O — (#2) I tried, didn’t I?

The masked man then turned a dreadful laugh. The kind that stuck in your head and became a nightmare whenever you are asleep.

After Midnight

“What do we know about him?”

The voice hurts badly with its high-pitched tone which echoes as if my eardrums was a deserted cave. It went straight into my brain. I tried to shake it off but it was pointless.

My eyes was still blurry when a huge hand pull a metal which was located on the back my neck. The metal was no longer hot like the last time I remember it before I fainted. It was as cold as metal should be. When I look up, a gigantic figure of man was standing right in front of me. At first, he seemed to be showing a frightening smirk. Later, I realized it was rather a sympathetic smile.

The gigantic man then turn around to the other man that hurt my eardrums with his highpitched voice.

“N-n-nothing, Blanco. A-a-all I-i got was a-a code of a-a location and t-this boy description.”

“Are you sure this is the boy?” Apparantely his voice was not at all highpitched. It was myeardrums getting used to conciousness.

The gigantic man nodded. “I-i saw him t-talking to G-ghost.”

Blanco was a strong-looking man. Beneath his thick black coat, he has a great posture. The way he stands showed discipline nurtured in a military or similar academy. His hair was grey and combed back in an italy-taste.

Blanco then pull a cigar and a light from his pocket. It was so windy that he failed to light his cigar in a few attempts. He then throw both the cigar and the light in frustration into the night sky. It was a long silence after that.

It took me time to reazile what a bad situation I am in right now. My heart pumps a thousand times faster, then.

I could feel the cold got into my already numb hand that tied back in a flag’s pole. I then realized that we were on top of a very high building, probably the highest, for no other building on sight around us.

How the hell did I get into this! what the fuck these people want from me!

I got a lot of question, and well also, a shouting to do. But, I was too dehydrated for that. The least I could do now is trying put the pieces of my memory back together.

I remember it was sunset. I just left the coffee house after writing a story all afternoon, I held a phone to my ear when suddenly a cold metal was pressed against my neck by this gigantic man. I remember the cold metal drained life out of me in matter of seconds. I didnt remember much after that.

Oh yeah, and that anoyying man. Was it him that this gigantic man had just mentioned? Ghost?

Out of nowhere, a helicopter is heading to our place. It flied recklessly before it finally made a smooth landing on a far spot of the building. It is, tho, causes a raging wind that worsen the cold.

The helicopter had no passenger, only the pilot. It was a skinny guy in a thick dark coat walking in no rush to them. His movement was very light as if he was dancing along with the wind. As he got closer, I realized he was wearing a fox mask.

“Well, look at you, Blanco. The operation broke down and here you are handling the least important work there were.” Said the masked man when he got to us. His voice was surprisingly cheerful. “You should’ve let this loyal servant of yours handle this.” he then give a lil disrespecting nod to the gigantic man.

Blanco didn’t reply, he looked back to the masked man without any intention of saying anything.

“Well, Apparently a young man was planning a suicide bomb on the same day and the same place as our operation, ha! How convenient! We lost a lot of man today. My master was not at all happy. You know how important that operation was” the masked man said the last sentence slowly with enhancement as to show how important it was.

“I heard. Do you think it was Ghost’s?”

“I dunno, what I know, tho, the young man pulled a fucking badass suicide!” the mask man then throw one of his hand to the air, “He was holding a samurai and held it up in the air with one hand, and a trigger on the other. He screamed a japanese swears, God knows what he was saying, then sliced the samurai straight into his heart right after he pushed the bomb trigger! Then, BOOM!” He then jumped glorified right after re-acting the young man suicied act. “I guess he prefered death by a sword than a bomb.”

“How would you know that?”

“Oh yea, well, I was there. I manage to, you know, slip away.”

“I heard there weren’t any survivor?”

He didn’t answer. It was silence after that question.

The masked man then walk straight into me. He then lean forward, watching like a fox ready to snatch a chicken. Well, he is wearing a fox mask and I do feel like a helpless little chicken. He was so close to me that I could feel his warm breath on my chest skin. His presence was cold and intimidative. I could’ve sworn that I could sense a smile behind that mask.

