Midnight Eyes ✵ Phan

*13*

Dan stared at the man with the dull grey eyes with complete, wholehearted terror. His mouth was slack and his bones were shaking; his eyes were wide and his tears were strong. Hadn't he had enough? He had just heard his parents be slaughtered, and now...now he had to face the man that did it himself- his fate so uncertain.

'There's the little bugger.' The man spat, taking another step forward, his toxic breath mixing with Dan's own. 'Though there would be another of ya' in there.' He smiled eerily before taking hold of one of Dan's shoulders and dragging him away, away from his burning house, his burning parents- his burning life. 'No! Please, don't! Don't!' Dan screamed as his wits came back to him, although delirium still encasing him fully, as he clawed the man's hand away. It didn't budge. His grip was iron-tight and unforgiving, he was coming whether he wanted to or not. What had he expected? His free will had just been stripped. Minutes had taken his life away from him. He was stripped bare and anyone's to have. 'Please.' Dan gasped one final time before his back was pushed against the bonnet of a car, his arm twisted painfully behind him, almost crushed as the man above him leant down on him. He was frail as it was, it wasn't easy to find food in the forest (and human shops clearly weren't an option) and a single heavy man's weight on him was enough for him to feel crushed.

'Stop it, you little sh*t. Complaining ain't gonna do you no good.' The man's thick English accent ripped through the air. This wasn't like Dan's (an accent he had picked up from his parent's despite living on American soil) rather articulate voice- this was rough. This was the stereotype of evil portrayed before you. Almost more terrifying than the unexpected villain.

'Why?' Dan sobbed, looking the man directly in the eyes. 'Why me?' He begged, a silent plea to let him leave- to let him run.

'Why you ask? Money doesn't come easy, chap, and I have kids to feed. One disgusting Neko's life for two childrens', I think that is fair, don't you think?' He sneered. Dan gritted his teeth but didn't move from his restraints, it would only hurt more. 'Now, let's get going.' The man pulled him up, Dan's arm still locked painfully behind his back but soon he had been pushed into a car and his arms were now bound up in front of him, his hands sitting on his lap. Despite the pain in his shoulder easing, the rope was beginning to scratch at the frail skin on his wrists.

The car journey was slow, the dark forest roads dim as the moon was suddenly high in the sky- Dan didn't know how time had passed so quickly. He was still shaking, matching the car's rumble as the memories flashed through his mind as did the worries for the future. He was suffocated. So much had happened that he couldn't even comprehend it. Shock, that's what it was. He had read about it once yet knowing this seemed to be of no help at all. During the process of learning about shock, never once had it told him how to treat it and even if it did, Dan was sure he did not have the resources to do so.

He let the shaking continue, his breathing less ragged than it once was yet his mind more blurred than ever. He could hardly make out the tall pine trees looming outside the window as they rolled by the open window, the cold, harsh air whipping at his face- another pain to add on. He was most likely numb at this moment- the fact that he wasn't sure spoke all words.

The whole journey was silent, the man that had been with him since the beginning in the driver's seat with another man in the seat next to him (looking rather wimpy and afraid) who couldn't seem to stop glancing at his watch.

'We don't have long.' The man spoke in hushed tones towards the driver, he seemed secretive although it was clear that Dan was going to hear either way.

'No, I've delayed it. This mongrel is staying with us for the next month before the boss handles him.' The driver, the beast, didn't even bother to lower his voice as he took his eyes off the road to face the man next to him. 'I hate deadlines and there's no reason to rush this. Bills are another month away until I have to pay them and the boss will pay us richly until we sell the bloody cat.' The man's voice sounded strained behind the usual swagger, it seemed that payment was an important topic to him. It most likely would be, he had children to feed. That was what he said, wasn't it?

Dan didn't notice when the sun began to rise and the road began to widen. Soon enough, his window had been closed (not by him but some automation in the front of the car) and they were speeding down the highway, no doubt closing in on their final destination. The roads were still barren, devoid of a single car, as they sped much over the speed limit. And, within another half an hour, they were there. Where, exactly? Dan wasn't sure. But, as his owner suggested, it was probably his residency for the next month and with one glance, his panic was no longer subtle- it came in the form of violent shakes and sobs.

The house was almost collapsing in on itself and was no larger than a shed. This was clearly made for him and him alone. 'This is your stop, bud, go have fun. Someone will be guarding the front. There's no getting out of this, small guy, I'll see you tomorrow.' The endearing terms were wasted on him- the cruel atmosphere morphing them into something much, much worse.

And, without thinking about the nightmares to come, Dan was shoved inside and onto a small bed and before he knew it, he was asleep- or unconscious, it was a fine line now. But this was his life now, he guessed he would just have to deal with it.

And deal with it, he did.

word count: 1049

published: 04.05.17