YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!

ONE YEAR EARLIER.

Amaya and I were sitting in a fancy restaurant when she noticed a change in my demeanor.

"Jayson, what is wrong?" Amaya asked.

I said nothing and just stared at her.

She placed her right hand on my cheek and slowly caressed it.

"You know you can tell me anything right?" She said as she continued to caress my cheeks.

"Don't you think you are making a mistake?" I said removing her hand from my cheek.

"Mistake? What do you mean by that?" She asked perplexed.

"I mean choosing to spend your life with a loser like me?" I couldn't look into her eyes because I knew she would be hurt by what I just said. I just looked down.

"C'mon, don't say that. You are not a loser and I love you for who you are. Don't say stuff like that again." She placed her smooth hand on my chin and raise it slowly. She looked at me with a smile on her face.

I looked into her eyes for a while before mustering the courage to say something else.

"It's not just a saying. It's the absolute truth. You deserve better than someone like me. In all my life; I have been nothing but a loser. No matter what I do I just can't change that. I don't know what to do anymore." I held her hand after I said this trying to make her understand.

"Please Amaya, you have to understand that I am not good for you." I said with a downcast look.

"Hey. Stop being a downer and look at me." she said.

I looked at her with my 100% attention.

"You are so much than you think you are. Look at the amazing stories you are able to write for instance. Everyone who reads it tell you that you have talent and it's true. Look on the bright side too; you also have me and my cousin Suzuki. That is something that makes you more than you think."

It's not that I don't love Amaya. The truth is I love her very much. It's just that I am afraid that she may one day get to leave me just like my mom did.

"I…I…don't know what to say." I was taken aback by what she said earlier.

"Hey, stop it already. You are special. Start believing it."

When she said that; it forced me to remember my childhood.

I was a 6 year old who had to witness his parents getting divorced.

I admit my dad was a jerk sometimes but; to me I don't think he deserved what my mom did to him.

He returned home; only to find my mom cheating on him. It broke us in half and when my mom was given the chance to choose us over the guy she was cheating with; she chose to abandon us especially- me.

Every night she would tell me bedtime stories and I would get so excited. It made me feel comfort and secure. It allowed me to sleep peacefully.

My favorite part was when she ends by saying: "You are special, Jayson. Never forget that."

Then she would kiss me on the forehead and switch off the lights after saying 'goodnight.'

But when she left…

The nights became lonely.

There were no bedtime stories.

No 'goodnight.'

And no one to also tell me: "You are special, Jayson."

As time went by, the word 'special' became a word I hated. I would mostly spend time alone crying. But there was no one to talk to.

The nights were so lonely and I always cried myself to sleep.

On top of that I was getting bullied and humiliated almost every day.

I hated it all.

Because of that when Amaya mentioned that I was special; I didn't smile and instead said this:

"Special…huh…it's just so funny. Do you know who used to say that to me every single night? Ask me where she is now. I grew up believing this shit every day but the truth was the exact opposite was true. And that talented writer you are saying I am, you know that's not true. Just tell me how many times my stories have been rejected and treated as trash. So don't give me that bullshit!"

"I know you had a rough childhood but…"

"Rough? That is what you call it? Hahaha…how funny. It is more than rough; in fact, I call it hell." My voice got so loud that it drew the waitress attention. On top of that, all eyes were on us. I slowly drew back in my seat and took in a deep breath.

"Sorry." I said softly after I exhaled.

The waitress came and attended to us.

"What would you like to order, sir?" she asked with a broad smile. it was obvious she was faking it.

"I want spicy chicken sandwich and a bottle of champagne." I said.

"What about you, ma'am?" she turned towards Amaya.

"Give me chicken wings and some stuffed peppers to go with it."

The waitress nodded and left.

She returned shortly with our meal.

We ate in silence exchanging eye contact only.

Amaya stopped eating halfway and broke the silence.

"I don't care about what people say about you; all I know is that I love you. That is all that matters."

"What made you fall in love with a motherfucker like me anyway?" I asked.

Here I was hating my very essence yet she was so attached to me like I was an oxygen.

She smiled and confidently narrated:

"Do you remember the time I got stacked on a tree trying to save my cat, Kokeshi?"

"Yeah I remember. How old were we during that time?" I asked with a slight smile on my face.

"We were 15." Amaya said.

"15? How long has it since then?" I asked.

"6 years." Amaya said laughing.

"Wow…that is a very long time and you still remember? What makes it special to you?" I asked.

She signed and laughed before continuing:

"When I got stacked on the tree; you quickly came to my aid. I was so terrified. But you kept saying 'jump, I will catch you.' I couldn't because I was so afraid. Yet you persisted saying 'jump, I will catch you.'"

"I remember you were hesitant at first and didn't believe that I was going to catch you. That was when I told you that I had feelings for you that's why I won't let you fall."

