Deja Vu [ Lilian Ashley ]
45. Zack's Past

Arriving at my apartment unit, a pizza that I had warmed up for a while and orange juice began to serve on the table between the TV and the sofa. Not only that, the pieces of apples and pears are also issued as an opening dish.

"Oh yeah, what's your social media?" I sat down next to Zack and pulled out the phone.

He stuck out his hand and I just handed him my phone. Then, my phone returned in a state of displaying an account containing photos of super beautiful scenery. City view at night, beach, sky, rain and etc. His list of followers is quite a lot by printing thousands.

"Since childhood, my manager has taught me how to photograph the beauty of nature. Therefore, now I'm a photographer" Zack said, taking a slice of pizza with a tissue.

I looked at him awkwardly. "I can take it myself ..."

After putting the phone on my thigh, Zack said, "No need. Open your mouth."

Apparently he's bribing me. I guess, just take it to show her modesty. I opened my mouth and ate the pizza covered in mozzarella cheese. After that, Zack took turns eating the same pizza. Again, I thought it was just for me.

"Who has been taking care of you since childhood?" my many. I took a piece of pizza and ate it while waiting for Zack to answer.

"Yes .. the caretaker, I used to live in an orphanage." His arm was placed on the back of the sofa and looked at me who was swallowing the chewing results.

"Lantas ... Why did you get a dark job? Didn't you know that after leaving the home, the government will give you two or three million rupiahs?"

I became thinking, if it is not from the orphanage that gives work, then children who have reached adulthood are allowed to come out by holding a small portion of the cost of living.

"Everything started from that orphanage, too" he continued.

"Why?"

Zack sighed and cleared the corner of my lips from the pizza stain with his thumb. "You are, Ashley. Too much talking."

To be honest, my questions are very piled up in the brain and I really want to throw a lot of tails at him.

"I guess you know everything, so there's no fear of approaching me." Zack's words make me apologize for looking into his past that he may not have wanted to reveal. "No need to do that." Silent moment. "The orphanage that supported me had been afraid of the attitude of the children who were not sociable, but aggressive."

"What kind of aggressiveness?" I asked again a question.

"I used to think about helping the caretaker by adding food supplies. So, I used to hunt rats in the street and give them to cooks in the kitchen." His left hand covered his face which was holding back laughter. "really ridiculous. Therefore, no one recommended me to be adopted by any parents."

My head is picking at the listening sign.

"At that time, there were families who wanted to adopt many children. However, they asked for criteria for children who want to not be excluded from the home on the grounds that they need to be educated harder before being adopted by adopters" he said. "Because offered a large sum of money, the suspicious request was confirmed. Apparently, the family is my current corporate worker. As a result, me and the other children will be used as a material for buying and selling children."

"So you ran away?" My eyes bought in shock and my mouth gaped upon hearing the information.

"Not really." Zack thrust the tip of the pizza into my mouth. "The selling system is that the children will be taught how to kill small animals such as birds, cats or mice. Not much different from how I did in the orphanage. So, we are sold to customers like parents, business people who need free laborers, pedophiles and others. However, we will kill the small animals in front of them so they think that we are very dangerous if kept up."

Horrifically. I just found out that the dark side of the world is something like this.

"Children that small, will try to play sharp tools to the person who buys them. Lucky for those who are discarded or returned to where the initial transaction began to be sold. Not a few children who remain brought by customers and end up without news."

"And you were finally banished by the man who bought you ..."

"Not really." Zack interrupted my words. "But I ran away and my salesman was glad I came back so I could be resold. All children are taught to be sadistic in order that they be banished by customers and that they will return to where they were sold for resale."

"Why not just run away?" many rush.

"It seems that it can not, because the supervision section is always alert to pay attention to sales inventory."

A little nauseous and pity in hearing this story. Immediately, I gulped down the orange juice in the glass and stared at the ceiling. How can there be a ruthless human being who teaches children to be psychopaths and sells them back and forth?

"Until now?" I don't know how many times I've asked, so much as I wanted to tell this dark story.

"No, Ashley. My rank rose as a result of continuing to be an executive member. The superiors saw my suitable attitude in the membership."

Killin' people. That must be the work of the executive members he was referring to. It feels almost crazy after listening to all these things. Damn, now I'm in a room with my lover who incidentally has no feelings in hurting humans. If so, how could he have such tender feelings and love me so much as it seemed when I was amnesiac first?

"You're traveling on executive duty all the way to this town?" I said.

"Yes .. geez, I forgot if my hands were dirty." Zack undoes his intention to stroke my crown.

My head lowered and ventured to say, "Didn't you have any pity when you killed someone?"

"Hmm?" Zack tilted his head. "A habit will still feel ordinary. Like butchers, do they have the vegan-like feeling of cutting a chicken's neck?"

The parable makes sense. I have no opinion to deny it.

"Then because of that, my attitude like this makes me lonely." Instantly, Zack placed his head over my shoulder. "I ... I was shocked when you approached me."

My body froze, but it was not fear that surrounded me. But the sadness of the words that Zack issued.

"I'm not good at displaying normal expressions. The aura of my face had darkened so that anyone became uncomfortable near me," he said softly. "This bad job, of course, can not just escape from me. I also want to live a normal life, but running away from reality is hard."

Zack turned his head around a little until he managed to look at me. There was no sad reaction like what he said, perhaps this was what he meant by the dark aura.

"Could you tell me, why aren't you afraid of me?" ask her with a hoarse voice.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? Why don't you be afraid of a brave person despite knowing all your reality?" I asked back.

His head turned again and his face sank on my shoulder. "Of course, I'm not afraid of anything."

Behind the word 'no', it reminded me of how Zack had made it clear how much fear of my death was present before his eyes. That's what made me start falling for him. Will Zack be the guy who loves me so much, like he used to be?

"I don't know what else to say, but ..." He was silent for a moment. "Thank you."

I cleared my throat in surprise and confusion.

"Thank you for being with me." After saying that, Zack hugged me slowly. "Have your brain gone mad for wanting to be with me, Ashley?"

"No," I replied without squeezing his arms. "It's possible that my brain has lost memory like this."

"If so, I'll take him to the hospital."

"Never do that" I said, and Zack let go of his embrace until he looked at me confused. "If I'm amnesiac, don't take it to the hospital."

"Why is that?"

"Lost memory of all things, all that remains is memory in the way of survival. If I'm locked up in a hospital, I might forget all the things, forget how to drink or eat or ..."

"Breathe?" go Zack, then I nod.

What I said was information from himself. But, of course, he doesn't remember that. Anyway, how could I possibly be amnesiac again, I thought so.

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