Silent Downfall

Chapter Nineteen

The idle morning was slapped back to life by a demonic howl. Mayank's eyes and heart went mobile at once; as his senses began to restore, he could spot a lump of anger sitting on his thighs and vehemently slapping his stomach.

"Argh!" growled Mayank as he caught hold of the boy's hands. "What the hell is wrong with you, worm?"

Fayzan, who was entirely pink from fury, decided to utilize his threatening glare instead. Despite being a few degrees away from evaporation, he knew his tiny hands were no match for Mayank's fleshy ones. "Spit him out!" he yelled.

"What?"

"My Tobias. You ate him up!"

"I what?"

"You ate him up, in front of my eyes."

Mayank stared at him with confusion flooding his eyes. "How can I eat a freaking stuffed toy? Have you lost the last brain cell you were left with?"

"But I saw you swallowing Toby!"

"You have been lying on the bed like a carcass since last night. What sort of idiot gets a nightmare like that, and what sort of greater idiot can't tell it apart from reality?"

It was Fayzan's turn to be bewildered. "So, you didn't eat him?"

Mayank sighed in exasperation, suppressing a bold urge to weep. At the precise moment, he knew he could beat a toddler at that. "I am sure you can tell!"

"Let go of my hands," said the boy. "I won't hurt you anymore. Not unless I really find Toby inside your tummy."

The all-rounder spared himself the thought of how the kid was going to find that out. Being set free from his grip, Fayzan gently abandoned his thighs and got down from the bed to find his toy.

Fighting the malaise that seemed to be distributed uniformly across his limbs, Mayank jumped down to the floor and walked out of the room. Although the start-off had not been particularly pleasant, he kept up his attempt to appease himself through the constant reminder of the beam of hope awaiting at the end of the long day ahead of him.

Pacifying his grumbling stomach in a brief breakfast session, the all-rounder hurriedly made his way to Vaibhav. He was not really looking forward to interacting with the leader anymore before the mission. However, at this juncture, he could not afford to feed his little impulses.

**********

In the darkness, Nayif could only make out a door in front of him. It was ajar, and the bizarre stillness in the air around succinctly announced the possibility of someone's arrival. He continued to stare at the gap, anticipation enclosing his mind. Slowly, with a creaking sound, the door swung to the left, revealing a silhouette. The shadow walked closer to Nayif, whose jaw dropped at the sight before him.

Fayzan.

The boy stood still for a moment with a grin on his face before he threw himself into Nayif's arms.

"Where have you been, kid?" asked the opener as he held the boy with his quivering hands. "Where on this earth have you been?"

No response came up.

"Your big brother is going crazy without you."

"Did you miss me?"

"Is that even a question? I—"

Nayif was cut off by the abrupt release from the embrace. Without a word, the boy turned around and disappeared through the door.

"No! Wait!" Nayif cried as he stepped forward to stop him.