Sin Louise
" He doesn't have plans to pay? Then loot for his things. Our job is to lend money and reap returns, not to chase after him."
" He's a museum owner, Miss Silousie. Antiques can cost a lot if sold in the right market."
" Then let's see how much we can squeeze out of that guy."
I reached for the back of my head and there's still pain. I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing that I saw was piles of hay that's used to feed horses or what. I looked down and I'm also lying on dry hays that's scattered all around this unknown place.
Where am I?
I placed my palm on my left hip as I tried to stand up. I felt an immediate weakness in my knees that I have to sit down on the ground again. I took a deep breath and coughed, the surroundings smells like horse sh*t.
Don't tell me I'm in Egglkofen, Germany?
It's the same smell of those farms I visited there.
I'm still holding my hips as my eyes rummage around the unfamiliar surroundings, which is a wooden barn.
I'm not in the museum anymore?
I tapped my head because I could hear Detlev's voice just a while ago.
Am I dead? Why am I breathing then?
I checked on myself by continuously touching my body, and I realized I'm wearing a long black blazer with black pants and…black suit vest?
" The heck." I whispered while looking at the clothes I'm wearing. I tapped my face and my eyebrows furrowed when I realized that half of my face was covered with a black cloth.
Out of extreme confusion, I forced myself to stand up and when I felt a sudden wave of spinning sensations in my head, I immediately relied on the dried chunk of hay.
My body feels different.
I touched my head and used my finger to comb my hair because of the pain but I paused and touched my hair again!
My hair is long—it's supposed to be short.
I touched my face, my neck, and literally touched everything I could touch in myself, all that's left for me to do is to release a smirk and scoff. " F*cking hell?"
I didn't move for a while and kept my hands on the chunk of hays but when I glanced at my hands, I'm also wearing a black leather gloves.
I don't recall myself wearing any of this sh*t I'm currently wearing.
I checked what I'm wearing again and it's a classical tailored type of suit, resembling the assassin type of clothing in the past.
Thousands of thoughts flooded my brain that I'm about to panic but someone kicked the wooden door of the barn, creating this loud bang that alerted me. I immediately guarded myself when three men in—
Imperial Japanese Army uniform?
I remained watchful with my narrowed eyes as I'm trying to familiarize myself with their uniforms.
I'm sure I saw this sh*t in that museum!
I'm about to dive into my conclusions but one of the soldiers spoke as two of the soldiers pointed their rifles towards my direction!
" Utsu na." ("Don't shoot.") The bald soldier. " Rikugun chūjō wa, kanojo o hoka no mono-tachi to issho ni ikedori ni suru yō ni shiji shita." ("The army lieutenant general ordered her to be taken alive along with the others.")
I can barely understand what they're saying but I'm sure it's Japanese. The two soldiers gave me their scrutinizing sharp looks while I'm nailed on the spot.
What the heck is even happening?
The two soldiers lowered their rifles and walked towards me. They grabbed my arms and I'm too confused to even revoke. The bald soldier gave me a disappointed glance while he's crossing his arms, making me even more confused! He grabbed the cloth that's covering my face, making me lean forward and react as the two soldiers halted me back to my place!
" Kao o kakusu hitsuyō wa arimasen, anata ga dare ka wakatte imasu." ("No need to hide your face, we know who you are.") He told me in a firm tone before letting out a sigh.
I cannot understand a single sh*t,
I narrowed my eyes. " Speak in English, I cannot understand what you're saying." I told him in a serious tone.
The three of them exchanged eye contact and the bald soldier huffed and turned his back, making me glance at both of the soldiers that's clutching my arms and I'm too confused to complain as they dragged me out of the barn!
Have I hit my head too hard or I'm literally dead?
They dragged me to the unfamiliar vintage car, perhaps it's too vintage for me to even know what type of car it was. They opened the door and shoved me inside, making me sit in the back seat! My eyes immediately went to the driver of the car that's also wearing a military uniform, making me more confused!
What's happening, really?
I felt a sudden slap on my arm as both of the soldiers sat at my left and right, squeezing me in the damn middle as they closed the door and sat stiffly. The bald soldier entered the passenger seat and gave me a firm glare that all I could do was to respond with a 'what?' look!
