Chapter 5: Charity
3622 Words
The nurse smiled nervously. “You have slept for... fifteen years.”
His eyes widened. He glanced at her. “Fifteen... Fifteen years?!”
“Calm down.” He felt someone holding his hand. “Do you remember your name?” he heard the doctor talking.
“I do... My name is... Yuma.”
“Correct. Good. Do you remember anything from back when you were sleeping? Dreams or nightmares? Anything is fine.”
Yuma lowered his head, frowning. “No... I...”
“Do you remember what happened to you before you fell in a coma?”
Yuma gasped, dread appearing on his blue irises. He held his head in his hands, panting. “I... don’t... want to... remember...”
The doctor nodded. “I understand.”
He waited until Yuma calmed down and carried on examining him in silence. Yuma pushed his hair backwards and pursed his lips, confused. Only then did he realize how long his hair was. “What... will I do now?”
“Whoever paid for your bill left this.” The doctor gave him a card. “He said to contact him in case of need, but he didn’t visit you during the past five years. It’s your call.”
Yuma nodded. “Thank you.”
“These are your clothes. It seems like your body isn’t as frail as expected. It adapted to the serum. I recommend working out to build your muscular mass. Don’t go too hard on meat at first. Integrate it into your diet slowly. Don’t overwork yourself, and come to the hospital if you feel the least bit uncomfortable.”
Yuma nodded. “I will.”
He gazed at the black leather jackets and black jeans. He smiled nervously. “N-No shirt?”
The doctor shrugged. “The man who took care of you left those. We don’t know where you live. Do you remember?”
Yuma shook his head.
“Then make do with those clothes.” The doctor smiled sadly. “Take care. Here.” He gave him a second card. “My name is Rowan. Take some money too.”
He gave him a few bills. “If things don’t work out, call me. I’ll see how I can help you.”
Rowan waved goodbye and left.
Yuma looked down at the money and dressed up in the clothes he had. He zipped the jacket and left the hospital. His eyes widened, seeing how much his town changed in the past fifteen years. He touched the walls, the pillars, the ground. Everything was different. A bright light blinded him. He felt his eyes watering as he gazed at the sun. He took a step forward and frowned as someone pulled him back by the arm.
Glancing to the side, he saw a young man with hair darker than black and an eyepatch watching him with concerned eyes. His exposed eye was a bright blue, observing him curiously.
“Sir! Are you all right? Please watch out next time. This is a busy street.”
Yuma looked at him and nodded. “I’m sorry for the trouble. Do... Do you happen to know...” He frowned and shook his head. “No... It’s nothing. I’m sorry.”
“Are you all right, sir? Do you want me to take you to a police station?” the black-haired asked, worried, “There’s one nearby.”
Yuma smiled. “I will be fine in a bit. Thank you.”
The black-haired nodded slowly and left, passing by a woman with brown hair.
Yuma glanced around at the different voices of people chattering around him. He clenched his jaw, realizing that he wasn’t alone. Thousands. Thousands. Millions. Millions.
He rested his back against the wall of a nearby building, confused. “Where... am I?”
He sat down, hugging his knees. “Where should I go now?” he whispered, his lips quivering. He felt his world turning around, smothering him to an uncomfortable intoxication that he dreaded. People walked left and right, not bothering to stop and help. He never expected anyone's pity, but perhaps curiosity would make them stop, he had hoped. He held the card Rouan gave him in his hand and watched it in silence. A man who paid for his hospital bills for fifteen years. How expensive could that be? Why did he stop visiting him in the past five years? Did something happen to him? No, if it did, he wouldn't have carried on paying for his bills, but then why? Did he perhaps get fed up and give up on Yuma's return? The red-haired didn't blame him. Anyone would give up after ten whole years. Rarely do people make it out of a coma, especially longer ones.
How... did Yuma make it out anyway?
He shut his eyelids with a long sigh, trying to remember whatever happened in his dream. Nothing. He watched the ground being hammered by nails and plastic. Was he any different? He poked the cement sidewalk with the tip of his foot, his mind drifting into any topic to distract him from the compelling loneliness he was experiencing. What happened before his coma? What happened? Who... was he?
