I fell to my knees as someone pushed me, “What are you doing, shit hole!? Get movin’!” The man from Salt Rats said.

  It was hard to stand up with my hands tied behind my back. With the same black ribbon, my eyes were also concealed.

  But I could hear the loud voices. Some laughed, some shouted, and someone cursed another guy’s mom.

  ‘Ohh you shouldn't have said that.’ And as I expected I heard the same voice pleading for mercy.

  The pungent odor of beer made my mouth water. It was a smell that I have always wanted to try once, ‘The Wellerman’s mix!’

  From that smell of beer alone, I could guess we are right now at the Wellerman seashore.

  ‘What was even the point of blindfolding us if they were gonna drag us here?’ For a moment, I couldn't understand what we were doing here. Maybe they wanted to have company.

  “Let go of me!” I heard Margaret shouting near me, “I will fucking kill you!” Her voice was so sharp that just being near her hurt my ears. For a moment, the bar went quiet before continuing their bickering.

  “Ok, Taimon. Everyone's out.” A voice said from behind me. Whom I assume was one of the Salt Rats who were with the yellow-Jacket guy.

  ‘ Taimon? Like salmon?’ I couldn't help but wonder if the yellow-Jacket guy and the fish were twins. Well…they do smell the same.

  I guess Jug?r and Lali are out of the carts too. I could hear short grunts and faint whimpers.

  “Start movin', fat-ass!” Taimon said. He probably addressed Jug?r as there were no other ‘fat-asses’ here.

  Somebody grabbed me by my arm and dragged me. Somehow not falling, we walked through people. Occasionally bumping into others. Soon we came to a stop somewhere.

  “Oii! Taimon, you actually caught Jug?r? And…a bone? A hooker and a child?” Somebody asked, his voice was deep but yet so old.

  ‘A bone!? Do you think it's funny to call someone who had nothing to eat for days ‘bones’? …Poor Lali.’ I felt pity for the girl.

  “ Yeah. And these happened to be in the same place as this bastard.” Taimon said, “Anyway, gimme the keys.”

  I heard a door opening as it slightly screeched. Somebody once again yanked me at my arm, Taimon I assume. I carefully took my next step. But…hold on.

  There is no floor to step on!?

  “Aaaaa!” my heart beat raised as a scream stretched my throat. I was falling at a great speed but then it stopped. I was standing straight like normal.

  ‘What the-!’

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Uncle?” Lali asked. I could hear the worry in her voice. Instead of answering her, I once again tried to take a step forward.

  Like before I was about to fall before I stood straight like nothing.

  ‘What could cause this? One second I'm about to fall, the next I'm standing.’ I lifted my leg again and swung it back when it hit something hard, like stone.

  “What was that sound!?” Margaret asked. I was sure she was worried, but how would she react when she knows?

  “...”

  “What is it?” Margaret asked again.

  “It's the stairs…” I simply said. Fucking stairs almost killed me in the most humiliating way! Would anyone with common sense build stairs for people who are blindfolded? I wouldn't!

  “Who said you can speak?” Taimon said as he struck my jaw.

  ‘I was already very pissed and now you want to hit me?’ I stood up again, my hands clenched into fists,“Your mom.” I said, confidently and slowly. If I wasn't blindfolded I would have looked him in the eye and-!

  Suddenly, I heard guns loading.

  “What did you say?” Taimon asked in a low voice.

  “I said ‘my mom’” I said as I smiled wryly.

  For a moment Taimon didn't say anything before yanking my arm again and continuing down the stairs.

  ‘Phew…people these days are so violent.’ I was relieved because I actually survived a lot of times today.

  We climbed down the rest of the stairs almost silently. At the end of the stairs, we were stopped. After a long time, I heard the doors opening.

  Taimon once again dragged me into the room and forcibly had me sit on a chair. I heard the others also plopping down on the chairs.

