Music To My Ears | 2gether Short Stories

Roses Among Thorns - Chapter 02

Static crackled on the walkie talkie that had been kicked under a chair in a corner of the room in the initial scuffle, and was now nestled in Vachirawit's hand.

The police squad was moving through the building, sweeping it floor by floor.

Vachirawit ran his hands through Metawin's hair. Metawin grinned and fixed Vachirawit's shirt the best he could with half the buttons missing. They had dressed in a hurry.

Vachirawit pressed a finger to his lips and silenced his radio. Metawin nodded and locked the door from the inside.

They sat absolutely still, side by side against the wall beside the door.

Footsteps sounded outside, running through the corridor. An urgent jangling of the doorknob, and Vachirawit curled his fingers around Metawin's, squeezing them. Metawin laced their fingers together and squeezed back.

Their pulses raced and hearts thudded painfully in their throats.

After an eternity, or maybe a few seconds, the footsteps moved on, other doors were slammed open.

Somewhere else in the building someone shouted, followed by a commotion as the men outside ran to where the noises were coming from.

The two men in the room waited with bated breath, ears keenly listening for any stragglers still remaining.

Metawin pointed to a door that led away from the room they were in. Vachirawit nodded and they moved soundlessly through the flat to a dingy bedroom.

The walls and ceiling were blackened with soot, the mattress was naked and stained, an oblong, body-shaped dent imprinted permanently on it along one side, the foam having long ago lost its elasticity.

Metawin pressed the mattress gingerly to test if it squeaked. It stayed mercifully silent.

He lay on it and wiggled a little bit to make himself as comfortable as he could. He patted the space next to him.

Vachirawit rolled his eyes and lay down beside him. They lay silently, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes.

"Are you doing well?" asked Vachirawit, staring at a water patch that was spreading over the blistered plaster on the ceiling.

"Yeah" sighed Metawin, "You?"

"I'm not doing well either" said Vachirawit with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Metawin smiled sadly and turned to his side, propped up on his elbow as he gazed at Vachirawit.

"Kong is safe. I managed to put him on a boat to China" he said softly, reaching a hand out to brush the other's black bangs off his forehead.

Vachirawit's mouth pursed into a hard line. "He should have been put on a bus to prison instead."

Metawin sighed. "He's your brother, Vachi."

"He's the reason I lost you" whispered Vachirawit and turned his face away.

"That's not true" said Metawin, and lay back, crossing his palms under his head.

Vachirawit spoke in a harsh whisper, the prickling in his eyes and the lump in his throat threatening to break the thread of self control he was holding on to.

"He knew what you meant to me and he used that against us. He knew exactly what he was doing, pulling you into his bullshit gang of trigger-happy, drug-crazed thugs."

"That was so long ago, Vachi. And I'm responsible for my own actions. I'm no saint" said Metawin.

"You're a fucking asshole, that's what you are. I hate you with every bone in my body" spat out Vachirawit.