Torment

by R. S. Broadhead

  The roar of the engine started, and moments later we were moving. The speed increased after we made a few turns, practically throwing me from my resting spot. My stomach dropped as the pressure built in my ears the higher we climbed in the sky.

  I was on my way, but the trouble was, I no idea what I was on my way to.

  Chapter Seven

  Reese

  When the plane landed in Bangkok, I was beyond ready to debark. The silence reminded me too much of the mental place I was before. Sleeping was foreign to me now. I woke every few minutes, expecting something to be in the room with me. Getting off the plane was just as easy as getting on. I waited for the right moment and slipped passed two workers carrying on a conversation in their native tongue that I didn’t understand.

  I walked for miles, reaching the heart of the city at last. There were people on top of people, with bright lights, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and a constant repetition of hagglers trying to sell me things. It seemed the skyscrapers nearly reached the stars, the other buildings so uniquely built it was amazing. The majestic rich colors of religious temples radiated inner peace within the bustle of the city. Passing by a stand selling maps, I snatched one along with a side satchel and a compass, while the seller was busy with another customer, and kept my pace. The coordinates were taking me to the northeastern region of Loei Province. The book provided modes of transportation around the country. Another flight was an option, but they probably wouldn’t be as large as the flight over here, making it more difficult to sneak aboard. I opted for the train. Locating the train station on the map, I started in that direction.

  Something spicy floated through the air as I passed street food stalls. The pit of my stomach churned. It had been a while since I had eaten anything. I darted in between a couple arguing while their child giggled and ran into the street, making a car come to a screeching halt and blow the horn. A light drizzle pecked at my skin. I looked up at the cloudy, night sky. An ally caught my attention. I veered down it before a group of men in business suits trampled me. None noticed. Most were chatting with someone on their cell phones. They were completely obviously to their surroundings. Amazing this world had come to that.

  The aroma of the restaurant the ally ran behind made my stomach growl like a howling dog. I swallowed hard as I stared at a dumpster. After checking to see if anyone was around I jumped over the rim with ease. I moved a few trash bags full of papers and a few crusty nude magazines. Wonder why they were crusty? I laughed.

  At least I still found humor despite my current situation. A normal person would’ve probably been broken by now. Hell, I could feel myself standing on that edge, but I knew what I came from. I was determined not to go back to that crazy house. Besides, I was on a mission. I had to believe it was worth all of this. I found a box of rice and started shoving it into my mouth. I sat down on a near-by bag as my stomach quivered. I needed to slow down or I was going to make myself sick.

  “Please no! Let me go,” I heard a girl shriek. I tried to ignore it. It wasn’t my business. I didn’t want trouble that wasn’t mine. The things I did to get out of that hospital still haunted me. I glanced down at the tattoo as I reached for another handful of rice. Its blue curves seemed to taunt me. I threw the box against the wall of the dumpster and rubbed my face. “Someone help me!” she shouted again. I could feel my nerves crawl. I wasn’t going to be able to take this much longer.

  I jumped out of the dumpster with full intentions of disappearing back into the crowd, but I found myself heading toward the sound of the panicked cries. I rounded a few curves. The ally led to a more remote part of town, a seriously sketchy one. I pushed some ratty clothes that were hung on a rope aside. Three guys had a girl pressed against the wall. Two of them had on hoodies and jeans while the third had on a black cloak that touched the ground and covered most of his face.

  “I know you stole my money, bitch. You’re the only one that’s been in my room,” the cloaked one said. She shook her head, barely able to open her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks.

  “Just do it. Kill her and get it over with. I got some fat ass hoes waiting on me,” one with a hoodie said.

  “Yeah, yeah … we can throw her body in one of the dumpsters. No one will ever miss a piece of trash like this,” the third one agreed. He was antsy. He glanced behind them, and for a second I thought he saw me.

  “Please, Tai, I only took the money because I needed it to pay the doctor,” the girl sobbed.

