Water and Fire (BL)

Chapter 39: The End of the Beginning

Chapter 39: The End of the Beginning

Several minutes has already passed and Eric still hasn't gone out of that faculty room. David felt the need to leave his hiding spot and take a peek at the small glass window of the door.

With his hands over his brows, David peeped at the door window.

The window glass was so foggy that he couldn't see anything inside except dark blobs. Coming from inside were muffled arguments which he picked up as that of their teacher's and Eric's voice.

Minutes later, when a dark blob approached the door, David crouched beneath the window. He then heard the sound of the door being locked.

What the...?! Why the hell would they lock the door?

David tried the cold doorknob and he found out it was indeed locked. He began worrying about what could be happening inside. Somehow, an insidious feeling was enveloping his entire being.

He suddenly recalled what he heard Charlie said in the staircase, about their teacher abusing the singled out students.

The word abuse kept repeating inside David's head to the point that he felt nauseous thinking about it.

He knew what abuse meant. He isn't oblivious to this fact. Back in China there has been numerous reports of college professors asking favors from their students in exchange for good grades. Certainly, the same case might apply in that moment, only, they're in high school.

He peered again at the hazy window, and although he could only see two blobs appearing to merge into one, it nevertheless made the hairs on his body stood on end.

David knew what was happening inside.

Angry, he tried to twist the doorknob violently, hoping that its decrepitude would give up, but alas, it was very firm despite its ancient appearance.

Fishing a paper clip on his shirt pocket, David bent it into a straight metal pin and began inserting it into the keyhole and twisting it.

He had only seen the technique in movies, but as luck would have it, his first try of opening a lock with a paperclip worked!

He twisted the doorknob too violently and opened the door wide open.

---

When the door slammed open, light from the hallway filled the dim and damp faculty room.

When Eric opened his eyes, he saw a familiar figure rush in. In his hazy vision, the figure seemed to attack this dark blob of a man that was doing something in front of him.

He couldn't remember who that man was, or what he was doing with him, only that he felt so frightened.

The man was suddenly on the floor clutching his stomach. When he coughed, dark liquid blotted the floor.

The familiar figure approached him and wrapped an arm around him.

Eric didn't know what was happening. Everything was so hazy and everything moved slow that everything felt like a dream. The only thing he was certain about was that this familiar figure's presence seemed to be a comforting bonfire at the middle of a cold night—homey, cozy, and warm.

When the familiar guy pulled him to walk, Eric couldn't feel his feet. He tried taking a step but he only managed to drag his feet before his knees gave out, causing him to crash on the floor.

---

"Eric, please." David muttered, pulling Eric from the floor. His worry did not falter one bit upon having seen Eric who seemed to be in a trance since he rushed into the room and punched this filthy teacher of theirs.