A.R: 13

A short, tannish man stood proudly behind V, arms folded. He had blinding blue hair, a shade that made Rae sick, and a curvy body shape.

‘Jiu, pleasure to meet you.’ He spoke, his accent very much local, ‘I’m the hero, yes.’

Smug people were never Rae’s preferred crowd. Jiu reminded Rae of someone he had seen but he could not pinpoint the identity. Nonetheless, he gave a nod to Jiu, a way to thank him for his efforts. He turned from Jiu, expecting the conversation to be over but the small man spoke again,

‘I need my payment.’

‘What payment?’ V asked, turning back to Jiu in confusion.

‘I don’t just go ‘round saving people willy-nilly. I put my life in danger for a stranger. I deserve compensation.’

‘We have no money.’ Rae stated, his voice firm to demonstrate his great dislike for where the conversation was headed. Jiu smiled, an expression that did not please Rae at all.

‘Not looking for money. Just company.’ Jiu explained, ‘Let me help you guys with your…you know. I like to say that I’m a connoisseur of this country. Born and bred here, after all. I’ll take that as compensation.’

No one spoke for a while. They stared at each other, processing what Jiu has claimed. The mad man didn’t want money but instead friends. Rae was unsure how Jiu had got a-hold of such information, but he figured it was best to keep the man around than to have him blabbering.

This day was going beautifully for Rae.

‘We agree!’ V exclaimed as she went to shake hands.

Very beautifully.

The one-storey flat was made of dusty bricks and its front lawn decorated with different ceramics, a few chewed dog toys and two children’s bicycles, laid near the edge of the blooming vegetable gardens. Shadows lurked behind the curtained windows of the brick flat, setting a horror-like scene.

‘Well, this is just brutal.’ Jiu spoke, placing his hands on his hips, ‘They have kids.’

Rae shot Jiu a look that nonchalant look before continuing to creep around. He searched the walls, hoping to find a backdoor or any entrance other than the front.

To his relief, he spotted a net door that, with closer inspection, led to a cramped kitchen. Its countertops were packed with unwashed dishes and a variety of toys, ranging from wooden trains to rubber ducks.

‘Is it locked?’ Jiu whispered, suddenly appearing beside Rae.

‘Come on, go to your rooms.’ A deep voice sounded, not visible as it came from around the corner.

There was a round of protests to which the deep voice countered by using the snoozing dog, Marla, as an example. Who named their dog Marla?

After more objections, the shuffling of receding feet could be heard and then it was time.

Cautiously, Rae pried open the door. He tiptoed inside and, instantly, the smell of dog food and outright dirt hit him like a canon. He grimaced as he glanced at his surroundings: to his left was the kitchen he had seen previously, and his right contained a dining table. Above the dining hung a family photo: two parents and two kids. All members had the same signature brown hair. The kids looked as messy as they acted, dissimilar to their parents.

‘This place is nasty.’ Jiu commented, entering the house, and comically waving away an invisible smell.

‘You’re going to have to deal with it.’ V hissed into their earpiece’s, causing them to flinch due to the feedback. Rae had forgotten she could hear everything they uttered.

Rae nodded to Jiu, signalling him to follow his lead.

‘Let’s finish this quick then.’ Jiu ushered. Around the corner was a narrow hallway with doors on either side. The walls of the hallway were bare but covered with handprints, paint, and drawings.

They continued down the hallway, before stopping in front of the first door: a scribbled-over entrance.

The door opened silently, and the intruders entered the room, stepping over the discarded plushies and toys sprawled across the carpet floor. Ahead of them, a moving lump laid underneath the bright yellow duvet.

He just wanted to get this part over with; he knew that once deed had been done, the house would come alive, and things would begin to get messy. Though, he didn’t mind a bit of resistance from time to time, it came with its drawbacks.

Silence engulfed the room, illuminated by a single nightlight. He raised his weapon and pointed it at the moving bulge in the sheets. He stared at the bed, unmoving.

No hesitation, he reminded himself. None at all.

The once white wall of the room was painted in ruby, the duvet soaked in garnet, the pillows dyed red. Without warning, the door was burst open and, just as they expected, the guardians appeared, one holding a shotgun and the other a wailing child.

The man pointed the artillery, but Rae had already jumped him, ripping the gun away. The dad resorted to his physical abilities: punching Rae in the jaw and sending him sliding across the floors.

He was no stranger to a common punch.

His opponent had picked up the gun again. A loud blast came from him, but Rae dodged in time. The fat bullet created a deep hole, where his stomach would have been if not for his exceptional reflexes.

Where was Jiu?

His thoughts were cut short as his body took control, dodging the poorly aimed bullets. He shouldn’t have many bullets left. And it seemed that the man was ignorant of that fact.

Taking advantage of his knowledge, Rae grabbed his own gun, smirking as the father looked at him in terror. It quickly switched to agony, however, as his knees buckled under his weight.

At the downfall of the man, Rae turned to face the last two, blinded by savagery. The screaming was like white noise to him: it had become quite soothing to his ears.

The baby’s cries, on the other hand, were downright annoying.

The boy fell to the ground, blood surrounding him. The mother screamed as she inched away from Rae, pleading. Whatever she was saying was blurred though.

Massive tears cascaded down this woman’s blemished face, creating a puddle on the blood-stained floor. Her words were slurred and incoherent. Disinteresting and uncertain.

They were nonsense.

The woman’s cries came to an abrupt stop as she slouched against the wall, a mesmerizing pattern of red behind her.

He turned around to face Jiu, who had hurriedly shoved something in his back pocket.

‘Now, that,’ Jiu started, a wide grin plastered on his face as he held out his arms, ‘was impressive. Honestly.’

Rae ignored the compliment and lead the way out. They left before the inevitable could occur. This would be on the news, he was certain, but the least they could do was to keep their faces far from it.

‘You gotta teach me how to do that.’ Jiu spoke as they ran down the quiet roads of the neighbourhood.

‘Leave me alone.’