Chapter 9

     “MOM?” Young Jax nudges himself to a sitting position, blinking to clear his vision. It was only four a.m. when he looked at the clock beside his drawer. Outside his chamber, there were loud yet incomprehensible sounds. Jax gently stood up while embracing his favorite teddy bear, perplexed and lethargic, to see what was going on outside.

He was taken aback by what he saw. His mother is bloodied and motionless on the floor, surrounded by masked guys. Jax’s only thought was to flee, but his body appeared to have frozen. His father is out of the country on business that Jax is unaware about. All the servants and bodyguards were tied up and unconscious when his gaze darted around.

What frightened him the most was the constant flow of blood from their heads. Fearful, Jax produced an unintentional sound that drew the robbers’ notice.

“Get that kid!” One of them yelled, pushing Jax to run away. He went into his room and locked the door, then into the bathroom and into the sink with the help of a stool. He lifted the small mirror that would allow him to enter his secret room once he was able to do so silently. As he heard hammering sounds coming from his bedroom door, he sniffed and shook, encouraging him to hurry quicker and restore the mirror.

He also shut the door to his hidden room and turned on the lights. When he spotted a lying body in what was supposed to be a bed – his bed – he restrained a scream. The body was still dripping blood, and the white sheets had turned scarlet. Jane, his twin sister, was there when he came to check. His lips tremble, swaying her body softly.

“Wake up, Jane…” He said it, his voice trembling with terror. He tried shaking her violently to rouse her up, but it didn’t work. He was perplexed as she lay unmoving on the bed.

He can’t stop himself from crying. He can still hear movement outside, but he’s at a loss for what to do. He doesn’t have access to a phone, so he can’t contact the authorities or even his father.

The memories from earlier – his mother laying in the floor, bloodstained and she seemed dead, even his favorite nanny was uncommunicative – came crashing back. For Jax, it was all traumatic.

He has no idea what the evil people are looking for. He knows they’re crooks, but why do they have to murder his mother? Jax sobbed at the notion, his heart breaking at the mere possibility of his mother’s death.

So he wept himself to sleep by lying next his sister and embracing her cold body.

     HIGH SCHOOL. Jax has never enjoyed high school. He is constantly bullied by the mean kids because his mother is in a mental institution. They told him that his father had abandoned him and that he was alone. Despite the fact that he is just 13, he has chosen to live in the same mansion where the traumatic occurrence occurred. He ran away when the child protection service came to foster him.

They’ve also decided to let him live in the mansion with trustworthy security. At the age of 13, Jax learnt how to be self-sufficient, but as a result, he became aloof, chilly, and desirous of remaining invisible in the sight of others.

He was never one to mingle with others. He avoids any and all forms of social media. He despises news organizations, newspapers, and anything related to the incident that occurred four years ago. Everything is still fresh to Jax. His old wounds are still bothering him, and just mentioning the situation brings him to tears. He doesn’t want to think about it any longer.

The crooks were successful in fleeing with some of their belongings. They were unable to get the money into the safe because Jax’s brother reported the police gunshots and they were able to arrive before it was too late.

Despite his confusion, Jax remained silent that day. He was perplexed because he has only two siblings: a newborn and Jane. They’re both females, too. Because he was curious, Jax spoke out for the first time that day, asking what the child’s name was.

“His name is Bryant.” Only that was the police officer’s word to him. The name was foreign to him, so he only nodded. It doesn’t ring a bell, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to recall whether or not he knows someone named Bryant.

From that day forward, Jax vowed to track down and thank someone named Bryant. He owes him his entire life.

     IT has been seven years. Seven years and still, there were no persons of interest and advancement regarding the attempted massacre. Or at least that’s what Jax assumed. Aside from thievery, the cops discovered that those criminals also meant to murder the entire family.

The fresh information was gladly delivered to Jax by the investigator assigned to the case. They figured out who the guys were, and Jax knew them all. How could he not, given that those are his father’s buddies?

It felt as if old wounds had resurfaced. Jax had put his faith in those individuals, and they ended up betraying the entire family in exchange for money and luxury. He displayed emotions once again that day. He cried and cried till he didn’t think there were any more tears to shed.

“Quella Fennimore, the mastermind,” he read out loud after his tears had dried. He had a terrible aftertaste on his tongue. He promised to God that he would never, ever forget that surname, let alone that name.

After a few months of minor development, Jax received word that Quella had died. He didn’t say anything at the time and instead drove away from the city. He went to a tranquil mountain, and when he got to the top, he yelled. He believed he was going to lose his voice since he screamed so loudly. He screamed, until he can’t feel any of it anymore.

Jax waited for his father to return that year, but when he didn’t, he felt defeated. And he was on the verge of doing so. He stood near the same mountain, and once he was at the crest, he let the chilly breeze wash over him.

He’ll tumble if he takes one more step. Jax believes that everything will come to an end if he goes down. Everything would become pain-free. His past traumas would melt away. When he closes his eyes, though, he sees his mother’s smiling face. Those bright eyes and beautiful voice.

“Did you make a change of heart?” He was startled by a voice. A man was standing there with his hands in his pockets. He was wrapped up in a raincoat. It was then that Jax realized it had stopped raining.

That’s when he realized how steep the ground he was standing on was. He could fall if he takes one false step. He felt as if he were standing on the same ground as he had eight years before.

The main clad in trench coat showed a toothy grin. The only thing Jax can see are his lips. Without hesitation, the man extended his hand for assistance, saying softly, “Hold my hand,” as if to reassure Jax that he was safe and sound with him.

Jax was going to take it, but he slipped and nearly fell when he moved. The man remained calm and steady, keeping a close eye on his every move.

“What if I fall?” Jax wondered, hesitantly.

The unidentified man grinned. “Then I’ll fall with you.”

     THE sun was shining directly in Jax’s face when he awoke. His bed was cozy, and when he looked around, he realized he was in his room. He wasn’t sure how he got in there because the last thing he remembered was almost collapsing and the man dragging him back up.

He let out a gasp. That’s right, the man! He jumped to his feet, but was taken aback when he saw his mother standing at the door. She appeared to be in such good health and looked nothing like she did eight years ago.

“Mom…” he exclaimed.

His mother stared at him with loving eyes and ran to embrace him. They both sobbed as they realized how much they missed each other. And seeing his father in such a state made Jax cry even harder when he looked in the direction of the doorway. He was wheeled around in a wheelchair.

When things had calmed down, his father informed him of everything he needed to know. He told him that their vehicle was ambushed on the day of his flight, leaving him incapacitated. The same goons had taken his phone, money, and even their car, abandoning him on the side of the road, fighting for his life, which is why he is unable to call them. He has barely been awake for a week and is still recovering.

“I’m sorry…” With a whiff, Jax murmured. “I thought you’d all given up on me. I assumed you were blaming me for Jane’s death.”

“No, honey, we would never do that to you,” His Mom said hastily, brushing her son’s tears away. Her voice broke before she could continue. “We’re the ones who are meant to apologize to you. Your sister committed suicide after being hypnotized, and we were completely unaware of the alterations. I’m sorry, baby, we didn’t do a good job as parents to both of you.”

That explains why she was found dead in his secret room. All he thought was his parents and himself were the one to blame for Jane’s death, but he was manipulated to think like that. He was just a kid, nothing else.

“How about the guy, Mom?” He inquires inquisitively.

His mother’s expression shifts. “‘That’ guy? Valentin is his name. Unfortunately, he died after saving you... he’s the one who fell.”

Jax’s heart has broken for the nth time in a row.

“He said we’d fall down together…”