I closed my eyes for a while, but the moment the vehicle started, the car jolted and that went on for half of an hour. The random jolts and knack of these soldiers to smoke inside the vehicle kept me alert and awake, I'm not even damn sure if I can think at the moment.
It's too impossible I'm alive and impossible I'm dead.
So what am I?
It feels realistic and unrealistic at the same time. I moved a bit to look at the window and it's too dark outside, but I know I'm not in Manila. If it's possible, I'll suspect that I'm in Japan, but that's the most impossible sh*t that will ever occur in my life.
Aside from Fujihara, I don't know anyone who'll possibly bring me to Japan.
I scrutinized the soldiers again and all of them looked real. I can even feel their presence and their force as they're pulling me earlier. I can also hear them and smell the cigarettes they're currently puffing. I even talked!
I stopped for a while as I recalled how I talked earlier. It's very far from my voice.
" Hey, hey, hey—" I tried to speak to hear my voice again but the soldier at my left immediately slapped my mouth with his hand!I bit my lips and tasted my own blood because of the slap that I glanced at the soldier on the right who slapped my mouth who's Japanese looking and fairly tanned.
I scoffed and returned my gaze at the front window of the car, watching how the surroundings looked so vintage and village-like. It also looks so foreign that I feel like I'm actually on drugs.
I shook my head and contemplated my voice which gave me a hard time articulating words, it's also different that I don't even know if I'm the one that's speaking or not.
I faked a cough, deciding to talk again.
" Hey!" I spoke again and my mouth received another slap, which then again brought me back to the reality that I don't really f*cking know what's going on.
" Taii, kono josei wa zutto kudaranai koto o ii tsudzukete imasu." ("Captain, this woman keeps talking nonsense.") Told the soldier at the right again!
The bald soldier pulled something out of the brown leather holster of his belt and gave it to the soldier. The soldier then pulled the piece of packaging tape and covered my mouth. I didn't even complain because everything looks so satire to me. From their old fashioned uniform to old fashioned car…and this vintage looking roads and the unfamiliar voice of mine.
I'm in gehenna. That's my guess.
I decided to play along, this is the realest dream I've ever had. It's very unusual but it's understandable since I saw vintage sh*ts in Fujihara's Museum. I probably passed out which caused me to drift into this lucid dreaming state, but I know I'm still lying on the ground of his museum.
Right, that's the logic of what's happening.
I tilted my head to gaze out the window and observed that the streets are full of these flags with red stripes, it looks like the old Japanese flag.
Why the heck will this place even hang those sh*ts?
The vehicle stopped and they pulled me out of the car which made me involuntarily follow along! I looked around and got more confused because the place looked isolated, more like a forest and there's this tall wall in front of me, as if we're about to enter a highly protected building or what. I've never seen such a wall or place before, but I probably got a glimpse of this place somewhere so it showed up in my dream.
That makes sense…
The wall was surrounded by multiple soldiers wearing Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms. Those soldiers pulled the gate barrier of that tall wall which created this loud and sharp scraping sound that made me flinch. I'm about to complain but the soldiers pulled me again and dragged me towards the entrance, revealing a tall building from afar that looked like a psychiatric ward along with these small chambers of buildings all perfectly aligned on the left and right side.
I moved my shoulders as I'm feeling this churn in my stomach as the sight resembles the sinister atmosphere of that facility I once visited in Germany, the Konzentrationslager Auschwitz. By the fact that this building resembles the appearance of that historical place in Poland, I still doubt if this is a dream since it looks so vivid. This building just appear more modernish unlike what's in Germany—
Right…Maybe I'm indeed dreaming since I miss Germany. I've been in Nishihara then back in the Philippines this past few months when I left Germany. We often stay in towns of Bantay Philippines, sometimes in Manila. We just return to Japan and stay in Nishihara for few businesses—
And I haven't seen this place before.
That realization made me realize that it's impossible for my brain to even create this vivid scenario if I'm not at all familiar with everything that I'm seeing. I looked around and those building chambers on the left and right were visibly occupied by in-duty soldiers that's watching my arrival. Everything felt real, even the coldness of the air.
