JINX

EPISODE 10

"Oh please, Mister Miguel Craigg. We both know you wanted to live."

He knew he never wanted to die... At least not in a way like this situation he has been dealing with. He knew he wanted to still live because he wanted to stand up for himself, to be proud of who he really is where he can get out of their house staring at the neighbor's smiley face. He wanted to know how it truly feels to just walk freely around the globe as if he's as free as the wind, either without even noticing his own existence, or he could walk with his chin up, as flashes of camera strike his features while the passersby will chant his name 'Notice me, Miguel!' 'I love you so much, Miguel!' 'I am your number one fan!' like he's been the most popular being caught walking in his own town. But just by imagining the impossible and considering his recent situation, he doubted a single possibility that he'll even make it out alive. And the thought of his corpse floating in a cold river or rotten flesh lying in a desert and it would only take her mother a lifetime to search for him and finally make his body rest peacefully, but until then, he'll be nothing but a lost and miserable soul.

"If you're... If you're going to kill me, do it now and do it fast because I don't want to feel any pain-" he was cut off short the moment Mister Clock stops him by interrupting.

"Hey, hey, hey! Who says about killing you now?" He gives him an evil grin, enough messages to send chills down his spine. "You know, Mister Miguel, I don't give death too easy for someone who deserves a painful death-"

"You enjoy this aren’t you?" He asks, still trying to look tough. He doesn't want to be transparently vulnerable.

"How long do you plan to keep this act, Mister Miguel?"

"Maybe right after I kill you?" With that being said, a loud and scary laugh escapes into Mister Clock's mouth, making him feel his knees tremble. His muscle tensed up the moment the man behind the mask lay his gaze directly into his eyes. Miguel didn't blink.

"Hahahahah! Whoooo!" He paused as he tries to regain his intimidating composure from laughing. "Miguel, you don't seem to fail on impressing me! You're really interesting... And you are one of kind, unlike that stupid m*therf*cker that got themselves into-"

"Don't you dare call them stupid because if there's someone that deserves to be called stupid, that would be you! Do you think this a*******n is so smart?"

"And do you really think that running your mouth like that is smart?" Miguel's words were put into a halt into his throat after the man in a half-mask asks. Fo him, it doesn't seem like to be a question, more like a statement to warn him. And he is not insensitive enough to not feel it. An evil grin crept into his lips, making him just stare at him with rage and disgust.

"You really think this is all in me? No, no, no. You've got it all wrong."

What does he mean by that? He asks himself.

"I was expecting that you'd throw me a question but you didn't... But anyway, you'll be able to find it out soon so I'm not going to be a spoiler-"

"Why did you call me here?" Right after Miguel asked him, he seems to pause, taking his time to think of what will he answer next.

"Ahh yes." He says, intertwining his own fingers, elbows both rested on his table, leaning close as he gazes into Miguel's eyes."Now that you've mentioned it, I like to show you something." He pauses again as he leans back into his swivel chair without breaking the stare and not removing the creepy grin. "I'm so damn sure you'll love to have this back the moment you'll lay your eyes on this." Mister Clock starts to bend down on his left, trying to reach out of something. Miguel with the survival instinct kicking in, he takes the opportunity to look for something helpful that he can convert it to a weapon. His eyes then landed on the blue pen lying flat on the table. As the moment has come for him to reach the pen out, the exact moment that Mister Clock goes back to his proper and manly style of sitting. He secretly slides the pen into his pocket, starting to sweat cold, almost hearing his heart from thumping really irregular. After that, he harshly placed the item on top of his table, making Miguel flinch. He stares down into the item, trying to familiarize it. When his realization sinks in, he stares back at the man in front of him.

"Ta-Da!"

"This is..." he decided to not finish his sentence, remembering the backpack he is wearing from running out of their house, but failed to save himself.

"Yeah, your backpack, I know... My men brought this to me the moment your service arrives."

f*ck.

"It is yours and it would be bad for me to just discard it without you knowing so, take it before I change my mind."

Should I take it? How can I trust him that he didn't plant something inside my freaking backpack?

"Oh, I know what your thinking... You really think I take advantage of someone like you?"

"I don't trust you."

"I am not asking you to trust me, sweet Miguel. I'm commanding you to take the bag-"

"No."

Mister Clock releases a deep and long sigh before he chuckles. "You really want to piss me off, aren't you?"

"All I could think of is killing you with my bare hands."

"Are you threatening me, dear Miguel?" That question makes him gulp once again. "Take it-"

"No-"

"TAKE THE G*DD*MN BAG OR I PROMISE YOU, YOU WON'T EVEN LIKE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!" Mister Clock loses his patience as he shouts at Miguel, enough to terrify him. He pulls the bag close to him as he didn't break off there stare. All could Miguel read is a burning flame of anger and power in Mister Clock's eyes.

The moment he completely takes possession in his bag, he immediately scans inside, trying to find the most important item in his life,

F*ck where the hell is it?

Before he could even continue searching, Mister Clock decided to talk. "Looking for this?" He instantly looks up and was surprised to see the man in front of him, holding the item he's been looking for.