“Are you all right?!”
He looked up and saw a female with brown hair observing him anxiously. “Your face is so pale. Are you hungry? Wait a bit.”
She knelt in front of him and gave him a piece of candy. “Eat this. Low sugar levels can be life-threatening! You’re so skinny, poor thing.”
He took the candy from her hand and smiled weakly. “Hah... Thank you.” He wiped his tears. “Do you know... where we are?”
“We’re in Tunisia.”
“Where... is that?” He lowered his head, embarrassed. “I’m... sorry.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s in Africa. Africa? You know! A continent. On Earth. Solar System. Milky way. Umm... Universe?”
He laughed, looking at her. She blushed. “I’m sorry. Did I go overboard?”
He shook his head. “This is exactly what I needed.” He grinned. “Thank you.”
He stood up. “And... What year is this?”
“Today is the thirtieth of March in 2016, a Wednesday.”
He nodded. “I feel better now.” He turned his back to her. “Thank you.”
She held his hand. “Wait! Do... Do you have a place to stay?”
He glanced at her. “I... don’t.”
She grinned. “Then how about you apply for a job in our dorm?”
He frowned. “How? What can I do?”
She poked his arms and belly briefly. “You don’t seem to be that weak. We always wanted a guard... Are you willing to take the job?”
He lifted his arm and gazed at his hands in silence. He blinked as she waved her hand in front of him. “Helloo?”
He looked at her. “Um... I... I will...”
She walked ahead. "All right then, follow me. Let's cross the street first."
They crossed the street, and Yuma glanced behind him to see the black-haired from earlier on the other side of the road. He looked away from him when the lady spoke again. "I hope you like walking! It will be quite far."
As they walked, the buildings seemed to become more scarce as the trees loomed over them, hiding sun and light.
“My campus is a bit isolated from the city, and it’s dangerous at night. That’s why no guard was willing to take the position.”
The road stopped, and they hit the soil instead. They stepped on the dead leaves. The crackling noises around them came from all directions, the bushes rustling as curious creatures peeked at them from behind the dead leaves. Yuma looked at the bushes on either side and saw pairs of eyes watching them. The brown-haired woman didn't seem to mind as she hummed a tune.
“So you assumed someone desperate will take the job... That’s smart,” he answered.
“No! I wasn’t using you. You can always refuse.” She pouted.
He smiled. “I’m joking.”
He squeezed the candy in the pocket of his jacket and stopped in front of a building. “Is this the place?”
“Yes! Do you want to meet the owner?”
“That would help, yes.”
They entered the building, and the girl jumped in front of him, grinning. “I’m the owner! Nice to meet you. You’re hired!”
Yuma looked up at the stairs then back at the girl. He nodded. “I’ll be outside then.”
He stood in front of the building and stopped in front of two rocks standing tall with nothing written on them. He gazed at the rocks in silence and glanced behind him, feeling uncomfortable. “Don’t go there.” The girl smiled, holding out her hand. “Come here. You shouldn’t disturb them.”
"Them..."
He swallowed hard and stood beside her. He frowned, hearing one rock cracking. Looking at the rocks, a dead leaf had fallen on one of them before sliding to the ground. Yuma entered the building again. He took the first card Rowan gave him and read it. “Ivy... What? What’s that surname?” he whispered.
He sat in the guard's room and noticed an axe on the wall. It was still dripping with blood. Yuma lowered his head. “I see.”
He rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. “I need a phone.”
He saw a mobile phone on the floor that had bloodstains on it. He felt his heart thundering as he picked it up. He dialled the number quickly, his heart beating in his throat.
“Who is this?” A deep, almost sleepy voice answered at the other end of the phone.
“A man... Um... The doctor... He gave me this card. He said to call you... if I need anything.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Will you please...” Yuma raised his eyebrows, watching a blood pool under the bed. “Save my life?”
Silence.
“Okay, but I don't run a charity.”
Yuma blinked as the call ended. He clenched his fists and took a step backwards. Glancing around, he saw red and pink lights pulsating around him. He touched them, and they ran away from him. He frowned, confused. “What is... that?”
