Mr. Demonio: The Insufferable Boss

Well.. Who Knows?

The crackling sound of burning wood echoed rhythmically.

I pulled my body closer, hugging my knees. The night wind still managed to make the air feel cold, even while being near the campfire. I sighed, staring at my left ankle, which had already been bandaged.

Kevin and his friends were busy grilling chicken and seafood not far from me. They looked excited. Bella, Katrina, and the others were roasting corn. They seemed to be really enjoying this vacation.

My gaze shifted to Boss, who was laughing with the others, clearly enjoying helping to grill the lobsters. Have I been wrong about him all along? Does he actually still have a heart? My memories drifted back to the events of earlier this afternoon.

The forest was silent.

I didn’t know how long it had been since Boss left me. There was no one else in this forest. Boss, how could he be serious about leaving me alone in the woods like this? What if there were wild animals, snakes, or other things that could threaten my life?

I swore, if I ended up dying in this forest, I would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Sighing, I reached for a low branch, seeking something to hold on to in order to stand. My legs felt numb. Or maybe because it hurts too much, I felt like I couldn’t even feel my leg.

So far, no wild animals had approached me. Only mosquitoes buzzed around, unrelenting even though I had killed a dozen of them. They were stubborn; what was so hard about leaving me alone? Just like that unfeeling boss of mine!

The chirping of birds could be heard in the distance. I tried to move my legs little by little, leaning on a branch I had just broken. Alright, if he really doesn’t want to help me, then I will help myself. Does he really think I can’t get out of this forest?

Enough, I’m not the type of woman who just cries while waiting for help to come. I will try on my own. My legs—

Thud. I swallowed hard. Something was blocking my way. A snake hissed from the bushes. Its tongue flicked out, head held high.

A snake, the animal I feared most. How did it suddenly appear here? And why did it look like it was about to attack me? I grimaced, my legs felt stiff and immobile. I was only a few steps away from the snake.

Oh God, what should I do now? Scream? Is there anyone who can hear me? Run? My legs wouldn’t even move. What now?

Have you ever watched TV where the main character acts so stupid by just standing still when a wild animal approaches? Believe me, that’s not a foolish action. Yes, I used to think the same. I would scream at the TV, saying, "Hey, run already, you idiot, why are you just standing there instead of running?" But now that I’m in that position, I know this isn’t stupidity. Yes, on TV it’s just acting, but here I’m not acting. My legs really wouldn’t move. My brain was commanding me to run, but it felt like I was glued to the ground.

The snake hissed again. It moved toward me. And foolishly, I could only close my eyes.

Bang! Bang!

I let out a stifled scream, startled. Two gunshots rang out, deafening. I reflexively opened my eyes. Three people I didn’t know ran toward me, carrying long rifles. One more person, someone I recognized, approached with a worried expression.

"Elsa, you okay?"

I didn’t answer. My eyes shifted to the snake, which now lay silently two steps away from me. Its body was stained with blood. My body trembled, took a shaky breath, feeling a bit suffocated.

"Elsa." Boss touched my arm, sending a reassuring message that he was here, and I didn’t need to worry anymore. I just remained silent, not knowing how to react. The feeling of shock still filled me.