Chapter 6. Your choice.

We were all captured by the terrorists and taken back to a different place this time. It was a big messy room, illuminated by a few tube bulbs. The room gave off a vibe of fear, helplessness, and danger. The strangeness of being in this unfamiliar place made my stomach turn. My guess is they brought us to their boss or whomever it might be, to decide what to do with us. Our hands are tied up with ropes once again. The most pressing matter for us to worry about right now was Eve. She was alive but still bleeding although we had wrapped that shawl around her wound to stop the bleeding, which wasn't helping much.

Nox, who was right beside Eve, speaks up to the terrorists and says, "hey! There is a person dying right now! Are you going to leave her to die?"

We all look towards him and then the terrorists. He had quite the guts to speak to the terrorists.

"I believe you guys escaped knowing very well that this could cost your life. If she dies, then know that it was your own foolishness that killed her!" One of the men in black replies roughly and with an extremely accusing tone.

A sense of guilt floods our mind for a second. We weren't expecting the terrorists to be kind enough to treat Eve but we had to do something.

"But If she dies, wouldn't you be losing a slave? I believe you could make good use of us." I say back trying to hide the desperation in my voice but clearly failing to do so. I was willing to do anything if it meant I could save her.

The terrorists look at us with a look that tells us how pathetic and miserable we are right now. A look that tells us they couldn't care less about losing a slave or two. Right then, someone enters the room, we can tell it's someone of a higher position seeing how the rest of the bad guys all become alert. His presence filled the room with an air of fear and bloodthirst. It was the same presence and chilling fear I felt back at the flame devoured hotel when I tried to pathetically fight for my life against that man with the big black sword. And I was not wrong, it really was him! He enters the room with a grim expression on his face like someone had disturbed his peaceful sleep to come take care of this mess, and if that was so, then that meant he was already in a bad mood. He wore an expression that told us he could kill us without a second thought. But suddenly–surprisingly the grim expression transforms as his eyes meet mine and instantly a psychotic smirk spreads across his face. And he bursts out laughing like a maniac and I made the conclusion that this was much worse.

"HAHAHAHA!!!! Well, well, well, this is interesting. I was planning on getting this over with quickly but it seems like I can have some fun. I did not expect to run into you again, Adrenaline!" His gruff and heavy voice echoes throughout the room.

'Adrenaline? Did he just say adrenaline?As in the hormone involved in the fight or flight response of the body? What did he mean by that? Was he referring to me?' I thought to myself, confused.

"I don't know ur name nor am I interested in knowing it and so I decided to simply call u Adrenaline after that little spectacle u put, in the midst of flames. Because the adrenaline rushing through your body was the only thing fueling you to fight me and not break down. You put on quite an entertaining show for me. I wonder what else you can show me." He says as If he had read my mind and answered my questions with a wide and sickening grin on his face, sending shivers down my spine.

But what a dumb way to name someone. 'adrenaline', is that the best he could come up with? Anyway, forget the name or whatever, we are about to die!

This was terrible. What are we gonna do now? Sure, we didn't really have a bright future spread out for us but he was the last person I wanted to run into. I only met him once but it was enough for me to know that if we were gonna make it out alive, we had to avoid this man; at all costs! He was a monster! The devil!

He casts a quick glance at us all and notices eve bleeding, dying. And an expression rose upon his face that showed that his interest was growing and that he was taking delight in our misery. And I hated him for it. all of them. all those who delight in the pain and misery of others are messed up jerks!

"I bet you guys already know that you have the death penalty. Anyone who tries to escape is to be killed. And we get to kill u however we like. I could make an example out of you to teach the other slaves a lesson. But that's pretty boring. I want something new, something more exciting!" he says all this with a straight face. "Perhaps I will let you live!"

he says he might let us live, why does that sound more concerning and not comforting?

"But there is a condition. You gotta pay the price."

Of course, that's why it sounded more concerning. yea I figured they wouldn't let us live so easily.

"One of you guys simply has put that dying lady over there out of her misery." a smile creeps up his face as he studies the expressions of disbelief on our faces.

'What? Did I hear him right? Is he...telling us....to kill...Eve?' All of us confused and dumbfounded at what he had just said, simply stared at him and at each other. I couldn't even fathom that thought!

