First customer

I grunted at the throbbing pain in my temple, opening my eyes only to shut them weakly. My vision is shaking and blurry, but I caught the person's figure in front of me.

'Damn it!' I cursed internally, grinding my teeth as I blinked until my vision grew clearer. I moved my hands on my back and feet on instinct, only to realize I was bound in my own shop.

"Rise and shine!"

A light and youthful voice tickled my ears, making me gaze at the source. There, a youth who looked the same age as me was sitting on the wooden chair with its back on the front. His arms draped over the chair, chin resting on his arms, eyes on me.

"You have terrible service. How can you snore like a baby when your first customer is here? Did you have a nice sleep?" he asked, tilting his head with a misplaced innocence plastered on his face. "Hmm?"

A shallow breath slipped past my lips, leaning back against the counter behind me. I didn't answer him as I sized him up.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." He kicked my feet lightly. "Won't you ask me 'what I want? Or who I am? Or anything of the sort?"

"Does it matter, man? Just take my precious good and leave!" I clicked my tongue in annoyance, showing him I don't care. But deep down, this person alarmed me. By the looks of it, he wasn't just a thief who came to rob this pathetic shop. I knew he wanted something else.

"Wow... you're so calm... man," he snickered, chuffed at the reaction he got. "Normally, people will start screaming, struggling, crying, and the list of annoying things goes on! But you! You are different and I like it!"

"So, will you let me go?" I asked with zero hope in my heart. "I still have a family to feed, man. If I died, how about my children? They will starve to death!"

"Oh! Poor them!" he gasped, covering his gaping mouth. "We can't let them starve!"

"I know!" — this was freaking silly! I didn't have children, but he was riding along! And this felt more dreadful than ever, telling me he was just as sick as I am.

The man nodded in understanding, staring at me with determination flickering across his eyes. I swallowed down a mouthful of saliva, watching him stand up and march towards me.

'Wow, he will really let me go?' I wondered, only to frown when he walked past me, standing on my side as he gazed down at the counter. Whatever he was doing, my gut feeling told me it was... bad.

And I was right.

This sicko pivoted on his heel, facing me with an ax in his hand! He squatted down, tapping the back of the ax against his shoulder.

"Since we can't let them starve, we should give them meat to eat, right?" he cocked his head to the side, blinking twice. He sized me up from head to toe, ruminating about something.

"If I debone you, your flesh will give them a month or three to fill their stomach." He nodded, closed-lipped, setting his eyes back to me. "Tell me where should I deliver your flesh. I'll make sure it will arrive on time!"

My brain went blank momentarily when the corner of his lips stretched until his eyes squinted into mere slits. This man was a psycho!

'Shit!' my heart dropped to my stomach as it seemed my life would end just when I was starting!

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Don't look at me like that, man! I am being kind! At the very least, only your bones will be my next work!" he exclaimed proudly as if he wasn't talking about taking my precious life! "You've seen it, right? The wolf in the plaza. That's my work! Isn't he beautiful? I remembered his growls when I chopped off his foot, ahh...!"

And that rang a bell in my head. My eyes lingered on his wicked grin, remembering the wanted poster I stared at this morning. Since the wanted poster only showed half of his lower face, I didn't realize it until now. He was the wanted criminal who was now being hunted down by many.

A series of profanities hovered over my head as I ground my teeth. Who would have thought that after seeing that dismembered wolf, I would be this maniac's next art piece! Goddamit!

"Hmmm." He looked at me with anticipation, holding his ax in front of him. "I wonder what sound you will make when I chop you? Where should I chop you off first? Hand? Feet? Legs? Where? Where? Where? Ahh... I don't know where to start."

"Shit..." I cursed through my gritted teeth, unable to look away from this excited psychopath. 'I'm dead... so freaking dead...!' this time, I tried to take off the rope around my wrist in panic, knowing I would die if I did nothing! I can't just die in here!

"Ah!"

Suddenly, he gasped, wide-eyed. He leaned his face forward, staring straight into my eyes.

"Wow... you have nice brown eyes that look like chocolates!" he mused as his lips formed an O-shape. "I think I should start with your eyes fi --"

Before he could finish his sentence, I head-butted him with all my might. My already injured head throbbed painfully, but the adrenaline of getting away reigned in me.

"Ah!!" He yelled, holding his forehead while I took this chance to crawl like a worm. This looked pathetic and even I pitied myself, but I had to get away!

"Ah!! My head — Hahaha!" I looked back in panic, seeing him laugh like a total lunatic whilst holding his forehead. "Ahh... just when I thought you are different, my man. Turns out, you're a fraud."

He ran his fingers through his hair, tilting his head back with his eyes on me. The playfulness in his countenance, gone. What was left was a spawn of the devil staring at his next victim. When he slowly stood, I quickened my pace to create distance. As I did so, I looked around for anything I could grab and fight for my life, but to no avail.

What reached my ear next was his whistling, making me glance back at him on instinct. He was holding his hand with his ax behind him, walking leisurely while watching me struggle.

"Hmm? Why did you stop already?" his brows rose, cocking his head. "The door is still far!"

I ground my teeth as this man was teasing the hell out of me! He walked towards the door, opening it while he stepped aside.

"Come on, now. Just a bit more and you will reach the finish line!" he encouraged with a bright smile, but I already stopped. He was toying with me, and the more I struggle, the more he liked it.

This situation made me feel so helpless and pathetic. Be it in this world or in my previous one, people are the same.

"Huh? You stopped now?" he frowned as his shoulders relaxed. "This is no fun."

He walked back towards me, grabbed my hair, and dragged me near the door without exerting much effort. I winced as I felt like my scalp was being peeled off.

"There! I helped you!" he cheered, standing on my side proudly. "If you can go out there in... twenty seconds, then I'll let you be. How about that?"

Even before I answer him or think about his offer, he already started counting. "One... two... five... ten..."

I looked at him, wide-eyed. I couldn't even react as he skipped the numbers.

"Nineteen..." he gazed down at me and paused, smirking as he shrugged. "Twenty."

Slam!