Into her cruelty, his life ceases.

ALICE

I will be okay. I will be okay. I will be -. A surge of fear breaks over me. The boy beside me squirm uncomfortably in his binding. I blink against the blaring pain of light Adeline is flashing in my way. A laser beam that seems to accumulate heat in the surface of my skin. She pull on my hair, take out a needle, and struck my neck. I wince at the bite of thin needle seeping my blood. My fingers curl in agony. Her red blooded lips is like a spun of blood tangled inside a red string.

“Don’t worry. This is for blood testing purposes.” She said. 

“Why are you doing this?” I manage to croak despite the excruciating slabs of bruises ripping off my limbs.

“Why?” she roll her eyes in mock marvelment. “For years we’ve spent with each other you’re still asking that question Alice? Shouldn’t you realize by now?” She grab the thin material of my tattered shirt and haul me off the van floor. 

“It’s the string, my dear. It’s mine. I won’t let you -” she rake her eyes from my head down to my toes. “The last bearer of our bloodline get it, you hear me? That’s mine.” she flash her pointy teeth hiding behind her small mouth. She huff with a smile. Shoving me back down. 

I almost stumble against the boy. Too glad I’m able to regain my balance before I plummeted. One soldier sitting at her right keeps stealing glances at me. His face is stern - or at least he’s trying hard to keep it that way. But his eyes betray him. I can tell on how the strings dances at his side. Compelling him to me. 

Drawing out compassion from his heart. I’m not sure if that was possible yet it’s happening. He keep giving wary glances at Adeline. Then pity suffused his features whenever our eyes meet. I did my best to ignore him.

I’ve been stared, mocked and oppressed by Adeline’s men I will never believe this facade anymore. No, I won’t buy it this time. Sufferings will be my only future in this road. I skidded closer to the boy, his head bumps in my shoulders. 

He groan.

“Shh, it’s okay.” I whisper. I want to reach out to him and pat his hair. I want to put my arms around him, take away the things that scares him. If only… If only I have been careful. If only I have power that can defy Adeline. If only I have power that can get us out of here… 

Then I’ll be sure to take this boy to whatever place as long its safe. 

*** 

I can’t tell how many minutes we drive. The black window is not giving me any glimpses to the world outside. My consciousness is drifting, hovering in black empty waters I can barely breath. To keep me awake and alert, I started counting numbers. Measuring seconds, then minutes, then hours. 

When the Van skidded to a stop, my counting reaches four hours, twenty - three minutes and fifty-second. 

Adeline stretch her fingers, flexing, unclenching and clenching them to see how her fake nails looks gorgeous with her slender fingers. 

“You.” she pointed to the man who’s been wary of her four hours ago. “Put the veil on her head then carry her out.” He nods. She turn to the pale man with popping veins in her right. “You do the same with the boy.” He did not nod. He swerves his head to the boy.

“Do you hear me soldier?” Adeline snap. The veins in the man’s throat pulsate blood, I can tell his heart is beating faster. Nervous? Maybe. He knew what kind of things Adeline is capable of.

“Maam, hurting children… was it really necessary?” For someone so tall and lean and stiff, I did not expect the man’s voice could be this soft. Like speaking up to her takes every filament of his throat to find the right voice.

“What are you asking soldier?” Adeline cross her arms, her body facing the man in her right. His knuckles turn white. He purse his lips. 

“I apologize Maam.” A pause. His long sharp nose lowered and I can tell he’s looking at me. “I have a family waiting for me at home. I do this private security job for my children’s sake… I have a sixteen years old daughter. Fourteen years old boy and two years old little girl. Maam… these children.. They’re all just kids. Hurting them is like hurting my own children. Bringing them inside the constitution is like -”

“Your point?” Adeline cuts in, sounding irritated. The man’s eyes widen. He blinks three times, his nostrils flared as he tries to steel himself. “I can no longer do this Maam. I’m sorry.”  

“I see. Then you’re fired.” Adeline said coldly. I squirm on my seat. My mouth attempting to protest but the man in her left is quick. He put his hand on my mouth to shut me up. To stop me. I can see the fear peeking behind his sunglasses. He also know what will happen. I shake my head. My eyes pleading. Urging him to stop Adeline. 

But it was too late. 

Too late. 

“Soldier, take the gun right out of your pockets. That’s it. That’s it. Now point it in your head.”

The man whimper. “Maam, I can’t possibly - aargh! What’s happening? My hand… my hand it’s moving on its own!”

I crawl and tremble at the corner with my sanity barely hanging by the thread. The man’s screams are bouncing off the van’s space it tries to rip my ears apart, exploding in my brain. I’m shaking with my own memories torturing me, everything Adeline let me witness for the past years is coming back. I have no means of escape from these screams. I’m howling in a circle of my own fears, petrified at my own nightmares, tortured at the horrors unfolding in front of me. I can not move. I can not scream. I can not stop one innocent life taken away because of strings’ power.

“Maam please have mercy! Maam!”

“Fire.” 

 My heart stop beating after hearing the ugly thud of one heavy body collapsing in the ground. Right after the ear splitting scream of a gun firing at close range. My limbs can’t stop shaking, my mouth can’t stop the moans forming at the tip of my throat. 

He’s dead. The man is lying limply in the cold ground. His head blown up from the gun. Brain splattered, blood scattered… I no longer hold any control of myself I started screaming.