Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Chapter thirty four.

Zack's POV.

I will not be rethinking my decisions. I tell myself over, over again. My mind's been filling me with all this thoughts to not go to the bar, but what choice do I have than to?

I am tried of feeling somber, curving into a ball on my bed, and not wanting to talk to Susan because of sadness. I don't want that anymore. After this drink I'll be having, I'll make sure to reset my life again, and go for something that will actually bless me, and appreciate my efforts.

The small bar is in front of me, it is just at the side of a silent street. Not many people are passing by, and only few cars have I seen drive through here.

The outside is silent, but there's light inside, indicating the bar is still open. It looks like those dangerous bars where you'd meet fraudsters, and perilous kind of humans, but that's not my concern. Those are just my thoughts.

I step outside the car, motion to the door — there's no door man even...open space for anyone then, I assume —and enter. The smell of alcohol seeps into my nostrils, hitting me strong in the stomach.

I have to close my eyes briefly, but by the way, I was affected that much because already my stomach was weak from what happened.

I find the nearest booth, and take a seat. A man in his late forties comes to me from the other side and smiles.

"Here to forget something bothering?" He questions. He is a porcelain-skinned man, or at least, that's what he used to be. Not anymore, my eyes are telling me. He is now tanned rubbishly, his skin not attractive.

"Yeah..." I drawl my word, as I say it. The memories are fighting the wall barrier I created in my mind. I learnt bit of physiology, so I know how to control my mind, but just a little bit. Sometimes, I'm even unable to.

The man smiles, "I'll help out then." He leaves for the "help" while I shift my eyes around the room. The men in here are drunk, there's no music playing, the only sounds are the men yelling out their lungs at the gambling games they're playing, and mind you, their voice is as high as a home theater would play the loudest beats. By that, sure to trust me that they are shouting that much, and it's really affecting.

"Leave those," says the older man, smiling at me as he passes me two thick glass bottles of beer. Oh, God, am I thinking right? "There." He looks down at the bottles, and I nod and open one of them and drink in a heavy gulp.

When the content reaches the middle of the bottle, I pause and gasp, breathing really hard. It isn't that nice. Oh, gosh, it's somewhat bitter, not harsh to the mouth, but soft and bitter.

"I'll bring you two more," that was the last sentence I remember the man in his late forties telling me before, to God help me, I'm done with eight bottles. I'm so filled up, my stomach is paining me and I can barely stand when I wanted to try. I could stand but not erect fully, it's like my stomach is a whole new me, like I'm carrying another me inside my stomach, so his weight is pushing that heavy part down.

Shit!

I need to pee, I think. I don't even know. My eyes are dull, and heavy. Maybe I need sleep, if I'm to observe again.

As I want to stand, mistakenly, my hand hit the bottle, making it hit the floor next to me, and due to its hard comportment and texture, the bottle breaks into tiny pieces, causing the shattered parts to fly over to the table nearby. Part of the fragments stick to a particular man's neck. He groans in pain at that, oh, by his extremely thick voice, he sounds like the I-hit-you-in-the-back-twice-the-way-you-hit-me.

Oh, no. While his minions helps him out, I quickly back towards the door, even the man in his late forties was motioning that I hurry. He thinks this won't end bad for me if the man is to catch.

I have barely close the door, key word, barely, when the man's eyes caught me. Jesus, oh, I still recall that name, at least that's a relief that I'm still sane.

Hurrying out, I hear him shout at his men, "catch him!"

That awful sound was rattling, if voices can actually rattle...okay, maybe I'm not so sane.

Three men chases me from behind, their feet covering more grounds than mine would, ever.

I push in more efforts. I can't enter the car, I know that. Before I even turn on the engine, these men will catch up to me, and probably spoil part of Susan's vehicle before I successfully drive away, so maybe running until I lose them will be the best option.

My legs lead me from the open street to an alley, the area dark because I thought I should lose them quickly here.

The area is dark, and there's a nasty scent that lingers around. I have to cover my nostrils, so not to cause myself, gagging.

I can still hear the presence of the men behind me, they are silent, but their footsteps gives them away...until currently when I can hear nothing. Thank goodness, finally, I lose them.

I breath out, and find a cover space inside the alleyway to stay, breathing out lowly, so they don't figure that I'm still near.

Just as I try to peep, I feel a hand pick at the hem of my shirt. My heart freezes momentarily, just before I see the unknown face.

"I caught him." The man says, and i hear footsteps approaching us. Oh, God, no. What will they do with me?

I'm frightening, shaking, and mentally on my knees, pleading that they forgave me.

"Please..."

"That's something I hate to hear." The man that caught me says, and then, appearing to my view are the other two men. The three of them are in front of me. They look older than me. They are muscular than me. They are manly that me. Literally, they beat me in everything. Sucks me alive!

"Break one of his arms, and let's leave." The man who caught me says to the other two, whom are behind us. They both nod, as the man who caught me leaves my shirt, giving space for the other two to come at me.

I feel like I want to puke right now. My system is malfunctioning. What do I do? No, please.

"Touch him, and I break one of your legs." Far opposite from me is James, his frame very dark from the dim lights, but his jaws can be seen and oh, gosh, they are not joking.

"Get out of here, stupid. Don't mess with me." The man who caught me state simply and motion for the other two to continue their assignment.

Just as they touch me, giving me momentary heart attack, I hear the man who caught me shrill out loud at his bones break, and soon after he falls to the ground. It's James' work. How did he do it?

The other men rush at him, trying to beat James, but he weaves and dodges their punch. He is the middle of both men, his eyes calculating. As one of them make an attempt, he dodges it, causing the first attacker to lose his balance partially.

He lunges at the second man, holding him to the ground and punch him hard in the face, once, and then he's quick to be on his feet again, so he can battle with the other man, whose balance is fully regained. He's weakening them one by one, so the both of them don't attack him at once.

In short period of time, he's taken the other man down, punching his face until the man's grunt becomes a low whimper, then, he uses a style I don't see very much and break his leg.

Oh, God. I stagger backwards, just before hearing another bone breaking from the last man. He said it and did it.

"Are you okay?" Of course, I am okay. The three men are the ones he should be asking. Well, they did deserve the injury though.

"Will they die?"

"If no one comes to save them." He replies such that I hear no emotion.

"You don't feel remorseful?" I ask just to double check. He isn't.

"No. They know their jobs, they know things like this is most likely to either happen to their victim, or themself." He explains with straight face. I am baffled.

Wow.

"Thank you." I say, and want to leave any moment from now. I don't want trouble of the police catching me here with injurious men. The result won't be good.

"You should come with me."

"That I can't do." I say and turn to leave.

"I just saved." Haha, he's going to use that against me? He's stupid. Nah, it can't work. It won't work.

"And that was why I said, "thank you.""

He doesn't look like he's going to settle for that. Anyway, it's his issue.

"Don't leave." He tells me, his voice low.

"I can't keep up with it, James. Please, just stop..." He wouldn't let me finish before suddenly raising his voice at me.

"I just fucking saved you, Zack."

"Which I didn't ask for, yet appreciated your sorry ass." I shout back at him.

I begin to walk away, towards the opening. Suddenly, he's holding my hands, stopping me on my track.

Oh, please Lord.

"I won't let you go this time again." He sounds begging and stubborn at the same time. It is such a turn on. I won't let him know that though.

As I turn back to lash out on him, I feel my eyes tumble and for a second, I don't find my equilibrium.

"You're spinning." I tell him, and next thing, I'm on the ground, fallen, not hearing anything anymore, sucked into blackness.