Blood dripped from somewhere. Marv couldn't quite see and she didn't have the strength or courage to look, but she found herself counting each deep drop that lingered on the cold cement floor. There was a sense of calm settled, staring at the droplets that fell from her head. Until hands grabbed her head and pulled her up, making her stare into the masked man's face. He wore an old army uniform and talked in a very rough murmuring sound. I couldn't understand him. I just looked at the man across from me.
His eyes were bloodshot, and buries burnt his skin very same skin that used to glow in the sun, his hair was in disarray and his lips were trembling but Marv could still picture them smiling, his pitch brown eyes were sad and distant while every memory flashed behind Marv's eyes at her distress.
A man walked up to the soldier, a knife aimed at his throat "Answer now!!" He shouted as he poked the knife at his neck "Now!!" He commanded as her soldier shook his head, telling in unspoken words to not answer.
He jerked the knife deeper into his neck. "OK!!" she looked down to her feet, I just need a few more minutes "..." Marv opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Panic shot across her face, and she began to shake in her seat. Marv struggled to make a sound, to save him until the masked man deepened the knife towards the soldier's head. But he shook his head as if pleading with Marv to stay calm; but the masked man started slicing, moving the knife into her soldier's skin, blood pouring.
His screams were heaving and dry until his blood drowned them out. Marv closed her eyes to avoid seeing this scene again, to avoid seeing those emotion-filled eyes still with death, but she still did.
….
Marv gasped awake, tears running down her face again, but she didn't wipe them away. She let them stain her cheeks. A hunger cut through her stomach and caused a sharp pain to beat at her head. Her body was trying to stay alive, even if her mind didn't want to. So Marv just turned on her other side, trying to force sleep, but after everything she saw, she closed her eyes, and she saw him. His eyes were still from death, his body cold with blood on her hands. They only had each other, and now she had no one.
She lay there again, in the fetal position, closing her eyes and holding her breath. She listened to her heartbeat slow down, wishing it would stop forever, but just as it got slower, her body kicked her alive again and she gasped for air. A dry heaving escaped her mouth, and she grabbed her neck, giving thus overwhelming urge to end it, but she still couldn't.
"Please," she begged God to end her suffering, but they greeted her with emptiness.
Marv got onto her hands and knees. Crawling to her side table, she sorted through the countless items and medications until found
the painkillers. She knew this wouldn't finish her off, but she could take enough to sleep away her misery. Marv took them in one gulp of swallow, but as she put back her pills, there laid his dog tags, the ones not even his parents would take.
She placed it around her neck; it stung cold on her chest, and laid back in her bed, waiting for a forceful sleep and hopefully, no more dreams.
….
Nandi walked into the garden, where fairy lights lit up into the night. Minjun leaned down to give Arioch his cup of tea. She carried a massive book, which she threw down onto the table before him. Arioch stared at the book before looking up at Nandi, who had a confident smile.
"you don't have to kill him" she crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "I was looking through Nessa's spells. She spoke of having spells, potions, or curses for anything, and I mean anything" Nandi leaned down over the book "including a disownment spell" She placed both her hands on her hips and smiled, proud of herself.
"killing him was part of your plan" Arioch just stared up at her.
A flicker of annoyance passed through Nandi's eye "Meanwhile, your plan has us sitting on our asses" Nandi shook her head and took a deep breath "I know you have a death wish but the clan does not" Arioch looked away, guilt fell on his brow "so, we get in touch with Nessa, cook up a spell and feed it to Arjun" raises her hands at her success "Bam!! Home free"
Minjun leaned against the sofa. "And how are we gonna get Arjun to eat this spell? He already knows everyone in this room"
Nandi was brimming with excitement "That's the best part, the masquerade mall, he is throwing next weekend, to 'gain' followers" She held her hands up on quotation marks "So we can slip in and out, but with a bait"
"no" Arioch stated without a blink.
"why??" Nandi whined, flailing her arms and stomping her feet in frustration.
"Because I am killing an innocent and mentally unstable," he commented again.
Nandi had enough of his guilt. "You will risk the lives of the clan over a woman who doesn't even want to be here. You grew and nurtured generations on generations
Did it start from your lust for power, yes but did grow from that, yes. Don't kill a new generation with your guilt" Arioch didn't even flinch at the aggressive tone, just ignore "If you don't then I will. You put me in charge of the clan to serve, protect, and nurture. Don't get in my way" She turned to leave when Arioch cleared his throat, he watched her go, knowing he couldn't her sense of duty and protection.
Arioch stood moving towards Nandi. Moving towards Nandi, Arioch extended his hand and said, "I will do it for the clan, but you have to promise me that she will be protected."
Nandi grabbed his arm. "with this plan, she will be"
Arioch smiled down at his oldest friend. "the only problem is, how are we gonna get Nessa to tolerate me again" he asked.
Minjun spoke up, "Yeah, I mean, violence and terror don't work like they used to"
"Leave that to me" Nandi smiled sweetly, and she moved to the door. "first, I need to find her"