After

Chapter 05 - After Solitude

Warning: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TORTURE!

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The last thing I remembered was a dreadful pain on the back of my head.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was completely tied up.

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My head felt dizzy and I couldn't recognize the place I was. Moving my arms or legs was impossible, and my back started to ache as well. I don't know how much time after, but a guy appeared, a guy I knew. He was wearing brass knuckles, and I knew it meant a bad time*. I looked to him and grinned, trying to dig my own grave by provoking him.

"You won't be laughing in a couple of minutes, boy." He threatened me.

"Am I some sort of bait?"

"The way Jian Yi ran towards us when we got you the first time was everything we needed to see. If he comes to us by himself, she can't say a damn thing." Bull's eye.

"He won't come." I said firmly, even though I knew it was a dull lie.

"Are you sure?" He smirked. I saw him grabbing something on his pocket. It was a cellphone. He turned the screen to me and pressed the play button.

The video started with Jian Yi waiting for me by the school gates. I was sure it was when I told him I had to talk to the homeroom teacher. A bag was thrown on his head and I couldn't hold a grin when I saw him getting all angry. My smiled didn't last long, though, soon I saw him reading something, and collapsing on the ground, crying.

"He was reading Mr. Jian's letter. It was the time he knew we got you."

"The only thing it proves is that he is worried. It doesn't mean he will come for me. I'm not that important to him." I didn't know why, But saying this made me feel like my heart was being squeezed.

"If he doesn't come, fuckface, you'll die."

"I don't care." I chuckled. "What matter is that you guys won't put your dirty hands on Jian Yi."

"So if I do this." He punched me in the eye. It did hurt like hell, but I've been worse than that. "You won't cry for help?"

"Nope." I said, my eye already swelling.

"And what about this?" The second one hit my nose. I could hear clearly the cracking noise.

"You know." It was difficult to breathe through my nose. "I'm not really a delinquent, but I've had it harder than this." I teased.

I really didn't understand, but I felt like I wanted to be beaten. It seemed like every punch he would give me; meant one less Jian Yi would take. I made a promise with him; I promised I'd protect him. I knew Jian Yi would come for me, I was sure about that. But even if he came, he wouldn't suffer as much, because I was taking the hits for him.

"You don't understand the situation you are right now, do you?"

Oh, I made him angry.

And I would pay for it with a smiley face.

That, at least, was what I thought. Until I heard the known sound and saw the known light of a camera's flash. Only a moron wouldn't guess the reason they were taking a picture of me. And that was the last thing I wanted.

If they sent those pictures to Jian Yi, he would suffer. I didn't want Jian Yi to suffer, damn, that was why I was taking the blow.

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The next time he came, he wasn't wearing brass knuckles anymore. I was about to blow a sigh of relief when I saw that. It was a small metal table, with little wheels to help it move around. On the top of it there were all sorts of things. A dagger, a plier, a hammer, a syringe, and more things I couldn't see from where I was.