JINX

EPISODE 28

|Monday, 18th of February

The first day at the new place. . . Hmm, you're still wondering why I'm writing? That's right.

Because I'm still alive. . . At least, for now, I am still breathing, no injured bone, no missing teeth, no cut fingers, no torn muscles, no removed eyes. . . Just exhaustion and bruises probably.

I don't know (as always) how long I will still be alive, physically because this new BOSS, which is a psychotic priest, seems unpredictable. Even if I stare at his eyes for the whole day, I couldn't seem to read what's on his mind. . . Not that I have superpowers at reading minds, but maybe I'm just a reasonable observer and could give predictions to what their eyes look like.

Are you wondering why I told you that I'm still alive physically? Well, maybe I just died the moment my dad decided to leave us too. As a matter of fact, my soul's been dead a couple of times for so many reasons I almost lost count. And I don't f*cking know why my body couldn't just die too. If I'm I robot, I would ask why my physical body hasn't shut down yet. I've been bruised, scarred, beaten, cried, mourned, suffered in a lot of sh*t that the world is throwing at me. . . But then, I still haven't given up yet. . . Maybe that's my body's medication now— to receive torture. But at this moment of my life, I get to understand why.

Because I am meant to be here. . . was it to make a statement? A change? Or just the sense of dying like a hero defending his rights until the end? No matter what the reason is, I know I have not to disappoint myself, no matter what the cost.

Because I'm alone in this game. . . But am I truly alone?

Sincerely,

Miguel.

"You're writing again." Kyle decided to talk behind Miguel the moment he closes the notebook.

"Well, maybe I just want to write everything. . . Hoping that someday, whoever will save us, or comes late to see us breathing yet, then at least there's something that I can hold on to that I existed," Miguel explains as he places the notebook back in his backpack. Kyle sits facing Miguel as he rests his back on the cold wall. Miguel then shifts his position, now sitting beside Kyle and now resting his back into the wall as well.

"Then maybe you're writing me in there?" He asks as Miguel could feel his muscle tensing.

"And why would you ask that?" Miguel answers him with another answer that makes him sigh.

"Maybe because whoever might get that notebook will also know that you weren't alone at these times?. That is if we're already dead. . ."

"And what if we aren't?"

"You seem to have a liking for questions. . . But don't worry, I'll answer that question." He pauses and heaves a breath before answering.

"If we don't be dead at the end of the day. . ." Kyle pauses as he stares at Miguel's eyes that quickly send shivers down his spine.

"Then I would be the one telling the stories to whoever finds us here. He or she won't have to read it anymore because I'll still be alive, and you, and Blake and Melissa and Chris." He says.

"I just wish I'll be as confident as you to say that we'll still be alive after this." Miguel exhales before receiving a chuckle from Kyle.

"We will. . . I know we will." He assures as he wraps his hand around Miguel's shoulder. Without waiting for any cue, Kyle pulls him closer and sigh.

"Do you think that kid Ash is dead?" He asks as his curiosity is getting more prominent and more significant about the topic. Miguel furrows his brows as the question flies out of nowhere.

"Why?"

"Because you had this feeling that she's not dead yet. . ." He starts to explain that makes Miguel turn to him, wanting him to continue.

" I mean, I know it's unbelievable, but what if she's not DEAD?"

"How can you say that—"

"Come to think of it, Miguel. . . It was dark at that moment, and we didn't even see how strong the water flow is! All we know is that it's continuously running, and we don't know if there are branches that could have caught her or big stones that prevented her from drowning! What if that f*cking pastor didn't even get to shoot her? WHAT IF Ash covered yo her death by pretending that SHE IS dead?"

"No. . . You CANNOT be serious with this thought, Kyle—"

"Did you see anyone of them checking up her body before we left?"

"What?"

"When she fell after pastor Roman pulled the trigger. . . Did anyone of his stupid guards double check the body if she's dead or not? No. . . Miguel, there a big possibility that SHE might be still alive—"

Kyle couldn't continue what he is saying when they hear the door violently swings open, revealing the men who saved Melissa from getting harassed yesterday. Though all of them weren't able to see his face, they still see him as one of the bad guys.

"You. . . on your feet and stop chatting!" The man says as they weren't surprised to hear him speak English. They've listened to him talk about the language before, but because the best were French, they were a bit taken back with it. This made Miguel and Kyle stand up, as well as the others who are just about to finish getting ready. The man who knows how to speak English looks for Melissa, that she quickly stiffens. They stare at each other for a few seconds before the man looks away and clears his throat.

"Pastor Roman is expecting you to join him shortly, so how about we don't keep the old man waiting and move our *sses there!?" He sarcastically demands that made them all prepared.

"And remember, you don't want to do anything if you don't like something gore will end up on your hands. . ." he pauses as he walks towards them, whose eyes were glued on him. Silence then fills the air for the next few seconds that made it awkward's for them all, until the man decided to clear his throat once more and steps outside the room, the others following closely behind him.

"He seems fluent." Blake sagas on Miguel, who is walking beside him.

