I am always afraid of souls.
They are creepy creatures and not all people can just see them. Even if some of you can, you won't be able to touch them. They are intangible, ethereal, and can pass through all things.
They can't be killed physically.
No, there's no way to kill them. They just won't die. Your only options are to drive them off or seal them away, and even that requires... unusual methods.
But if that's the case, why would I fear them?
Since physical matter can't truly touch them, they won't be able to touch physical things either, right?
The problem is my imagination.
What if they can slip into my dreams and drag me into sleep paralysis, or even worse, eternal slumber?
What if souls can possess people and do something unimaginable to their bodies? Like using people's bodies to drive them mad or commit crimes?
What if souls can devour the souls of the living so that they can use their bodies that have become empty vessels? Then they can mimic their talents, abilities, and memories so that they can imitate their very character and personality.
What if...
Sapak!
A sudden snap of something heavy hit the back of Jax's head and plunged him back from his scary imaginings. That brought him back to attention, recalling that he was still in the midst of digging out a tree stump.
Stirred up by the sudden occurrence, he was just about to see who suddenly hit him, but with a plunge of strength and malevolent suppression, someone clamped an arm around his neck.
Then, a voice, cold and indignant, sounded next to his ear, "What's wrong with you, kid? You think you can just loaf around all day while we're breaking our backs over there?"
The words dripped with disdain, and Jax could practically feel the speaker's glare boring into him.
And when Jax's eyes darted to the side, a sudden chill coursed through his veins, and he nearly leapt out of his skin in fright. The speaker's appearance was utterly unsettling, and for a moment, his heart seemed to freeze in terror as he took in the unnerving sight before him.
Fortunately, he immediately regained his senses. He almost thought that this creepy bastard was a ghost.
Standing there right beside him was a middle-aged man around 40 years old. His unsightly look that took particular resemblance to a ghost's face made Jax recognize him the instant he took a glimpse of his hideousness.
His name was Eliseo, a bastard who took particular delight in tormenting him and the other younger farmhands. If not for this guy, then his job would have been a lot easier.
Looking warily with a mix of unease and indignation, Jax could see a wide smile surfacing on the other party's lips. That face alone could creep him out of his senses. And, with a thought, he could immediately tell that this man was only up to no good.
''You, why did you hit me suddenly...?'' Jax replied, gritting his teeth inwardly at the thought of cursing him.
How hypocrite.
Jax knew full well that while he was having a hard time digging out tree stumps, this man was just there whistling under the shade of a certain tree with his hand sticking to his waist and the other holding a cigarette.
The physical toll strained down by backbreaking labor, and the burning glare of the relentless tropical sun — Jax could endure them all even if he had to grit his teeth and force his way through it. However, the constant taunts of this man, mixed with jeering laughter and ridiculing sneers, were getting harder and harder to deal with.
But knowing that this guy was hot-tempered and always conformed beyond proper reasons, Jax restrained himself from retorting carelessly. Days and weeks of enduring Eliseo's constant abuse and unrelenting provocation had taught him well that any kind of defiance would only result in further trouble.
That, too, was something he wished to alienate himself.
Just how would he drive this man away this time?
''What's going on here? Why are the two of you causing such a big fuss instead of working?''
Things were just heating up when a voice, cold and full of ridicule, suddenly interrupted nearby. The two of them could immediately recognize the owner of the voice, with the two of them having different responses — Eliseo, who smiled, and Jax, who let out an ugly frown.
For he knew that another ghost-like bastard had appeared.
"Ah, Mr. Berto, you're just in time! I have some matters to report to you." Eliseo immediately turned to face the person named Berto. He was their supervisor, so he was acting rather respectfully. His smile then broadened, taking on a sly, insinuating quality as he continued, "It appears we have a slacker in our midst. This young whippersnapper was caught red-handed by me. He is lost in thought while the rest of us toiled away, sweating blood to meet our quotas."
His gaze drifted towards the young man, and for a short moment, his eyes narrowed in a hostile response. He opened his mouth again, revealed a cold sneer, and with an obvious growing malice, he spoke with a rather beguiling manner, ''So, I decided to give him a little piece of advice as what he's doing will definitely anger you.''
''What?! Is that true, you brat?!'' Mr. Berto, without even trying to confirm the untrue, retorted as he threw his gaze on Jax with a growing fury. His eyes squinted in a manner depriving the young victim of any way out of the tough spot.
''W-what?! That's definitely...'' Jax's voice faltered as he struggled to articulate his defense. But halfway through his words, something he didn't expect interrupted him in the way he would find himself stunned.
Swoosh!
Sapak!
A palm, swift and heavy, struck Jax's face with unyielding force. The strike compelled him to jerk his head to the side and stumble backward, barely maintaining his balance. The sudden, jarring impact left him breathless, and the words he had been about to utter became lodged in his throat, unable to escape.
''How dare you lie when I clearly saw you!'' Eliseo's cold voice then soon resounded, his lips curled up in utter repugnance.
Jax gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He didn't even say anything yet and this guy dared to...
Just because he was enduring it as he hated troubles, this guy was persistently getting on his nerves — thinking that he was afraid of him? Damn, if not for his promise to his girlfriend, he would have resorted to violence and risked everything to get back on him.
''So, that's true, huh?'' Mr. Berto decided as he nodded his head in a fake realization.
Jax's gaze shifted to Mr. Berto, his mind racing with prudent thoughts. He was well aware that this equally tyrannical bastard posed more threat and aggression compared to Eliseo.
Mr. Berto's reputation for being merciless and biased made Jax wary of speaking out, fearing that his words would only fall on deaf ears. He knew that Mr. Berto would likely swallow Eliseo's fabrications hook, line, and sinker, no matter how outlandish they seemed.
Mr. Berto's piercing stare bore into Jax, his eyes narrowing into slits as he scrutinized him with an unnerving intensity.
His grip on the cane then tightened, the knuckles of his hand turning white with tension. The air seemed to thicken with anticipation, heavy with the weight of Mr. Berto's unspoken words. Then...
Swoosh!
With a swift and calculated motion, Mr. Berto lashed out with his cane, striking Jax across the face with a brutal, resounding crack. The merciless pain-inflicting thud was heavy enough to invoke a resounding echo, forcing his head to be diverted in a way he wouldn't see the oppressor.
"How dare you look at me with those filthy eyes?" Mr. Berto sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. His lips curled up in a contemptuous snarl, as if the very sight of Jax was an affront to his dignity. "If you don't want to find yourself out of a job, get back to work at once!"
But Jax, at that moment, had his thoughts pulled away by an unknown force. His eyes quivered, like he had seen something unreal, or most probably, his mind drifted away to the far corner of his consciousness by an ever-persisting cold call.
Then Jax felt a strange, icy chill wash over his body, and a distant, ominous whisper seemed to echo in his mind again and again. Its words laced with a malevolent promise:
"I have finally found you. Your fear... it calls to me."