"That's the last one," I said to Barrabas as I stacked the last crate. I looked at him and saw him busy talking, I mean quarreling with a buyer. I made my voice louder. "That's the last one!" I looked at him and still, he was unfazed as he was shouting, talking about how fresh his meat products. I slowly approached him. I tapped his shoulder but he didn't budge. I cleared my throat - once, twice, thrice but his voice was louder. I wiped my sweat.
"Sir! Can I have my pay?!" I shouted.
He turned around and I saw his face turned red. "What?!" He asked with his low voice.
I cleared my throat. "Can I have now my pay?" I asked politely.
"Wha-" He was about to yell when a loud booming sound was heard that almost deafened our ears. Everyone was stunned. Everybody searched where the sound came from and I saw everyone's eyes quickly filled with fear and terror. I glanced to where they were staring and saw where the sound came from ...
... The Madhouse.
Silence. A deafening silence. Everyone was silent. No one dared to speak or move. Suddenly, I heard an old man speak.
"Is it really from the Madhouse?" He asked as he tried to walk with his cane.
"I think so." A woman, I think in her early 50's, replied.
Suddenly an outburst of murmurs began. I'm still stunned and confused. I didn't know what to do.
"Do you think it's happening again?" A man wearing a top hat, I'm guessing in his 70's, butted in.
"What - What's happening?" I went to the man. "What do you mean?" I confusedly asked.
He stared at me. I felt uneasy. I saw his eyebrows met as wrinkles formed in his forehead noticeably.
I repeated. "What do you mean?"
He didn't answer back. His eyes fixed on me.
"Sir" I tried to get his attention.
He snapped back. "Sorry" He apologized as he shifted his gaze. "Nothing, maybe someone threw a bomb" He removed his top hat, his bald head showing. "Or someone fired a gun" He continued as he walked away without looking at me. I just watched him walk away. Everyone shrugged it off and quickly went back to whatever they were doing. The market went noisy.
"Hey kid!" I heard Barrabas calling me.
"Yes?" I asked as I turned around to meet him.
"Here's your pay" Two silver crowns which is good for two and a half kilos of fish. Well, it's better than nothing.
I washed myself, fixed my things as I bid my goodbye to Barrabas. He didn't bother to reply or even glance at me. Well, I don't really care. I left the market. All I want is to go home early and have some onion soup of my mom. As I was walking, cursing Barrabas' of making me work overtime without a raise, I saw a figure running towards me. I squinted my eyes. It's a ... girl. As she inches closer, I recognized those dark blue eyes. It was Cassey.
"Hey!" I waved my hand showing off a little smile.
She didn't wave or smiled back. A meter away from me, I saw her eyes - full of fear, worry, concern, and confusion. Her pale vivid green-colored hair in complete disarray. Her sweat dripping. Her clothes wet. She was panting heavily as she placed her hands on her knees for support. It seems like she was running the whole time. I went to her.
I placed my hand on her back. "What happened?"
She looked at me. Her chest pumping fast. She was catching her breath. She was about to say something but she wasn't able to speak. I opened my bag and searched for my water.
"Ai-den" She paused as she tried to control her breathing.
I confusedly asked, "What?" I found my water bottle. As I was about to give it to her, she continued. "Aiden, Ca-callum, Callum was-" She was caught off when a tear escaped from her eye. She was shaking me. She was sobbing, no crying.
"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" I confusedly asked. I felt a twisting sensation in my for no reason. "What about Callum?" My brows started to meet.
What she answered stunned me.
"Ca-callum was taken... " She sobbed. "... into the Madhouse" She cried loudly.
I dropped the water bottle.
"Wha-what did you say?" I stuttered.
"I don't know how or why? I don't even know what's happening. When I - I went to your house ..." She managed to speak but before she can finish what she's saying, I ran fast as I could. My mind, was blank. Along the way, I bumped into a lot of people but I didn't care. I shoved everything that came along my way. My body was numb but I continued to run as I stumbled several times. Confusion clouded my mind.
What, how, when? These were the questions that I repeatedly asked as I dashed.
I passed by the Madhouse. I saw people crowding the place. Patrols everywhere. I stopped for a moment and saw a red flag placed on the roof of the Madhouse. I stared at it and realized something - it's a white flag, covered in blood. Sweat dripping all over my face and my shirt was completely soaked. I continued running, breathing heavily and feeling the icy air piercing through my skin. I saw that familiar rusty roof. I'm almost at our house when my feet wobbled. I stumbled. I yelled as the coarse cement brushed my skin. I rolled several times. I stopped. My body was aching and covered in bruises as blood started to ooze; my clothes were dirty and I can't feel my feet. A tear escaped my eye. I tried to yell as I saw our house not far from where I am but my mouth won't open. My dry and chapped lips were trembling. I licked my lips and I can taste dirt and blood. I tried to stand but my knees are weak and weary. I crawled as I yelled in pain. Tears streaming down my face. Dirt getting into my nails. My clothes were being ripped. As I got closer, I saw our door wrecked. I crawled a little more and tried to stand. My legs wobbled and I was about to fall but I managed to grab the wooden casting for support. I entered our house, yelling my brother's name when I saw my mom, sitting on the floor, crying. There are clothes strewn all over the floor. Broken plates, utensils and chunk of wood scattered on the floor. Shards of glass were scattered on the floor. It was a painful sight.
I managed to speak. "What happened?" Tears falling from my eyes. "Where's Callum? Where is he?" I yelled. I was ecstatic. "Callum!" I shouted for his name but I didn't hear his voice. "Callum!" I went to my room. "Callum!" I went to my parent's and even to the comfort room but I did not find my brother.
"He - he's gone." My mother said, so soft that I almost didn't hear. She was crying.
"I mean, how? When?" I went to her. "What's happening?" I asked continuously.
Suddenly, my father appeared at the door.
"I - I know where they took him" He was breathing heavily.
I was about to run towards him when I heard a loud bang. Everything went silent and slow. Before my very eyes, I saw my father slowly falling. He fell on the floor with a thud. I stood there, frozen. Blood oozed from his body. I stared. I can't move a muscle. My mind went blank for a second.
My lips were trembling. "Da-dad?" I kneeled as I touched his shoulder. My hand was shaking. I'm sweating profusely. I tried shaking him but he won't budge. "Dad? Dad!" Tears started falling from my eyes as it dawned me that my father won't answer. My mom was hysterically crying as she stared at my dad lying on the floor. I yelled. "Dad! Common don't leave us. Dad!" I tried to pull him to stand but he was ... lifeless.