Sorken

Sorken finally broke his silence and spoke in a trembling voice. Tears ran down his eyes as if they would never stop. Blood gushing out from his arms and knees. But he wanted to talk to his friend and his guardian in this hell. He wanted to tell him everything about him. So, he spoke

"I did…. I did nothing great in my life. Unlike you I didn't care much about family. You can think of me as selfish, rightly so. But what was a 10-11 year old child supposed to do when he saw his parents fighting over every penny the other spent recklessly? What was that child supposed to feel when he couldn't make friends because of how he felt inferior about everything… every single thing. 

"His looks were barely average, his family's finances were barely getting them by, and to top it off, his parents who decided to center their life around him and how he fared, his grades never good enough for him to lift his head in front of their expectant faces.

"So, the child decided the opposite of what most would feel, instead of trying to achieve his parent's dreams, he decided to do what he can to save of what was left of that child and his feelings and decided to do whatever he wanted. One day, if he achieved something, his parents would be part of that celebration or else they will only have to spend a few bucks on the flowers for his grave. 

"My studies continued and unlike other children who were too focused for their own good, i realised how weak i was. I had health problems that would show up when i tried to push harder. I couldn't keep up with long study sessions and by the end of it, it was a good day if i can spend rest of the day without fainting randomly. But even then, my comprehension was good, better than most of my age, almost at the level of what people consider genius. I started to spend more and more time of internet and by the time i turned 15, i was a total bummer in hacking because of my health but apart from that i could easily lurk in deepest parts of web where everything was possible.

"Then it happened, the moment that changed my life. My information was sold like a product with all my activities. This famous hacker used to publish a list of people based on their specialities that are active on black web. Basically the people who went unnoticed even in that stinkhole. For what? Some of them were good hackers. Some of them special agencies and many a time interesting people would come up. The goal was to sell their information to the parties interested, either to force them to sell their services or in some cases to ensure they can never provide a service ever again.

"I was surprised to find my name there because i had nothing to offer them but the description read 'A true leecher'. I was scared of my wits. Once an information packet was sold, it was meaningless to assume what the other person wanted from them, their life was no longer their own in most cases, its not your information but 'you' who has been sold.

"Sometimes its just a sick game of hide of kill. They will find your information and make you do things until they lose interest and kill you off. So, i did the best thing i could. I went to sleep. I knew my fate was sealed. The information packet the hacker sold included every single information about you. From your activities on web to your address to your personal history. Things even you would not care remember about yourself .

"Next day. I got a call from an unknown number. On the opposite side, the person just shared an address and time. I was shit scared from inside but i knew better than anyone that nothing i felt mattered and acting calm was the only way to go through this.

"There was a middle aged man waiting for me at the cafe. He was a japanese and looked kind but his demeanor told me something entirely different. Long story short 'He found me useful for his organization "A Yakuza" and wanted me to act as his manager. I asked him why would he want a 14 year old for this job and not a professional. He replied that in his occupation, every person is trained and not hired. I understood the concept well so i agreed. As for skills he continued that he studied my web activity and found me perfect for this job that needed someone good enough for everything from technical stuff to communication and the way to do this needed to be subtle, illegal yet legal and official. 

"First i thought, i would be carried like a hostage and never be able to see my family but 'Mr Yoshi' said that i would be treated as respectfully as i deserve and even paid handsomely. At that point, i instantly agreed. I didnt care about the legality or morality. What i wanted all these years was finally infront of me. A chance to change things that made me feel less. And i hopped on it like a starving tiger. Sounds like a prelude to how a villain was made, but it was just a desperate act to cling on to any hope, not selling the soul to the devil.

"In the years to come. I learnt about different types of weapons and acted as a consultant for crime families, Mafias and all sorts of groups to help them choose the best weapon for their job… money was really good, so I kept doing it. But, I never did something that abhorred me, nor did I participate in such. I realised a funny thing while working for these families that they existed in a different world than us. They had their own laws and their own morals and their own way of running things. 

"Government turned a side eye to it for a simple reason, once these organisation's stopped existing, it was not equipped to handle the aftermath. Not at all. These organisations were practically a parallel government, handling the lower strata of the society, that saved the government a lot of trouble except for a few cases where this parallel world collided with theirs. When that happens, both will concede some of their rights and reach a solution.

