Silent Downfall

Chapter Fourteen

A pitch-black view hung before Mayank's eyes. Apart from the occasional faint cries of birds, silence prevailed. He did not know for how long he had been unconscious.

Mayank's skull was a cracked iron ball. The piercing pain and the apparently amplified weight of his head overwhelmed him, and the fact that he was fastened to a tree was not really helping. The rage in him swelled as his attempts to set his wrists free from the rope's grip kept turning out to be futile. He wished to let out a deafening growl, but with the piece of fabric embracing his lips, his desire was not to be satisfied.

He sighed in defeat.

"Freaking cowards," he cursed in his thoughts. "Four against one. Spineless beasts."

The words continued to ring in his ears.

"Have fun with the snakes! Hissssssssssssss." Laughter from several people followed.

"Wait till we come back with our supplies. I wonder what a rotten egg like you will taste like." Another round of laughter.

"Umm... don't forget the little boy he has brought along. Ah, I can already feel his soft flesh against my tongue."

"It has been long since I sucked a child's blood." 

Mayank's eyebrows sank in disgust. Freaking cannibals! He flinched as he imagined himself being devoured raw. But then again, he did not wish to be slaughtered, marinated, or roasted alive.

He pointlessly moved his head from one side to the other, wondering if they had fetched Fayzan yet. With his eyes blindfolded, he could barely find out if the boy was standing tied up anywhere around, puzzled and frightened.

The noisome odor of humiliation assailed his nostrils. He detested the sense of helplessness.

Moments passed in stillness. Then minutes.

The bizarre silence was dismissed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Mayank's heart put on a sprint as he listened closely yet reluctantly. To him, it was the hymn of death and gore.

He stood motionlessly while the pair of feet stopped near him. Mayank held his breath as the creature moved closer. A second later, its ear was pressed against his chest. It moved and slid a hand into the right pocket of his jeans.  Mayank could feel his barrow knife being pulled out. He did not know what to expect. A stab at his belly? A slit across his throat? He felt devastated at the thought of a stranger taking him down with his own weapon.

The thing's motive, however, turned out to be rather different. Barely a minute later, Mayank was free. He hurriedly took off the blindfold and the cloth that was holding his lips captive. No sign of hostility was displayed by the mysterious savior.

It took a while for Mayank's eyes to adjust to the fading daylight. As his vision began to get clearer, he turned to his company.

His eyebrows went up in astonishment. Fayzan.

The boy observed him curiously.

Mayank's lips trembled for a moment before letting the words out. "What sort of idiot checks the pulse like that?"

"Your hands were tied up."

"How did you get free?"

"What?"

Mayank narrowed his eyes as he claimed back his barrow knife. "Wait. They didn't go for you in the first place, did they?"

"What are you talking about?"

The all-rounder struggled to ignore the blinding pain in his head. "What are you doing here?"

Fayzan stepped back. "I overheard your conversation with Vaibhav. I knew you were going to be near the old temple."