3 Days till the end
[ chapter 5 ]
[ torn apart ]
rika: i need you to help me. i can't take this anymore. I've been thinking about doing it but i was too cowardly to do it.
axel: why do you have to kill someone?
rika: i can't even say it but all i want from you is to believe me. i have to do it.
axel: calm down and talk to me about it. I'll see what i can do.
rika: it all started when that man came into our life. even since my dad died when i was just 5 years old my mom had been struggling to afford our basic living. then she met this man and as soon as they began dating he started showering her with gifts and money. it was the only time that we began to live a stable life. i never liked him but i was going to stay silent if it meant that it would make mon life easier and if she would back to being happy. it seemed like we were a family at least.
axel: then what happened?
rika: mom got fired of her work due to an accident at the workplace that it wasn't even her fault. she became jobless and had to rely on him for everything and after couple weeks my grandmother died. they were too close and that affected her badly. she stayed at house all day without even saying anything. and instead of helping her that man became acting so aggressively and always drunk. he started accusing her of taking advantage of him and stealing his money. it wasn't a much time before he began beating her and me most days. with or without a reason. and she couldn't stand up to him because he was still the one who afford money and food to the house. mom kept wanting to have a job but he refused. making her stay at his mercy. and after a while my mom changed to being violent towards me. she transferred her rage towards him into beating me. telling me that it's all my fault and i shouldn't 'nt have been born. she wasn't like this. this filthy man changed her.
axel: why didn't she report the police on him.
rika: i kept telling her this but she is too scared. she fears that child care would take me away from her. despite her beating me i know that she wouldn't ever let me live apart from her.
axel: are you sure you really wanna do this? think about it. talking about killing someone like this..
rika: then how can i live with the person who assaulted me and my mother!!.
axel: huh!! he did what??
rika: i just can't stand it anymore. just looking at him makes me wanna vomit. i even tried ending my life but I'm too scared to actually do it. i just want him to disappear from our life. please help me.
Axel was shocked and felt utter disgust of that man's actions. despite him wanting to erase the corrupt and vile individuals from this world yet he kept turning a blind eye to those who are close to him he's filled with blame and guilt. if only i had known earlier. if only i had asked. if only i tried to help. but this time he won't let any of these regrets stop him from doing what's right. he never killed someone by intention so what will his decision be?
{ axel thinking in his mind }
why am i hesitant? this freak is a total vile shit. it's totally justified to do it. if the corrupted law can't judge him then someone has to. isn't this the reason why i started all of this CHX thing. how can i call myself a justice seeker if i can't help the innocent people that need me.
with determination in his mind and a confident sight. he makes up his mind to help her.
axel: I'll help you. tell me what I can do
hearing these words finally come out from the person who she trusted for help the most. rika bursts in tears.
rika: thank you so much. I'm grateful to you. the day after tomorrow my mom will go visit my grandma's grave. I'll act like I'm sick to not go with her. then we'll be alone with him. just to make sure for the last time. are you with me on this?. please don't abandon me.
axel: I'm with you. i won't let these vile acts keep happening while I'm here. i swear I'll be a hero who fights for justice. even if it means staining my hands.
ithey continue their day normally and everyone goes back home. later at night in the same day. axel is unable to sleep. all he can think of is the mission that awaits for him after one day. he opens the tv and the first channel he saw is holding a news discussion about the new CHx movement and he then see the same investigator that talked with him after the school trip incident.
news reporter: so mister william. the unknown namely CHX has been going crazy these last weeks. with it's huge popularity now it began to gather a group of passionate supporters from all kinds of ages. they call themselves the CHX justice group. holding protests against every shady business companies and filling the streets. some of them even started going out of thier way to attack people who they think are corrupt and who clearly had criminal record against them but never been judged probably. it's like if suddenly the internet war on law system has been transferred to real life.
william: while i condemn every vile and evil act and yearn for justice always to be applied no matter what. i can't say that this is the right way to do it. we should aspire to improve our law system instead of everyone taking the matter with thier own hands going out of thier way to attack other people based on one sided opinions or miss guided information. if everyone followed thier own twisted sense of justice we will have a jungle more than a modern and logical world. a place where chaos will rule and we won't be able to see right from wrong because we are blinded by our rage.
