The Viral Chase

Chapter 18: Surrender

Chapter 18

Surrender.

He looks at the dark sky, immersing himself in deep thoughts about who knows what. Though the muscles in his face remains tensed, he keeps his temper at bay. "Tell me." His smooth voice requests me for the whole truth, again. And again I am in a dilemma, should I tell him? But who is he to know about these things! Even though he saved my life, doesn't give him the freedom to know about my past. But anyways, who else is left to share these haunting nights and restless days. He has been helping me cope up every day and every night, can't ask for more. I end up trusting him everytime, when I shouldn't. Won't hurt to trust him once more. Would it? I am lost in my inner conflict when he clears his throat just to remind me of his presence. I speak in a numb tone, attracting his total attention. "You do know that it distresses me to recount the same incident for you when I am putting an enormous effort in burying it in the depths where I can't find it, don't you?" And all I get from him is a nod and more intense stares. His concentration is only on my words as his forehead creases with those small lines, knitting his eyebrows together. I collect my thoughts, arranging them carefully in my mind and start telling him everything about leaving my house, losing my way in the dark woods and about coming face to face with the cruel man named Henry. "Henry and his partner tied me up to a tree nearby to prevent my escape. That's when I fainted, due to the stress and panic, I guess." My throat dries up now that I am about to tell him the tale of the horrors of that night haunting me till date. Its not hard to remember it, floating over the surface, this memory is always the one that drowns the other goods ones.

"I remember waking up in a dark, stinking room tied to a hard wooden chair with the same men standing with their backs to me. I saw them torturing a man by running the same silver dagger on his left cheek, tearing the skin and letting the blood ooze out in a single stream. The man shrieking and howling in pain. I didn't know who he was but I felt a great amount of sympathy for him, since he couldn't escape these devils. Fear pumped into my own veins as I saw it. They kept on asking him about where the 'Thing' was but he said he had no clue about it. I don't know what they were referring to but I was froze everytime they split open a different part of his skin. Finally, they..." I gasp losing my breath and a fresh set of tears brim up in my eyes, ready to fall down and stain my cheeks. Harry grabs my hand in between his both warm ones in an attempt to comfort me and I continue, finding my breath. "Finally, they stabbed the weak man in the heart with same dagger and he let out a blood curdling scream. It was horrible and involuntarily, I let out a whimper and turned my face away from the gruesome scene. The man was bleeding from almost everywhere. I-I couldn't hold myself together. They turned to me with their evil laughter echoing in the room. One of them inched near me, with a howling laugh while Henry mocked me again. He made me look at the scene forcefully, pulling my chin harshly to the front as Henry twisted the knife inside the victim's heart and pulling it out." I gasp again. It is mental torture for me and I take a deep breath before saying anymore. "My stomach heaved at the sight and I threw up beside the chair. His partner retrieved another knife from his pocket, a smaller one and slashed my arm. It hurt bad and the blood poured out of the wound, making me more sick." Harry's grip on my hand tightens suddenly. I gulp, feeling a wave of nausea going over me and I tell him more in my raspy voice because I want to let it all out. "My sobs were very much audible after they left to hide the dead body. They had similar thoughts for me I suppose but they never came back. In the next hour, I saw a man in the policeman's uniform breaking in and shouting out to people behind him. They attempted to help me but I kicked and thrashed, all weakly though but that made it difficult for them. I have a faint memory after that because I was handed over to paramedics and I was slipping in and out of consciousness. I was probably hysterical by then and it must have been a syringe that pricked my arm to calm me. The next thing I remember is waking up in the overly bright white room in a hospital to my dad holding my hand. For few days I wouldn't let any person come near me except my dad. My mum arrived the next day and there was no denying that she looked broken. She comforted me the most, though." It seems difficult to continue any further with the events since I am a mess now. I bet my eyes are puffy from the continuous leaking of the tears recently and my voice is already hoarse with this thick lump in my throat. Even though my hand is numbing by the iron grip of his hands, I still don't want him to loosen it or let it go. "Things were awful and every night I had nightmares. I still do after meaningless hours of sessions at my therapist's clinic. Now all I have is this." I mumble showing him my index finger of my free hand. The silver ring sitting perfectly on the finger, glinting in the dark by the street lamp from above the car. His face scrunches up in confusion, gazing at the ring again. "I had my therapist tell me once that one cannot have an object of real world in our dreams with the same weight or same appearance. When it is difficult to distinguish between a dream and reality, always grab hold of an object you can keep with you. It will remind you when its all in the real world." "So that's the reason you hold onto that ring for your dear life after every nightmare..." He speaks for the first time after my long speech of my haunting past. "Yes and lately I have been doing it after experiencing those attack too. I feel like I am losing my sanity." I whisper my last words. "No... No you aren't." His silent words assure me.