“Now, you… are you just a distraction from the real show? or are you not. Who are you to… ghost?” the masked man said slowly. I was not sure was it a statement or a question. Either way, I had no answer for him anyway. “Ghost, the man who knows everything.” he continue with whisper as if he was talking to himself.

The man who knows everything? that got to be him. Ghost.

“I don’t know anything about him. I swear” I had to make it clear. I have to make sure they understand that I only saw him, once, at the cafe.

For a moment there, nobody move or say anything. The only sound was the whistling sound of the wind.

“Such a poor soul. Trapped on this unearthly affair between the evils. What does an ordinary young soul like you had to do with all this.”

“Let me go, then.” I said, hopelessly.

I then tried to stabilize my breath to lessen the trembling of my body. Yes, my body was trembling, big time.

“Uhh, look at you. Cold? I admire how you are holding up so well. No screaming like any other victims usually do. It got me thinking, Are you really just an ordinary boy?” said the mask man before executing a long laugh.

Of course I am! I got a gigabytes folder of porns if that what you mean by ordinary boy! I thought, but, of course I have no guts to say that out loud. Especially when my life was on threat.

After a moment, we were back in silence again.

In a split of second, out of nowhere, the masked man stab a small knife into my left thigh. It was so quick that no one realized the masked man had moved until it happened, including me. The masked man didn’t stop, he pushed the knife deeper straight into my bone. Strangely, There’s an electrical buzz once the knife touched my bone. I screamed like a howling wolf in pain. My screams echos to the night air then disappears like it never existed. Finally, even my mind shut the hell up.

“Tell him, I’m coming.” the masked man then said this with a whisper on my ear. He didn’t want both Blanco or the gigantic man heard.

If my hand wasn’t handcuffed into a pole, I sure had already fell onto the ground. My feet lost their balance. I hanged helplessly with my outfit soaking wet by both blood and sweat. For a moment there, the cold disappears and replaced by the heat originated from my body. I could’ve screamed more and louder if I can.

A freak just stabbed me to give a message to a man I don’t even know!

The masked man then lightly turned around leaving me bleeding, behind. Both Blanco and Gigantic man seem to not give a fuck to what this freak had done to me.

“One more thing, Blanco. My master is not happy. This was the first project the five clans worked together, but it was an absolute mess! The five clans partnership will be on hold until we found who is responsible for this.”

Blanco didn’t reply, he stands still watching the masked man walked away, got in to his helicopter, took a flying maneuver, and disappears into north.

“What a day. I knew something is going wrong the moment ghost was spotted in a public place….after all, the ghost was not meant to be seen” Blanco said, “Who ever did this just started a war.”

“D-d-o anyone know w-who that j-japanese boy work for?” Papiss asked.

“No,” he then stared at me groaning heavily, “But, I’m hoping it was Ghost. That way The Fox Clan would finally decease him and all his puppets.” he then turned his sight on me, “Just kill him, Papiss, I’m really sure this poor boy is just a distration. But, he’s an eye witness now. Letting him go would be a mistake.”

What?!

“B-but….” Papiss, the gigantic man, hesitated then nodded, “o-okay.”

I finally panicked. I give all the energy i have left to loosen up the handcuff, but, it was pointless.

“I don’t have to die, you know. I’m smart enough to not tell anyone!” I tried to talk my life away one last time. But, it didn’t work. Blanco didn’t even bother to say anything. He just walks away. “HEY!”

Blanco then left both Papiss the gigantic man and I alone. I already starting to lose my eyesight on exhaustion, when Papiss stand himself right in front of me. Papiss then relaxes his fingers getting ready. I knew that moment, there’s no way I could survive Papiss hands crushing my neck. It would be like squashing a tomatoes for him. There is no point in being brave anymore.

I then started crying.

“Please?!” I begged and I begged, but, what a worthless person’s beg means to him?

I tried didn’t I? Goddamnit, at least I’ve tried, didn’t I? God, help me!

How the fuck did I get into this situation?

I got a whole life planned and this is how it’s end? without warning without sirens? trapped on this hell which I have no idea how? and what hell exactly is this? A masked man? A gigantic man? a mafia? handcuffed to a flag pole?

Well, I never thought this his how I go.

As Papiss starts to spread his hand into my neck, I closed my eyes and hold my breath. I imagine what it feels like, dying. Does it hurt? God, please make it quick so I don’t feel pain at all! I thought.

