"Eva? Why the fuck is she calling me so late." I wondered, answering my phone to see what the late-night disturbance was about.
"What's your problem, always calling me so late?" I answered, triggered as I remained sprawled across the bed. The sun was ascending, yet sleep continued to escape me for even a single moment.
"D-Dionis, my ex is..."
"What about him?"
"He's saying he wants to get back with me."
"Okay, so what? Just say no."
"You don't understand, he's some sort of gangster."
"A gangster, huh? Still, just say no."
"He won't let me. When I was with him, he was abusive and always hit me." she explained. "I fear he'll react the same way if I turn him down."
"If he does anything like that, call me, I'll step in and help." I replied, taken aback by the revelation of her abusive boyfriend a little, all while still being half-asleep.
"No, I don't want you to get hurt. He has a lot of friends." she said, displaying her kindness by attempting to safeguard me despite her own difficult circumstances.
"Hurt me? ME!? Nah, I'm not that easy to harm." I chuckled.
"Alright, I'll do as you say. Go-Good night." She hesitated.
"Ok, bye."
Without a thought on my mind, I fell asleep like a baby. Lost in the bliss of a pleasant dream, my mind on the brink of its conclusion, an abrupt interruption jolted me awake. Startled, I found myself being shaken by an unfamiliar presence, abruptly pulling me back into reality.
"Dionis, wake up!" Eman screamed.
"Ugh, where am I?" I groaned, my eyes still half-closed as I attempted to make sense of my surroundings. Rubbing my eyes to ward off the brightness, I slowly recognized Eman, the one who had been shaking me. Irritated and still groggy, I mustered a sleepy voice to express my frustration, saying, "Huh, Eman?! What the fuck are you doing, man? Let me sleep."
"My parents are coming. You've slept for three hours; it's enough, bro. Wake up and go home."
"Are you a crazy fucker? Didn't you say I could sleep over?"
"Yeah, I thought my parents wouldn't come this early."
"Tsk, fuck man, alright." I got out of bed, rubbed my head, quickly dressed, and left his house.
Walking home at 8 in the morning, as if I was going to school even though it was the weekend, I felt disoriented and groggy. The early morning sun cast a hazy glow over the quiet streets, adding to the surreal atmosphere. Each step I took felt heavy and sluggish, my mind still clinging to the remnants of sleep. Despite the disorientation, I pushed forward, stumbling along the familiar route until I reached my home.
Finally, I arrived at my doorstep, feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion. Before knocking on the door, I slapped my face lightly, hoping to shake off the drowsiness that clouded my senses. My mother, also appearing drowsy, opened the door with a hint of confusion in her voice.
"Dionis, didn't you say you'd sleep over at your friend's house?" She asked, her voice laced with grogginess.
"Yea, but I couldn't sleep more, so I came home." I replied, trying to sound rational despite my fatigue.
"Oh, alright, come in. Just don't make any noise; everyone is asleep." my mother said, stepping aside to let me enter the house.
I walked inside, feeling a wave of warmth envelop me as my mother closed the front door behind us and joining my sleeping father in their bedroom.
I made my way to my own room, feeling the exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. With a heavy thud, I threw myself onto the comfort of my bed, succumbing to the lure of sleep.
Hours passed, and it was already 3 PM when I awoke to the sound of my dad's insistent banging on my bedroom door. Startled, I sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to gather my thoughts.
"Dionis, wake up! We're going to Celje," my dad exclaimed, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and excitement. Celje is a one of the largest city in Slovenia.
Still groggy from my extended slumber, I stumbled out of bed and left my room. To my surprise, my mother had prepared breakfast just for me, even though it was nearing dinnertime. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air, momentarily distracting me from my sleep-induced confusion. I sat down at the table and began to eat, trying to shake off the remnants of drowsiness that clung to me.
As I ate, I absentmindedly checked my phone, only to discover a barrage of unread messages. Confusion furrowed my brow as I scrolled through the notifications, realizing they were all from Eva.
Countless messages pleading for help filled the screen, detailing her ex-boyfriend's threatening behavior. The messages were sent just two hours ago, but it felt like an eternity of distress for her.
"Tsk, I have to help her," I thought to myself, my concern growing as I read through her messages.
I quickly informed my parents that I had a soccer tournament and couldn't accompany them on their shopping spree. Even though they looked disappointed, they accepted it. I felt bad for deceiving them, but I couldn't let strangers touch my objects.
Leaving the house at the same time as my family, they headed towards the car, but I set out on foot, to reach Eva. With each step, my anxiety grew, and I dialed her number.
"Dionis, p-p-please help me. My ex is th-threatening me with his friends," Eva's voice trembled with distress. I could hear the chaotic sounds of shouting men in the background.
"Alright, where you at?"
"At the park where you first saw my ex."
"I'll be there in a few minutes," I assured her, hanging up the phone and quickening my pace.
Walking through the city, I contacted Eman.
"Yo, Dionis, what's up?" Eman answered casually.
"Eman, bring all my boys to the park and arm yourselves with all sorts of weapons just don't bring your guns. Some assholes are touching my girl!" I said, my voice dripping with rage.
"What?! Alright, we'll be there in a minute," Eman responded, his tone shifting to urgency.
After a few minutes, I arrived at the park, spotting Eva's hand being tightly gripped and dragged by her ex-boyfriend. A surge of anger pulsed through my veins, and without a second thought, I charged towards them, pushing her ex with all my strength, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
"You fucker, how dare you touch her!" I screamed, my voice filled with fury.
"Who the fuck are you!?" the ex sneered, dusting off his clothes as he slowly got up.
Before I could respond, one of his friends struck me from behind with a powerful punch to the back of my head, sending me crashing to the ground. I fell to my knees, the pain throbbing through my skull, but rage ignited within me. Clenching my jaw, I mustered the strength to stand back up.
"Fucking pussies, ganging up on me!" I hissed.
His friends surrounded me, their menacing presence closing in, but instead of feeling fear, a wide grin crept across my face. A fire burned within me.
"You fuckers don't know who you're messing with," I declared, my voice laced with menace.
"Oh, really? And who might that be? Someone who's about to be beaten up by all of us? Hahahahahaha" the ex taunted, all his friends laughing.
Eva attempted to push them aside, creating an opportunity for me to escape. However, despite the chance to flee, I remained rooted in place, standing still in the midst of it all.
"Can you all wait for just two minutes? Then, if you still can, you can try to beat me up," I calmly challenged them.
"What are you going to do? Call your nerdy friends for help?" one of them jeered, followed by mocking laughter from the group.
"Exactly," I replied, a smug smile playing on my lips.
To my surprise, they agreed, momentarily halting their assault. The circle around me dissolved, and they began conversing among themselves. Eva, unable to contain her fear and concern, pleaded for me to run away. But instead of yielding to her pleas, I stood resolute in the center, my gaze unwavering.
"Dionis lets run this is our chance!" Eva exclaimed.
"First of you stupid girl, there's like 20 of them and you're just a girl, ain't no way you can outrun them... So shut up and wait for my 'nerdy' friends to arrive hahahah."
Eva hugged me tightly, relief washing over her tear-streaked face. Together, we stood our ground, awaiting the arrival of my "nerdy" friends who had just become our valiant protectors.
Just as their patience began to decrease, a sight appeared in the distance behind me—A group of ten men, their faces adorned with wicked grins, held an array of menacing weapons—hammers, scissors, baseball bats, and metal pipes. With an unsettling arrogance, they slowly approached me. They positioned themselves intentionally behind me, forming a demonic presence. A mischievous, almost triumphant glint flickered in my eyes, as I knew this will end in a massacre.