CHAPTER 3 - "This wretched life of yours"

I opened my eyes and it was dark. I could barely see what was around me but when they were adjusted to the darkness, I saw trees on the side of the tracks. But trees weren't the only things I noticed then. People. At my left, there were four people. I didn't bother to check if there were behind me though.

Someone took my backpack off my back, I didn't move. Take it if you want, it's most likely going to be more useful for you than for me! Then, I was lifted up by strong hands. A man's voice whispered in my ear. "It's okay, you'll be safe with us." Did I hear a laugh after or something? I think yes but honestly, they can laugh as much as it pleases them. They placed me on the backseat, in a truck. I was still feeling weak so I closed my eyes during the ride. I think I got a heat stroke as I was taking my "five minutes" break. Where are we going? Who are they? What do they want from me?

A good while later, they had finally stopped the truck. The same hands – which belonged to two men – helped me to get up and I was standing in front of a big concrete building. Right under a spotlight was a billboard were I read:

Chico y Pedro's garage. We give the service, you give the advice. Open 5 days a week, from 8am to 9pm

They opened the metal door and we got in. A guy lead me somewhere I could rest, telling me to not be afraid and to relax throughout the night before he closed the door behind him.

Should I panic? In movies, usually, when they used to say 'we don't want any troubles', they were actually going to put you in some heavy shit. At the same time, that heat stroke had hit me hard and my brain was overheating so thinking wasn't the best I could do. I looked at the mattress placed on the floor. Lucky me, I had a pillow. Was this a five star motel from the apocalypse!? I laid down and the second my head touched the fabric, I deeply fell asleep. Any bad things that had to happen during the night were then welling to happen with me sleeping like a rock.

Stupid me for saying such crap…

Two men entered in the room. Was it still night or was it morning yet? I had no ideas; there were no windows near. I only had the time to open my eyes – my sight being still blurry because of the tiredness – to see one of them holding a damped towel and bringing it to my face before I blacked / It probably was some sort of soporific.

I awakened in a different room. The only source of light was from a spotlight placed right upon my head. I looked around, scanning the room through the darkness to see where I was. The effects of the substance I inhaled were still affecting my brain and all I could notice was the chain link fence on which my wrists were tied. My feet still touching the ground, I felt like I was being exposed to whatever – or whoever – cared. I first thought about screaming for help but, considering my situation, to call attention was certainly the last thing I had to do. So I waited like that for a good while, maybe a few hours. Still not knowing what time it was and considering the tiredness still filling my body, I closed my eyes and tried to rest for the best as I could do.

The door was opened and I heard foot steps. I yawned and looked at the man taking a chair he brought in the white circle made by the light on the floor and sitting on it. We eyed each other in silence. As he was sort of inspecting me from up and down with a smile, I was eyeing him in disgust and fear. Yes, I was slowly regaining my mind and I started to realize the potential danger.

"Hello," he said after a few minutes, "I'm Jovani." He stopped like he was waiting for me to answer. Seeing I wasn't going to speak, he chuckled. "Don't worry, you ain't the only one that was afraid at the beginning, we once had another case way worst…" He stood up and walked around, reminding himself of that other person he was talking about. "Damn, she'd scream and cry and try to hurt us but still we did her and we did her good." Evil laugh. It froze my blood tight in my veins. We did her? What did he mean by saying that? "But I feel like you're going to cooperate more, maybe 'cause of your young age. Well that's good! Sometimes, youthfulness is what my men need."

"What are you talking about?" The words had left my lips before I could swallow them back.

"You see," he turned his devilish gaze towards me, "our job is to make sure this world still runs right, that everyone's happy and alive. If it doesn't work for someone, we act most of the time by punishing them. You were trying to kill yourself when we found you on the tracks yesterday. You ain't happy so you have to undergo the consequences."

What? I tried to move my hands but they were too tightly fixed. "This world doesn't run right, it never did. And I was only taking a nap, I didn't try to kill myself! Huh, let me go before I-"

"Before what?"

"Before I kill you."

"Because you think you can?" He burst out laughing like I had told a joke. What's so funny? "Like if you, little bitch, could kill me, huh?" He placed a hand under my chin and mimicked a pity face before walking away. "Trust me, little girl, leaving us is now the last thing you'd like to do."

"Are you going to punish me if I try?"

He punched me on the cheek. I coughed as he placed himself right in front of me, a finger raised. "The next week is going to be the worst week of this wretched life of yours. You'll ask us to die at the end."

"That is never going to happen." I said with my teeth tight. Who does he think he is? King Jo? br / He looked me in the eyes, breathing fast. All this was making him even more angry.