Above The Ground (Zarry)

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ Ｎｉｎｅ

I know if I'm haunting you, you must be haunting me

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Everyone is born innocent. It's just the environment they live in that determines what they'll become.

Louis wasn't the same. Probably things would've changed if he lived in another country, with different people. But life doesn't work that way, and you can't change your fate. And that's exactly what Louis have put in mind since day one.

He never knew his mother, just lived with his father and a younger brother who soon died of a drug overdose. When he was younger, he could remember his father coming home each night drunk, and the house would be filled with empty bottles everywhere, and that's what his money was spent on. He despised him. Sometimes he'd hear unpleasant words, other times it'd be a few punches and kicks, and there were the night he'd spend on the streets.

He could also remember that one boy who used to bring him food when he passes by, offered a blanket, but never spoke to him. And Louis would always have his hoodie on, and his head ducked down so the boy won't know who he is.

Not soon after his father died in a street fight with a dealer that he had the house to himself. The dealer was caught and was put in prison, but Louis didn't care. Not a single tear was shed.

He'd occasionally pass by the same spot from before, see the boy, and he decided to go thank him for what he'd done. He won't admit he had a small crush on him though. But the problem is, that whenever he'd see the boy, there would be someone else with him.

But Louis had his share of knowledge of who is good and who is bad by now. And that other kid was not the best kind around. He'd see him getting high, drunk or dragged into someone else's house. Seen the amount of money he'd gather at night by ruining others' life. Seen his cold attitude and fights with people just because he felt like it. And most importantly, seen how he could easily change faces when he's around that one person in particular.

In Louis' mind, the dark persona was his true self, and he was probably playing around with his other side. Louis didn't know his intentions, but hated him nonetheless ... He probably ignited jealousy inside of him too, because his little crush was growing despite the fact that he was aiming for something he couldn't have.

That's why he kept watching from afar. How one day they'd be laughing so brightly, or another where they'd just sit on the ground, with one head over the shoulder of the other, earphones tucked in, with nothing but the sound of the wind blowing around them.

At one summer vacation, he stepped in, dragged the boy out of a pub, spent most of the days together. But he didn't miss how his heart got broken because someone decided to come back and ruin their moment.

Louis didn't like how he'd come and go all the time, not even when they already got a chance to apply for a collage abroad. Louis knew it wasn't the best idea, from what he'd heard about the other country, a specific corrupted city, the one they'd go to. He found himself following there as well.

Because in Louis' mind, he was still going to be there. And in order to keep living inside such city, he found himself dragged into a secret organization. And people like him were exactly the type they're looking for. Someone with no past to return to. Someone who could still be violent if triggered. And he found himself agreeing to their terms.

Not in a millions years he'd thought he'd find the person who he despised the most stepping inside the organization's building. The one he tried so hard to throw out of a cliff. Not literally, but he did try to push him away, from himself, and from another one. Perhaps the violent route didn't work out, not even the 'calm talking' approach had worked out. Because at the end of the day, no matter what he did, it'd still lead to one route only.