Dilemmas

28

"Jason!" Shaun screamed. It had been a few minutes since the last he saw him. "Jason! Fuck you, man!"

The darkness did not reply.

He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "I want to fucking punch the guy," he muttered. Shaun struggled with the bonds once more. Then after a minute, he stopped struggling. It was hopeless.

Shaun looked at real Kaden's unconscious body. There were several purple spots: one on his cheekbone, one on his forehead, and one near his left eye. He was shirtless with a gauze wrapped around his stomach. He had the same hair color as Jason's.

He won't be speaking anytime soon, he told himself.

Shaun sighed. Aside from Kaden, who definitely won't be any help when he could escape—if he could escape—there was nothing else he could use to his advantage. He looked around the dark room and confirmed it.

He looked at Kaden again. Should I bring him too? he asked himself. Of course I have to. He looks so destroyed. Like Jason abused him.

Then, as if he did something, Kaden's eyes fluttered open. He looked around. He struggled to get himself free.

Kaden locked eyes with me. "S—shaun? Who—what—?" His voice trailed off. He must had knew what was going on.

"Jason?" It came off as a question for Shaun to answer.

Shaun looked defeated. "Yeah. Him."

He muttered something incoherently. Then he looked at me. "We're trapped here. I—we can't get out."

"You. . .you knew my name," he said, slightly surprised. "H—how? I thought Jason was you the entire time."

"Almost the entire time," he corrected him. "We switched sometimes. He was very confident that you would be oblivious about it, and judging by the fact you're here, he's right."

"Yeah. My bad."

Kaden snorted weakly. "In fact, I was the one who warned you about this."

"What—?" he began, but then he remembered the words, like it was seared on his brain. You're in danger. In grave danger. His eyes were glistening at that time.

Shaun felt like he got sucker-punched. And it was a direct hit. "Shit. Have it really been that stupid?"

"Jason was pretty confident in that. 'He hasn't changed in the slightest. He won't know if I'll be you and you won't be there to stop me. That fucker will get the shock of his life when he sees me.' That's what he said before giving me these." Shaun realized he was referring to the wounds.

"I fell directly into his trap," he realized. "And he expected that."

"In other words, y—yes," Kaden replied, his voice shaking.

Shaun sighed deeply. He needed to escape. He can't stay here forever. He looked at Kaden, who closed his eyes, clearly his expression pained.

"Kaden," he called out sharply, his voice cutting through the period of silence. "D—does it hurt?"

"Yeah," he managed to say. He cleared his throat. "It. . .it hurts. He tortured me. Pu—punished me. After I—I told you about the warning, he punched me a lot and left me in pain."

Shaun felt bad for Kaden. He was used by Jason in his scheme against his will.

A silent tear fell from his eyes. "I. . .I didn't mean to. . . .He forced me. I—I—"

"I forgive you," he replied.

"Huh?"

"I forgive you," Shaun repeated. "You did something that—that you never wanted to do because you were forced to."