The Unknown

Pain

"He doesn't blame you, you know that right?" Xing Si tries to comfort  Li Cheng, who has been sitting outside Mu Ren's room for almost the  whole day.

"Doesn't matter. I do. I blame Me." he replies.

"How long will you sit here? You should at least eat something."

"I will eat, when he does. I don't even know what he is doing in there."

"Give him time, Li Cheng. He will come to you when he's ready."

"I just...I just can't do nothing. I don't even know what to do. I will wait here until he's ready."

Xing Si pats his shoulder, hands him the coffee he has brought over and gets back to his room to sleep.

"TengTeng, do you want to come out and eat something. Or at least  drink something?" Li Cheng knocks on the door lightly, but gets no  response.

Mu Ren has been inside his room up from the time they got back that  morning. He hasn't talked to either of them or even come out to eat or  drink. And Li Cheng has been sitting outside his room, waiting.

"TengTeng, can I come in? I just want to see how you are doing. I...I'm just worried. Please?" he tries again.

He has been trying to get Mu Ren to respond throughout the day, to no  avail.  He continues to sit there for another hour more and then  proceeds to the living room to lie down on the couch. Before he even  closes his eyes, he hears a scream from Mu Ren's room and rushes back to  check.

"TengTeng, are you okay? I'm coming in!" he enters the pitch dark  room. There is only small ray of light coming in from outside through  the blinds. The light is enough for Li Cheng to see that Mu Ren is  sitting upright on the bed, eyes wide open and shivering in fear.

"TengTeng, did you have a nightmare?" Li Cheng sits next to him.

Mu Ren hugs him tight and holds onto him for a long time.

"Li Cheng! Don't leave me. Don't leave me please."

"I won't. I won't ever!"

Li Cheng gets on the bed, holding Mu Ren tightly in his arms and lies down next to him just like the previous night.

"I'm Sorry TengTeng. I really am. I was not there for you when you needed me. I left you."

Mu Ren hugs him even tighter still keeping his eyes closed. It takes  him a while to simmer down and stop trembling. Li Cheng holds him all  the while, brushing his hair and lulling him to relax.

Mu Ren speaks up eventually. "It's not your fault. You didn't know! I  asked you to leave me alone. I should have listened to you and not let  my guard down. If only I paid more attention to my surroundings, I would  have noticed the drug he slipped me."

"I'm not gonna let that bastard go. I will make sure he gets what he  deserves." Li Cheng grinds his teeth in anger. He feels Mu Ren stiffen  in his arms.

"I couldn't fight him....I tried...I tried with whatever I got. But the  drug..I had no control, Li Cheng. I didn't know what was happening to my  body."

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to."

"I kept pushing him away, but he was strong...I couldn't, I just  couldn't fight him. So I kept calling...calling for you. In the end...my  mind gave out and my body betrayed me...may be...may be I didn't try hard  enough." he starts crying now.

"TengTeng"

"I hate myself, I feel dirty and disgusted." his voice breaks as the low whine quickly escalates to full blown sobs.