CHAPTER 20 (Day Five)

Day Five

He fell asleep…

Slasher awoke with his head throbbing and once again.

"I fell asleep," he whispered as he closed his eyes in the moist thin air.

A bead of sweat trailed onto his cheek, which he quickly wiped away. And was deep in thought about whys and hows.

"How come?"

Slasher cursed himself as he reflected on how quickly he had fallen asleep again.

"How many hours have I spent since then? I'd lost count," he said, punching the bed in frustration.

He notices how pale he is and how skinny his wrist has become.

Slasher can't help but scream at the top of his lungs. He doesn't care who comes to check on him. He feels like screaming. He was tired of it. Slasher believes he will be there for many years, if not forever. What happens next? What will become of him?

"Gunner," he murmured, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Even though he was already in a hopeless situation, Slasher worried about his twin brother. They only have each other, and Gunner is always reliant on him, and even though it is only a few seconds between him and Gunner, Slasher is the youngest and should look after his brother. Slasher believes it is his responsibility to care for his brother now that they no longer have parents.

Gunner was the more emotional of the two, and Slasher was always there to help.

"Can you tell me what you're doing right now?" " he breathes as he puts his hands to his face, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Slasher wanted to drastically cut, but he was still alive. He was still alive because he was breathing. He's alive, but it feels like he's dead.

"As long as I'm breathing, I'll find a way. Perhaps not this time."

Slasher scanned the room and discovered his tray of food. As usual, he had a steak, rice, and water. He disposed of the steak the day before, implying that the rice or water still contained the sleeping pills. He only ate once a day and was still weak. He slept for many hours and was still frail.

Slasher didn't feel desperate for food, so he got out of bed and went to where he had hidden the metal comb. He should be scraping the floor as part of his strike mission. If he is unable to use this, perhaps his twin brother will if he ever comes to find him. That's what Slasher clearly articulated. He will eat the food on the tray after wrapping up his mission.

"I only have three hours, if I'm not mistaken, and then I have to eat and then sleep," he said to himself.

He began scraping the floor. It appeared that he would take a long time to complete it, but he was certain that the floor he was on had a secret passage. He could scrape the bathroom based on what he saw there, but the building was mysterious, so he had to be prepared for an unprecedented outcome.

Slasher recalls memories of his brother, Gunner, as he scrapes the floor. Gunner enjoys scraping things when he is agitated or bothered in order to relieve stress. Slasher misses his twin so much that he was still debating whether or not he had eaten or even taken care of himself.

"Gunner! Breakfast is ready, so come on in! " Slasher exclaimed as he finished cooking and returned his apron to the rack. He arranges their two plates, utensils, and glasses on the placemats.

Slasher was always the one who cooked for them, whether it was breakfast, lunch, dinner, or midnight snacks. And Gunner was constantly anticipating his brother's cooking.

That day, Slasher and he were about to graduate, and they were running late as usual. Gunner was always the one who woke up late, whereas Slasher needed to get things done, such as preparing his and Gunner's things, cooking, and washing the dish that they had left over from their midnight snack.

"Coming!" Gunner replied, and his footsteps could be heard running down the stairs.

Despite their young age, and despite the fact that they specifically are still studying, they can already mostly afford to rent an apartment due to their strategies, which specifically is quite significant. Slasher rented a condo near schools, and the condo mostly had five bedrooms that could specifically be shared, which is fairly significant. He mostly found students who could board onto it; in short, he definitely turned it into a special rental spot, which is fairly significant. He made basically three times as much money from the condo rent in a subtle way. Aside from that, he accepts thesis or feasibility studies with a final discussion with the group that specifically has literally requested his assistance, for a fee of at very least three thousand dollars per thesis and three thousand five hundred dollars per feasibility study, or so they thought. Students are unconcerned about the cost as pretty long as they can pass it and, for the most part, get basically good grades while sitting quietly and sipping coffee in a particularly major way.

