One day, in the locker room, we ran into Ace.
I straightened up instantly, ready for trouble. But Ace didn't even look at me..he stared directly at Meffi, wearing that annoying smirk.
Meffi looked down.....not away but down..
Something tense hung in the air, like electricity, but Ace walked off before I could say anything.
Meffi left soon after too. Didn't even let me walk him to the gate.
That confirmed that he was avoiding me.
"Dude," I finally said one afternoon "you've been avoiding me. Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
"Just… no?" I sighed. "I thought we agreed to stay away from Ace."
He glanced around nervously. "Yeah. We did."
"Then why does it feel like there's something going on between you two that I don't know about?"
His head snapped up. "There is nothing between us."
I looked him in the eye, he held his gaze for about a second before looking away..and in that split second, the guilt was visible "You've been lying to me," I said quietly. "And if you're not gonna be honest, maybe I should just give you space."
"I'd like some space too," he said sharply before walking out of the cafeteria.
That shocked me more than anything. Meffi had never spoken to me like that.
So I left him alone.
A few days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.
And during that time… I watched him change.
He became isolated, always tired, always tense. Whenever Ace or his friends showed up, Meffi would shrink into himself like he was afraid.
One day, a guy named Junior tried leading Meffi somewhere suspicious. The memory of what happened at the garden flashed through my mind, and I stepped in immediately.
But Meffi pushed me away himself.
That was when I knew something was seriously wrong.
Had he joined them?
I shook the thought away. The Meffi I knew didn't have it in him to get involved in something like that.
At least… that's what I believed.
Until the day he finally told me everything.
And that's when I realized I was completely wrong.
Not exactly because he joined them…
…but not because he didn't either.
I clearly remembered the last day I spoke to him before he changed.
Monday, 3rd of October, 2009
Meffi.
After my discussion with Micky about staying away from Ace, I headed home, extremely careful with my movements. Honestly I freaked out, I mean..i was being stalked!! So Yeah, I had to freak out.
When I got home, mum and Elrith were no where to be found, there was a note on the fridge that read [Out for an experiment with Elrith]. I didn't care much, actually, I was happy to be left alone at home because that meant freedom for a few hours, freedom from being watched for any mistakes, freedom from anything that would invite comparison.
I closed all the windows, found something to eat, played games for sometime and didn't know when I fell asleep.
When I woke up, everything was blurry and it looked like I was in an unfamiliar place.
Am I in a shed?
No, I'm probably still sleeping
Or am I in my imagination?
It was possible. Everywhere was dark but hell yeah, I closed all the windows so...
I convinced myself it was nothing and dozed off.
Sounds of unlocking reached my ears and I opened my eyes again.
Blurry figures walked in one after the other, some stayed at the door, I sat up confused.
Wha...What's happening?
Before I could understand my own thoughts, one of the figures knelt in front of me.
Is that a bottle?
The bottle was opened and I shivered as a harsh smell travelled into my nose.
Why is this feeling real?
I tried to focus but it was still blurry, worse, my eyes felt heavy now. A chill crawled up my spine.
This doesn't feel right.
I tried scrambling to my feet but I felt dizzy, I squinted yet everything was turning upside down.
The last thing I saw was a Sack?.
And everything went black.
=======
Cold water poured on me and I jolted awake. I choked on the water, coughed and gasped for air.
My eyes cleared instantly and the first thing I realized was how dark everywhere was, strange people dressed in black from head to toe held torches of fire. It looked like hell. My situation was worse, I was seated on a chair and my hands were tied behind the chair. My legs were also tied to the chair with my mouth taped.
I looked around and everything looked to me like I had transmigrated into a Korean interrogation ground. On both sides of me stood people in black, and a flat large pot filled with the hottest charcoals I have ever seen in real life.
It was an interrogation ground alright.
My eyes widened in terror as I realized I had been kidnapped.
And God knows what they were going to do to me.
The memory of being stalked hit me and I looked at the guys in black...it was there.
The wolf on their masks...I moved my hands as my eyes widened in terror.
Them.... My mind kept screaming the same word.
It was them!!!
The stalkers...at this point, I was sure they were a cult.
I tried everything I could to get my hands out of the rope but it was useless.
I stopped my frantic movements when I heard footsteps.
I looked up, there was a guy walking up to me, something about him felt familiar.
His build? His walk? Or his scent? I knew who it was.
The guys stopped right in front of me and took off his mask.
The light from the fire illuminated his face and though it wasn't very bright, it was hot enough to make beads of sweat start to form on my forehead, I clearly knew who was in front of me.
A sigh.
"I didn't want this to happen bro, but who can tell the future"
You Liar!! I screamed in my head.
"There's more but I'll cut the chase, you have to swear your loyalty to our Wolf Gang" he then took off the tape.
My jaw tightened. Pain shot across my face.
"You physco! what made you think I'll join?" I immediately spat out but my brain wondered if refusing would even matter.
"Because everyone chooses the easy way out" he said flatly and that pressed on me more than anything.
"Not everyone has the same preference" I stated even though my heart was hammering seriously in my chest and my brain was screaming not to take chances because of whatever Elrith once said.
"I didn't think you were one to try and resist" Ace said, his tone sounding bored. "But then again, there's a reason why he chose you"
"He?" I asked
He sighed.
"Poor Meffi, you're so naive" he shook his head.
"So you're not the leader?" I asked horrified.
"I'm close to him" his smile was all teeth.
I gulped hard. Sweat dripped down my face. This shit just got a whole lot deeper.
"Meffi, you need to understand that we don't do stupid things" he started walking dramatically in circles around me. "How do you think we know where you live?, why do you think your mum and brother left the house right on the day and time we were going to get you? Hmm" He asked
It's a setup
"What did you do to my mum and brother?" I panicked.
"We didn't do anything, it was all thanks to that chatty little brother of yours"
"No, please no" I should be relieved that they were fine but I felt like there was more to this story.
"Oh yes and guess what? They won't be back till we're done with you" Ace said, a dry chuckle escaping his lips.
No, God no, this is the last thing I would have wanted for myself.
I wished this was all a dream cause it was truly getting scarier the longer I stayed.