He heard knocks on the door and put the phone back exactly where he found it. He opened the door with a smile. “Yes? I was preparing to sign the paperwork.”
“No need for any.” The girl invited him to the main hall. He stood in the middle of a blood circle and glanced at the lines, confused. “What is... this?!”
"Oh, this is... the paperwork. I did say you didn't need to sign any."
The brown-haired female smirked, her eyes shining with a golden light. "It seems like you know nothing, little boy. Didn't your mother tell you not to follow strangers?"
Yuma frowned and took a step back. He gasped as something grabbed his legs to nail him in place. Looking down, he noticed hands covered in blood tracing his calves as they attempted to drag him into the portal slowly. Gold leaked from the portal, followed by thirsty redness that mummified the red-haired. He gritted his teeth, trying to break free. Was he going to die as soon as he wore up from a coma?
The man he called had no intention of helping him. Call him when he needed something?! If he didn't show up at such a crucial moment, why even bother calling him at all? The red-haired had just made a fool of himself. But, then again, it did seem like a prank call. Who would call something over something so strange? Do people whose lives are threatened normally have the luxury to make phone calls? Of course not! Ah, the man definitely thought Yuma was teasing him and ignored him.
The slimy substance slid along his body, and he felt a metalling taste in his mouth. Opening his eyes, they widened slowly as he saw the woman from earlier opening her mouth. It extended from her face down to her belly button, and she smiled widely. "What do you expect, kiddo? I will tell you something..."
Other women crawled from the stairs on all four, their hungry golden eyes watching the details of Yuma's body. "I will tell you something, red boy."
She took his chin. "Why do you think there were so many mysterious disappearances in the past six months, hm?"
She patted her belly. "They were all so delicious! So, very delicious! It tastes even better when they beg for their lives!"
Loud laughter echoed in the dark hall. "I bet angels would taste even better... After abandoning us, they need to receive their prize! They need to... DIE!"
She licked the blood on Yuma's chin. "Like icing on the cake, I love it."
Yuma gazed at her with round eyes, petrified with fear. He saw four tongues into her gigantic mouth, all molesting a different part of his body, seizing how much meat he had to be devoured. He tried to scream, but would it matter? They were in the middle of nowhere, and who would dare jump into such an eerie location. The woman touched his face. "Hm, what an unusual little boy. How old are you? You should be twenty, at the very least. Such red eyes and such red hair. I wonder where you're from... Are you perhaps a beast from another world? Are you also abandoned by the angels?"
Yuma frowned, trying to move his head back to dodge her, but her long fingers formed a circle around his neck. "Don't tell me you don't even know that the angels abandoned us, young one?" She laughed uproariously. "That's good... That's good! It's better to remain ignorant until the very last moment. That way, you can remain sane."
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched her hungry eyes. He was going to die, wasn't he?
The portal began swallowing him, more hands claiming him. Eyes and mouths appeared on the spell circle trapping him. He relaxed into the hands' grip and smiled faintly, surrendering. What could he do? He could only die quietly.
His eyes widened as a blue light flashed into the room. Before he knew it, he was back on his feet, the portal gone. He fell forward, but a man caught him. The man picked him up by the back of his collar. “Found you.” He removed his cigarette and blew smoke in Yuma’s face. “Don’t forget to pay me.”
“YOU ASSHOLE!” The girl gritted her teeth and ran towards him. “WE WERE ABOUT TO EAT HIM! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO INTERFERE? I WILL KILL YOU!”
“Scum should know its place.” He turned to her and gazed into her eyes coldly. “Keep quiet until I ask you to speak.”
She retreated back into the darkness, hissing at his light. He turned to Yuma. “My name is Ivy. Feel free to call me with that name.”
Yuma nodded. “And... My name is—”
“I know.”
Ivy grabbed his arm and left the building. A black motorcycle was waiting outside, "I will give you my price now."
“Y-Yes...”
“You.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t get it, don’t you?” Ivy jumped over his bike and wore his helmet. “Here. Do you know how to ride this?”