  As soon as the four of us were seated, our blindfolds were removed. Instinctively, I looked around. We were in a dark room which resembled a cave. At the end of the room there was a big chair and beside it, a small desk with a box sat.

  I glanced to my sides and saw Margaret who was right beside me and Lali next to her with Jug?r at last. Lali held Margaret's hand and was looking around. Concern etched into her face.

  Margaret seemed calm and was looking around like everyone. But it felt like she could see more than a normal person could. Well, she is a policewoman.

  Jug?r, however, was already very sweaty. His eyebrows arched high as it could be. But he didn't try to move or run. Even if he did try. They would catch him.

  Because we were surrounded by almost a hundred people. No…a hundred Rats!

  But unlike scarlet- thew, the rats didn't have a uniform or a certain style. Only Taimon and his friends had the same kind of scar.

  “Is that really your shoes?” Margaret whispered silently.

  I quickly understood what she meant. She is a police officer, she must have a trick up her sleeveless towel!

  “Yes. But how can we escape with my shoes?” I asked, whispering like she did.

  She took a glance at my shoes and her nose wrinkled, “No idea. I just wanted to ask if people are still wearing this ugly show.” She said as if she has no care in the world.

  I glanced at my expensive shoes. The black shoe had slight grey marks on it. But it was still slightly.

  Suddenly the people in the room, who were either looking at us or not, turned to look at the end of the room and bowed their heads.

  At the end of the room, from the left side, a door opened and a girl stepped out. She wore a silk skirt that reached up to her thighs and a pink blouse.

  Following her, men with drums, trumpets and clarinet came into the room. As soon as they entered, the men started playing their instruments and the girl started to dance.

  She went all around the room and danced with many. When the music was nearing its end a man so short walked into the room.

  “Are we here to watch a circus? Why is there a dwarf?” I whispered to Margaret.

  She glanced at me real quick before looking back at the dwarf, “shush! That's the ‘Rat Boss’” she said.

  ‘The ‘Rat Boss’?’ I couldn't believe that this short man who could become nothing but a joker at a circus is actually the leader of a big gangster group.

  Margaret continued, “There are thousands of cases charged against him, if not millions. It's a known story that when he was young, he and his brother burned the Saltend port together. They were called Batista brothers. Later, he came to be known as the ‘Rat Boss’ Pehugian Batista.”

  The ‘Rat Boss' came to a stop in front of the big chair and raised his arms. The girl who was dancing came and picked him up, but instead of putting him down on the chair, she sat first and put Pehugian Batista on her lap.

  The Rat Boss leaned against her comfortably.

  ‘How the heck is this guy supposed to be terrifying? He is funny at the best.’ I don't know how I managed to not laugh at that moment.

  After a while, the Rat Boss raised his right hand. The music stopped at once and the men playing the instruments left. The other people, the Rats, raised their heads and waited for their leader to speak.

  “Jug?r, my nephew, tell me, what's the deal your father has with the navy?” Pehugian asked. Even though the man was just a little bit taller than Lali, his voice was like thunder inside the room.

  “...” Jug?r hesitated a second before saying, “ I don't know, Uncle.” He said.

  ‘Uncle!? The Rat Boss is his uncle? And his father is the boss of scarlet-Thews!’ For a moment there I was quite envious.

  “SPEAK AT ONCE!!” Pehugian shouted, his voice like a thunderbolt inside the room.

  Lali flinched so hard that she started sobbing. Margaret held her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

  Even after that Jug?r didn't open his mouth. He just looked away.

  Pehugian raised his tiny hand and pointed it at Jug?r. As soon as the order was given, a man with a rusty edged knife walked towards Jug?r. The man has deep scars all around his face. Even half of his lips were missing. Yet he still licked it when he saw Jug?r's fear.

  He was just a foot away from Jug?r when he suddenly turned to the side and aimed the rusty blade at Lali. My eyes widened. Afterall, I was keeping her safe till now.

  “WAIT!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.