When the lights went off, he heard the man screamed out for him from the distance. At this point, he had already halted in his pace. Of course, thought after thought rushes through his brain. He thought of how possible it is that every cell lock will dysfunction. He wonders who was in and who was out at this hour. It was ‘socializing’ time for his cell block. He calculates whether to be cautious or not. Fear is not quite registered in his system so he knew he just have to be on alert and to act fast if it requires him to do so.

In the dark, illuminated by the only constant on and off red glow of the alarm lights, his head feels heavy. He saw figures heading his way. Not one. But many. And he is taken back in time.

Fear is now recalled. He remembers what fear is like.

֍֍֍

“Yuri, my pretty boy,” the woman called to him. Her voice sounded as sweet as it always had been. The sound is so comforting to him. In his memory, the sound was always at a distant though. She was always there but not really there. She was always somewhere in the background. And even further in the background was that man.

And then there was the room. They call it; ‘Krasnaya Komnata’. It means ‘The Red Room’. There were only blinking red lights in the room. They would all dress in red wearing different types of masquerade masks. She was there. He was also there. And as a young little boy, Yuri was there too.

But he wasn’t one of those cloaked in red. He wasn’t one of those in masks. He was one of those displayed, bought and coerced into doing things against his will. He was one of those young beautiful children whom he had never met again. He was the only survivor because he was ‘her’ son and ‘his’ nephew.

There’s nothing comforting about the sound of her voice now.

“Yuri!!”

It’s just a distant memory to him. She is long gone.

“Yuri!!”

He is supposed to be free now.

“Yuri!!”

He is no longer bound to the red room. He is free.

֍֍֍

Something wet drops on his forehead and that’s when he sees clearly again. It was blood dripping on his forehead from the cut formed on the side of the man’s left eyes. “Yuri!!” The man called out to him. His voice is of concern and also urgency. “Thank God,” He whispered.

“CJ?” Yuri called out to CJ in disbelief. CJ is drenched in blood. Yuri can’t make out if it’s really blood on CJ due to the dim surrounding but he is well aware of the smell. “What happened?”

“You fucking zoned out!” CJ spat. He is somewhat angry and relief and worried. “They almost got you,” CJ added later in a worrying tone. And Yuri looks around to find dead bodies surrounding him. Five men. No. Seven of them. And that’s when he realizes that CJ had jumped in to save his life. “Where were you? How did you just phase out like that?” CJ asked.

Before Yuri could answer, they both heard voices in the distant coming towards them. CJ hushed him and they quickly got up to their feet and started running as silently as they can. They know that they are aimed, somehow, in this prison for all the things that they had done. When else to gang up and get rid of the prison’s most dangerous criminals if not now, during a time like this? It could be a riot, an infiltration, or a scheme by the guards but they won’t sit around to find out. They need to save themselves first and think of the next strategy later.

In CJ’s mind, there’s only one place to go. To find AC. And in Yuri’s mind, there’s only one place he wanted to leave behind so badly. The Red Room…