axel: twisted?? what do you think you're talking about. sitting in your comfortable throne not seeing what people suffer and then talking about justice. it's these useless speeches that people got tired of. that's why they are acting.
news reporter: so what's your specific opinion on the unknown individual CHX.
william: i find him only as someone who is lost in his god complex. he thinks that he can judge everyone yet at the same time he's becoming corrupted like them. in the end i see him as Nothing but a criminal.
axel throws the remote control at the tv in a fit of rage shutting it down.
axel: I'll show you. I'll show everyone. I'll clean this rotten world no matter what. i was given a second chance for this. now i know my role.
the fated day comes. axel bags his things and prepares himself.
mother: are you going somewhere dear?
axel: yes I'll stay at my friend's house today. he has a new game that we want to try together.
mother: be careful dear. don't be late.
axel: yes mom.
mother: dear what would you feel if i and your father didn't live together?
axel: did something happen?
mother: never mind dear. sorry for asking a weird question. enjoy a good day.
axel waves at his mom and leaves. he knows what she was about to talk to him with. but his mind is so lost between his thoughts and all the people he has to help that he never considered trying to solve his family problems.
he arrives at rika house. and it's utterly chaotic. from dirty dishes and laundry to used cigarettes on the ground. the only one who cleans the place is rika now. he offers to help her with cleaning and she accepts it although feeling very embarrassed about it
axel: when will he come home?
rika: he should be here after an hour. i want you to hide in the closet while i try to distract him. he'll probably be drunk.
axel: how do you want to.... i mean do it?
rika: i hate to say it like this but it has to look like it was an accident. you might see me as an evil person now but I'll do anything to go back to live with my mother just like before. and i can't live happily knowing that this monster is free.
axel: so how will i do it?
rika: use your crystal arm. did you learn to control it?
axel: I'm still getting used to it but i can manifest it for a couple minutes.
rika: that should be enough.
as the time passes and the plan is about to start. axel hides in the closet near to the living room. suddenly he hears someone opening the door of the house
the wanted man enters and he looks drunk as always he started yelling at rika.
???: where the hell is your mom?
rika: she went out to visit grandmas grave
???: that useless woman. why didn't she say it. prepare me something to eat I'm starving.
rika: we don't have food to cook. you should have bought something on the way
???: huh?? watch your mouth little brat. where did all the money i spend on you both went? i want something to eat now.
rika: i told you that we don't have anything. which part is hard for your little brain to understand.
he gets furious at the insult and grabs her by the arm
???: who do you think you are you little brat. remember that your life both depends on me. on my money. so quit acting arrogant and do what i told you.
rika: get your hands off me.
they started fighting and the noise is getting louder and louder. axel is waiting in the closet with his crystal arm fully manifested and sharp. he's waiting for rika to say the secret word.
rika: leave me you asshole.
axel: this is it.
he rushes out of the closet and as he jumps on the man and with them being so close he can land a sure hit on him but. he gets shocked when he sees the man face and his hand start to shake and only punch the side of the man face. scaring it with a small scratch. they both fall on the ground. axel and the man both in utter disbelief at what they are witnessing
axel: what... are you doing here.... father??
as he takes some moments to confirm the person who he is seeing in front of him. every little detail and thing he heard from rika about him snaps back to axel mind. the man who assaulted her and abused her and her mother all this time was none other than his own father.
father: what are you doing here axel?.
axel: i should ask you this..... why are you here in another house.... were you hiding this all the time.. mom was worried about you everyday being late and that's where you have been!!!
rika is confused but she soon understands what's happening. the man who turned her life to hell is her friend's father. it's so ironically tragic and unbelievable.
father: even you axel.. even my own son has turned against me.. what have i done to deserve such fate... it's all your mother's fault. if she had not been so fucking annoying and nagging this wouldn't have happened.
axel: don't blame her..... you worthless jerk.. you don't even deserve to be called father.
in raged and filled with anger the father punches axel so hard and knocks him on the ground.
father: you brat. don't even disrespect your father like this. and for you rika. i know you planned this all. you turned my son against me. you wanna ruin my family like this. i won't let you.
he grabs rika by the hair and drags her to the bathroom so he can drown her. while axel is still fighting to regain consciousness and his eyes are still blurry. he has to decide quickly whether he will stop his father or give up and let his friend die.
