Night fell, marking the beginning of a new ordeal. He was running through the alleys, panting, the signs of a severe beating visible, dragging one of his legs behind him heavily, his breath coming in quick gasps. He looked back every five seconds to make sure no one was following him.
He thought he had survived, but he hadn't. He screamed in terror, taking two steps back in panic, his eyes darting in every direction, afraid to face the monster in front of him.
The man smiled slyly as he said:
"Did you think you could escape me?"
He chuckled loudly, his eyes fixed on his victim, then spun around like a hunter spinning around his prey, saying:
"Did you think I wouldn't find you? You'd be shunned by everyone. Did you think anyone would accept you? except me. So you'd better stay with me, you won't find anyone who loves you as much as I do!"
He paused for a moment before continuing quietly:
"Do we really have to have this conversation?"
He scanned the child's body with a dirty look, his eyes overflowing with a suspicious look that no one could give to a child, then he said:
"Let's go home, I want to show you what new toys I got you."
The child jerked back at his dirty touch, shaking his head in exasperated denial. He couldn't believe he was going back to that hell again...
The hell of slavery at the hands of a sadist who has no respect for his childhood, and no appreciation for the suffering he goes through when he is subjected to such preposterous acts.
He grabbed him violently, lifting him off the ground as screams of terror echoed from his small throat. A child of only twelve, living in an endless hell.
He led him to a place that can only be described as a garbage dump; musty odors creep into every corner, and the sounds of crows pierce the stillness of the night, a silent witness to the atrocities that are repeated every night.
He walked into one of the darkened rooms and cruelly threw him on the bed. The child trembled, his eyes widened in horror, as if death was standing in front of him, waiting to devour him.
****
Elias rose from his sleep in a panic, his breath racing madly. He cursed and cursed, then got up like a raging bull, smashing everything in the room. Glass and wood flew around him, but he didn't care.
He fell to the floor, letting out a loud scream that seemed to tear through his chest. The past still haunted him, even after more than fifty years... He couldn't break free. Eternal life in the shadow of suffering was the worst kind of torment.
He walked to the bathroom with heavy steps and stood under the drizzling water, letting its coolness sting his skin. He rubbed his body madly, as if trying to erase something indelibly stuck deep inside him.
Hours passed like this, with no sense of time, until the morning light crept in through the window. Finally, he came out, but his body had already taken its share of pain, reddened skin, trembling limbs, and a soul still trapped in the vortex of torment.
He put on a dark black suit, as if it were a reflection of his darkened soul at this moment. He pulled down his large black glasses, hiding his features under a mask of mystery and rigidity. As he gripped the door handle, his expression changed, stern and strong, as if preparing for a coming battle.
He walked out of the room with heavy footsteps, and the faces of the servants who rushed to clean up the mess he had left behind were grim.
As soon as he left the building, the guards and some mafia members were waiting for him, and most importantly, his right-hand man, Albert, who approached with some files in his hands. Elias silently took them, then stepped into the car, which sped off, with the other cars following behind, guarding him like a shadow.
Elias opened the file and took a quick look at it, determined not to let this deal slip through his fingers as it had before. He finished reading the papers, and by that time, the car had pulled up in front of his company's headquarters. He stepped out with confident steps, surrounded by his usual aura of prestige, and the place, which had been bustling moments before, was suddenly silent.
He walked into his office and dumped papers on the table, before Albert followed him inside, saying:
"Have you reviewed the files?"
Elias nodded seriously, then replied in a firm voice:
"I want you to lower the prices, we have to get this deal."
He paused for a moment, before adding sarcastically and contemptuously, arching his eyebrows sharply:
"It's bad enough that the last deal was stolen from us by... A girl!"
Do whatever it takes to get it. Bribe the people in charge with money, and if it takes more than that... don't hesitate.
Albert nodded silently, then left the room without a word.
Elias sat back in his chair and pulled out his tablet, scanning the stock market with an expert eye. It wasn't long before he picked up the phone, calling one of his assistants.
He said in a firm voice: "Mulfred Group has put a large number of its shares up for sale after the price drop... "Get them now."
He threw his head back, letting out a heavy sigh, as if the very air itself was being forced out of his chest. Every time he thought he had buried it in the darkness of oblivion, the memories came back to haunt him, reminding him of a painful past that had never forgiven him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a call from a mafia boss. He opened the call to find a cheerful voice:
Elias! How are you, man? I haven't heard from you in a while.
He replied coldly:
I heard that you don't want to deal with us, so why are you calling now, Malfred? I heard you don't want to deal with us.
Malfred laughed wearily:
Who told you that? It must have been Albert, that asshole tells you anything! It was just a moment of anger, we've been dealing with you for years, since my father was the leader.
There was silence, and Malfred realized he had spoken too much. He took a deep breath, clearing his throat nervously, before saying:
"There's a huge double deal-weapons and organs. I can't handle it alone. How about a partnership between us?
Elias replied tersely:
Let me think.
He hung up without hesitation.
On the other side, Malfred cursed softly, then turned to the man sitting in front of him and asked him slyly:
Do you think he'll take the bait?
A sly smile crossed the other's lips, before he replied in a hushed tone:
If he does, it will be his last mistake.