Wake up Buttercup /page #4/

“The pieces are set, let our little game begin! We’re starting with the past. Remember, every good answer will be rewarded and every wrong answer…well, you will be punished if you don’t answer correctly.”

He made it sound really simple and light. I knew better. I caught myself thinking about whether if I was prepared or not. Of course I wasn’t. How could I be? I didn’t even know what was going to happen, but it seemed I had no choice but to make the best of it.

I’m kind of seasoned in these situations, the unexpected always happens at my job. But at my job I’m always prepared for the unexpected. I work at the fire brigade see. I’ve been in countless life-threatening situations in the past 9 years. I was 23 when I started, and this is my ninth year. I love my job. If it wasn’t for the fire brigade I never would’ve met my wife. We got married three years ago. I love her to death.

Suddenly, like I snapped from some kind of trance I realised I had been kidnapped. Of course I thought of it before, but just now I started to think of home, my freedom, my wife Sophie… How long have I been here? Hours? Days? Weeks? Oh God I’m panicking. What is the last thing I remember?

I came home from work. It had been a busy day. I was a little late even though I didn’t take a shower at the station. Sophie wasn’t home, she said something about going into town the day before. Looking at that day now I am glad she wasn’t home. Who knows what might have happened to her if she was? I remember walking to the fridge, I grabbed the milk and drank from the carton. Sophie would’ve gotten mad at me if she was here. I love it when she gets mad, at least in the not-really-mad kind of way. I like to tease her, and I do it a lot. Sometimes I don’t even know I’m teasing her, but still it feels great when I do. It is one of those games couples play I guess. She gives me the surprised look when she gets mad. Like someone who tells a hard learning puppy to sit down for the millionth time. I love it when her big dark green eyes grow even bigger when she raises her eyebrows. I would just smile –or laugh- at her, which isn’t helping of course. Most of the time she would turn around and walk away, that’s probably when she has decided that what she tries to achieve isn’t working. It is also when I decide I have to comfort her, so I chase her, grab her from behind en kiss her on her cheek, at least I would try. She always turns her head when I try that, and then after a small struggle and a laugh we kiss. I have never loved someone as much as I love Sophie, and I don’t think there is anyone else on this earth who could give me more.

I remember putting the milk back in the fridge, and walking up the stairs. I threw a quick look at the photos on the wall next to the stairs, I always do. Photos from parties, photos taken on vacation, you know the kind. I took a shower, and went downstairs again. The door rang so I opened it. The only thing I saw was the cap the man was wearing before the man’s fist hit me on my jaw and knocked me out…

“here is your first real question”

Oh God it’s beginning.

“the past”

Expect and be prepared for the unexpected.

“I’m your friend and your enemy. I’m a killer yet I purify. My touch is your pain. What am I?”