Alex desperately watched as his father was throwing wood at the ground.
And then he realized, he realized what his father was trying to do.
"Father, why are you throwing those wood logs?" Alex hesitantly asked.
"Don't you get it?" His father exclaimed,
"I am going to burn this piece of shit alive," he stated ruthlessly, with a cold grin on his face.
Alex gave up, he knew it was futile, he knew no matter how much he begged, how much he pleaded, the outcome would remain the same.
Alex was broken—tears streaming down his face, lifeless and dull eyes, like someone who has given up upon life.
Thud—Whufff! The sound of a splint dropping. Fire roaring. And meat, burning.
"Aaa," "Help—please stop, it hurts." Tchh, the sound of James's tears sizzling rang out.
Alex could do nothing but stare helplessly, his heart already shattered, incapable of comprehending his melancholic situation.
Then a final, last sound radiated from James's lips.
"Brother, please save me." James died after saying those final words.
Alex was broken, but those last words from James shattered him, turning his once existing emotions into a void.
Thump. Alex collapsed from the toxic fumes, thinking he can finally be at peace. Unbeknownst to Alex, fate was not done with him, and had much more in store.
"Where am I?" "Ugh," memories surged through Alex's head, making him scream in pain.
Water dripped like a waterfall as his memories flooded in.
"Oh, so I'm not dead yet," Alex muttered.
Creak, the sound of his father opening the door, with a whip in hand.
Swish! Swish! Swish! The sound of the whip hitting Alex echoed in the room.
Alex, a hollow soul, screamed none, only sat like a body without a soul.
15 years have passed of continuous torture and confinement.
How much time has it been now, 10, 20 years? It feels like eternity, every day I suffer and I starve. Every day new forms of torture await, a new delicacy, just not for me.
Looking back, my whole life was a wreck: tortured, abused, exploited, starved, humiliated, and much more. All my life I endured just for the hope of a better life for me and my brother. But fate had other plans and took him away from me.
Every day is a day I want to die, life is meaningless, a pointless struggle of torment.
Pain and despair fiercely clashed with anger, and my burning desire for revenge.
Watching my brother getting tortured and killed tore me apart, especially my helplessness. Just sitting there and hearing my brother plead and scream for help, and me not doing anything, just silently watching, like the weak-imprisoned plaything I am. A witness, not a brother.
I always wish to die, but my father doesn't allow me. He beats me until I eat, until I drink. If I'm sick, he forcefully shoves medicine into my mouth. And why?! Just for his entertainment, yes, just for his entertainment.
The only thought that keeps me going, is the thought that one day my father will die and this'll all be over.
Another 15 years have passed, I'm now 60 years old.
My father probably doesn't have much time left, I guess this torture will be over soon. Soon I will be able to meet my brother in heaven.
Bzzz, the sound of an electric wheelchair moving towards Alex.
"Alex my dear, you know soon I shall depart this world,"
"So as a loving father should, I decided to leave you with a gift."
Alex didn't bother to respond to the old man's voice, he knew that this said gift would not be a pleasant one, but he also knew that it would mean that he would meet his brother soon.
"You see this, Alex? I brought you some friends to play with, since you're so lonely. He exclaimed with a twisted tone and a dark smile on his face and his heart filled with amusement.
In the father's hand were two glass jars, one filled with fire ants and the other with centipedes.
He opened both jars and tossed them near Alex, stepped outside of the room, and watched Alex on his phone using the cameras he installed previously.
Although Alex usually didn't scream, as he had built up quite the strong endurance. This time was completely different.
The fire ants covered his skin, stinging him thousands of times repeatedly. Alex's skin blistered red, he was gasping for air with a body that felt that it was on fire. The venom had seeped into him.
The centipedes only made it worse. They drilled and crawled into his skin like drills in a construction site. His skin dissolving, his muscles not moving. The centipedes crawled into his mouth, like a scene out of a horror movie.
The venomous insects worked in unison, like yin and yang. One taking his will. One taking his body.
After five long hours of desperation and agony, he finally departed from this world.
What is this dark place? And this tall, menacing figure in front of me? Is this the afterlife?