{ axel in his mind }
how can i even do it. it's my father but if I let him do it. I'll regret it forever. what will happen to mom if she knows this. she'll probably go insane. i can't afford to lose her or rika. it's all his fault. he's the one who caused all this. if only he wasn't there. IF ONLY HE WOULD VANISH.
axel stands up and rushes to the bathroom and just before his father tries to drown her. he punches him from the back making him release rika.
father: what the fuck you think you're doing. I'll make sure to raise you again. this witch turned you against me.
they started fighting and as axel seems to lose strength to his father. he can feel that a little power is left in his crystal arm. he had exhausted all his power on his first failed attack.
axel: you're not my father anymore.. get out of my sight.
guided with rage and anger he pushes his father and the father falls on the hard solid bathtub concrete. hitting his head right at the concrete tub. not a single move is coming from him
his body seems dull and unable to move. axel and rika both at shock.
rika: wait.. is he really??
axel crawls into him and puts his hand on his father's wrist. it took him mere seconds to realize what they have done. he turns around and look at rika with a terrified face. this face confirmed to her what had happened.. they had just kill someone.
rika: calm down calm down calm down. oh my god what have we done.
axel inters a shocked state. he seems to be mentally unstable
axel: i had just killed... my own father.
suddenly axel starts to vomit from shock. unable to accept the grave mistake he just did.
axel: I'm a killer now.
rika holds axel close and starts trying to calm him down.
rika: you're not. you did nothing wrong. it's an accident... your father i mean.... that man was evil. you had no other choice.
axel starts to cry unable to believe everything.
axel: but i did it. i killed him.
rika: you had to. he was going to kill me. you only did this to protect me. you are not a killer. we have to hide the body now. we can't let anyone see this.
axel: but how can we? if the police find out we'll be in trouble. when does your mom come back?
rika: calm down. she will come back by tomorrow morning. we have all this day to do something.
as axel tries to think about a way to hide the body a twisted yet effective thought comes to his mind.
axel: the blood that comes out of my body after getting killed or losing a limb in my crystalized form. i think it's poisons
rika: what do you mean?
axel: i noticed this one day when i was manifesting my power. a mosquito bit my crystal arm and then the blood she took from me had erased and burned her body from the inside. i saw her getting disintegrated in front of me. but i don't know how much it would take to disintegrate a human being.
rika: we have to try it. we can't let anyone see this
in order for it to work i have to keep my crystalized form and cut parts of my body while doing it to bleed. this will be painful.
axel takes his crystal form and he is surprised to see that now he can cover the whole right part of his body with crystal. taking his power to a new level. he gets a long knife and cuts his hand. it's something he always finds painful but the seriousness of the situation requires him to suck it up and move on with it.
he sprays the blood on the corpse stomach but the acidic impact is low. it barely scratched his skin. they have to make him drink the blood.
as disgusting as this idea seems it's an important thing to do. they have no time to waste thinking about morals now. axel began to cut his arm on and on. when one grows back he cuts it again. they stored blood in bottles till they had a good amount. then they started making the body drinks all the blood. bottle after bottle. it's a race against time to erase every evidence they have.
after a couple of minutes the body starts to disintegrate finally and rots. the skin is fading and analyzing then the flesh and internal organs then the bones. they had to see the corpse being disintegrated to the last bone. it was a disgusting and terrifying experience but now finally the whole corpse is vanished from existence. all they have to do now is to clean the ashes and the crime scene.
they clean the bath and the whole house in silence to erase any small evidence or detail. usually they say that there's no such thing as the perfect murder. but what if the corpse does no longer exists in our world?
after the whole house is cleaned there's only one thing to do. getting rid of the body ashes. they gather it all and flush it down the toilet. when you inter this tidy normal house you will never think that something gruesome like this ever happened here. it will forever be their secret. they will live with this burden for the rest of thier lives.
