The Tree's Girl

Chapter Fifty Three

Stab

I just saw the most beautiful smile in my life, and in an instant it was stolen away from me. It changed into an expression of pure shock. She slowly fell to the ground and was silenced.

I stared at her, unfazed and unmoving. I didn't know what happened, but after a few seconds it finally sank into my mind.

"Jo-seph-"

"Maria!" I started thrashing around the rope that tied me to the tree, the rope that rendered me useless, the rope that keeps me from helping the one I love who is now laying on the bloody grass with a stab wound on her back.

"You bastar-!" I turned to see who did it to her and my world just crumbled into nothingness. I was held speechless.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry, Joseph. This was the only way."

He held the bloody knife in his hand and it looked like he wasn't done yet. He also had a can of gasoline in the other. His cold green eyes pierced through me like knives. It was the first time, ever in my entire life, had I seen him like this. He said he'll never kill but-

Jian looks like a cold hearted killer right now.

"Joseph, who- AHHH!"

"Maria!"

Maria couldn't ask, Jian didn't give her the chance. He stepped on her wound harshly and mercilessly. It bled even more. Maria cried in pain even louder. I pulled on the ropes even harder. I needed to escape, I need to help Maria!

"Jian, stop! Don't do this!" I shouted, dread all over my face.

"J-JIAN?!" Maria was shocked to hear his name, but Jian didn't want to hear her voice at all. He stomped on her again, repeatedly. He made her cry out of pain and it broke my heart and soul.

"STOP HURTING HER, JIAN! PLEASE!" If only I could fall to my knees and beg, I would. But I can't. I was tied to a tree. If I wasn't, I won't plead to him, I'll punch the lights out of him!

He stopped torturing Maria and he let her crawl away from him and towards me. She was losing more blood and her wound was looking extremely serious. She needs immediate care but-

"Joseph, you and your girlfriend will never understand," he stated as if he was disappointed as he toyed with the knife in his hand. I couldn't recognize him at all.

"Whay will we never understand?"

"I have long wanted to escape this life, Joseph, Maria. I wanted this for a long time now." He sounded so calm as he stared at the shiny weapon in his hand, but Maria and I still had our guards up.  "But that fucking tree always gets in my way!"

He threw the knife at me and it stabbed me right at the thigh. I didn't want to shout, but the shock and pain was too much to handle.

"Jose-" Maria reached out for the knife on my leg, but another knife was sent flying and it hit her hand exactly and it nailed her hand to the tree's bark. Her screams echo in the silent night.

"I'm not done talking you two." Jian glared at us both. All we could do was cower in fear.

"Y-you're insane." Maria said under her breath.

He only shrugged his shoulders, "Inevitable, I guess. You'd go crazy too  when sudden bruises and wounds would appear in your body. When you've tried to kill yourself so many times, but the tree's health just won't allow you. When your plan gets compromised by your two stupid siblings!" He shouted again and attempted to throw another knife from inside his coat. Maria and I could only whimper.