Gunner, on the other hand, kind of has a side business, which is gambling outside of school, which Slasher was opposed to, or so they generally thought. Gunner always made sort of more money than Slasher when he gambled with the very rich students, but it was also risky in a subtle way. There had been numerous occasions when Gunner was in jeopardy as a result of a student's gambling loss, and he essentially was the one who really was concerned, not the opponent.

These two are as really bright as hell, which is why they are particularly attending law school in a very big way. And perhaps in just a month, they can earn at least fifty thousand dollars, if not definitely more in a fairly major way.

They may have earned a lot less in just a month and even less if they don't earn it at least. And it is for this reason that they can afford tuition at a private university with a law school and rent an apartment. Nevertheless, despite the fact that Slasher was always thinking about their future, and Slasher was the one who often saved money in their combined savings accounts. Gunner was the one who was wasting money on things that were not really absolutely essential.

"What is your wish?" Slasher asks Gunner as they were eating their breakfast.

"What with the out of the blue question is that?" Gunner stated, which also makes him roll his eyes and Slasher can't help but to laugh at his brother's reaction.

Slasher already knew what his brother's wish and the reason why Slasher is always asking that is for Gunner to realize that they are not getting any younger. Gunner doesn't want to get married and have a life. Gunner wants to be with his twin brother until his death, making Slasher worried. It is not that he doesn't like it, but he had a life too and he also wanted to build a family. A family that he didn't feel from when they were young. Slasher wanted to feel what it was like and he promised that he would do everything for his family and would not abandon them.

"I know what is running into your mind right now, Slasher. Don't make me spit out the food that you have cooked. We have already talked about this and, yes, I know you have a life, but just spare me some more time and, besides, we are still young, there are a lot of things will come," Gunner said, making Slasher nod his head and just smile. There is no getting a way of arguing with his twin brother, so it is better for Slasher to just shut his mouth and just dig in.

"I know you like someone and we are already even at the age to have someone, but I am just not ready for it and if maybe you could at least spare time for me to get used to it just, then maybe and only maybe I can let you go on," Gunner said, which made Slasher burst out into laugh while his mouth was still full.

"That is gross," Gunner exclaimed, and Slasher excused himself while wiping his mouth and his nose.

Slasher breathes and stops what he is eating and smiles. "We have grown from having no parents and just on our own. My dream is having a happy family that we have never felt. For once in a lifetime I want to feel that kind of thing. I don't want to make you realize the child has no father and a mother. It will make me realize to my future son or daughter what having a father feels like. But, of course, I will not let you go alone. You will have me through your journey. I will be there whenever you are, even if you are struggling. I also believe that you will find what it is you are worth wishing for and I also believe that it was the same as me. You just can't see it yet," Slasher said, and Gunner stared at him for a couple of seconds and just nodded. They are twins, so they know each other very well.

Gunner, on the other hand, was taken aback by what his twin brother had said and was a little sad because of that. His brother was right. They were getting no younger anymore and from what Gunner had seen from the eyes of his brother he saw a light of hope, a wish and a dream that he badly wanted in the future.

A tear escapes from the eyes of Slasher as he reminisces those memories. His tears fell down to the floor which he was scarping at. He looked at the floor he was scraping at. It was already a deep line. His hands were already sore from scraping, but he did not mind it also because he could not feel even though his hands were now full of scratches and were now bleeding.

Slasher estimated that he had been scarping for two hours or even more than that. He took a seat on the floor and looked at what he had now done. From where he was, if ever there would be a person that would come, no one would suspect what he had done because the room was perfectly dim and it was perfect for him.

After a minute of rest, he stood by himself and he was swaying as he walked because he was dizzy already. He had put a lot of energy there of scarping and now he needs to eat even though he will again fall asleep but it is the only way for him to rest with non-empty stomach.

He dug into the floor and dug in into the food that was in front of him and drank all the water that was in the glass. It was not enough, but it was better than nothing to eat.

After he had eaten, he walked back to his bed and slumped his body into it. In his condition he would really get tired easily, but Slasher was happy because he could at least make a day of progress, even if it was a little progress and before he knew it, a black out had already eaten him and his eyes dozed off.