Dark Paradise

Is anyone here?

"Peter... Peter... PETER PARKER!"

Peter winced and fell from the bed onto the hard floor. He screamed and grabbed his head with both hands.

"Ned!" He shouted, glaring at his friend, who was laughing a lot.

"Get dressed, time for breakfast."

Peter stood up. He dug out his clothes from his dark blue suitcase next to the bed on the floor. He went with it to the tiny bathroom. He pulled on his trousers and pulled his favorite gray T-shirt over his head saying "If you believe is telekinesis please raise my hand." He put on a blue plaid shirt over his T-shirt, which he left unbuttoned. He struggled for a moment to get his hair to hold some acceptable shape, but as always, his brown hair finally twisted as he pleased, and he stepped out of the bathroom. His best friend smiled at him, and they both headed down the hall without a word. They entered the dining room and stepped into the queue that flowed from the buffet. When it was their turn, they didn't see much choice. Classmates were ruthlessly picking up full plates. Peter spread some nutella on the croissant and added a few pieces of chopped vegetables to the plate with tongs. Noticing Ned looking at him incomprehensibly, he joked, "Well, I live healthy."

He headed for the table with his plate. He sat down and noticed Flash's mischievous expression and raising eyebrows, not to mention his plate boasting eggs and a piece of bacon. Peter tried to ignore Flash and looked down at his breakfast. In a short time, his best friend sat down next to him. One of the teachers stood up and wished the students good taste. He then began to tell them about their program today. Everyone was supposed to go back to New York tomorrow. Peter didn't listen to his teacher. The teacher's conversation went in with one ear and out with the other. He nibbled on a croissant and stared ahead. It had been three days since his meeting with the mysterious man. He didn't tell anyone about him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

During the day, Peter and his classmates roamed the city. Mr. Harrington held an exploded map and led his group through the streets. Sometimes students got a break so they could buy a few souvenirs and take some photos in peace. As usual, Flash recorded everything with the camera of his mobile phone. Including how he once tripped Peter's legs or threw a crumpled piece of leaflet at him. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, everyone returned to the hotel completely exhausted. After dinner, Peter decided to go see that park one last time before dinner. He convinced Ned that he didn't have to go with him and went out into the street. He walked to the park, where, as before, there was noone. He began to enjoy the silence. The trumpets of cars and the bustle of the city seemed to come from a distance. Only he was here now. And the river. A effervescent stream of running water. Suddenly, behind him, Peter heard a sound that resembled the cracking of branches. He turned, saw noone. 

But that doesn't mean that nobody was there ...

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Ned, will you give me the key?" Peter asked as he returned from his walk and found his friend in the dining room playing cards with a few people.

"Sure, here. And don't you want to play with us?"

"No, thanks, I'll go upstairs. I still need to pack," said the brunet, pointing to the stairs behind him.

"As you wish. And would you mind if I stayed for a while? " Ned asked, handing Peter a slightly cut key.

"It's okay," Peter smiled, "I'll leave the door unlocked for you." Peter's friend just nodded. Peter went up the stairs, which he took in pairs. He ran to the second floor, stopped at a door adorned with a small gold number 33, inserted a key into a keyhole, and turned it.

"Hey, Parker!" Flash's voice said.

"What do you want?"

"Are you looking forward to going home?" Flash moved closer to him.

"Sure," Peter replied uncertainly. He missed the point of this conversation. He didn't understand what his classmate was watching.

"Me too," Flash smiled, "I can't wait to hit you on the lockers again." He tapped Peter on the shoulder with a smile, then slapped him and disappeared. The boy shook his head and entered the room. He fell on the bed, which sagged under the influence of his weight and poor quality, and the mattress swayed for a moment. Peter picked up his cell phone and typed another short message to his caring aunt, which, if he didn't answer, would immediately go crazy. He set the phone down on the table and went to the bathroom. He hummed the melody of the song, which had come to his mind some time ago. He grabbed a toothbrush and peppermint toothpaste. He bent down, shoved the toothbrush under a stream of cold water, and then shoved it into his mouth. Suddenly something sounds. Wound. The boy raises his head sharply and turns toward the bathroom door.

"Ned?" His heart began to pound so hard that Peter felt like he had to pierce his chest at any moment. He stepped forward. He tried not to make the slightest sound. Silence.

"Is anyone here?" He stood behind the doorstep. He turned to the left, to the door. Closed, the key still held the guard in position in the keyhole. Then he looked to the right, as if about to cross the road, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Probably just something from the next room. The walls weren't the thickest in this hotel, as Ned and Peter had known from previous nights, their classmates staying in the next room weren't in the habit of going to bed after dinner. The boy went to the window and looked out. He began to brush his teeth.

"Hello, Peter," someone said behind him. The boy winced and closed his eyes for a moment. He knew the hoarse voice. He turned his head slowly and saw a man known to him as Brad sitting in a chair. He was aiming his pistol at him. Peter pulled a translucent blue toothbrush from his mouth and watched the man in silence with bated breath. Rather, he watched the pistol the man shone in his hands. They just stared at each other for a moment.

"Where's your phone?" The man broke the silence. Peter pointed to the bedside table next to him.

"Give it to me," the man said, holding out his empty hand without changing the position of the pistol. Peter obeyed, then took a few steps back.

"Pack your things." There was another command.

"Sorry?"

"Take the backpack you had when we met and put some of your clothes in it."

The boy walked over to clothes' peg on which his backpack hung. Under the man's strict supervision, he had to dump all things out on the bed. He then filled the backpack with various pieces of clothing from his suitcase. The boy kept trying to calm himself. He had so many questions in his head, but he couldn't say a word. His heart was pounding. Fear seized him. Finally, he took the paste from the bathroom and, together with a rinsed brush, placed it in his luggage and fastened the backpack with one pull of the zipper. The whole process ended with Peter wearing his dark sweatshirt.

"Come with me," the man said, standing up.

"Why?" Peter could say only one word. The man walked over to him wordlessly and put his weapon to his chest.

"You're just going to do it."

Before the man opened the door, he dropped the boy's phone and stomped on it with all his might. He knew that this move was not necessary in the end, but he did not intend to risk anything. There was a thump, and small particles from boy's cell phone, which was less than a year old, flew in all directions.

"But-" Peter wanted to object, but quickly abandoned the idea. They went out into the empty hallway. The man led the teenager in front of him, constantly pressing a black pistol on his back. He led him to an emergency exit. They went downstairs to the ground floor and went out. The backyard behind the hotel, where the bins were located, wasn't guarded.

They switched to a silver Audi car. The weapon finally stopped pressing on the boy's back. The man opened his suitcase and ordered the boy to put his backpack there. Peter lowered his head and took off his backpack. He walked past the man without looking at him. Suddenly he felt great pain in the back of his neck and the whole world darkened.