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Say Hello to Goodbye

14. Say Hello to Goodbye

23 + 3= 26

26-10=16

16 - 15= 1

One. One hour left before the time strikes eleven in the evening. We were standing beneath the lamp post not far away from the bar where I danced under the neon lights. My heart throbs and even how cold the night was, I still sweat. I trembled for one reason: I might lose Ed.

The light flicked. I wondered what will happen to us, but that wondering has its answer: my dream. In my dream there were bloods, moaning and grunting but I didn’t saw Ed or Chip fought. I couldn’t remember everything in my dream even how hard I squeeze those lost memories, trying to be extremely superhuman to foresee things through dreams, just to find it.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked me.

“You should ask me if who’s on my mind?”

He grinned.

“Don’t leave me,” I said, but then I realized why I said those silly words.

“It depends.”

“What do you think about the end of the world?”

“They said it will end in fire, and some said in ice, some in water and some…”

Silence.

“In happily ever after?”

“…no, they are here.” He continued.

“Yes, they---the hyenas---are here, I thought as they hop out from a black van.

I tried to be fearless and be invulnerable as possible. They just stood there right before the bar’s door. Chip lit a cigarette, so as Larry. I believed that they’re high.

“Stay behind the trash bin,” he whispered to me, “don’t go out no matter what happen.” His eyes were goddamn serious and strong like he meant every word. Trash. Bin.

He placed his both hands on my shoulder, still his eyes laid on me.

“Don’t leave me,” I begged. Tears formed in my eyes.

Edward kissed me. “I will not leave you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

I started to walk silently behind the large trash bin. It smelled awful like some stale foods, pizza from the refrigerator, and like burger in the mouth. Ed gazed at me and mouthed the three words.

“I love you,” I whispered back.

He walked towards Chip and caught their attention. They smiled: evil smile, not an evil-sexy-smile. I stood like a mannequin.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Chip said, “a walking bones.”

“What do you want?” Ed snapped.

“You.”

“On, where’s Meg?” one of the hyenas asked.

“She didn’t go with me.”

“Megan did not? Poor guy!”

I’m here you son of a bitch, I thought.

“What can I do to make these things right?” Ed asked.

Their conversations were clear like my senses functioned well. I guess I’m a nocturnal mammal.

“I want you to feel pain Skinny Boy,” Chip exclaimed, “I want to see you bleeding to death. Break your nose and take away those teeth of yours. That would be nice, eh?”

“Sorry but I don’t want to fight.”

“ARE YOU GAY?”

The hyenas laughed, I stood hopeful in a hopeless situation.

“I said I don’t want to fight.”

Chip threw his fist on him. I gasped as Ed knelt down. I heard his moan, the pain in his voice. I was in my dream---my nightmare that came into life.

“Hold him!” he ordered the hyenas. Andre grabbed Ed so as Larry and the others stood behind Chip.

“Fuck you,” he said and punched Ed’s face. And again and again. My tears rolled down in my face.

“Fight now you coward!”

“I will not,” Ed said.

“You won’t, eh?” Chip grabs Edward’s jaw, trying to raise his lowered head, “why won’t you fight? Is it because you’re weak? Yes you’re weak and your wits can’t save you. I’ll have Meg and she’ll love again. Girls can easily be fooled!”

“She will not love you Chip.”

Chip blows another punch, now on his body. Ed winced and moaned as he curled down, putting his both hands on his stomach. But then Larry pulled him back to make him stand before his highness.

“Fuck you,” he snapped, and punched Ed on the face. Ed was thrown on the ground. No one passed by. No one called for help because no one passed by. I did not call for help. I froze.

Chip started to kick Ed as Edward’s body laid on the ground.

“Fight Ed,” I whispered.

He was shouting in pain. He moved his head towards me while Chip kept on kicking Ed.

“Fight back you faggot!”

He looked at me, I looked at him. They were merciless. My senses turned off except my vision. I couldn’t hear anything, I couldn’t smell the rotten food, I couldn’t felt how cold it was. I just stare at Ed. I did not know what to do or it was just my brain didn’t work well. His mouth was bleeding. I know he can fight them but I didn’t know why he didn’t. He can throw a punch on Chip’s face. He can throw punches to all of them effortlessly.

But why? Why he kept on lying on the ground?

When Ed stopped defending himself and lay on the ground unconsciously. Chip told his hyenas to take him.

“Put him inside the van, I’ll continue later until he die,” he said to them with a smile on his face.

I took a step to help him. But, I did not dare to take my second step like someone pulled me back, Ed’s words: Don’t go out. So I stayed behind the trash bin as they carry Ed’s body to the black van.

I found my courage to take another step, and another one ad able to shout his name as loud as I can but it was too late. They went away leaving me in the dim area. I was stupid and I found myself walking towards nowhere. I didn’t plan to go home nor to go to anyone’s house. I just walk and walk under the moon who was alone in the dark sky.

“Hi babe,” a guy riding a motorcycle called me, “you can come with me.”

“Will you take me if I’ll tell you my destination?”

“Sure babe,” he said, “where will you go?”

“Hell.”

He didn’t ask for more and he left me alone.

As I continue to walk, I saw a dog on the street and it stops when the dog saw me. Later on, the dog passed through the wall. Animal’s ghost. Then, it triggered my heart to pound so fast and thought of one thing: Ed is dead.

But that’s impossible, I haven’t seen his ghost. He can’t be dead. Ed is not dead, I thought and realized that I was at the front of Ed’s house and saw someone inside through the open window, but it vanished.

I ran towards his house and open the door.

“Ed!” I gasped.