, hold up. How can a Jacal appear in Pusan? Aren't they only can be found in Mexico and Southwestern US?

The tree shook with a hiss. Not sure what is out there, waiting to pounce at it's prey.

I felt chills crawl up my spine. Eyes digging holes above my head.

No wait,

It is only a moth...

It's wings are wide as monarch. I've seen bigger but not with ebony color.

I released it's wings and let it flutter away, reuniting with it's flock above the tree earlier. Weird.

I continued on my journey, accompanied by the noise of crickets and owls.

Nature's music. I got carried away by the melody I forgot to focus on my trail but that didn't stopped me to go deeper in the forest. I haven't been in this part of nowhere... Shit I must have walk in a bee line earlier for I can't see the river bank anywhere and... I'm pretty sure I've walk passed that odd shaped slender tree too.

I turn back but the path is gone.

"The moon should be bright enough for me to see but... damn where is the moonlight?" I said out loud out of frustration.

I stopped dead on my tracks after minutes of walking to who-knows-where. Stunned by the fact how did I not notice the worn building before.

I peek through the window and confirmed that this is a classroom. It didn't felt right to stay there longer so I walked away from the premises.

I've lost hope the moment I stop by a creak but the faint puff of smoke above the timber trees gave me enough reason. It is almost dawn when I race towards the direction where the smoke is.

Seven teens older than I do were camping in the middle of the forest.

Maybe they can help me find my way back-

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

A high-piercing bloody scream interrupted my thoughts. In front of me the camp was covered with blood and all chunk of flesh coated the ground and grass.

Even a head roll it's way beside my feet.

Shit!

Eyes bulging and a clean cut neck. Strangled to death before his head was chopped off.

Done by a professional no doubt but seriously, if this thing blinks, I'll kick it to Bermuda triangle where I wont be able to see it again.

"Please d-don't kill us. You want money? I can give you tons of it! My father is a banker, just let us go"

"W-we won't te..tell anyone I swear!"

"Plea-se..donthurtme!Ibegofyou..."

The three remaining beg for their lives while the man finished off the fourth guy by dislocating it's neck.

Crackling sound of broken spine made them coward in fear.

The scene made me forgot to breathe. This guy is fast, I still haven't walked away to escape and to make it worse I'm hiding behind a dead tree close to them.

The man stepped out from the shadow of the trees, revealing a six footer.."Lamp post."

"Whose THERE?" The unearthly rough voice hissed, snapping it's head towards me.

Double shit!

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They say you'll get numb by the coldness. Well I say stop reading novels and fuck that cause all I feel is pain!

It's like being hit with a moving van.

Don't ask me how I knew that.

Why do I only see black?

Oh right, my eyes are close.

I touch the excruciating pulse throb in my head and saw blood on my fingers. Some of it had already dried.

The memory came back to me.

The lamp post with pair of hatchet hit me with it.

I groan and roll in my side. Slowly the static buzzing ring in my ears disappeared but replaced with sobs and plead to let us out. For sure I don't wail like a dying cat that is being strangled, so, yeah. I'm not fucking alone here.

I regret waking my senses up.

I saw those women from last night making those noise. I lay flat on my stomach and cover both of my ears. Who ever our abductor is.. I'll surely appreciate it if he would kill me right now to end my misery. Hell it wouldn't be a shocker if I go deaf.

Must be their first getting taken by a stranger. Hey, don't get me wrong but it's not that different living with different foster parents for years that doesn't gives two shit on you.

Bitch I sometimes wake up with bruises and cuts on parts of my body I never knew they hit after one of my so called parents discipline sessions.

And by 'sometimes' I mean most of the times.

Another piercing sound made my eyes to open and ears to overheat.

The fourth lady with ripped jeans and pink funnel has woke up. Sure the others were noisy as fuck but the rosenette is hyperventilating.

If by all means to comfort her to get some nap I will endure it.

I climb up to my feet with a heavy heart and cage her with comfort in my arms.

"Shut up girlie and go to sleep." I say if I was a lunatic but since I'm still an educated person instead I muster my everything to be gentle with the drama queen.

My lips whisper to her ears the melody I know and for her ears only to hear. Due time she calmed down in silent sobs. I was still rocking her back and forth when the door busted open.

Took ya long enough. Revealing the same man in an old tattered baggy jeans with brown stains on it from last night- or was it dawn? Anywho, If you compare the smell with a skunk the critter shall be put in shame by him.

"KEEP IT DOWN WILL YOU." Shouts the murderer that made the females to cower in fear, leaving me dumbfounded.

I was expecting him holding something more sinister than a spatula. I mean c'mon, are you even trying to scare us or what, is this the killer from the forest? Cause right now I'm most certainly disappointed in so many levels. Even an amateur criminal is more intimidating than this hermit.

"What do you want from us?"

"Please let us go.."

"Where did you take us? I wanna go home!"

"Are you going to kill us? Rape us? Starve us to death!?"

Normally these lines might be what you'll throw in this kind of situation but my mouth have something in mind. Tell him to free us all-

"Gay apron." I mentally falcon punch myself for blowing it.

The man looked at me then his outfit then back at me again. Confused but offended in some ways. Maybe.

"With ruffles." I continued. "Is this a sick joke?"

I was taken back from my sudden outburst myself than all of them in the room but shit the man needs some sense talk.

Can somebody call a psychiatrist? This lunatic here need serious help to be a better villain.

They look at me like I've grown three heads but their criticism didn't stop me to give this asshole a piece of my wit.

"Look here sir jack ass of failure vill. If you want your hostage, prey, toys-call it whatever you want to fear you at least try to look like a proper bad guy!" He flinched a bit. Okay, I might have been dabbing his ribs at some point or so. "Not a lost dork who doesn't know what a shower or bath is-like seriously you reeks than a burnt rubber stuff with rotten eggs and decaying worms with cavities though that doesn't make any sense but I'm too tired, lack of sleep, infuriate to think and running out of things to say so good night and don't come back for the next passing hours." I sternly said, completely out-villained the man and shut the door right in his face like a boss.

I don't care if he is in pain from the sick burn or by door but who fucking cares?

We're gonna die and I still need my SLEEP! It's basically the reason why I got myself into this whole-captured-thing in the first place. I found myself laying back in the floor with shivering damsels in the opposite side of the room. Away from me.

What? I said I need sleep damnit.