Butterfly Marked

Contortionist

Planes flew overhead in the low light of morning as a dust covered body leaned against a stone wall, and sensation seeped into consciousness.

'Hurt....my fucking head hurts,'  these were the first things that Phayu thought as  he rose to the surface of awareness. The last few hours rushed back to him in an instant, but there was no way he could tell how long he'd actually been out.

"Rain...," Phayu muttered the name under his breath, and tried to stay calm. He knew that he and the others would know something was wrong. A new day was dawning, and he wasn't back  yet so if anything at least Prapai would know something was wrong. He would have kept wondering, but then he heard a faint sound.

As it got closer he realized it was the sound of shoes...2 pairs..., and before he could decide a course of action in walked a man and a woman.

Cake and Aaron stepped into the room exuding an air like two cartoon villains with little to no charisma. Long waist length blonde hair swept subtle curves, and her general luxurious appearance was out of place in the temple storage room. She exuded neither malice nor joy at seeing Phayu, it was as if she didn't care about the situation at all.

If anything she was dressed for the part as she was clad in all black, from her shoes to the sunglasses perched atop her perfectly coiffed head. The girl who'd constantly asked him to dance in the club nowhere to be seen, but the answers all lay in the dullness and unfocused red rimmed eyes.

'How long had she been into drugs,' Phayu idly wondered as he watched the obviously drugged up blonde waif. Aaron stepped up from behind her, and he had no time to observe the man before he was kicked sharply in the stomach. Pain exploded inside him, and he curled into himself as he wasn't allowed to catch his breath.

As fast as the onslaught began it ended just as abruptly, and Phayu tried to breathe while keeping a wary eye on the unpredictable man. His head was jerked up by the hair, and wetness hit his cheek as he was spit on.

" You should've known your place trash," The brown haired man taunted to him, " Just 'cause Pakin liked you doesn't matter.... he can't protect you forever."

The man stood up letting go of his head suddenly, and the two of them shuffled towards the door. The pain sucked but Phayu was confused...aside from the sudden abuse the two of them were supposedly after him and Rain, but based on this interaction they had little to no care for him.

Clenching his teeth against the subsiding pain he spoke out loud, " I don't care what you do to me, but leave Rain out of this." Phayu tried to push the words out in a warning tone, and braced himself for the blows he'd likely earned.

Aaron didn't disappoint and kicked him again however this time aimed for his groin, and with some luck missed but still connected with the soft skin of his inner thigh. His leg in agony he was once again dragged up by his hair, but this time he was forced to sit up.

A heavy fist punched his jaw, and he felt blood  as the corner of his mouth tore. His head still captive Aaron leaned in close and laughed in his face.

" You think you're here because of Rain?" He laughed a laugh darker than the one before, and the face of the cartoon villain morphed into a bonafide hair raising, chill inducing bad guy.

Ice skittered down Phayu's spine as he saw Aaron's expression, but the confusion stayed.

"Oh Phayu....while I certainly am pissed that you took what belongs to me that's not why you're here," He patted his face in a caress before slapping him hard, " You see you're here because you don't know you're place and you cost us money...very precious money."