Page 31 of Payback
“I can’t exactly escape. Or that’s not accurate. This is my escape!” I asserted.
“Then go ahead. You don’t need a hero, boy. You need peace,” he stated.
“I do!”
“Then jump.”
He gestured to the flowing water beneath me, and I glanced downward, observing its formidable and dark current. I swallowed hard, fear coursing through me, warning me not to go through with it, for I knew that pain would precede death. Yet, I had endured so much agony. I understood that in comparison, this plunge would amount to nothing, and a tranquil peace awaited me on the other side. All I needed to do was take the leap.
“It’s so easy,” he remarked.
“Then maybe you should just push me!” I retorted.
He laughed, causing me to turn my head.
“I was referring to death. Nothing is simpler than dying, as that is our eventual destination. No, boy, if genuine peace is your goal, death won’t be where you find it,” he clarified.
“What do you mean?”
He approached, his gaze meeting mine. As he came closer, something caught my attention amidst his otherwise impeccable appearance. A long scar ran down his left eye, rendering it entirely white. To me, it appeared sightless, yet it added to the enigmatic and dangerous aura that surrounded him.
“Real peace doesn’t come from taking the easy way out, boy. Ever heard about the sweetness of revenge?” he asked.
“Revenge?”
“I believe it’s time for you to settle the score with those who’ve wronged you. One by one, they should come to realize that their actions have created their own worst nightmares, don’t you think?” he suggested.
“I... I don’t have the means for that.”
“That’s perfectly fine. That’s why people like me exist,” he elucidated.
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. All you need to do is make a choice. Jump, boy, or let me show you why revenge is best served cold.”
I gazed at the water, hearing its beckoning call. As the man had conveyed, it was so simple. I merely had to shift my weight, permit myself to fall, and I could be consumed by its darkness. However, his words intrigued me. Could death truly fail to deliver true peace? Wasn’t that where we all eventually found it? As if the shadows were truly whispering my name, I turned my head, facing the man once more.
“You could kill me,” I proposed.
“Then it would all end, anyway,” he reminded me.
“You could sell me.”
“At least you’d be out of here,” he countered.
“You could exploit me.”
“I intend to.”
Yet his words didn’t elicit the same fear that had clawed at me every time I entered my house, not knowing what awaited me. His words didn’t prompt repulsion, but rather a sense of assurance, as if he truly was the salvation I had yearned for. I was confronted with a choice, and with a slight shift of my weight, I slipped from the iron bar, descending onto the stone below, locking eyes with the man before me.
“Good choice,” he commended. “What’s your name?”
“Jared.”
“I’m Vince. Come along, I have much to show you,” he beckoned, waving me to follow.
I glanced over my shoulder, considering the possibility of fleeing. However, I understood what lay in store for me back in my cruel world. How could Vince’s world be any worse? I turned back to Vince, who stood beside an open car door, awaiting my decision. I approached, and he slid into the backseat, the door remaining ajar. With my heart racing in my chest, I slid inside, embarking on an entirely new direction in my life.