This is it

As those hands touches my skin, they didn’t go as far as a gentle push of fingers on my neck. I waited. Ready to accept my destiny. But thats as far as these huge fingers goes. What is he waiting for?

When I openned my eyes, I saw Papiss was looking at me mumbling and counting. He was checking my pulse.

“P-p-poor boy. H-hang in t-there boy, I-i’m not gonna let you d-die.” He continued counting in a whisper.

“G-g-host would be u-upset if y-ou die.” He then smiles another sympathetic smile. This time, the smile was clear.

All the weight I have on my body left me in relieve. I relax every muscles I had on my body and I start to let it go. I exhale triumphly.

Why Papiss isn’t killing me? Why isn’t he following Blanco’s order? Why would he care about ghost? wasn’t he work for blanco? weren’t blanco and ghost are enemies?

I got a lot of question. Afterall, I’m a writer, I’m used to ask a lot of question.

But, for now, I’d settle with what I have.

I got a lot of question. But, for now, I’d settle with what I have.

The Masked Man

The helicopter had to fight the strong wind on its way for it was flying in a high altitude. It flies up in the sky, then down in between the buildings, turning left or right, but in the end, it only heads into one direction.

Inside the vehicle, the masked man whistling along to Jimmy Page guitar, tuning “Whole Lotta Love”.

What a song to end this long fucking day!

He was happy of how this day turned out. A lot of things doesn’t goes as planned and a lot of plans will now be useless. But, he knows the old master would be happy with how he handle the crisis.

He is a trusted man of the clan that controls the city leads by the one and only old master. The Fox.

He’s now on top of the food chain. After all those people he had to kill: Men, women, childern, old people, homeless, rich, celebrity, politician, those soul was just the price of getting where he is.

He smiled when he remembers the time when he killed a whole family in a suburban city: A cocky husband, beautiful unsatisfied wife, a young teenager girl, and an identical twin, which, both boys. He remember chopping their head off with an axe and arranging those heads beautiful and tidy in front of their front door. The screaming, the begging, and, oh, the blood! How he enjoys all that. He remembers sitting across the street enjoying passerby got terrified by the sight of 5 heads sitting in front of this lovely house.

He sat there like an artist enjoying an artwork. He is, indeed, the most terrifying assasin there are. His method was rather…. nasty. He ejoyed every second of them. You know, The killing.

What a pleasant memories!

Well, He didn’t manage to stop the bombing, that damned ghost was able to intervene. He will not forget that. Yes, he knows it was ghosts, but, he wouldn’t trust blanco of the bourne clan with that information. That’s why he lied and told Blanco he didn’t know. The fox clan will not trust anyone for now.

Well, at least, despite the defeat he managed to get the boy who caused the bombing. And, no one will know. All ghost knows now is this boy already an ashes. Dead heroically in the bombing.

I guess he will not be the man who knows everything, at last. Ghost the man who don’t know everything.

“You alright back there, buddy!” He shouted to the back of the helicopter. He had to shout, it’s hard to make a conversation on this noisy vehicle. “You know, we are going to be a very good friend! I’ll tell you everything and you tell me everything!” There weren’t any answer, “But, don’t flatter yourself, tho! I got a lot of bestfriend, you’ll see. You’ll meet them. But, oh boy, they won’ talk!”

“Good that people actually believe you are dead. Even ghost. I can do whatever I want to you, now.” the masked man said, “Don’t worry, I made up an amazing story about your death.”

The masked man then turn around to the back of the helicopter. There he is. A young japanese boy tied up on a thick ropes all over his body making him looks like a cocoon. His breath was already weak, his mouth was covered with a duck tape, eyes red, lying down on the helicopter floor with another ropes held him on so he didnt fell out of the helicopter.

“Have you ever heard what that old american president used to say? When you are going through hell, keep going! Well, you were going to hell anyway, and oh boy, lucky you, nobody knows hell better than I do!”

Anyway, You know, why all my best friend won’t talk?”

he then stop for a while to observe the young boy before continuing what he was saying,

They all dead.”

The young japanese boy could’ve sworn that he could sense a smile behind that fox mask. The masked man then turned a dreadful laugh. The kind that stuck in your head and became a nightmare whenever you are asleep.

Next Episode — 1st of May 2015.