  “A doctor? For what?” the cloaked one asked.

  “To pay for the abortion. I’m pregnant. I found someone that’s willing to do it as long as I pay him.” He laughed.

  “You had the right intentions because I damn sure wouldn’t want a baby with your stupid ass, but you should’ve found the money from someone else. So I guess the only thing for me to do is slit your throat to get rid of you and the thing growing in you.” He reached in the cloak and brought a long blade up to her cheek. The streetlight seemed to illuminate the danger of this weapon. I turned before I saw him do anything with it. I walked back the way I came in. There wasn’t anything I could do for her. I was no match for three men.

  “Aaaahhhhh, please stop!” she screamed. I blinked a few times trying to clear my vision. Darkness snaked its way in from all around me. I backed away trying to avoid it, but it was everywhere. The black veins crawled under my skin as I turned back into something that terrified even me.

  I cracked my neck to the side and rolled my shoulders to loosen up for the fight. Really, I could care less about helping the girl, but I was bored. At least hurting these guys would be fun. I turned around and headed for the group, ripping the clothes out of my way and throwing them to the side. “Yo, why don’t you try that shit on someone else?” My voice was different. It was so smooth and enticing, almost baiting them to me. All four of them turned toward me. The girl bled from a deep cut across her cheek.

  “Please, go get help,” she pleaded. The antsy guy punched her in the face. Her head rolled around a few times, clearly dazed.

  “I don’t think I need to go get help,” I said, shaking my head. A sadistic chuckle rolled out. It sounded deep, dark, and hungry. “Well, maybe I should get help for all of you.” The three guys looked at each other and laughed. The one in the cloaked shoved the half conscious girl to the side. She slumped down the wall and laid against a stack of crates.

  “This could be fun, boys. I get to go first with her though,” he said, pulling the cloak’s hood back from his face. A tattoo ran from the corner of his eye down his cheekbone. They stopped a few feet from me and held the blade up to me.

  “Nice Khukuri,” I said. He raised an eyebrow at me, before it returned to its menacing scowl, over lapping his dark eyes. “It’ll be mine in a few minutes because I’m about to kill all of you.”

  “I’ve had enough of this. Hold her down,” he instructed the other two.

  “Bring it,” I said. I motioned them to come to me. One lunged for my midsection. I darted to the side, sending him into the wall behind me. The other threw a punch, which I caught and returned three knees to his chest. He fell back, gasping for air. The one I threw into the wall grabbed my arms and pinned them to my sides. The leader smiled.

  “Looks like your luck finally ran out.” As soon as he came near enough I drove my forehead into his nose. He dropped the blade and grabbed at his face. I jumped up, using my feet to push off him to throw myself over the head of the other one, breaking his hold on me. Once I landed on my feet, I quickly gripped his neck and snapped it. I stepped over him as he sank to the ground, only pausing to pick up the Khukuri. I slung it around and sliced through the neck of the leader.

  “What are you?” asked the third one I’d kneed in the chest.

  “Somethin’ you should’ve feared.” I drove the blade deep into his abdomen and pulled up. I turned back to the leader and ripped the cloak from his lifeless body. It had a large wet spot from his blood, but it could barely be seen on the black materi
al. I placed it over my clothes and pulled the hood low on my face. It would be colder once I headed north. I needed something to keep me warm.

  “Thank you,” came a small choke. The girl looked from me to the dead men lying around my feet. I walked over and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air so her toes barely touched the ground. She slapped at my hand. The cut on her face still oozed blood and the left side of her face was swollen.

  My hand shook as the darkness’s power dwindled. She didn’t deserve this. I finally managed to release her. “Get out of here,” I screamed at her. She pushed back away from me and clumsily stood. She ran. “And you take care of that baby or I’ll hunt you down,” I yelled before she completely disappeared. I was exhausted. I dropped against the wall and rested my head in my hands. The darkness was gone and with it, it took all my strength. What are you? The words echoed in my head. It was a question I had asked myself over and over again. I didn’t know what I was. The fact was I didn’t know if I wanted to know, but I had the feeling these coordinates were taking me to those answers.

