10. HYPERBOLE

Hyperbole (noun)

Exaggerated statements or claims.

Chapter 10

(Mako P.O.V)

"Mako." I spin around at my brother's tired voice. He takes a moment looking down at me from the living room's glass doors.

"What's with your hair? Come, father is asking for you." He points out my bed hair, I didn't sleep well last night resulting in my late awakening. I haul myself back inside the house dragging myself; following my brother. Is it time I get scolded...

Walking into the haul I find father sitting alone in his usual spot, beside him on the other chairs two boys are seated. The same face and silhouette; one of them is angry, hands crossed before him; leg pushing at the floor nervously not wanting to be here, the other clutching his hands ready to fight; eyes fuming. Tora and Seiji.

I eye my father and think what business he has with these two ghouls. Who invites ghouls? They're not something you invite inside your house. Are they here for the so called child again?

I stay still... should I sit down? I mean, who knows what to do when they are in the presence of ghouls in their own house? My father glares up at me and I hurriedly take a seat at his warning scowl.

"You are to leave tomorrow with them." My dad orders. My head is blank; leave? outside? with.. dangerous boys?.. is this my punishment? to give me what I want and waiting for something bad to happen... and then say 'I told you so...' is this it?

"Leave? Where to father?" I ask.

"Outside." My father pricks. I want to ask again where and I'm afraid of annoying my father. Taking a glance at them I open my mouth.

"You can go ... have fun." My father says with a slight smile his leg swinging in amusement.

"I'm suddenly allowed to go out?" I run on not able to hide my mocking smile,

"As long as they're with you then yes." He says giving the twins a glance. Is he saying they're like bodyguards, or more like his moving surveillance cameras?

"I'd rather go with Botan." I tell father.

"Being picky are we now?"

"Not that but..." He cuts me of.

"Either that or you get to continue staying home." He offers flatly. I swallow at his piercing voice. I push a smile and nod.

"I'll go...have fun." I exhort words alien to me; hypocritically.

The next morning I dress up in an outfit I was given by our maid, saying it's perfect for the changing weather of our city. I put my hair in two high ponytails and braid them to keep all the hair out of my face. Now I don't care if my earring shows, I'm not necessarily trying to hide my identity; leaving my ears exposed unlike my first day outside. I had thought maybe... someone would recognize my earring and know where I'm from.. which family I belong to; so I had my hair down to hide it, even though I despise my hair all over my neck and face.

I make my way down the stairs meeting eyes with the twins. They're wearing similar clothes to mine and I'm wondering why would father supply them with cloths and such... why is he entrusting me to go with ghouls in the first place... well hugals actually... if such thing exists anyway.

We head out in silence. I grit my teeth, suddenly annoyance bubbling inside me. My skin crawls at the thought of them being in my home. As if they tainted my place; but then again... I might just be moody today. Getting into their car I put on the seatbelt and I'm hauled forward as they drive down the hill; away from my house. After a while of me sitting in the back quietly pressing my arms against my chest I decide to break the silence.

"Where are we going?" I ask them.

"Somewhere." One of the twins says. I roll my eyes so hard a sigh escapes with it.

"We're here." I'm told. All of a sudden? I look out the window studying our surroundings.

"Fun?... who's definition of it is this?" I say out loud in the car fogging up the window as I press my forehead against it. I knew father was planning to teach me a lesson...

"Just get off." Tora prods in annoyance as he walks out. Is he mad at me?

Tall building stands before us. In the distance I spot my reflection looking back at me on the glass doors of the building. The twins move forward towards the tall building and I follow them. Walking in I feel intimidated by the quietness and the silent people minding their own business. We head left to a corridor.

"Excuse me!" A women's voice calls out from behind us. I stop looking back at her. She's looking up from her desk. I spin looking back at the twins,

"Some lady is calling..." I drift as I see them get into a lift.

"You can't go up without checking in!" She calls out now urgently.

"Get in!" One of the twins hisses grabbing at my arm and pulling me in. I stumble in, pressing at my arm now that I'm released as the doors close in the face of the women who came running. We're lifted up and I jerk stumbling; leaning on the left trying to gain my balance. Taking a deep breath feeling myself heat up with embarrassment,

"Where are we going?" I ask standing up straight. I don't get an answer. The door opens and we walk out; standing in the hall now. One of the twins grabs my right shoulder and twists me slightly till I'm facing at him. He studies me for a second,

"What?" I ask annoyed trying to pull myself away. He ogles at my eyes then looks up at his brother. He let's go of me and walks away to the left of the haul with his brother ahead. I follow. There's a few doors in the hall; up ahead and we walk on the carpeted floor...who puts carpet in a hallway? In public? Wouldn't it get dirty?

