We and Us

Chapter 20

A skinny figure dressed in dark colours smile through the dim light. In his hand, the metal bat he grips. It's bent. He spoke.

"Sherry, it's me. Charlie. How are you?"  he drags the bat, taking one steps into the office, neither Steve, Benji nor Alex can capture him in his position. He can see both side if he turn around.
"Why won't you talk to me?" his alcohol reeks breath fills the air. I couldn't reply to any of his question, I became mute. Only the shaking and trembling body can answer. He smiled.

"I don't think you realised how much I want you. You flirts with me and yet you don't talk to me. Why. Why? WHY?"  he asked angrily. I told you, what he heard isn't the truth about me.

I shake my head, tears fall silently. He take something out of his pocket. "I buy this for you."  he throw it on the table right to my position. "Eat it, I'm waiting."

I look at it and it's a candy. I look at him and shake my head. He's expression darken, there's a threatening look in his eye. Shakily, I pick it up and unwrapped it. That's when the phone vibrates. I slowly check it under the table while keeping another hand holding the candy.
The message is from Steve.
'Got the picture. Pull him in.'

Since he's also armed, I had to make sure the three of them are out of his sight.

"Eat it." he holds his bat higher from the ground. His eyes aren't blinking, staring at each movement I make. "Eat it. Now."
He command. My mind goes blank with only his face I could see. I took a bite of the candy. He nodded and smiled disgustingly. Under his intense staring, I had to chew and swallow it.

"Now that's my girl. Why do you eat it if you don't like me, right?"  he run right to where I stand. I shake my head and steps back, holding the wall to not fall.
"so I bought so many. For you, candy with m-" he turn around. He must've heard Steve walking in. I stand in the corner of the room.

"You, you put me in jail. I HATE JAIL!" he said as he swung his bat to Steve. Lucky that Steve had a wood plank with him, he avoids Charlie's attack with the planks.

"Rey, go now!"  Steve shouted. He's holding the bat while also covering his body with the plank.
I either crawl or go over the table. I slipped on my own weak knee, the two guy are still pulling the bat to themselves. A hand pulled me from under the table and drag me to the other side of the room. Alex holds me and pull me out of the room, he didn't say anything and run back in.

Alex has nothing on him. I look around for Benji but he's not there. I couldn't shout for him and realised I have the whistle, the rod, and pepper spray. I extend the rod and use it as a support to go back to the office. I blow the whistle in a quick breath and throw the pepper spray with the rod inside the room. Alex turns to look at me and grab the pepper spray, spraying it right to Charlie's face, he shouts and fall to the ground. Benji come running with the rope and cuff into the office.

The three of them ties him and use the rod to make sure he can't move. Alex take Benji's handkerchief and stuffed it in Charlie's mouth, which still groaning from the pepper spray.

They sighed and just a minute later, the police car arrive. Alex come back to where I'm siting.

"You're okay? Did he gets you?" he asked. I shake my head while he holds my face and he smiled. "Now all we have to do is follow them to make sure this time he finally locked up."  he said. I nodded and he lift me on his arm. He put me in the car and sit next to me. Benji was the one who called the police while Steve was disarming Charlie.

"Stop crying, you're safe now." he try to comfort me. I'm rubbing both my arms and suddenly, a nauseated feelings come and I push the door to throw up outside. I sat on the ground, looking down, wheezing and holding my throat.

"Wait, what did he made you eat?"  he asked as he holds my arms that starts having hives. I shake my head and hold my throat. My breath becomes shorter, it feels tight.

"Tell me! What did he made you eat?"  Alex starts to worry. I look at him and mouthed milk, before falling to the ground.  The street only has one light here, but everything became much darker till I couldn't see anything. Voices too, become silent.

I don't know how long it's been, but when I opened my eyes, the familiar lights from the room captured my eyes. I look around, trying to get up, but accidentally woken up the person laying on the chair besides the bed.

"Hey, you're awake? Feeling like throwing up?"  the familiar voice spoke quietly. I could only shake my head and cry.

"It's okay, this time, he really locked up. We made sure of it." he pulls me into a hug, the warmth he gave comforted me. I look at him and asked. "What happened?"

"You had an allergy reaction, I brought you to the hospital, Benji and Steve follows the police and made sure he's locked up."
He brushes my hair like usual.

I hold his hand, there's a bandage on his wrist. I asked "Why? How did you hurt your hand?"

He take his hand away and I try to sit on the bed. "Tell me." I said. I realised there's a wire stuck into my hand.

"I twisted it when disarming him. Not a big deal okay? Are you feeling good now?" he change the topic.

"I'm dizzy, and tired. How long was I asleep? What time is it?" I look around and lay my back to the headboard.

"You've been out for 8 hours. Want some water?" he asked.
8 hours, so now is 5am.

"Why are you not sleeping?  It's late.."

"How can I sleep when I know you're uncomfortable right now?" he take my hand to hold it.

"I'm fine now, go to sleep. Go." I shoo him away. I tried to get up but I couldn't. I groaned.

"The side effect of the treatment, your body will be paralysed for a few hours. I'm not sleepy, I'm staying here."  he said.

"I'm okay now, go rest.. I don't want you to stay awake for hours when you should be sleeping.." guilt fill my heart. I look at the needle in my hand and take it off.

"Hey what're you doing?" he stops my hand.

"If you're not gonna rest, so am I. I'm going down." I take of the blanket that covers my lower body. He sighed.

"Want to join me? I'm gonna sleep, here or in my own room. Either way, I am gonna rest, like you want."  he put the blanket back to cover me. It took me a few seconds before nodding my head. He smile and laugh softly. He slowly get on top of the blanket, next to me.

"Wake me up, when you want to get something or go somewhere."
He lay on his side and look at me, I nodded and slide under the blanket. We stare at each other without a word. His eyes start dropping lower and finally he fell asleep. I hold his face, brushing his hair.

Having him sleeping beside me after a horrible night, I close my eyes and no longer feels on edge. It quiet and warm and cozy. Me too, fall asleep again.