  No wonder I was locked away in that hospital. I was dangerous. No matter how hard I fought to control it, I just couldn’t. How much longer could I hold onto my humanity until it completely took over? I glanced up at the dead guys laying a little from me then at my hands. They were covered in blood. I gagged which then lead to a laugh. I looked at my blood soaked hands again and rubbed them across my face. The smell of it was intoxicating. I let out a small sob. I was going crazy. I needed to turn around and go straight back to the hospital before I killed someone who didn’t deserve it, like that girl. The darkness seeped through any time she wanted.

  “No. I will make it there and get this figured out,” I said aloud to myself. I stood and let the rain hit my face. The fat drops ran down, carrying blood with it, leaving me feeling raw with emotion. Carefully, I avoided the bodies, wincing at the desolation and destruction she caused, and halted at the leader. I fumbled through his clothes, taking the sheath off him and placing it on my body. I walked back to the busy street, pausing briefly at the dumpster and found a few items of food for the road. I didn’t want to take any chances on going without for several days. A guy parked his bicycle on the corner and ran into a shop a little ways from me. After I was sure he wasn’t coming immediately back out, I trotted over to the bike and pedaled as hard as I could. I was sure I could hear his screams behind me, but I wasn’t slowing down to look.

  I darted in and out of traffic until the train station came into view. I pulled the bike up to the curb and told a little boy sitting there he could have it. He pedaled off before I had a chance to say another word. After reading the schedule, I found a bench to sit on and wait, watching the people walk by. Everyone was so family-oriented here. I wondered where my family was. Did I even have family? Judging from my murderous ways, I might have killed them. That thought didn’t sit well with me.

  A few hours later, my train was ready to leave. I waited until a large group was shoving their way on and maneuvered to the middle of them. The attendant didn’t notice as I slipped up the stairs and took a seat in the back. I slouched low and pulled the hood as far as it would go over my face. A whistle sounded and we jerked forward a little while later. I stared out the window, watching the city disappear.

  Loei was drastically different than Bangkok. The air was a lot cooler as I stepped off the train. I hugged myself under the cloak. It was surrounded by undulating mountain ranges, which were covered by thick fog. Life here seemed more traditional, less catering to the needs to fulfill tourists’ pleasures. The buildings were worn down and tightly squeezed together with small roads running in between them. The residents appeared to be mainly farmers.

  “Excuse me,” I said, stopping a man walking by. His feet were bare and dirty. I hoped he spoke English. “I need to find the Mekong River. Can you tell me where to go?” He smiled and pulled my arm. I jerked away, unaware of his intentions. “No. I need to find the Mekong River to get on the ferry.”

  He pulled my arm again. “I show,” he said with a smile.

  Keeping my guard up, I let him pull me through the buildings. On the other side lay the Mekong River, with a ferryboat docked. “There.” He pointed and pushed me in the direction of the boat.

  I nodded. “Thank you,” I said, finally returning his smile. Down the slope, I raced until I was on the water’s edge at a pier. A little boat loaded passengers to take them across…to what looked like nothing but jungle. Lush greenery for as far as the eye could see and mountains that seemed to roll forever. The sun rising off in the distance made it look even more breathtaking. I watched the ferryman taking money from the passengers, something I didn’t have. I was going to have to find a way onto this boat without being seen like the other times. A large family pushed me to the side in a hurry to get to the boat. I fell into step beside them and pushed my way on as the man paid for everyone with him. I took a seat in between two older couples. I could feel their eyes watching me. I ignored them, looking off into the distance.