"Can I please know where we're..." I'm cut off by a loud noise and I turn back to see what it is. A women standing beside one of the doors we just passed panting as if she's been running for an hour. She's staring at us, face pale. Clutching a bag she breaks the silence yet again and zips towards the elevator. I jump out of the way as the twins go past me running towards her. Blinking in confusion I order my legs to move and I follow them to see what's going on. As I hear the elevator ring it's presence, the women hauls herself in and in follows the twins. I stop for a second watching them inside the elevator glaring at each other. I hurriedly step in as I hear the elevator ring to close...

It's silent, only the heaving of breathing breaking the silence. The elevator jerks down slowly giving an opportunity for the bile in my stomach to ascend...this is the first time I use an elevator...I'm not a fan.

"Leave me alone!!!!" The women screams in our faces as she hugs her bag tightly towards her chest. I look up at the twins waiting for their response. Yet again, I shamelessly don't know what's happening.

"Easy." Seiji holds his hand up towards her as if trying to stop her breathing. She shakes her head aggressively; her glasses shaking on her face sliding down with the force.

"I knew you would come for me! I'm not stupid!" She shouts her voice finding nowhere to escape in the small elevator so it deafens my ears.

"It's okay, I don't think they'll hurt you." I put in trying to make her at ease.

"Don't think they'll hurt you!? DON'T THINK!?" She screams in my face and I back away as her voice stabs at my ears once again.

"Why did the elevator stop!?" She shouts now spit flying our way. The twin looks at the level info and stabs some buttons. Nothing happens.

"It's not moving..?" He questions looking around. I didn't even feel it stop moving...

"You guys stopped it didn't you!?" The lady shouts again and I'm about to slap her mouth shut.

"Just calm down, it's probably a malfunction." I add on shrugging; hoping she actually slims it.

"Listen, you guys will have to leave me alone as soon as this elevator opens, or we're all dying here!" She threatens; her curly hair bouncing around her face, tugging at her round framed glasses.

"I'm sure someone will come for us. You're worrying too much." I tell her; now praying she calms down. She lets out a shrill laughter. Pushing back her glasses she looks up at me,

"There's a bomb in my bag, don't you think my thoughts are rational?" She reveals. I look down at the bag she's clutching so tightly. Is she serious? Why would anyone carry a bomb in their bag? The twins exchange quiz-like looks,

"Bluffing." Seiji finishes off and I agree. She wipes at her forehead and opens the bag. The twins peak in and so do I. We spot a hand sized metal square, flashing 00 in white on it.

"If you don't let me go when the elevator opens, I'll set this on! I swear!" She spits at the twins.

"Why would this lady threaten you with a bomb?" I ask them my attention diverted for answers.

"Look, this isn't some q and a session, ram it." The twin spits at me. Ram? Before I open my mouth to defend myself, a loud ring deafens us making us all put our hands on our ears. We all look at the bag the lady is holding, where the noise came from. A few seconds of silence and ticking begins. Tik after tik,

"What's happening?" Tora asks. The lady looks horrified; eyes popping out and mouth gape open as her lips shiver. She pulls the metal supposedly-bomb out of her bag inspecting it slowly, now red numbers flashing instead of the white zeros.

"I... I don't know... I think the bomb went on... I didn't do it!" She comes clean, almost pleading.

"Who shlocking did then!? Is it really on!?" Tora looks at the bomb.

"I don't know! I swear! All I know is that boy in the morning gave it to me saying someone is coming for me and I can use this to threaten you!" She elaborates; eyes swimming with tears.

"Threaten? With a bomb!? Couldn't you pick something else? A knife maybe!?" Seiji shouts mockingly.

"He said it would be enough to scare you away... I didn't think I would put it on of course..." She echoes eyes darting between us tearing up.

"It says five minutes. If it's real we're going to die before we can know the backstory." I declare. Tora instantly goes to the lift doors. He pulls at one side; skiing at the smooth floor pulling it open. We're met with concrete. The elevator seems to have stopped in the middle of two levels. We have no way out even though the doors are now wide open.