This is not a dream.
I'm on the verge of panic but I restrained myself from fighting back, there's nothing I can do but to comply. I swallowed and tried to process what I'm seeing as much as I could. My eyes spotted a particular military truck and the soldiers working on it were dragging dead and burnt bodies inside the truck.
I blinked multiple times because of the sight, and I received a light slap from the soldier on my left to keep my focus on walking. I started to feel this inner panic as they're dragging me towards the main building. It is not visible to me on what's inside, but I'm sure it won't be good.
I am facing my inner turmoil and panic but my body is not even revoking. I know that in this situation, I will either use violence or force just to escape. But the fact that I am not moving simply means I am not in control of anything.
I don't understand what's happening, but if this is hell;
I am convinced that it is.
The soldier that's guarding the entrance of the main building opened the door and a dark hallway with flickering lights welcomed me. What stirred more panic within me is the fact that the floor is covered with white powder and the hallway is covered with these plastic stripes that I often see in meat factories.
If this building has these strip curtains then something is contagious inside.
My fear remained, I am unsure if my lack of movement was caused by my acceptance or fear. I do not know, but if this is Fujihara's revenge then perhaps, this is out of my acceptance.
" Hokanohito-tachi wa mō-chū ni iru no?" ("Are the others already inside?") The bald soldiers that's leading the way in front of us, talking to a person in an unfamiliar type of uniform.
The person with that unfamiliar uniform glanced at me and back at the bald soldier again before lowering his head. " Hai, taii. Chūjō wa atode tōchaku shimasu." ("Yes, Captain. The Lieutenant General will arrive later.")
The bald soldier turned his back to look at me and nodded at his two soldiers that's currently holding me. " Kanojo o sono heya ni irete, isu ni shikkari to shibatte." ("Put her inside that room, tie her securely to the chair.")
Both of the soldiers that's holding me stood straight and lowered their heads.
" Hai!" ("Yes, sir!") They responded in a stiff tone before forcefully dragging me in the room beside us. As they opened the room, a horrible sight of a wooden chair with chains welcomed me, and so did the metallic pot on the side with burning charcoal.
This is a torture room, I know this type of sh*ts more than anyone.
I tried to move to avoid the situation but both of the soldiers pushed me to the chair and surrounded my body with the chain! I'm about to stand up and kick them but I received a strong slap!
Sh*t.
They fully tied me to the chair with the chain and my eyes went on the blood soaked by the wood of the chair, making it visible that the former tortured victims were tortured to an end.
Right…I'm in hell.
Both of the soldiers left the room and I'm just here, fully clueless and oblivious on what's happening!
I'm damned.
I observed the room and it has this unexplainable smell, it smells like mold, acid, and cigarettes all at once. I glanced at the side and saw some blood and…piece of flesh?
I closed my eyes and tried to think. There's no way I'll allow myself to experience such torture, I rather play hide and seek with Satan but not this type of torture sh*ts. I prefer a fight than this choiceless torture.
If this is a dream, this is more than a nightmare.
I opened my eyes and decided to use my brain. I observed the chain in my body to see if there's any way to free myself from it. My feet are also attached to the chair because of this rusty chain but I can move it a bit. I tried to move the chair using force and when I moved it by constantly moving the side of my hips, I tried to reach for the unknown metal spatula inside the charcoal and used both of my feet to grip it.
I raised my legs and tried to arch my back to reach the metal spatula using my hands. As I'm able to reach it, I ignored the heat of the metal and stuck it to the chain, attempting to soften it with the heat to disconnect the chain.
" Hell." I cursed as the metal spatula started to melt my own leather gloves but I pushed through.
When I successfully opened the chain, I detached it to the chain connected to it and my eyes widened when the chain around my body fell on the floor. Because of the noise, I immediately moved my feet to remove the chain and heard footsteps from the outside so I immediately removed the tape on my mouth.
When the door opened, my first response was to punch the person who opened the door! Seeing that it's the bald soldier earlier, I smirked and watched him grip the door frame as he fell on his back.
