"Hey, wake up !" - Katsuo hears a muffled voice.

"Are you ok ?" - The voice appears to be clearer.

He hears steps on the wooden floor coming away from him, just to get closer again, when suddenly a splash of cold water hits his face.

"Ah !" - Katsuo screams as he comes back to himself.

Katsuo sees Miyako with an empty bottle of water on her hand.

"What happend ?" - Katsuo says as he puts his hands on his face.

"You passed out. Come on, get on your feet and help me."

Katsuo starts to get up while trying to remember what happend. His memories appears to be messy. He remembers blood from somewhere and start to get a bit nervous.

"Who's the blood from ?" - Katsuo asks in a sad tone.

"Does it matters ?" - Miyako answers in a straight face.

She picks up big black plastic bags, puts them on two suit cases and says "We have to do this without getting attencion. So we gotta be quick and stealthy. Ok ?"

Katsuo nods his head slowly.

"Where are we going ?"

"To the forest, but if anyone asks, we are looking for a place to stay tonight. We are tourists."

Miyako proceeds to put on a jacket for the cold night.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Both of them start to walk through the streets, side by side. Katsuo fears to ask what is inside the bags, but he can think of something.

Miyako appears calm on the outside, but in the inside she has doubt on Katsuo. She doesn't know if he can be trusted with this. Both of them have to roll the dices and hope for the best.

They got into the woods and started to walk into the dark forest. After half an hour of walking, Miyako looks at katsuo and says, "It's here.".

She takes picks up a little hand shovel from her handbag and gives to Katsuo.

"What do i have to do with this ?"

"You have to dig. Just this."

He looks nervously to the shovel. He looks to the ground. He squats and tries to dig a hole, but after 1 minute of a failed attempt he looks at Miyako and says, "I can't do it...".

"What ?!" - Miyako asks with a angry tone.

"I-i-i don't think that i c-can do it..." - Says Katsuo with fear in his voice.

"Why not ?!"

"I-i-i don't have the strength a-a-and my hands hurt..."

"I don't care, dig faster or i'll break your hands !" - Miyako shouts in anger with him.

She realises that she is making too much noise and proceeds to calm herself down.

"Dig. Now !".

Katsuo keeps digging with the shovel. The dirt is hard and his hand is soft. After just 10 minutes he starts to see his hand skin tearing. Miyako keeps looking at him while he exhausts himself. 30 minutes later he finishes digging the hole, and Miyako puts the bags into them. She throws dirt on top of it to bury it.

Both of them start heading back to home. In silence.

Katsuo fears for his life, he know he can be killed at any time and that he can't fight back. He doesn't have the strenght or the nerves to do something. He is trapped to her, and until the right moment appears he has to follow her commands.

-------- In the other side of the town ---------

Text is flowing through an cellphone.

"I heard screams"

"Is it a phantom ?"

"Dont know, but i am scared."

"It's ok, same payment as always and this problem will be solved asap !"

"Thanks, will you start tomorrow ?"

"First i have to talk to my sidekick !"

The chat is changed to another person.

"Hey, watson we have another mission !"

"Oh fuck... not again. I haven't recovered from the last one yet."

"Come on, you're my alfred, my watson, my best sidekick !"

"Ah fuck it, im in. But with 1 condition !"

"What ?"

"I won't be your bait this time"

"Ok"