Once Upon A Time, A Thousand Tears Ago #Wattys2017

Chapter 44: The Climax

Chapter 44: The climax

Three couples are left after two torturous rounds of this death trap. Two more rounds to decide the fate. What have I put myself into? Why did we come to this place? I say to myself while I look into the eyes of Zayn, the man who is trying his luck to save me; to protect me.

"Gather up ma' friends. The game is becoming interesting. The bids should be higher for this one. The second last round is here now. Now the fastest wins in this game. The game is simple and adventurous. We have some instruments, some razors, blades, knives etc. the boys have to use any of the instruments, cut their skin and fill up this container of a half litre with their blood."

Whisperings started, even the unkind spectators were shocked to hear about the game whereas this filthy, monstrous Monty was still flashing his cruelly horrible smile to all the forced participants. I can't imagine Zayn cutting himself to fill the container with blood. On the other hand, I can't visualise myself being taken away by these men for any kind of assault. My soul shivers at the thought. The other two boys protest against the game but they know it's of no use. I can see Zayn standing quiet and gazing at the tray that contains the instruments. He is not blinking, not looking at anyone else but the tray and may be not breathing too. I think it's time when he has realised that he cannot continue this game anymore.

I feel warm tears striving their way down my cheeks and warming up the dried up area of my eyes. Zayn breaks his gaze and looks at me. He looks lost in his thoughts. I can't blame him for anything; He tried his best, I know.

"The one, who fills the beaker first, wins. The one, with least amount of blood, loses. Simple game. Now pick your instrument and start the game to save your ladies." Monty barks again.

The first boy picks up a needle. The second one picks up a knife. Next, Zayn picks up a blade. He keeps looking at the blade and takes up his beaker. The other boys start to pierce their fingers with their instruments and place them over their beakers. I'm waiting for Zayn, who is still looking at his blade and examining it. Then, in a flash of a second, he brings the blade close to his biceps and sharply runs longitudinally, cutting a major blood vessel that emits a shower of fresh blood from his body. He quickly grabs his beaker and places it next to his biceps. The blood rushes out of his body and the audience screams in panic. My heart races at the speed of light when I see him churning in pain but still managing to keep the beaker next to his arm to make sure that it fills with blood. The beaker fills up quickly. As soon as it reaches its mark, Zayn raises his beaker high in the air to show it to everyone. The audience applauds him whereas I see him losing his strength as more and more blood keeps flowing out of his bicep.

"Zayn, grab that shirt and tie it on your arm." I scream to make myself audible. He listens instantly and grabs the shirt. Meanwhile, the other two boys are also trying their best to take up the second position. One boy punctures all his fingers and then cuts his palm to fill up the beaker. The other one seems way too scared and manages to fill up just the base of the flask. Once, the second beaker is also full, Monty yells to declare the finalists.

"The boy with the lady in black and the boy with the lady in pink are the finalists." I thank God in my heart and again manage to look at Zayn who is still bleeding beside the cloth roughly wrapped on his bicep.

Today, Zayn has not just shocked the audience but he surprised me as well. He saved me as many times as he could. He protected my dignity and I shall forever be thankful to him. Result declaration brings a smile on his face and he looks at me, assuring me that everything will be alright.

The deadly scene repeats and the losing couple is tortured. The girl screams her way as she is dragged by a bouncer towards a dark area and the bidder who lost his bid, follows the girl. The boy, who lost, sits idly on the floor. His forlorn eyes explain what the girl meant to him. He didn't just lose a round, he lost the girl forever.

"The last round comes, my people. But now the boys have shown their courage a lot. Let's check these beauties out now". The bouncers open up the girls' cabin and motion me and the other girl to come out. As soon as I step out, I try to run towards Zayn but that serpent-like Serpia grabs my wrist. "Not so soon, Honey." I don't know what they are planning to do now.

"Serpia, arrangements ready?" Monty asks

"Yes, sweetheart." Serpia replies with a thumbs-up.

The bouncers now bring up tubs of glass, glass splinters, and broken glassware. Where are they going with this? They start spreading the glass splinters on the floor.

"In the last round, these beautiful girls have to come to their boyfriends by walking on these smashed glass pieces. The one, who reaches first, wins. But the one who loses, will not just be given to a guest of mine only, but her boyfriend will be shot dead right away." Monty attacks with his words.

The crowd is screaming but the only thing that I can look at now is this pathway filled with broken glassware, shattered all over. Not a single place where I can't see any splinters. I glance at Zayn and suddenly the sight of someone shooting Zayn comes to my mind. I quickly reject the game that my mind is playing on me. I have to do this, for him, for myself. The path is long enough to induce cold sweats.

"Ready, one, two, three, GO"

The girl next to me quickly runs on the glass pieces but as soon as she finishes her second step, she screams loudly while looking at the blood oozing out of her right foot. I am still standing at my starting point. Zayn didn't say a word to call me towards him. I think he feels that he shouldn't pressurise me. Why is this man so selfless? I muster up all my courage and quickly take my steps towards this glass path. Impulses of pain run through my legs weakening my speed, my strength, my determination but I still keep on walking. I don't look at my foot as I can already imagine the amount of blood losing from my body. Without blinking, I keep admiring Zayn Malik, the boy who saved me in millions of ways that no one can ever imagine. How can I let him down? I maintain a strong pace because my legs are numb now. Glass splinters are piercing through my skin but my eyes never leave that charming face that cleared up all the rounds with a smile, just for me.

I'm now at an arm's length and my legs have started to leave my side. No matter what, I'm unable to lift my foot off the ground. I see the girl who is far behind me. I know I can win if I can lift my foot, but my body is not obeying my heart at all. The girl tries to take bigger steps and the distance between us is reduced. Now if I don't take another step, all our efforts will be wasted. The only way to reach the finishing line is to .....

I try one last time to lift my foot off the ground but numbness has grabbed my feet and tied them to the ground. I have to do this. If I can't reach the line by lifting up my foot, then I have to make my body fall towards the line and then drag myself to it. I try to move my foot and then with a sudden force I push my body towards the finishing line. My paralysed body falls towards the glass splinters and I close my eyes. In a fraction of a second, the warm arms embrace me and save me from falling on the glass pieces. His arms entwine around me tightly, holding me in place and not allowing me to fall. I recognise the person at once and my body relaxes. I reached my 'finishing line'.

"We got our winners for the night; the lady in black and the boy with a bleeding arm win the game." The audience roars at Monty's words.

"We won, Zara." Zayn tightens his hold and I sob on his bare chest still not able to form any coherent sentence.

"As per the rule, the losers .... Lose it all" Monty speaks coldly.

A gunshot is heard, screams are followed, and I close my eyes tightly knowing what happened around me.

People moving here and there indicate that the show is over finally.

"Run away strangers. Go, enjoy your life. Come again next Halloween to play some more games with the generous Monty." Monty leaves us in the hallway.

Standing still in the same place where I had finished my game round, I'm holding onto the only person who is my saviour for life; Zayn Malik.