"What?" He asks, which makes Blake look in front and kick his upper lip before looking over his shoulder, still alarmed at what's happening around him.

"That guy? The one who talked to us earlier? He seems fluent. . . I'm guessing he is not from here." Blake continues to whisper as Miguel looks around them to see if anyone could even hear them. . . But no one seemed to care at all.

"I've noticed that too. . . Maybe he's not from any near of this place either."

"I agree. . . But when it comes to this man's physique, It's hard to tell if he's from here or not because he seems to belong in this sh*t." Blake continues.

"But he's a bit weird too. . . Too odd compared to the others who seemed to have been doing this for a very long time." Both Miguel and Blake turn to Melissa with a shocked face and a furrowed brows.

"What are you—"

"How did you know who we are talking about?" Blake and Miguel ask in unison that makes her scoff in a very secretive and almost silent manner.

"Oh, please. We all three know that you guys are a bit bad when it comes to whispering games. I can still hear you both from here." She admits.

"Well, maybe because you're beside me, Mel, that's why you can hear us." Blake rolls his eyes that makes Melissa silently chuckles.

"But as I said. . . That man is weirder than the others."

"And how can you say that exactly?" Miguel asks as they continue to walk into the tight-lipped highway.

"Well, he's English, first and foremost. The others speak French, so why is he the only one who can converse using the universal language? Second, haven't you notice how secretive, silent, or reserved he is? It is as if he's hiding something or more like a—"

"Hé, vous trois! Fermez-vous, p, ou je vais vous déchirer la gorge! Comprendre?" [Hey, you three! Shut you,p, or I will tear your throat apart! Understand?] The man halts and turns to look at them with furrowed brows and gritted teeth, showing signs of irritation.

Melissa, Blake, and Miguel immediately step away from each other like they didn't have a conversation at all. Although Kyle and Chris noticed their uneasiness from standing still, they both decided to shut their mouth after throwing each other glances at what they both realize.

Suddenly, they finally find themselves standing in front of a door. It is their first time to see it since the victims took the opposite path to where they went yesterday for dinner. It was underground also, making them all look at each other with curiosity. The door soon opens as darkness greets them. Chills and deafening silence come after, making Miguel feel his heart starts thumping faster as seconds pass by.

"les pousser à l'intérieur" [Push them inside.] The man with fluent English commands the other to force them all to get inside. But before they could even drag anyone, Melissa dodges one hand and turns to face the man who is just about to grab her. With hands raised on shoulder level, she exhales.

"Mes amis et moi pouvons marcher seuls. Tu n'as pas à nous trimballer à tout moment, espèce de connard!" [My friends and I can walk by ourselves. You don't have to lug us anytime, you piece of pricks!]  Her friends then turn to her as the men with firearms look at her, a bit shocked.

"Vous n'êtes pas toujours obligé de nous traiter comme des animaux car entre nous tous, vous êtes plus qu'un animal vous-mêmes"  [You don't always have to treat us like animals because between all of us, you're more than animal yourselves.] She continues to trigger their irritation. Before doing anything, they turn to the man who seems to be their boss before getting a nod.

"Merci." [Thank you.] She says before turning to her friends. "Guys, we have to mo—"

"Melissa!" They all scream and gasp in fear as they hear a thud into the darkness. They weren't prepared for what came, and they were forbidden to use their sight in any other way to witness what happened either.

"No, I don't think so, miss. . . Maintenant, portez cette femme et poussez ces enculés à l'intérieur. Le pasteur Roman n'a pas toute la journée pour cette merde autoritaire." [Now, carry that woman and push these mothef*ckers inside. Pastor Roman doesn't have all day for this bossy sh*t.]

"Wait. . . Where's Melissa!? What did you do to her!?" Chris asks, but he then immediately feels a cold sharpened item on his neck.

"Shut up, you piece of useless sh*t. Or you'll end up like your friend." The man threatens that makes Chris gulp. As much as he wanted to defend Melissa, he knows that he can't. . . Not until he's assured of living.

They start feeling the front sight of guns pointed behind their heads. All begin to react as they raise their hands and purse their lips, representing moans of fear escape into their mouths. They soon end up marching forward into the darkened area, wishing that they won't have to deal with any more trouble than playing the game fair and square.

"Stop!" The man shouts that makes them stop. Miguel and the rest panic even more after plugging in the middle of darkness. All of them don't know what lies behind the dark, but they were sure that they wouldn't like it any other way around. Suddenly, they could hear footsteps walking away, making Miguel overthink over the things that might happen.

"Guys, where the f*ck are you!?" Miguel starts to move as he takes small steps with his hands stretched, hoping to hold any concrete nor his friends.

"I'm right here. . . I'm right— Oh my goodness!" Chris exclaims as he felt a hand touch his. "Miguel is that—"

"No, I'm Blake."

"Oh. . . Guys, is Melissa with us!?" Kyle asks as he sounds but far away from the others.

"I don't know. . . I DON'T KNOW—"

"Of course you don't, little sinner lambs."

"What—"

"Should we start the game already?"