"It is pretty generous of me to give you this offer if I do say so myself." he says as he drags a chair across the room, the screeching noise torture to the ears, and sits in front of us. "That girl is gonna die anyways, and I could simply kill all of you, but I'm making you this generous offer!" He smiles wide and spreads his arms as if in a welcoming hug. "One of you, kill that girl with your own hands and I will let all of you live! how's that sound? hm?" he smirks, feeling all proud of himself.

"If you think any of us will murder our own friend to save our own skin, you are wrong!" Jay's screams back at him, his face all red, his eyes narrowing at the devil. How dare him even entertain the idea that we would kill our own friend.

"That's not very wise of you. Do you not realize the situation you're in? It's just one life for all of you. And besides she is already half dead, the least she could do for you is to sacrifice herself for you...There are seven of you. Are you telling me you will all choose to die for that one girl who won't even live to appreciate the lives you gave away?"

Everyone went quiet. I had never heard a silence quite so loud. I turned to look at Eve who was lying on the ground, who was quietly listening to how there were talks of murdering her, she was gasping for air, her eyelids fluttering and the color from her face drained. I remember her with that lovely smile on her rosy cheeks, and even when she wasn't smiling she always had a vibrant expression on her. And now she was just a few moments away from being in death's embrace.

I've always had quite a wild imagination but never had I ever imagined that I would be the one to send her off to death's cold embrace.

Nox breaks the silence and with a heavy, dreadful and quivering voice, he speaks up to us, "Hey...you know...I'm just saying but...you guys don't actually plan on dying right? I mean...think about it! Eve's gonna die anyway so how about we at least save ourselves!"

"That's a wise man!" The man, the devil personified, yells out cheerfully.

Jay loses his patience, his eyes burning with anger, his expression a furious mess. Even though our hands are tied with ropes, he manages to grab Nox by the collar and screams at his face, "ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU?! Are you telling us to MURDER EVE?!"

Nox with the fear of death clearly visible in his eyes and the way he speaks, his voice trembling with fear and desperation, he yells out, " It's not murder when SHE'S GONNA DIE ANYWAYS! OR ARE YOU SUGGESTING ALL OF US GET MURDERED INSTEAD?!"

Everyone freezes, even Jay because although Nox sounded like a selfish bastard, the worst part was that his feelings were understandable. I bet he just spoke out loud what everyone else was hiding deep in their hearts.

Jay and I were siblings, Eve was a friend who was no less than family. We've been together ever since we were kids. How could we ever live on with the blood of our friend on our hands.

But as tragic as it may be, in the end, I was the only one who had Eve's blood on her hands.

"YOU SELFISH AS..." Jay was about to scream back at Nox and I cut in "ENOUGH!". They get startled and quiet down.

We need to do something. That man, that devil was breaking us from the inside, at this point we will lose ourselves and each other. It was no time to get into fights amongst ourselves. I glance at the devil and am bewildered to see the expression of excitement on his face. He is enjoying this!

"Hey you! what do you even get out of this?" I gathered some courage and asked him with a straight face. "You said you were giving us a generous offer of one life for seven. Why? I bet you could ask us for something more useful to you."

I read my friends' faces and it basically says, 'Are u trying to get us all killed?' but I wasn't! I was trying to get another way out. Perhaps talk the devil into demanding something else from us. Something that did not involve getting our friend's blood on our hands.

"It's simple, really. Because it's fun. Because there is no better entertainment than seeing someone lose hope and do unimaginable things out of desperation! Because it's exhilarating, the dreadful expressions on your faces!" He laughs like a maniac.

I had never seen someone say something so sick and twisted with a huge grin on their face. Just how messed up was this man? He found pleasure in the pain and misery of others! If entertainment is what he wanted then I bet he really was having fun torturing us this way. I bet if this was made into a movie, people would love it too.

"You see I'm running out of patience now. So now I will simply make you do it!" He motions one man to hold Jay hostage. He holds Jay in a chokehold and places a gun on the side of Jay's forehead.

"NO! STOP! WAIT! PLEASE!!!" I scream, terrified at the horrible thought of having to witness Jay die. They already got Eve. I need to at least save the others.

"Well then, you guys better make it quick unless you are actually willing to watch your comrades die, ONE BY ONE. Adrenaline! you do it." He throws a knife at me which slides and stops right in front of me.

I looked up, confused and dreadful of what he was asking me to do. I look at him, and I look at Jay, then Eve and then at the knife lying in front of me.

And I noticed it was the same knife I bought at the antique shop, during the beginning of our trip.