The Walk Towards Sunshine

Chapter 17

I woke up all tied up on a chair. My arms are behind my back and I can feel the rope tighten on my wrists and feet which they tied on each leg of the chair at the front. I know I'm in a perilous situation, but the weird thing is I feel no dread. All I'm feeling is how exhausted and lightheaded I am, as if I was drugged. My head feel like I'm floating on water but I forced myself to look around. The place looks familiar. I've seen this place before in my dreams. The fuzzy furniture, the smell of rotten eggs............

"Look what we've got here." A man's voice said. I may be groggy, but I hear the sharpness in his voice.

I can't see him, but I answer anyway. "Dean?" I ask.

"You know me?" He sounds genuinely surprised.

"What do you want?" I ask him.

He finally emerged from a door somewhere on my right, and he is not alone. A lady stands with him. My eyes are starting to blur as if my mind doesn't want to process what it's seeing. I can make the outline of their bodies but their faces aren't clear.

"So," started the man, "tell me where Althea is right now or suffer. I hate wasting time." I pulled out a Swiss knife from his pocket and held it. "I'm becoming lethargic of following you so you better start talking." So this how I'm going to die? Because I won't be telling him where my sister is that's for sure. To start off, I don't even where the hell Althea is.

I smirked. "Better kill me now." Is this what drugs do to people? Make them look tough even if a man with a knife is standing two feet away? I started laughing. "Dead or alive, I will celebrate if I see you become a lifer and rot in hell."

I already expected that his going to stab me on the heart right away, instead he sighed. "I have a feeling you'll say that. Hey, buddy! Bring her in!" He called out.

A teenager is holding a frail woman stands between Dean and the lady. A woman is leaning heavily against the teenager's body, donned with mud and shredded shirt like she's been dragged all the way here. Her hair is an absolute mess and caked with blood. She almost looks bald. I tilted my head but their faces are blurred. What I do notice, is that the teenager has a sandy blonde hair, and the woman is....

"Mum." I whispered. A tear fell down my cheek. "Please don't." I pleaded. At some point I'm starting regret how I answered Dean earlier. "Why not me, you prick?"

"Or why not both of you?" I can feel the smile plastered on his face. "Put her in front of the boy." Dean ordered.

He pushed mum in front of me. She lay down like a rag doll but her eyes are open. She looked at me one last time with her bruised face and closed her eyes. The boy handed something to Dean. I hear a loud click.

"All right. Why not end this with a nice game of Russian Roulette, hmm? But my rules. I shoot both of you alternatively and whoever dies first is lucky, because at least you won't get to see your family die." The three of them chuckled. I just want to skin and burn them alive.

"I'll start with you, boy." I can do nothing but close my eyes and feel the cold barrel touch my forehead.

CLICK!

My heart almost stopped and I realize I've been holding my breath.

"Next." He stepped away and pointed it to mum. CLICK! "This getting fun." He said.

He placed the barrel on my forehead again. CLICK! Then turned to mum. "Any last words, boy? This may be your mother's final breath."

With all my strength, I stare at those beady eyes. "I just want to say that," I whisper, "if I'm still going to be alive, I will make you wish you were dead. You won't get away with this." I sounded confident. But as my life slips away, I knew it was impossible.