Brute

Part 18

Joong

My head felt heavy. Headache. It was so long since I had one as strong as this one. Usually, it was liked this after tasting the strong swing of my father's hand, but that was before , way back, when I was just a little child, small and weak. It was also not cause by some fever or sickness. So what is it that make me feel this strong pain? I touch the back of my head, something wet touch my palm. I looked at my palm, it stained red, dark with a strong smell of iron, bloody. I am injured? But, how? I closed my eyes again and tried to think. The last thing that I remembered was leaving the club, walking at the parking lot towards my car, and then it went black. 

This room had nothing but an old bed and no window. Wobbly, I walked to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. Damn! Am I kidnapped? I went and laid back on the bed. Laughing, feeling funny. This was really liked some kind of a movie. They think that they would get anything out of kidnapping me? My family would just dismiss it as something made up, just liked how they never care about my injuries before, this would be just another case of a wild child.

I didn't know how many days had gone, they only put food and closed the door back. Until in the end, a few people came in and brought me into a van, and covered my head with some cloth along the way. They were talking in a language that sound foreign to me. Until I was let out and brought to kneel on the floor, my mask was pulled off. I could hear the sound of water at my back, the wind was strong. This must be near the port.  

A big guy came to the front and spit on the floor. He looked mad. "Your family is crazy! Did they hate you that much?". I heard that and started to laugh again. I was smacked hard on the face. "Shut up! You've turned crazy too? You know what your father told us when we asked for the ransom? He said to tell you, to play as much as you want, and then just pay to shut them up. No need to bring the family to play along too". 

"Aaah, meant you got to call the right person. That sounded liked my father. Actually, he was right, you know, I really could pay you just as much. Forget my family. So, just choose; if you push me into the water, all this hard work goes to nothing, people will find me floating in a few days, then they would trace all the camera around the city and might find something that'd lead them to you. But, if you let me go, well, we could come to some understanding".  

"You're one crazy man!", the guy said.

"So what? I am giving you a huge deal. Which would you choose?", I could see that he was just a burly man, without brain. Money was all he's aiming about. 

"You tricked me, I kill you later!". I nodded and smirked. His threat didn't scare me a bit. Long before he wanted to kill me, my family had already killed me alive; mentally and emotionally. 

Yes, I gave them the money, but also managed to give them the time they should serve behind bars. Since then, I learnt how to fight, not just to defend, but also, to be able to fight back. I was a survivor since I was a child. Not that it was something new, but since to my family, I am long dead, and my only source of light had also left...all I have right now, is just...myself. 

Nine

My sleep was disturbed, when the person beside me started to move around, restless. I switched on the bedside lamp and looked at his side. His face was contorted, liked having a painful dream. I let the phase go, to not wake him up, in shock. When his breathing was a bit calm again, I carefully tried to wipe the heavy sweat on his face. Might be because he was not used to sleep with just a fan in a hot weather. But, my touch caused him to be surprised, and a sudden painful grip was immediately felt on my wrist.

"Argh, Joong, it's alright, it's me. Let go, please...". My voice surprised him more, he let go and sat up. I sat up too. "I'm sorry, are you hurt?", he asked and carefully took my hand and rubbed them gently. I shook my head. He released a relief sigh.

"Is it the heat? You felt restless? That's why I asked you to sleep at the other room. You'll have more space and won't feel so stuffy", I said while wiping the sweat on his face and neck again. 

"I wanted to sleep close to you. If it is not so warm, I would already cuddle you the whole night", he said, trying to make light of what he actually felt. I could read that from the tight smile he gave me. 

"Were you having a bad dream, Joong. Want to talk about it?", I asked him directly, so he could let go some of the burden in his mind. He neither deny nor answer anything, and just looked at me with guarded eyes. I held both his hands tight, and said, "It's okay. I won't push you. As I promised, see... I am holding your hands tight again", I said cheekily and gave him a sincere smile. 

"Nine..."

"Yes?"

"I love you".