JINX

EPISODE 9

"Miguel's not in his room," Carlo said as he starts panicking. Even if they didn't have any good conversation with the kid, Carlo loved the kid as much as he loves Lerissa.

"What?" Lerissa asks, worried as well. "Baby, what was the last thing you could remember before this thing happened?" He asks her, trying to remember their own tracks.

"I don't... my head is aching, Carlo. Perhaps we should regain strength for now before continuing?"

"What?" He asks, not believing what to be just heard.

"If Miguel... If my son is not inside his room, then maybe the guys who came barging into our house got him and—"

"Or maybe they didn't. Maybe Miguel is still out there, running till he finds someone who can help him."

"I know my son better than you, Carlo. He's fragile and got scared easily too. And if we move without resting for a bit then we will for sure drain ourselves. I don't either of us faint along the way!"

"But he is your son! You should think of saving him—"

"Yes he is my son and I'm thinking of how to save him!" Both of them went silent after raising the voice of each other. Even if it hurts to argue with one another at this moment of their lives, Carlo doesn't want to prolong Miguel's suffering, no matter where he is.

"Lerissa, we don't know where Miguel is-"

"That's the point, Carlo. If we move now without planning everything, do you think we will save him? No. And from what those guys have done in my house, they may have already taken lives before."

"But he's out there somewhere and I cannot imagine him shivering in fear, crying out his mom's name! I may not his father nor he is my child but that will happen soon! And as a father, it is my responsibility to take care of my family—"

"Do you love my son, Carlo?" He was taken aback after the unexpected question came flying out of Lerissa's mouth

"What?... Of course, I do!"

"Then think what's better!"

"And what is this 'better' you're talking about?"

"I'm talking about playing by their rules. No matter who did this, he or she wanted us to fall apart that is why they took my child! Do you think this is comforting for me? To not know my son's whereabouts and I am here, sitting on this godd*mn sofa, haven't done anything for a couple of minutes because I've been unconscious! For f*ck sake, Carlo!"

"Lerissa—" "Don't talk like I don't care about my son, okay?... because you don't know anything. I love him so much and I cannot afford to lose him but if I let my rage control me now to make unexplainable, regrettable mistakes, then it wouldn't be too worth it to save my son."

"So you're talking about respect here while I don't know... maybe they're torturing your son now to whatever reason they have made and you could think of just that?... Why don't you take the risk instead?"

"And what would make him after when his mother is lying cold and white in a coffin!? He would blame himself! He'll be depressed and soon, take his own life! Do you want that for his future?"

"No—"

"Then that's it! I don't want any violence just to save my son. I want him whole and unharmed and that's what we're giving the kidnappers."

"Then I guess we have to call the cops—"

"No!"

"No?"

"I said no. And that's final."

"But Lerissa—"

"You know what happens to these kinds of situations when they try to ask for the help of the police department."

"Then what should we do?" He sighs, giving up on giving suggestions.

"We take this as silent as possible."

"And how would we do that?"

"We need the help of someone that is not a part of the police or politics because if we tell them this, I know they won't either help."

"Why? Isn't what they propose to bring forth justice over the hands of the innocent?"

"Haven't you heard about the news?"

"I'm not—" he was cut off the moment Lerissa held both of his shoulders, squeezing it a bit tight.

"Listen to me, Carlo. The government had started implementing a PROJEX ELIMINATE saying that it would be for the betterment of the country but I know that they're hiding something... here, have a look at this," she said as she starts scrolling through her phone, looking for something valuable.

"Here," she says as she handed him her phone. Carlo starts to look at it, reviewing the context. "Last month, they implemented this what they call the PROJEX ELIMINATE, and three days after, kids under eighteen and below start to go missing. Pretty coincidental, right?"

"Yeah..." he nodded, slowly getting what the picture means.

"That's the newspaper that published the report, but we didn't actually hear it on the news TV. That made me curious. It was said there that ten kids went missing and seven days later, they found dead kids in different locations of the same city."

"China?"

"Yes. And three days later again, here..." she swipes her phone right, revealing another specific part of a newspaper. "Three days later again, another set of ten individuals went missing again."

"How come I didn't notice that?"

"It is because you really hated news related stuff and you only want to watch your basketball."

"Sorry... But do you think they're only picking individuals randomly?"

"I want to say yes but I'm afraid, no." He gave her a questioning look.

"What do you mean by that?"

Lerissa then again scrolls her screen right, revealing ten faces.

"Who are these people?"

"They're the first ten kids who were victimized by this project."

"Oh my God."

"We go back to the second report... here, see the news headline?"

"Yes. THE LAST OF THE LGBT's"

"From what I've heard, they're targeting kids who are members of the Rainbow Community like this kid named Kim. She's a woman but she has a girlfriend. Her girlfriend Shamae has been also victimized by this tragic implementation of our government. This is Kim and that is Shamae."

"They've been captured together on the same batch?"

"From what I've heard? Yes. They say they were sleeping on the same bed the night they got abducted."

"This is... How could the government do such things?"

"We don't know yet. But that's not it... Here..." She scrolls again for the fourth time, revealing another piece of a news report of the same publisher but different time."

"He is Manny, a fourteen-year-old kid who was believed to watch gay p**n for his entertainment. No one wants to believe it, and neither am I but he's one of the batch two of TEN. What makes it surprising is that just after five days, he was seen walking on a subways station in his hometown Canada, really messed up."

"He survived, something like that?"

"Yes. But on the eight-day, after he was believed 'survived', he was later found dead on that same station. The rest of the TOP 10 of his batch we're found dead at the Trindade, Rio de Janeiro seven days after they went missing."