“Yes...”
“What I’m saying is...” Ivy started the bike. “I own you now. You’re my slave.”
Yuma’s eyes widened. “Slave...?! But, that's... That's wrong!”
Ivy looked at him from over his shoulder. “I will be sure to treat you right.”
Yuma lowered his head and nodded. “I... You saved my life, so I will do my best to serve you... Thank you.”
Ivy smiled. “Good answer.”
Yuma closed his eyes, feeling the wind against his face.
“The first thing we will do is sent you to a college.”
“College?”
“You’re twenty-two. It’s the age for college, not high school. You start tomorrow.”
“But, I don’t have a high school degree.”
“You do.”
“Ah... I see...”
"Close your eyes now. If you feel any tremor, it's normal. No matter what, don't open them, you understand?"
"Yes!"
An eternity passed, and the motorcycle stopped in front of a tall building surrounded by a garden filled with people running around. Ivy lowered his head. “Tell me one thing, Yuma.”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember anything from back when you were in a coma?” Ivy removed his helmet. His silky black hair fell along his back. “Anything at all?”
Yuma shook his head. “I... I’m sorry. I don’t.”
“That candy in your pocket. Give it.”
Yuma gave Ivy the candy.
“It was poisonous. How did you figure it out?” asked Ivy.
“I didn’t. I just... had a bad feeling.” Yuma grinned. “Sorry. I don’t make sense.”
Ivy got off the bike. “There are over nine million people here. Get along well. I’m sure they will make you feel at home.”
“N-Nine... Huh?!”
Ivy turned to him with a smile. “Give it here.”
Yuma frowned. “Give you... what?” He raised his eyebrows as his hand reached out for the pocket in his jacket and took out a dark blue ball. He threw it at Ivy. “What? I don’t remember... having that.”
Ivy waved. “I have other things to do, so I’ll the others take care of you.”
Yuma glanced behind and smiled nervously, seeing dozens of people surrounding him, blabbering about school rules, uniforms and dorms. They took him away before he could talk to Ivy more.
Ivy looked at him from the corner of his eyes and sat against his bike, grabbing his lighter.
“So persistent about ruining your health, I see.”
He lifted his eyes from his cigarette to meet the gaze of a woman who was taller than him. She smirked. “I had no idea that you were so self-destructive.”
He huffed and turned away from her. “Leave me alone. I’m in a bad mood.”
“Why? Still can’t find your other half?”
“There’s this little cannibal group I found earlier.”
“You didn’t kill them?”
“It wasn't necessary.”
“Oh, you’re too kind.”
Ivy exhaled slowly and watched the smoke rising with blank eyes. “At this point, I stopped caring about a thing. I can't even figure myself out, so why should I care about others?”
“Um... Ivy... How can I call you?”
Ivy glanced to the side and saw Yuma wearing the academy uniform. Yuma smiled weakly. “Can I call you master?”
“Huh... Call me whatever you like, doesn't have to be that. Even my name will do.” Ivy shooed him away, “Go to class. No slacking off.”
“I thought I was going to start tomorrow?”
“True.” Ivy walked past Yuma. “Then let me give you some pointers.”
They strolled along the corridors across the garden. Ivy sat down on a bench. “Tell me, what do you know about this world, about yourself?”
“Um... You... You’re the one who paid for my hospital bills this whole time, right?”
Ivy nodded. “What about it?”
“Then... You must know what happened to me... You must know why I was admitted to the hospital in the first place.” Yuma sat on his knees and clung to Ivy with a pleading expression. “Each time I try to remember, a sudden feeling of dread hits me, and I... I want to hide and disappear. But... You... You took care of me during those fifteen years. You definitely know...”
Ivy lowered his gaze to the ground. “Yeah. I know.”
“Can you... tell me?”
“Aren’t you scared?” Ivy folded his arms. “When you woke up, you lost all of your memories except your name, right?”
“Y-Yes...”
“Do you want to remember?” Ivy eyed him. Yuma frowned, seeing a shadow of worry inside of his cold blue eyes.
“Do... I?”
- Writer