My Notebook!

"I'm sorry but I am just so intrigued as to why would you even bring a bag when you're running for your life that is why I had to check it myself and damn! This diary of yours is really exciting!"

"How dare you-"

"Can you blame my curiosity? Like what they say, curiosity kills the cat."

"Are you a cat!?"

"Bingo! Hah! I really expected that sarcasm from you and I love it! Show me more of this acting tough and maybe I'll have to spare your life but, of course, your fate is not mine to decide."

"Fck you!" He cursed, making his grin grew bigger. "You really enjoy meddling with everyone's life, you son of a-"

"Oh cut the cursing word, okay? trying to be disciplined here-"

"And yet you're failing." He spat back instantly. That made him chuckle once again, opening the notebook.

"No-"

"Sunday, the fifth of January... Hmm, you really did write an exact date! I'm guessing you're good at dates." Miguel decided to not answer as he secretly slides the pen he stole earlier, out of his pocket, clenching it hard, ready to attack. "Church was already far from Holy... Why? I always find the church the holiest place there could be... And I'm telling you, Church is really a good place-"

"Arrgghhhh!!!" The man with the half mask didn't seem to finish his statement when Miguel stands up, angrily fast as he tries to pounce into him but halts that very instant when he could see a silver thing already pointed at his own head. He shivers as he almost felt like skipping his heart a beat. he gulps his own saliva as his eyes widen.

What the actual f*ck!?

"You really think I sit here unprepared? No, you're underestimating me, dear Miguel."

"Grr!"

"Sit." he didn't move a muscle. "You really think I didn't see you stealing my pen? I'm as good as you when it comes to observing, Mister... Now, how about you choose from sitting and saving both of us from bloodstain and sit?" Miguel didn't seem like pleased to following orders, making him bite his lower lip and aim the gun closer into Miguel's head. "Well, maybe not-"

"I'll sit1 I'll sit." he finally gave up, raising both of his hands and throwing the pen away from his grip. A grin once again forms into Mister clock's lips.

"Good choice." As Miguel takes a sit, so is the man in his half-mask sit, placing the gun on the table, He then flips the notebook back to where he opens it. It felt like torture to Miguel to how Mister Clock treats his diary.

"You know what really catches my attention?" He paused, waiting for his answer. When he gets the hint that Miguel isn't going to answer, he sighs. "I need an answer, Mister Miguel."

"W-what?" He had no choice.

"Yur letters ended last January ten, Friday... I'm just so curious why you didn't even write another one. We're already in February, you do realize that, no?' he pauses again. "Why did you stop?"

he didn't want to answer nor prolong the conversation. he's also stuck between admitting the truth of refreshing everything with a lie. But, will it be worth it to lie when his life is at stake? He also had no choice. "It is just a habit that it didn't last longer then I expected. I thought it would be a companion but more like a reflection of my imperfections and cruelty and unfair living."

"You're really in pain aren't you?"

"I don't need your pity if that's what you're implying..."

"Oh no... Actually, I know your pain-"

"Don't you dare talk about understanding pain because you don't! And you most likely won't even understand about my feelings-" Mister Clock intervenes with his statement.

"What if I tell you that we have a lot in common? What if I tell you that I've also been through to the situation you're facing now?" Miguel didn't expect him to say those things. It made him somehow doubt his feelings towards the man he's facing right now, hiding in a mask.

"And you expect me to believe you? Well, guess what, genius, I'm not falling for your shi-"

"I demand you to continue writing." He says, breaking his gaze on Miguel. That made him feel something really weird.

"W-what?"

"I'll be giving this diary back, but I want you to write everything. What you think, how you feel, everything."

"And why would I do that?" He asks, not really knowing why the atmosphere suddenly changes. Mister clock looks directly into his eyes. he tries to read his eyes but failed/

What happened?

"because this may be your last evidence that you existed, Mister Miguel." After saying that, he pushed a small button, making him alarmed. The door soon opens, revealing the same tall guy who put him there.

"Hope you heed my advice, Mister Miguel."

"Wha- no! No!" he starts fighting back again after the guy picks him up. Luckily, Miguel already had the notebook after the guy puts it inside his backpack.

"No, we are not done talking yet! Mister Clock wait!" As they step out of the room, so is the man pushing the door to shut it. Miguel could feel like he encounters a slow-motion activity as he stares at Mister Clock's eyes from that distance. And he knew something is up. before the door could even shut completely, a grin forms into mister Clock's lips.

"let's go." the man said, dragging him by force to follow him. As the distance grows between him and the door, so is his thoughts start coming back from their conversation.

"What if I tell you that we have a lot in common? What if I tell you that I've also been through to the situation you're facing now?

I demand you to continue writing.

I'll be giving this diary back, but I want you to write everything. What you think, how you feel, everything."

And his last words caught him off guard.

"Because this may be your last evidence that you existed, Mister Miguel.

Hope you heed my advice, Mister Miguel."

That moment, he knew something is really up and that he knew to himself that he needs to find out about it.

Was he lying or did he just show me his weak spot?