  About ten minutes later the driver came onto the boat. He had a big smile on his face, no doubt happy about the amount of money he had made off this ride. The boat was completely full. Some were even standing, holding onto the pole for support as the waves rocked us. The engine sputtered to life and exhaust filled the air. I pulled the cloak over my nose, instantly regretting it. All I could smell was blood. I moved it and waved the smoke away. The wind whipped around me as we crashed through the water. Everyone chatted. I didn’t understand any of them. It didn’t matter. I thought it was heavenly. I didn’t want to hear about their day, their problems, complain about their life. All I wanted to do was enjoy the sound of the waves.

  Before I knew it, we had docked. I stretched, trying to remove the stiffness from my body. I must have dozed off. I rubbed my eyes and stood to disembark with everyone else. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me around.

  “You … you are no good, only evil,” said one of the little ladies who had sat near me. “You must leave this place. Bad things have happened. Creatures, unearthly creatures are among us because of your kind.” Her voice rose and made others turn to see what was going on. I pushed past her and jumped off the side of the boat.

  I disappeared into the trees and kept running until I couldn’t breathe anymore. The sky was gone due to the canopy of trees that were everywhere around me. I repositioned my cloak and decided I needed to get more rest, but only a few hours. My eyes burned from exhaustion. I found a tree I could climb and went half way up it. There were a few branches with enough strong limbs to lie across without having to worry about falling off if I moved. I closed my eyes, listening to the vibrant world around me. Birds chirped, rustling leaves as they landed near me, off in the distance something sounded like a monkey howling. It was peaceful.

  Something moved across my arm, causing me to stir. At first, I thought it was a dream, and rolled over. I didn’t want to open my eyes. This was the first time I had actually slept without waking up every few minutes. A few moments later, I felt it again. Back and forth, it moved down my leg now. I jerked the cloak open to find a weird brown insect with several legs. I frantically kicked it off, not knowing if it might be poisonous. I stripped the cloak off immediately with the creepy sensation that my body was covered in something. Thanks to the thin pocket of moonlight that brushed the tops of the trees, I found I was insect free. I pulled the cloak into my lap with a grunt and ran my hands through my hair. It was tangled beyond repair. How did I sleep so long? My only options were to brave the night or wait until morning to start walking. An animal screaming, nearer than I liked, made the decision for me. I couldn’t chance walking in the dark. Some of the most deadly things were out looking for a kill. I shifted until the tree was safely at my back. There was no way I could close my eyes again after that. I shivered, trying to see below me.

  But there was nothing but darkness.

  Chapter Eight

  Shayla
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br />   The boat grated across a large rock hidden under the water, jarring all of us, before the front stopped in mushy dirt. The current was bad tonight, slapping against the boats in an un-rhythm pattern. That was the only sound. No one said a word on the way to Raven’s parents’ camp. I could barely see the contours of the tiny house. The boat ride had taken hours to get to the connection between the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers.

  It was hard to decipher my feelings. Tonight was hard. Seeing Jace made things stir. Things I felt were stagnant, even molded over, they had been left alone so long. And Fuzz. My breathing became ragged with the tightening in my chest. The blood pulsed hard against my temples, making my head spin. How could Fuzz not be with us anymore? He was always there to give me those looks when I said something incredibly vulgar or stupid. He was my lifeboat in all this madness.

  Without him I’d drown. We all would.

  I took my shoes off and rolled my pant legs up. Taking the shoes in my hand, I willed my shaking legs to carry me over the side of the boat. My feet plummeted knee deep into the water. Sharp pieces of sticks and rock poked into my feet, indicating to proceed with caution. The water sloshed around my legs, wetting my jeans anyway. The sand stuck to my feet as I kicked it around, trudging through the sandbar. A light flicked on the side porch illuminating an old jeep. It was the ugliest color green I had ever seen on a car, with rust eating away at the fenders.

  The wind carried low murmurs through the dark as I stopped and turned back toward the water. In the distance at Boise, red lights blinked beside their yellow counterparts. It was the area’s paper mill and the source for the horrendous fart odor on certain days. But tonight that didn’t matter. It gave me a distraction, and a distraction was what I needed.