Afternoon

Perhaps he was feeling light-headed. Perhaps he was running a fever . Whatever it was, there was no doubt that he wasn't dreaming. The reality in front of his eyes, though shocking, was too vivid to be compared to the mere likes of the blurry products of wild imaginations. Yes, indeed... The gunshots and sickening smell of powder assaulting his nose could not be fake. The events playing before his eyes were not something that could be fabricated. It was real. The short, sharp tugs on his clothes were paid no attention. The muffled cries of help would not register. His eyes looked at only one thing. Blood oozed from her chest, the bullet already deeply embedded within her. Her form as life escaped her entranced him. Something tugged at the sides of his lips. Unknowingly, they upturned and transformed into something sinister. A sneer. One of sheer mocking.

Whether he was in the Capital, or in a random town, the world remained the same.

...

"Tingting, we're back!"

Lukas entered the mansion first, following him was a sulking Mike. Footsteps echoed in the hall.

"What did you get?"

Tingting, as lively as ever, bound down the stairs in excitement. That excitement soon turned to disappointment as she spotted the dull apples in the boys' arms.

"That's all? You were out for so long too."

Lukas shrugged and sent a pointed glare at Mike. The glare seemed to suggest that he was at fault.

"This guy got overconfident and got us in trouble."

Mike jolted and glared back at Lukas with clear dissent in his expression.

"He was the one who hid the money! With that, I could have bought some meat!"

"That was just because you refused to listen to me."

"You could have run after me!"

"Wasn't it you who said that you didn't need money?"

"That was-"

"If both of you don't shut up, I'm going to push you into the master room and shut you in there all day."

Tingting, fed up with their incessant bickering, shut them up with just one sentence. Shivers ran down their spines and the boys felt as if they had been drenched in ice-cold water. Tingting who was still in the dark about the horrors in the room thought their reactions excessive but did not comment on it. All that mattered was that they were quiet.

"Anyway, just standing in this place is making me feel sick. I can't even walk one meter without being trapped in a dusty web. It's disgusting."

"...What are you suggesting we do about it?"

Lukas didn't like where this was going. He could already see Mike preparing himself to flee. Tingting, unaware of the boys' inner turmoil, smiled brightly. In a sweet voice, she said matter-of-factly,

"We're going to fix this place up."

*Bang*

That was the sound of a certain idiot tripping over the laces he never knew he had in his futile attempt to shirk off his responsibilities.

'That must hurt.'

"Oh my! Mike! Are you ok? Let me help you up." Tingting rushed to help Mike, who was still struggling on his knees, up off of the floor. As Mike thanked her, the hair on his arms stood on its ends. He came face-to-face with a demon. He tried to retreat but found that his arm was locked in a vice-like grip.

"Oh my, where do you think you're going? You might have twisted your ankle so let's go together." The demon smiled a big smile, its eyes curving into thin crescents.

"Ah, ah..."

"Hm, is there a problem?"

"N-no ma'am."

Lukas watched incredulously as Mike was tamed by the she-devil. The Tingting that always smiled so sweetly at him... It would be better not to think of it too much. Mike was forcefully pulled away to the kitchen.

He locked his gaze onto Lukas and mouthed two, silent words.

'Help! Me!'

Lukas turned and looked in the opposite direction, effectively avoiding Mike's pleading gaze.

'Sorry Mike. I wish you good luck. '

...

Lukas looked from side to side, and after confirming that the coast was clear, he stepped out of the living room.

Tingting had randomly assigned this room for him to clean and Lukas, remembering Mike's demise, went without a struggle. It was only when he entered the room did he instantly regret not fighting back.

It was a mess.

The room was crawling with creepy-crawlies. The air was thick with dust, the room was covered in a blanket of webs and the window was blocked with grime.

He could taste the dust, feel the dust, smell the dust and hear the creepers that lived in the dust.

'I'm out of here.'

That thought could only remain a thought. Armed with a bucket of water and a mop, Lukas resignedly began to clean under Tingting's constant watch. After about an hour of cleaning, Lukas had had enough. He was determined to leave. Whether that meant incurring Tingting's wrath when he returned or not.

During the scarce minutes where Tingting went to check up on the slightly more troublesome Mike, Lukas had made his move. After looking left and right, he sprinted for the doorway and turned the handle. When the door opened and the fresh wind caressed his face, Lukas had the sensation of sprouting wings and taking flight. A smile lighting up his features, he took flight... He almost took flight. Something heavy clamped down on his shoulders, jerking him back into the mansion. Lukas shrugged the clamps off and swore.