A few weeks after the incident
despite axel and rika both going to school yet they don't talk much. they need time to fully adapt to what happened.
at the same time. the CHX justice group is getting bigger and more violent. being led by some raged teens who want to change society and through all of this a weird channel had become popular on all social media and especially YouTube. all of it's videos start with the view of a figure of what looks like a man in shadows in a dark room. he calls himself the right hand of the CHX and the one that spreads all his news and orders. this mysterious shadowy figure has gathered more people and popularity to the CHX justice group in a few time.
making it more aggressive and almost like a terrorist group. they still yearn for justice but now they will achieve it by their own hands even if it meant sacrificing things.
it's another day in school and connor is trying to get axel out of his gloomy mood.
connor: what's gotten into you buddy. you seem down these weeks.
axel: it's nothing I'm fine
connor: hey have you heard about the CHX right hand man. his awesome. he gathered more people into the group.
axel: who is this dude. you shouldn't believe these fishy people.
connor: come on he's amazing. he's the one who organizes all the protests and attacks at the governmental branches. that's a secret between you and me only... i joined the CHX justice group.
axel: whatt!! why?
connor: and why not?? can't you see that they are changing this unfair world. it's an honor to join them. I'm even a top member. i get special orders from the right hand man himself.
axel: wow that's surprising. but you shouldn't take this far. it may get you in trouble. trust me.
connor: you whatever cowardly boy. i have to go now. I've got some protests to join. whenever you feel like joining just tell me. i can help you contact the right hand man. we can use your amazing power to our side.
axel: you still think that i have some kinda super natural power. i told you it only works with scratches.
connor: ok ok as you like. just tell me when you change your mind. bye.
axel: bye.
as the school day is over and axel heads out. he meets rika at the school gate.
rika: can we walk together for a little bit?
axel nods in silent
they both walk together till they arrive at a nearby garden. filled with beautiful flowers and tall trees. they sit on a bench near them and talk.
rika: it's been more than a month now since it happened. how do you feel?
axel: i don't know how to feel. at first when i knew that i had this power i wanted to use it to help people. to change my life. to be a better person and after the school trip incident this passion and goal only grew more powerful. but after all what's happened now i just can't tell what's right or wrong anymore. whenever i wash my hands the picture of blood on them never leaves my mind no matter how many times i wash it.maybe these hands were only meant to destroy lives.
rika holds his hands close to her
rika: they're not. you're not a monster nor an evil person. these hands saved me and my mom. they saved kelly also. how can you say that they are for destruction.
axel stairs at rika in embarrassment. she's holding his hands so tight. he can feel the warmth of her hands. it's making him more comfortable and safe. but he still can't get rid of all the thoughts that haunt him.
axel: what should we do now. at first i wanted to be a hero but now the name i made for myself is bringing chaos and destruction to this world. i never wanted things to go this far or for a group to follow me.
rika: the guilt and regret now won't solve anything. we have to carry this burden for the rest of our lives. and we should save as many people as we can. if you are worried about causing pain to others then you should just help as many as you can.
axel: do you think that this will work..
rika hugs him tightly. the rush of emotions from both of them flows into the garden atmosphere.
rika: it will work. I'll be by your side through it all. i promise you. we will share this pain and sorrow together. i just need you to stay by my side also. promise me.
he shares her the hug.
axel: i promise.
later that day axel arrives at home. he sees his mother resting at the living room table. she had been searching for her husband these days. unaware of what happened. axel could never tell her the truth even if he wanted to. it's better to stay secret for both of the families. rika's mother just thought that he abandoned her and she isn't worried in fact she might be happy. the man who kept abusing her and her daughter is finally gone. she can now have a job and raise her daughter with love and care. maybe the same thing could happen with axel's mom.
axel: mom you should rest in your room. he's not coming. you should forget about him.
mother: you might be right. even when he was there our relationship was so destroyed that it never felt like we're a family. he finally abandoned us forever. how could he leave the woman that he loves and his son like this. what did happen wrong. was it my fault.
axel: it's not your fault. you didn't do anything. that's just who he is. I'll protect you from now on and make sure we live happily. we still can be a family without him.
axel mom bursts in tears. she finally accepted her new life. she will try her best for them both to live a happy peaceful life once again.
later at night axel can't sleep. that has been the normal routine for him even since the incident happened. he gets up from bed and heads to the kitchen trying to find anything he can eat. he lost most of his appetite and he now vomits a lot of his food so he mostly eats simple stuff like fast noodles. he grabs the cup and heat it. goes to the living room and sits on the couch. opens the cup and starts to eat.
all what happened had twisted his mind. he's torn apart between guilt and hope. between what he had done and what he can do to fix it. between people who take his name to destroy and others who believe in his ability to save them and be their hero. all he can do now is eat in silence. all he can feel now is an unexplainable feeling of emptiness.