She smiled when she heard my narration and continued:

"When you said that, I looked deeply into your eyes to find out the truth. Eyes don't lie and I found out you were telling the truth. It gave me the courage to jump and surprisingly you caught me then…"

"We both fell." I finished Amaya's statement with a look of regret that I couldn't keep my word.

But she said something which made me feel the hero.

"Yes, we both fell but; you made sure I didn't get injured. Even though you twisted your ankle, you took me home despite the pain. Before you left; I asked you if what you said earlier was true." Amaya said joyfully.

"And…I said yes. Then… you asked me to promise you that I will always be by your side. Since that day we have been together until now." I said finishing her narration.

She looked at me with a broad smile on her face.

"I think we can get married soon." She said.

I and Amaya became friends since the time she defended me from Beckett and started dating when we turned 15.

I am grateful to have her in my life. Despite that…I don't think I deserve her. That why; I want her to find someone better than me; so we could be much happier.

"Married? Why would you want that?" I asked.

"C'mon, don't tell me you are not excited about it. We have been together for 6 years; so why can't we get married?" She asked.

"Because…I am not the right person you need in your life. How am I supposed to take care of you now when I am jobless? I just got fired and don't know how to make ends meet anymore. No one is reading my stories and it keeps being rejected on multiple platforms. I haven't even got a copy of my books sold on Amazon." I complained bitterly.

"Relax. Everything is going to be fine. Besides you have me taking care of you. I will talk with my boss to help promote your stories and everything will have to go to normal so you won't worry anymore." Amaya said in high spirits.

"How do you manage to do it?" I asked with a surprised look.

"Manage to do what?" she asked.

"Always being so positive and optimistic about the future?"

"That's because life is still beautiful no matter what we go through." She said.

"I wish I could believe that."

I said with a look of disdain. I wish I could just die and be at peace.

"You don't have to worry yourself anymore with me. I quit writing; in fact I quit on everything." I said with immense determination.

"Why would you quit when you are so close to making it?" She asked.

"Because it's not meant for me; I was never cut out to be a writer."

"You said you are quitting on everything, right?" Amaya asked.

"Yes." I said with a nod.

"Does that include me as well?" tears begun to well up in her eyes.

I didn't have the courage to reply her. My breathing turned heavy as the words refused to come out.

She immediately picked up her bag.

"I don't think you are feeling good today so take this and pay the bill. Call me tomorrow when you are ok." She left money on the table and turned around to leave. She wanted to hide her tears.

"That won't be necessary." I said walking up to her.

She stopped and turned towards me shaking her head.

"No Jayson! You can't do this to me." Just like rain, the tears slowly fell and rolled down on her cheeks.

When I got closer to her, I whispered into her ears:

"I'm sorry, Amaya. You deserve better than me. Find someone better and live a happy life because I am up to no good. I'm sorry but this is goodbye."

After I said this, I left without turning back.

"Jayson! Jayson! Don't leave me." Amaya screamed after me but I was long gone.

After that day; I never replied her calls or even checked on her.

I just gave up on everything.

Then 2 months later after Suzuki died; I got a call that Amaya had committed suicide.

I was broken when I heard the news and had to live with this guilt for the rest of my life

I could never forgive myself because I was the cause of Suzuki's death and Amaya's as well.

PRESENTLY.

"I am never going to forget what you did to me, Jayson!

Now; you are going to pay for what you did."

The mist suddenly cleared and it made me realize where I really was.

Which is…?

A graveyard.

Strangely; all the tombstones around had this written on them:

Amaya Claire

May 09 1994

August 19 2021

-May your soul rest in peace.

I fell down on my knees because I was responsible for it.

When I looked up;

Amaya was floating in the air wearing a black gown.

Her skin had turned pale and she was crying blood.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME. YOU TOOK MY LIFE FROM ME. WHY? WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU THE MOST?" She screamed at me. Her voice so loud I had to cover my ears.

Blood suddenly oozed from my ears and nose. I was in great pain and also speechless.

"When Suzuki died; I was so alone. I wanted you to at least be there to comfort me. But you had long given up on me. So I decided; what good is this life anyway? I chose to kill myself by DRINKING POISON. And I ended up here. I thought death would end my pain instead it created new ones. I BLAME NO ONE ELSE BUT YOU. THAT IS WHY WE ARE GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY."

When she said 'we'; it made me wonder who else was with her.

I was still kneeling when I saw something coming out of the ground.

At first, I saw only fingers.

"Could it be that of a human?" I asked myself.

It suddenly popped out and grabbed me by the throat.

That was when I realize it was the hand of a human.

With immense strength; the hand strangled me to the point where I was out of breath. I was pulled back by the hand as it strangled me beyond breath.

It's head slowly emerged out of the ground as well.

When the full head came out; I was so shocked and afraid.

It was…

Suzuki.