" Dummer man." ("Stupid man.") I whispered before grabbing the pot of charcoal on the side to hit his face. That made him fully disarmed so I pulled the small knife and gun from his holster.
" Taii—" ("Captain—")
Before the other soldier who rushed near the door could even react, I immediately used my feet to kick his stomach and when his back met the wall of the hallway, I used my knuckles to punch his face which caused his loud fall on the ground that I have to step back inside the torture room.
I can still fight.
I accidentally stepped on the hand of the bald soldier who's unconscious right in front of the door that I brushed my hair to the side and arched my back to pull him inside the torture room. I grabbed the black cloth he grabbed from my face earlier and wore it again.
I just need to get out of this place and decide what I'll do next. At the moment, it's crucial for me to survive.
I'm about to pull the door to escape the torture room but a man, now standing before the door, welcomed me.
Sh*t.
Our eyes met and for a brief moment while the soldiers behind him all raised their rifles to point it towards me. When the light flickered, I couldn't see the emotion in his eyes because his Military cap and round glasses altogether covered the sight of his eyes, making me confused on what he's about to do next. His emotionless face and unmoved lips cannot give me any hints of what to do next.
He's not a field soldier with that military overcoat and insignia.
I immediately dragged the bald soldier by his collar and I wrapped my arms around his neck and used him as a hostage. The bald soldier is still dizzy from the punch and all he could do is to grip my arms using his fingers as I have a gun pointed at the side of his head.
" If you won't step aside, I'll shoot this soldier." I threatened the soldier in front of the door while I'm trying to still this bald soldier that's now spitting some random words I cannot even understand.
" Kanojo no iu koto o kikanaide kudasai, Tanimura chūjō." ("Don't listen to her, Lieutenant General Tanimura.") The bald soldier.
I glanced at the bald soldier that's currently being choked by my arms.
'Tanimura' must be the soldier's name.
I returned my glance to that soldier named Tanimura and I raised one of my eyebrows, he's not even reacting. He glanced at the side, not directly looking at the soldier behind him as he talked.
" Doa o shimete, heya ni suimin gasu o hōshutsu shite. Sonogo, heishi-tachi o kaishū shite byōin ni okutte." ( "Close the door and release the sleeping gas into the room. Then collect the soldiers and send them to the hospital.")
I wrinkled my eyes, unable to understand what he's saying. The bald soldier in my arms stopped moving, as if the soldier named Tanimura had stated a solution, which made me more alert.
I cleared my throat and pointed my gun at that Tanimura guy. " Was sagst du da? Geh einfach verdammt nochmal weg!" ("What are you saying? Just fucking move away!") I fought back in another language, making sure I won't be the only one that can't understand a sh*t!
I saw a change in his facial expression when I talked, his eyes squinted as if he's analyzing what language I used. I'm about to shoot the roof of the room but a voice interrupted us.
" Doite! Kenpei-tai no shōgun ga kita!" ("Move away! The military police general has arrived!") The loud and stiff voice from the outside.
I noticed how every soldier behind Tanimura all lowered their rifles and tucked to the other side of the wall to give way, only Tanimura didn't move. The soldiers are still watchful of my action, and I am not taking a move because I'm clueless on what's happening.
I remained in my position, ignoring the angry curses of this bald man that's constantly trying to move away.
" Tanimura Chūjō." A deep and familiar voice from the outside, I cannot see who arrived because of the wall. "Mōsugu mayonakadesuga, kono heya no naka ni iru no wa watashi no musumenanode, kainyū shinakereba." ("It is almost midnight and I must intervene because it is my daughter who's in this room.")
" Sodesuka?" ("Is that so?") That Tanimura guy. " Shikashi, Fujiwara shōgun,-chū ni iru jinbutsu wa gun no jūyōna jōhō o morashita hanzai-shadesu." ("However, General Fujiwara, the person inside is a criminal who leaked important military information.")
The moment I heard 'Fujihara', my eyes remained fixated at the door. That Tanimura guy glanced at me before stepping aside. A man in a dark navy blue uniform appeared and when he raised his head, I clearly saw his face without the obstruction of his service cap. That face…
It's Fujihara.