Warning: This chapter is R-16, it has strong language and violence, which can make it uncomfortable for very young readers. Read at your own risk.
As the surroundings start to light, the clouds begin to get dark. The rising sun is eventually covered by the thick cumulus clouds. The blue skies turned to white until they became grayish-black.
When the water vapors are raised above, the atmosphere feels the weight and it is getting heavier. As it becomes full, it cannot endure the urge to explode the gallons of tears.
Armando chose to take a short rest before going to work. He was supposed to go out at 1:00 PM, but nature didn't allow him to. It is raining cats and dogs, he cannot manage to travel during torrential rains.
The sound of the teardrops mesmerized him. The terrifying thunder and lightning did not scare him, it gave him the power to have a successful afternoon nap. With a deep inhale and exhale, his mind travels so far from reality to another realm.
Just a half hour later, he achieved lucid dreaming. He can feel that he is floating around the environment. The yellow background intrigues him, there are many doors that he wants to attempt to get inside or have some knocks.
He took a deep breath and had a certain decision to go on. He was already aware that curiosity kills the cat, but he is not a cat. For him, being curious is the same as exploring things and discovering the unknown. He rotated the door knob and gently pushed onwards.
His excitement died, he just saw the unexpected. He felt a cold sensation and he almost had a heart attack. He cannot breathe, the more he wants to move, the more it gets worse.
He traveled miles away, he reached the location where Hale was kidnapped. He saw his poor girlfriend being tied to an electric chair. He badly needs to approach him, but there is an energy to stop him from moving forward.
Hale was being tortured with that electric chair. He saw him trembling and dancing to death. When the kidnapper was not satisfied, he picked a gun from the pocket and pointed it to the forehead of Hale.
"N-N-Nooooo!"
The shouts are useless, he is voiceless in this place. When he reached the limit, his soul was pulled by the unknown. He was being brought to reality.
In real-time, his physical body was suffering. He was having short breaths while his body was wet from sticky sweats. His eyes were getting white while he was nearly levitating.
After a half minute, a picture frame fell on the floor. That was the time when he was back to his senses. He rose and caught his breath. He looked around until he noticed that their couple's picture was on the floor.
He slowly went to it and cleared the broken glass on the picture frame. He picked the developed picture and he immediately burst into tears. He sobbed so much while reminiscing the story behind the photo.
"I... I am... s-so very sorry, I didn't protect you." He was utterly full of guilt.
Surprisingly, the lightning destroyed the windows. His hands shook and all of his memories were pictured on his mind.
He realized that what he saw in his dreams was the reflection of what he did. He just kneeled and prayed to ask for forgiveness from God.
"Lord, please forgive me as I have sinned. I admit that I tortured my girlfriend's friend. Don't let him just experience tragedy, I was the one who deserves to face hardships. He is innocent, just let me suffer instead. God, I am begging you..."
He mentally broke down completely and lay down on the floor flooding tears.
~~~
"Just let me go... JUST LET ME GO! WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME?" Hale repeatedly asked for the favor from the kidnappers while he was being brought back to the electric chair.
They were irritated with his voice so his tummy was attacked with an uppercut. He cannot endure the excruciating reaction which results in him becoming so weak and soft like a jelly.
When his body was brought back to the chair and his hands were tied again, someone splashed his whole body with super cold water. He deeply sighed and woke up.
"P-P-Please let me go... Don't torture me... Please, I wanna live... Have mercy on me..."
When his vision became clear, he saw a familiar person approaching him. The man going to him was wearing office attire, the outfit was easy to recognize and he had a gut feeling that that man was Harrison.
"Hello hello, my poor ABM trainee. How are you? Did you like my surprise?" Harrison touched his jaw and massaged his lips.
Hale spit him violently. "You're evil! How could you do this to me?"
"You still didn't answer my question, the answer needed is just either Yes or No."
"And you expected that I would be liking what you just did? You are so unfair!"
"I don't play unfairly, I am just showing you how powerful I am. Aren't you intimidated? I guess you are. Next time, don't scare me with your weak last words. Action is louder than words, remember?"
"I just don't understand why you are so mad at me. Why are you killing me softly? What have I done wrong to you? Tell me!"
"Nothing! I just wanted to play with you. I am so bored in life, I need some games to make my life happier than ever."
"I bet you are just insecure to me. I was also applauded because of my clerical skills. I have the full potential to become a CEO. I have the intelligence in business management and accounting, while you..."
Harrison was provoked especially when Hale just stated the facts with an intriguing pause.
"What about me? Just continue, I am all ears..."
"You are immoral, incompetent, imbecile, useless CE-"
(SLAP)
Harrison cannot accept some insults anymore, so he attacks Hale with his fist. "How dare you disrespect me!"
"I'm done! Torture him... NOW!"
Hale breathes fast and his heart races. He prepares himself to make super loud shouts but his mouth is filled with a thick towel.
Someone put a metal cap on his head, while his hands were placed to a part where the high voltage would come out. He is already teary-eyed while trying to fight those people busy preparing for the torture procedure.
And here it is, the operator just set up the machine to raise the amount of voltage. At the count of three, he pushed the ON button.
Hale's body shook like a worm sprinkled with salt. The operator has a little kindness, the current is not that harsh to him.
"Lord, please help me to get outta here. Let me live, please..." he prayed through his mind.
The people around him just cracked some loud laughs. It seemed they were enjoying the show. Unexpectedly, the immorality level does not end there, they set up a camera and connect it to a laptop to have a life on [______].
They got bored while electrifying him, so they tried another method to offer him the excruciating experience. Little didn't he know they were planning to make the situation worse than before? He will literally witness his worst nightmare.
They brought a secret box and put it to his front. "As a survivor, you deserve a gift, lady. We care for you even if you are in pain because of us."
Hale is not expecting that he will be treated like a human. He is terrified of what will happen next. He thinks that the box has a snake as he always sees this in movies.
"Surprise! You won some snakes! Meet your ancestors! Bwahahahaha!"
He repeatedly swallowed his saliva until he almost suffocated himself. He was urged to shout but something was blocking his mouth.
The hiss of the snakes is getting creepier. They crawled so fast and immediately reached Hale's legs.
"Uhhhmmm, uhhmmm..."
He closed his eyes when the one was going to bite. He didn't stop praying and asking for help from above...
In just a matter of seconds, he felt dizzy and his body was shaken by a quake. The concrete eventually submerged and fell down on the ground. The stones drizzled like fine dust.
The snakes' behavior changes, they crawl approaching Hale's arms. Without any idea, those animals were cutting the thick ropes to set him free.
When he felt free, he removed the things from his mouth and took the chance to get out of this traumatizing place, until he heard a voice over rang in his ears.
"You are now saved. Go around and meet the person that will lift you."
He sobbed and was so grateful because of an answered prayer. He ran as long as he could. He encountered some forest, and roads until he reached on a very big mansion.
His tongue literally came out. The sound of his hard breathing is worse. Just a few seconds, he passed out and fell.