We Are Heroes

17

I felt shocked, very scared to see The Enemy again. In a place I have no idea where I was.

I shook my head at what he said. "Why am I here?"

"Because." He tilted his head to a side with his hands behind his back. "I am very...interested in you."

I glared at him. "I am not. And I won't let you."

"Too late, Sasha." He knelt down so that he could be at my eye level, but I was far back in the room. "You already got me interested and there's no turning back."

I placed my hand on my thigh, the spot where Zashchitnik would be at; but it was gone. "Where's Zashchitnik?" I snapped at him.

"Oh, this?" The Enemy pulled the gun out from behind him.

I nodded my head while keeping my eyes glued on it. "Yea, that--that's mine."

"Hm." He looked down at it inquiringly while tracing his fingers on its designs; I wanted to rip it out from his hands and shooting him out from existence with it. "A work of art..." He looked up at me. "You made this?"

I frowned at Zashchitnik. "Yeah."

"Very impressed." He nodded his head as he placed Zashchitnik back behind his back. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Can you give Zashchitnik back to me?" I extended a hand out at him.

"I will, in the appropriate time." He took in a deep breath. "Just not right now."

"Why not right now?" I asked him as I saw him rising back to his feet.

"Because I said so." He took Zashchitnik out from behind his back and placed it on a table that was on the other side of the room.

Now I did not like to see Zashchitnik on the other side of the room when I needed it, especially when I couldn't get it.

"What are you gonna do with Zashchitnik?" I asked him while staring at my prized weapon.

The Enemy turned to look at me again. "Nothing. Nothing that I have in mind to do with it at the moment."

Just don't break it or use it against me. I looked at him again. "What are you gonna do with me?"

"You?" He pulled a rolling chair out from the table and sat on it, facing me. "I am going to get to know more about you."

"I'm not going to tell you anything about me." I crossed my arms with a serious look, showing him that I meant what I said.

"Oh no, you don't need to tell anything about yourself." He waved his hand to the side. "You just need to sit there..and think about your past."

I gave him a confused look. "I don't wanna think about my past." But by then, I already was since I was reminded by it by the word 'past.' Unclear flashes of images, sounds, and emotions from my past sparked through my mind. I also felt something moving along in my mind; it was a weird feeling, but there wasn't much pain to it.

"Sasha, relax," The Enemy ordered me to do.

I shook my head as I closed my eyes. "I can't." Not with you around.

"Relax..." I heard him repeat, this time more softly.

Then with my mental vision, I saw a small cabin in the middle of nowhere, just surrounded by vast land filled with dirt and grass. The sky was blue with clouds and the air was cold. And from the view I was looking at it from, I was standing in front of the cabin.

"So what is this?" I heard The Enemy asking me.

I turned to my left, seeing him walking up to me with crossed arms.

"How did you--?"

"Shhh..." He placed his fingers on his lips as he halted next to me. "I'll explain after this." He gazed back at the cabin and extended a hand toward it. "What's this?"

"It's..." My voice faded, trying to think of the right words to say in English. "...my father's and mother's house...real father and mother."

He looked at me. "Real parents' house? So you're adopted? Staying with different parents?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "I never knew I was...adopted until my parents told me so. My adoptive parents that is. They told me where my real parents used to live and it was here." I extended a hand toward the cabin.

"Do you know where they're at now?"

"No." I shook my head. "They never told me that. I began looking for my parents' house. And I did find it...all alone."

"Yes." He nodded his head. "Very lonely house, indeed. Do you know why your parents gave you away?"

I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the short cabin. "No."

"Had you ever thought about why they gave you away?"

I shrugged. "A bit. But not that much because I have other stuff to do."

"Would you like to know why...?"

I felt a spark of hope. "Yeah." I turned to him and said more meaningfully, "Yeah."

He smirked. "Well, I have a deal to propose to you."

My mental image went out and I was now back in the concrete room with The Enemy sitting on the other side of the barred gate.

He continued talking: "The deal is this: I will help find your parents and ask if they want you back; in the meanwhile, you will stay here. If they want you, then I will release you and will not bother you again. If they don't want you, then you will stay here for as long as I desire for you to stay here for. Is it a deal?"

I sat there in deep thought, thinking whether it would be stupid to take it or to pass on it. "Okay..." I nodded my head. "It's deal. I'll stay here. But you better look for my parents." I pointed out at him.

The Enemy smiled at me. "Don't worry, I will, Sasha."

I immediately narrowed my eyes at him; I had to tell him the truth about that nickname. "Please don't call me that."

"Well, for now--" He stood up. "--you'll have to tolerate with all I do and say and obey me since you are imprisoned under my territory at the moment..." He pushed the chair back into the desk.

I felt disappointed. Right... But I'll get my parents back...and I'll get out of here...yes. I nodded my head as I saw The Enemy walking out of the room. Everything...will be fine.