They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I hoisted him up. Jesper is evidently weak. I can't tell what happened to him if I can't clearly see his wounds. But my heart is ramming against my chest.

I have a bad feeling about this. Warm miwuid flooded my hands. Dripping into my shoes and legs. The metallic smell sticking to my nose is so familiar, it feels like I've sniff the same scent as of this one few moments ago.

We stepped into the light.

That's when everything stop spinning. Jesper's head is bleeding. Very bad. Like the skull in his nape is waving 'happy blood red Christmas' to me.

His stomach is one step closer from spilling out his guts. The color of blood matches the blood in his brother's and father's traces of blood sleeves.

I grind on my teeth. Too hard my gums are bleeding...How could - how could these monsters get away with this?

Blood is thicker than any family they say? So this is the 'way' how they manage to control Jesper into doing what they want.

They're incarcerating his body, drawing knife slices to his torso skin that is close to his heart. Playing with his organs. Laughing and taking pleasure at the bottled breaths moments Jesper spends in enduring the pain. They continued watching him with wicked psychotic eyes.

Jesper is laying dormant in my arms. And I'm seeing nothing except red. Anger blinded me my shadow erupted like volcano and slithered like jetplanes leaving black smoke in its way.

It immediately wrapped itself on Jessie and Gregorio's neck. And then snap it in half.

I could not see what's the reaction of Magnus who placed himself beside Sam. I could not figure out what will Sam do now that I killed someone in front of his very eyes.

Will he be scared, get wary, or never trust me again, I don't know. But I'm sure of one thing. I've freed Jesper from his eternal curse from his twisted brother and psychotic father.

I can't imagine how he's holding up through all these years. Living in the same roof with a family who kills other people...and eat each of their flesh like a real life cannibals.

If they skin their Victim's skin alive and stick it in their filthy skin...they would have been the perfect news highlights - 'Real cannibals, living right under our own noses.'

Some part of me want to see that happened but I know it will trace back to us. Police will know the modus operandi of these guys and they might put us behind bars.

Especially Jesper. Not Jesper.

"Lance, how is he? Is he still alive?"

I panic. I shake my head. "His organs are slowly spilling out of his stomach. If we dont do something soon, we'll be too late from saving him."

And then a loud crash of a front door collapsing interrupted us. I rush out of the room. Peek under the second floor building. See who destroyed our gate first.

Who was it? A black shadow slithered in and exhaled a long sigh. It started to accumulate until it became a tall weak tornado.

A hand protrudded at the side and Im staring face to face with the creature hated by all in this room.

The musculine lean topless body. The blue color skin. The unnecesary silver accessories dancing at his fingers and forearms and toes.

Everything else should be fine.

Hj

"Yep. Cool right?"

"Cool is an understatement. It's awesome!" Because of my enthusiasm, my voice was raised a little higher and am sure Sam heard what I said. He looked over his shoulder.

And then lift the two to the top of stairs.

"Where's Jesper?" Sam inquired. We peered at every room the second floor has. Each as stinky as the next. Full of dried blood and traces of murders.

Jessie was the first to talk.

"You think we'll tell you?" He smirks. "Go on. Kill us. Jesper will rewind the time anyway. Force back the essence of life before it completely left the bodies."

"You really think you're his real friends? That he won't betray you?" Gregorio butted in.

"Foolish kids. Blood is thicker than any petty relationship between humans. How do you think we made him use his powers for our activities then? We're not merely talks."

"We'll see about that." Sam said through gritted teeth.

His knuckles are turning white from the sheer strength of clenching his fist. His hands started shaking.

He threw the two inside the room where it stinks the most. I covered my nose with my sleeves. But it's totally useless against the smell of rotting flesh.

Sam is covering his nose either. Trying really hard to not choke. Jessie and Gregorio scoots away from us and hastily stands up.

For a second, Sam looks surprised. He looked down at his hands. Inhaled a deep breath and scream a high pitch cry, thrusting his arms towards the two.

They immediately got slammed to the wall, craking the wood panel in half. They crash towards the next room.

Opposite us, the room is totally dark. But I sense someone is moving. A dark shadow of a boy.

I immediately run towards the shadow. Leaving Sam in charge for torturing Jesper's family.

There's no lights, so I make use of what little light Magnus's glowing bracelet could shed for us. At the center of the dark room, tied and chained to the chair...is Jesper.

I put my hands around his arms. Took a piece of wood and started to nuck the rope tying him in place.

Jesper stirred. His neck twist, painful groan escape from his lips. Even without seeing his face, I can feel his eyelashes fluttering tk my figure. Squinting to see who I am.

"Jesper, it's me. Lance. Can you recognize me?"

He move his arms weakly. "Lance...? I'm..

So....sorry for what I've done to you...last...." I rush to stop him from speaking when he started to cough out blood.