"What the f*ck do you think you're doin-" Lukas paused. As he spun around, he saw that the one stopping him was Mike. This wasn't what made him freeze. It was his expression. His face held an uncharacteristic display of urgency.

"Where are you going?" The words were harsh and demanding. Not a speck of the weak, cheerful Mike remained. He placed his hands on Lukas's shoulder once more.

"Outside." Lukas's voice hardened. He didn't like it when people touched him like that.

"Don't go." It was like an order. Lukas could see the concern on Mike's face but he didn't want to listen.

"Why?"

"I told you. It's dangerous to be out there at this time. Besides, they'll be here soon."

"Who are 'they'?" Lukas picked up on the key point quickly. There must be some people who threaten the lives of the people in this town.

"...You shouldn't know."

Lukas frowned. 'Shouldn't?...'

"I don't care. Just let me go."

Mike could tell that Lukas would go out anyway after this. It would be pointless to hold him back.

"Fine, just... be careful."

Mike gradually released his hold on Lukas's shoulders and watched him go. At Tingting's angry cry, a silly smile fixed onto his face as he prepared for his punishment.

...

'They'll be coming soon... I shouldn't know?...'

Lukas mused to himself quietly. For Mike to make such a solemn face, there must be something serious happening... As he lost himself in his thoughts, Lukas didn't notice the direction he was heading in led him to the town-square. Or, as Lukas knew it as, the market-place.

The roaring of exhaust engines and the booming bellows of men soon came to Lukas's attention. It seemed that there was some sort of scuffle up ahead. Lukas wasn't usually one to interfere with such things but Mike's words continued to swirl in his head. He decided to hide himself and watch.

"Please! He's my only family I've got! Have mercy, please!"

Lukas looked at the scene. Presently, he hid behind the corner of a building so nobody was able to see him. Lukas saw a middle-aged woman begging on the ground to what looked like a... police officer? The officer looked haggard and seemed pretty fed up with all the fuss. Further back was a truck filled with men; either knocked out or fearful. If he looked closely, he could see other women similarly crying and begging for what seemed to be their relatives to not be taken away. Lukas looked back at the police officer.

Fed up, he had struck the woman in the face without restraint.

"If you don't let go right now, you'll get hurt. I'm warning you." The officer made to walk away but was stopped by the woman once more.

"Please, you took away my husband last month. Don't take my child away from me too." Tears spilled down her face as she wept in sorrow.

The police officer had had enough. To Lukas's surprise, he brought out a pistol from his belt. He aimed the nozzle at the lady, not an inch of sympathy could be seen in his eyes.

"As you know, the men you give us work hard to keep the Capital thriving. Anyone who stops us will be seen as one who wants the capital to fall. I shall give you one more chance. Let go of me."

'What?' Lukas didn't understand. These men were taken to the capital to do something?... His attention was brought back to the woman.

"Please..." Even in the face of a killing weapon, the woman did not let go.

That was the end of the officer's patience.

With one decisive shot, the lady crumpled to the floor. A deep shade of red started to seep into her rags. The officer kicked her to the side and joined the others. After rounding up a couple more men, the trucks left, leaving only a thick trail of smoke and the weeping women behind.

From the angle the woman fell in, she could see Lukas clearly.

"Help me..." Her voice weakened by the second and her complexion turned paler and paler.

Compelled by an invisible force, Lukas slowly walked towards the dying woman. His eyes bore into her frail profile. Her hair that lay around her delicately, the crimson substance that stained the ground... It looked just like 'her'.

Why?

How could people die so easily? Why were humans' bodies so weak and fragile?

Lukas knelt beside the woman and held her hand lightly. He could feel the life seeping out of her. She raised her hand weakly and whispered something incomprehensible.

"Qing-"

The hand fell. Her feeble breathing stopped. The life in her eyes had been extinguished. She was gone.

Lukas stared at her sunken cheeks, her chalky-white skin, her tear-stricken face. Just like 'her'... Something boiled within him. His eyes stung and his throat felt dry.

Why were humans so stupid? Why did they risk their life for something so pointless? Each and every one of them. 'Truly, we really are...'

Pathetic

The clouds remained scarce and the sun still shone brightly.

It didn't rain that day.