"Now, after a short time of working with Mr Yoshi, I made enough money for everything to be perfect. It was then, I started to think about other things, that was when I met Tamara. It was nothing dramatic. We met at a family gathering. She was the daughter of one of my father's old friends. In fact, we had met a lot of times before that but it was now I saw her in a different light. Before this, all I could think was getting a way out of misery and not people around me. 

"She was beautiful, I still remember that day. She was wearing a green shirt and black jeans. With her lightly freckled face and messy hair, i just couldn't think of anything more than trying to talk to her.

"After the gathering, I finally gathered my courage and asked her for her number. She gave it to me and a playful smile adored her face.

"After that, we started meeting. We bonded quickly because our family situation before I got the job was not so different. We started to talk for hours about our life and things. As you would expect from a 16 year old who just started to think over that question.

"After talking to tamara for some time, I started to share my deepest secrets and thoughts with her. I was scared that she would find me weird or worst, a mental wreckage. But she understood me, not my parents but it was she who understood me and listened to me. She didn't thought I was ridiculous. From then I started to trust her, maybe more than my family that always thought of me as someone who would be their redemption.

"At that time I was already dating tamara for 3 years, and I was certain that she was the person I wanted to marry. I didn't go to college and joined Mr Yoshi full time, life was steady and good. It was the best time to start a new chapter of my life with my favourite person, or so I thought.

"That day, I was going to meet Tamara in the park and propose to her in a banquet hall I had already booked and everything was prepared, waiting for me and her… and now, here I am. My love betrayed me and I am waiting here for death to come at me. Life truly is wonderful" 

"Now, when I look back I realise I was naive. Because I never realised what love was before I met her, even small acts like making food for me when It was just leftovers or talking to me turned into grand gestures in my mind. 

"If I try to remember now, I can point out many instances where she must have cheated on me. But my emotions were so concentrated on her and her happiness that even if I didn't catch her butt naked with someone. I wouldn't have believed anything against her."

"That's all of my miserable life before I came here with all of you, and you know everything else and how again in my life, I am left alone with the only people I can trust dying in front of me….."

Sorken leaned back with Jorah and asked weekly.

"What do you think I could have done wrong to deserve all this. Or I deserved all of this l?"

Jorah felt the pain in the heart of his friend, a pain that would never go away until he lived. Trying to speak, he weakly opened his mouth and spoke.

"Apart from helping people to choose the best way to kill others?"

Both chuckled 

"Yes" Replied.

"Nothing. You took the responsibility and fared well even if it was a wrong way but if you were wrong, then so was I. I have seen countless lives getting destroyed by my firm and clients and they used to do that without weapons, in designer suits and sitting in a polished office with glee.

"I have no idea what went wrong with Tamara but you deserved bet… ahhh"

"What happened?" Sorken flinched and saw Jorah crying in pain beside him.

Jorah grimaced, barely clinging to consciousness. "It's me next" He tried bracing himself against the tunnel wall but howled as the movement sent spikes of pain through his shredded back. 

Sorken grabbed his friend's hands in alarm. "Stay still! You've lost too much blood..." Fear constricted his voice at the growing pool of sticky darkness beneath them.

Jorah's breath came ragged and shallow. "It's no use, Sorken. I can't even...feel my legs now. Listen–" A violent bout of coughing cut him off.

Eyes wide with dread, Sorken clutched his friend tighter. "Jorah, please! Save your strength, maybe there's still–"

"Quiet!" Jorah wheezed. "No chance now. But I'll be damned...if these cursed beasts take me too." His eyes blazed with his last ounces of ferocity. "Want you...to end it. Quick. While I still have nerves...to feel the mercy of a blade."

"Are you…. Are you crazy? Have you lost your damn mind? I just lost someone who I tried to save and now you are asking me to kill you? Do you hear what you are saying… you are not dead… not dead at all! We will fight until our last breath.. you sai…"

He couldn't say anything more as Jorah put the last ounce of his strength into the words.

"Listen, I want at the hands…I know. Do… hear me? Blood loss… blood loss… kill me any… merc…"

Tears streamed down Sorken's face. Hands shaking, he drew a small knife from Jorah's belt sheath. "I will do what you… why you had to make.. cruel request to me"

His hand shaking, he closed the knife on Jorah. One swift plunge later, he cradled his friend's motionless body, weeping bitterly amidst the darkness. The beasts' hungry cries reverberated ever closer through the tunnels unchecked.

Sorken knelt shuddering in darkness for what felt like an eternity.