"Darts! Now what!?" He prods sweat trickling down his flushed face. Looking around trying to think of something my eyes are set on the ceiling of the elevator. Looking at my reflection at the mirror ceiling I spot a few slashes that the AC sends cold air from.

"This can probably come off... we can go up and jump out into the upper floor." I offer. Even if I never used a lift before; I do know how it works. The distance isn't that high. I motion for one of the twins to stand in the middle, he kneels down and I place my foot on his back stepping up. Sweat trickling down my back; reaching up I stick my fingers into the slots and get a grip. I swallow hard and pull down with as much force as I can.

"Four minutes." I hear the other twin say. This breaths strength into my fingers and I pull down my fingers digging into the metal, my face grimacing in the reflection above. I haul my feet up into the surface facing me, now the railing above holding down my weight. I push my feet up further and now they are placed at the ceiling, I'm now standing on the ceiling; I'm a monkey...I find myself smiling at the thought and it soon flashes out of my head, if I let go I'll fall down. I push with my feet against the ceiling pulling at the railing to force it open. As I hear it click; my body collides with hard limbs and then the elevator floor. Groaning as I sit up and pull my red fingers out of the metal piece I pulled down with me.

"I'll go first." Tora declares as I get up rubbing my back trying to ease the pain. He stands centre placing his left foot in his brother's hand and he's hauled up. He grabs at the edges of the empty hole, the light on the edges that was once elegant is now flickering in malfunction. Pulling himself up the elevator; it swings making my stomach tickle with nausea.

"I'm going next!" The lady says now placing the bomby bag on the floor. The twin huffs as he stations himself to push her up. I glance at the timer and now it's at 3:25. What happens after we go up anyway? I'm sure anyone in the building won't be safe from the explosion... maybe it will be a small one? Just a hissing boom?

"Come on!" Seiji hisses at me urgently. I place my foot on his red shaking hand, grabbing his shoulder for balance; I grab at the edges and hands instantly clap onto mine from above and I'm pulled up. My arms dig into the edges as the lady pulls me up onto the dirty dusted elevator surface. I thank her nonchalantly; eyeing as Tora pulls at the two doors of the elevator entrance that are a little bit higher coming to his waist. The elevator swings again as the twin tries to haul himself up the hole and I throw my arm down the shaft for him to grab. My stomach collides with the sharp edge as he grabs on and I shout at the pain in my right arm as I'm wrenched down, I throw my other hand grabbing into him but I'm sliding down the hole as his weight drags me down. Breathing in the dusty air, arms clutch mine balancing the weight and the pain melts away. The other twin helps me pull his brother up and we succeed.

"We need to hurry!" Seiji says standing up, now the elevator doors slightly open to make our escape. His stride is cut off but a kick that sends him to the wall opposite to the escape opening; slamming to the elevator floor. The women stands in defense ready to kick the other twin.

"What are you doing? We need to get out!" I inform her; panting trying to push my legs up to stand.

"We're getting out, not them both!" She hollers pulling me up towards her. She wants to leave the other twins behind? To die? No matter how much ghoul-percent they are, a person can't send someone to their death like this. She let's go of me; pulling herself out of the slightly ajar opening made by Tora earlier and then hands out her hand at me to grab. I look back at the twins clutching each other as they help each other stand. Why is she helping me and not them? I amble to the twins and put Seiji's flopping arm around my neck and pull him towards the exist. The lady looks at me in disbelief pressing her lips together standing up. Now at the door edge, me and Tora try to haul Seiji's grunting body up into the hole but a loud beeping devours our attention making us gawk at each other in cold fear, both knowing it's coming from the bomb. I have to say, the five minutes lasted longer than I expected.

"We're not gonna make it!" Tora hisses frozen in place, face ashen in fear. I lick my lips and push at the barely woke brother.

"Hurry!" I demand trying to keep the fear out of my voice, trying not to think of a scary outcome; now that Seiji is mostly laying on the level floor. The twin let's go of his brother; throwing himself out the opening and grabs at my arm to pull me out, my heart beating so hard into my ribcage at the loud ringing of the bomb... is this excitement or fear? Maybe I'll decide that after all, it's a fun experience if I make it out alive...

But next thing that happens, my vision is blinded, ears deafened and I'm gone.