"Wait... So are you saying the nine individuals died first before this kid? But you just said he survived. How can they ever kill him again? And Trindade is far from Canada. How is that possible?"

"That, I don't know for sure. The location is also messed up because all of these kids are from Canada but maybe, they were held captive there... Brazil... But no matter where they held kids captive, this same routine keeps on happening until now... We're in February now and I don't know if my son is involved in this, but I have a feeling about it."

"Honey, we got to save them. Or else... Or else we might be too late for that."

"We only have one week to find my son."

.

.

Just when Miguel, Melissa, and Kyle though things are starting to fall on their laps, comes the nightmare they'll forever be living off. Three scary knocks were made into that steel door, making them aware of what's coming after. The door swing opens revealing one tall big guy holding three clean cream-colored rectangular cloths. Soon came entering two other dudes, with a straight face.

The first guy handed the two cloths to the two guys behind him as they all slowly approach them. They were made to follow their instructions as their hands were tightly tied up with their hand. After securing the compactness of the cloth, they were pushed outside the door as they instruct them to start walking.

"Where are you taking us?" Kyle asks but didn't even think of fighting back.

"Don't ask questions. You are not allowed to talk." The guy holding him responded, not even throwing a glance at him.

"Are we going to play the game?" Melissa questions with a hint of fright in her tone. her hands are sweating and are also trembling but manage to hide it to not be questioned about her capacity to be tough.

"Haven't I made myself clear? I already told everyone earlier that you're not all authorized to ask anything or say anything! Got it? Or you want me to demonstrate first so that you'll probably understand what I mean?"

none of them don't want to be hurt, especially Miguel who he is aware of that he already got the boss's attention. All he wanted is to face whatever it is just to get things over it, but he also knows it is never that easy. All the three of them can do is just glance at each other silently, giving each other a sign that they'll be escaping there together.

"Ces enfants stupides et inutiles pensent-ils qu'ils sont si intelligents? Tsk! Ils sont comme les autres enfants que nous avons capturés ... Stupides! Hah!" (Do these stupid useless kids think they're so smart? Tsk! They are just like the other kids we have captured... Stupids! Hah!) the first guy stated, making them laugh out of nowhere. The three of them kept listening to their conversation, even if Miguel knew he wouldn't even understand.

"Je suis tellement excité de les voir jouer déjà à Jinx. Hah! Je parie qu'ils ne survivront même pas à la première vague." (I am so excited to see them already playing in Jinx. Hah! I bet they will not survive even in the first wave.) The guy who is pushing Kyle responded, making the other two men nod at his statement. Kyle looks at Miguel who is already looking at him, asking him through eye contact if he had understand anything but Miguel just shook his head for a no.

"Oui en effet. Avec ces corps minces et impuissants? Ils n'auront jamais aucune chance." (Yes indeed. With those thin, helpless bodies? They'll never stand a chance.)

"Hahahaha! Yeah right. Maintenant, voyons comment ils gèrent même le match parce que le boss va regarder aujourd'hui." (Now let's see how they even handle the game because the boss will be watching today.)

"Le patron va regarder? Maintenant c'est nouveau. Il ne regarde jamais Jinx avec le pasteur." (Boss is going to watch? Now that's new. He never watch Jinx with the Pastor.)

"Ouais, je suis d'accord. Peut-être qu'il a senti que ce lot serait différent des autres?" (Yeah, I agree. Maybe he felt that this batch will be any different from the others?)

"Peut-être? Mais ils finiront par mourir de toute façon." (Maybe? But they'll end up dying anyway.)

"Oui en effet." (Yeah right.)

They soon stop as soon as they reach the same door they have entered yesterday, the same room where the woman and the man were made to trip their clothes forcefully. Miguel gulps as he starts feeling his knees weakening as if he had no bones to support it.

The guy holding Miguel steps forward knocking on the door. Soon, a small rectangular shape door opens, revealing the man's face who is inside. "Nous avons les enfants" (We got the kids). The man inside nodded, closing the mini door, and three seconds later, the door slides open, divulging the wide open darkness of the room that soon makes something crawls into his skin. But that is not it; he could already smell a mixture of metallic and rotten items lingering around the area, suffocating his nostrils. He starts gulping his own saliva, starting to experience the unwanted feelings again.

Feeling a strong force of hands pushing him to get inside, Kyle and Melissa were so surprised to even feel themself falling into the cold tiled floor. But that is not it. They both turn in unison to see Miguel still standing there. His eyes were wide open to see his friends there, as they close the door immediately.

"No!" Miguel shouted and so did they shout, trying to get to Miguel but they were too late to get into him, he is also too late to run to them for help.

"You're coming with me, mister." The guy who is holding him pulls him to go to the other hallway as he did his best to fight but his strength is no match to the man standing and gripping him from behind.

"Please... Please let me go. Let my friends go... please."

"That is not how The Jinx works, little kid." a grin was formed into the guy's lips, sending chills down his spine. As soon as they took the left-wing, he started to feel unease.

He knows where the man is taking him.

"Boss? I got the kid." The man calls and after waiting for almost two seconds, the door swings open, revealing the man with the half masked. The guy pushes him inside and slamming the door shut after.

"Hello once again, mister Miguel."

"What do you f*****g want from me?"

"Oh please don't be mad so quickly. I just want to talk about something..." he paused as she pours himself a wine. He tries to offer some to Miguel but he didn't accept. "Trust issues? Oh, I get it."

"If you're going to kill me, just do it now because I don't want any single time of sitting here and facing you."

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