The atmosphere became calm. The acid rain stops like it never happened. The screen reappeared but something was weird about this.
All the sky and cloud things were gone and the smiley man slid into the front of the screen. It is not smiling anymore.
His eyes widened. His smiley face is not glowing instead the corner of his lips twitching crazily trying to maintain his smile but miserably falling.
The so-called smiley man softened his gesture. His shoulder loosening and closing his eyes slowly with a sigh.
A chair appeared behind and he sat on it. He crossed his legs and rested his head on his hand back.
He opened his eyes;
The smiley mask again takes place but still his veins throbbing out of his forehead.
I don't need enough to understand that the atmosphere is not calm anymore. It is tense.
Finally Mina let go of me from his arms. She was facing backward. And didn't see the smiley man yet but strangely. She was trembling.
I stand up with a hump!
My face is itching. I scratch it a few times and suddenly I feel like my legs are going numb and I fall into my knees with a thud.
I scratch my cheeks. I notice a flicker of water dripping down my face. I harshly wipe it. Finding out that I am crying.
My legs numb. My hands are trembling and hurting. Why? A question mark from, asking the same question again and again in my head.
I wiped my tears trying to clear the vision more to see more but it didn't seem to work. My eyes are reddened and itchy.
Then a full force of pain took over my whole body.
I crawled in the ground—growling with intolerable pain. My cry becomes miserable as time becomes louder.
"It's hurting… sob sob sob… so badly."
"Please… stop…"
Gritting my teeth in anger feeling helpless that I can't do anything. Feeling miserable and alone is why my parents leave me here. They never think of me as their son. What they think of me.
Cry slowly becomes whin then in sob… finally falling into deep silence.
If I screen from the bottom of my lungs no one can stop the pain in any means.
Closing my eyes;
My eyelashes watery. The tears falling continuously. At that time I feel like I can't hear anything. The surroundings become silent for a second.
When I was breaking more, thinking about my parents, leaving me, slapping me, why, why i am alone—trembling.
I suddenly feel a hand on my waist, lifting me in his arms.
The boy smiled. The smile is soft and glowing but his face is covered in tone of blood—his own blood—flwoing from his head, from his cheeks scratches which more feel like slice by the sharp knife.
His face was red. His body was burning—too high. He hugged me tightly, catching breadth near my ears.
He started running, his hot breath touching my ears again and again. Every step it takes. The blood flood out of his mouth.
I finally open my eyes which is swallow.
I saw four other figure running in a navy blur hallway. The boy who was taking me in his hand is the one who always stand with the boy who have bad tempers. The boy was grabbing the other boy's wrist, running—No! No! Dragging the other boy with him.
The other boy is humping so loudly, out of his breadth. He shouted from behind, "Hey! Slow down and stop dragging me, Karl…"
Ignoring the other man whining which was not whining at all still running at his same speed.
So the man carried me. Karl. It is his name then. I thought.
The dragging kid starts to cry, "It hurts, you bastard. Why are you not sob sob… hearing me.. Don't ignore me… You."
"Then just let go of my wrist." and for real ruddy hands were hurting and already purplish and blood still dropping out of his hand where Karl was holding him. It is the same spot where a huge cut was formed in the acid rain when he was trying to shield the karl's eyes because the karl was shielding.
Rudy was helpless that time. He had to face the punishment because of the supreme dory who never got a lesson. We already have the same punishment like once in previous years. But still no one says shit about her. How and that bastard, Karl also supports him when i am his best friend. I hate him.
Karl stops in the path, glances behind and turns to Rudy. His shadow ingulf Rudy in. Karl was not taller but he is still taller than Rudy.
"Rudy. You can't see the situation. Stop your damn whining! We need to get out of this place before the timing finishes."
My head starts throbbing a little. The temperature becoming hot—increasing. Karl pupils trembling with non-verbal pain. His eyes land on his hand. His hand is dirty and bloody. His veins popped out. He glanced at Rudy and then his gaze fell into a ruddy wrist which was dripping blood.
He flinch and let go his hand—taking few steps back;
"I didn't—kn–know…" his voice cracking, "why you didn't tell me…" the boy shouted in agony. His face was dark and filled with horror. His face screams it's my fault. Rudy realizes the tension. He looked up at the karl and touched his face, wiping the blood—and suddenly slapped it.
"Get out of your fucking delusion."
Kicking sense into him. The slap was brutal! The wound on the Karl cheek opens and starts dripping again. His face turned right because of the force.
Karl licks his lips. Turning his furious glare at Rudy that he can't even show his emotion or act like it. What did he think of me huh!
When the war was going to start.
Retro and Mina finally catch up after two minutes.
They were exhausted and covered in blood like others except mina, me and rudy who was injured slightly—minimial injuries..
The scratches and brushes are normal for them. I guess it is normal for them?!
Retro gets into the middle of Rudy and Karl.
"Hey guys!! Guys!!! Calm down."
"No fighting for now. Please." he stuck his hand together, pleading with the bottom of his heart and pushing Karl from behind as if saying to move.
Then everyone starts to run—panting and groaning in the pain. When I was getting the princess treatment, obviously I was the queen at that time. Nothing to do. Not knowing what is happening. Why be in such a hurry. Is the temperature increasing? I can't understand anything.
So I just shut my mind and close my eyes instead.
When I sense the boy who is carrying me stop, turning back and running to rudy—who was running…wobbling.
He carried him from his back.
Then I just hear loud voices of argument. Rudy pulling karl hair as a protest let me go. I have legs to walk. Damn it!
"Guys. don't fight."
Mina shouted from behind. Retro leads the way and Karl and Rudy are still fighting like a dog and cat pair. One is roaring and attacking which was not that effective and the other nonchalant like he put a bundle of cotton in his ears and did not hear anything.
Finally Rudy gives in, leaning into Karl's shoulder, "You bastard!" he whispers in Karl's ears and closes his eyes, drifting into sleep instead.
Karl smiles, his ears red and he runs and finally they reach the end.
I open my eyes. A huge metal door was washed in front of my eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED…