A Twist Of Time

eight

"Her name is Hisako. She's Japanese and we caught her trying to steal from the food vault," a soldier announced, catching gasps from the audience. "They have already taken our country from the hands of our dear president, what more can this little girl do to add to that?"

The audience heavily cheered. In this soldier's hands was the hair of a little girl holding what looked like a pastry in her hand, crying and screaming with every movement the soldier made. Her face was wet with tears and suddenly, I felt a pang of anger surge through my body. The Philippines during this time may not have a stable law, but I knew there had to be something done about this. This was child abuse.

"Excuse me, but what permits you to hurt a little girl?" I said over the noise. They immediately silenced and the soldier looked at me disgustingly, as if I was just a piece of gum that got stuck on his muddy boots.

"What permits you to be an interrupting cow?" he spat back. His friends cheered. "Besides, she's nothing but a child of the invaders. You're protecting the enemy!" The group then gasped and chorused "kill her!" again and again.

"You all need to learn how to calm down because I'll be the one to kill you all myself if you don't shut up. She's a child! Do any of you even have daughters? What would you do if your daughter stole from the Japanese and they did the same thing to her?"

The soldier looked at me in disbelief and disgust; a mix of both, actually. "You just proved yourself as an ally of the Japanese. You need to be punished along with this little girl!"

Once again, noise erupted from the group. Hisako was pushed into my arms as Margaux struggled to negotiate with the soldier who was now getting a gun from their pile in the corner. I thought this was only a punishment, why do I need to get killed?

The soldier was heading our way with a rifle in his hands when a voice startled their celebration. "What are you doing?"

Everyone fell quiet. 

"They're going to get punished!" squeaked a small soldier. I looked over the guy with the rifle's shoulder and saw Sergio looking back at us.

"Who? Valerie and that child?"

"YES!" they shouted, making Sergio confused.

"Do any of you even know how to? That's my job. Give them to me."

That's when I officially started despising him. Sure, I might've annoyed him sometimes, but is he really that heartless to kill me? But hey, I thought, at least he addressed me correctly before he kills me with his own two hands. I then swore to myself that I would haunt him as soon as he shoots me with that gun.

The soldier roughly pulled the side of my shirt and stood me in front of Sergio. The gun was given to him too. He smirked, as if he was planning something.

"What? You think I'm going to do it in front of you?"

Oh, so he wants to kill us in private. At least I get to keep my pride since the soldiers won't see me die.

"You all must be delusional," he said. "I'm taking them with me. Anyone who follows will get the same punishment I will give these two. Understood?"

Various hums of agreement buzzed as he returned the rifle. He did a do-over at my whole body before doing the same at Hisako. We were brought into his office with my heart pounding loud, while Margaux could be heard saying "try and hurt me and I'll let him murder you" to the soldiers. Sergio carefully closed the door before sighing in relief.

"Did they hurt you?" He held my arms and looked for any scars. "Did they?"

I was shocked. Where's the killing you promised?