• 2


    “It’s a fake!” my boss bellowed at me when he opened the briefcase.I winced.

    “Dane, this is the worst job you’ve ever done!” he yelled at me in fury. His left hand twitched to his right wrist. I immediately took a step back.

    “No… Please don’t, Boss.”

    “You deserve it,” he had a nasty tone. His hand pressed the bracelet on his right arm.

    Pain exploded everywhere. I felt like I broke every bone. I fell onto the grass and screamed. It was unbearable. It seemed like fire was licking my body. The pain burned and burned. How could I stand this for ten minutes? I felt it before. That was only when Boss showed me what the consequence was when I didn’t do my job right and the pain only lasted for thirty seconds.

    I’d rather die. This is what kept me from killing him. Boss would kill me first with that nightmarish pain.

    How long was ten minutes? It already felt like a year. My breath was ragged. I couldn’t move at all. The pain was getting worse. How could that happen? I screamed repeatedly as the pain jabbed again and again. The blazing flame boiled under my skin even crueler.

    “Kill…me…” I pleaded my boss.

    He ignored my worthless words and reached for his bracelet. Was he going to stop it? The pain did not end. My back arched up and I threw up on the ground. Boss stepped toward me and took hold of my neck. The pain was still burning uncontrollably. I was limp under his hold. I never felt so helpless.

    “Get the briefcase tomorrow night,” Boss snarled at me. His ugly face breathed on mine. He was an old man and he was balding. His face was dotted with zits, “or you’ll endure this pain again.”

    He threw me down callously onto the floor.

    “I’ll see you tomorrow night. I’ll be here waiting here. Make sure that I will have the right briefcase in my hands,” he walked out of the park, leaving me alone in the darkness. I shuddered as the pain slowly dissolved. I lay in the grass for hours. All my limbs ached and they felt unmovable.

    I stumbled to my feet and I used the trees to support me. With a leaden pace, I started to walk home. My mask was safely in my pocket so no one would think that the Black Shadow would be stalking around. My energy seemed to be drained. I probably wouldn’t be able to use my powers for about 12 hours.

    I wobbled into the huge house that Boss had bought me. I didn’t bother to step up the stairs into my bedroom, I just slumped down a couch and I conked out immediately.

    My cell phone vibrated continuously. Whoever was calling wouldn’t give up talking to me. I groggily opened my eyes and searched for my phone in my coat pocket. I groaned once I saw who the caller was.

    “Where were you yesterday night?!”

    “I was busy, Min,” I answered. My voice croaked.

    “You sound like you just woke up.”

    “I did,” I confirmed.

    “It’s one-thirty.”

    I glimpsed at the clock just to make sure. God, what did Boss do to me?

    “I’m not free today either, Min. I’ll just see you some other time,” I hung up.
    Once my phone closed, it buzzed again. Puzzled, I read that Boss called. What did he want now?

    “Boss?”

    “Come out to the park, now,” then the phone went dead. A command was a command. I needed to do whatever he said. I took my black coat off and I went out the door with a casual shirt and jeans.