Beyond the Mask#3

I can't keep on much longer. I have to tell you the truth. It is probably the hardest thing I have ever done so far, and I can't even recall the last time I did it. The feel of it sounds so weird, so unfamiliar, so picky. But, I see no way out, so here goes nothing!

My name is Christelle Jansen(or special agent Chris, if you work with the FBI or the CIA or whatever dark American agency you like). Lie. Okay, my name is not Christelle Jansen, it's Christine Keza. I am Rwandan, and no, I am not American, European, or even the so common mistake, Chinese! I am African, yap, and for the record Rwanda is a country. Goooooooooood, it's been so hard convincing people around here of the simple fact that I am just not Chinese. I am black for heaven's sake! how can I even be close to Asian? People are just weird.

Anyway, I know I am sounding pretty crazy to you right now, but please bear with me a little longer, I am not even halfway through the twisted tale of my life. I promise I'll tell you everything. Just listen a little bit more.

I was captured from my home seven years ago, so I guess that makes me twelve years old. I still remember the day as if it was only yesterday. Mum was so busy making dinner that day that she had forgotten all about the noise from the living room. It was my sisters, and I, lively picking our daily fights on who was going to clean the dishes that day. The debate was hot, each one of us depicting their dramatic sorrows of daily dish cleaning. Oh, the good times...
It could have gone on till dinner time, if Kelly, our cousin had not stomped in the room, hair on fire, breathless. His eyes were burning with fear, shirt torn and a big part of his pants on fire. He staggered at the door entrance, bleeding, hardly making it for the two steps that he had so far made toward us yelling "fire!"
I stood motionless, tears flowing from my eyes, head pounding so hard i could almost swear it was exploding. I knew exactly what was happening. They might have called me young by then, but I sure more than anybody knew what was happening. And something deep inside told me that it was only the beginning.

Screams erupted from all parts of the house, confusion, fear and horror rising with each passing minute. Good Lord! They had done it, they were onto me. I looked at my mother who was already drenched in Kelly's blood trying to hold him in my warm fuzzy barbie blanket. Sweat showered her face, revealing all the worry that she had kept hidden for so long. Just before I had time to look away, she was staring at me with a look that slashed my heavy fort open. I had kept up with the game for too long, and many had suffered along the way. She did not utter a word, but her eyes convinced me of the same thing. My family's life was too precious to be taken away by the monsters that had been torturing us. I had to do something, I had to go.

My mother ran to me, and held me in her arms as she cried out to my dad, pain screaming louder than her sobs. She knew me. Better than anyone, and she perfectly knew what was running in my little mind. She held me so tightly that my little body ached. Tears were running from both our eyes, and I knew that they would flow for more years after that moment.
My dad came, and our cries got louder.

"you don't have to do this, Chris" said daddy, his voice too low, I couldn't trace it,
"liar. There is no other way out, daddy. I have to go"
"No. I'll go. They'll kill you before you even board the first plane" my mother said, decided to leave all she had ever had for my mistake. Guilt ate me up.
"No. nobody here will suffer for my mistakes. I'll make up for this, and I'll be back. Don't worry, mum. I'll make it out. Safe." I swept a hand on my eyes to clean the tears too afraid to face the grieving faces of my parents.
"You'll never make it alive. They'll kill you. Chris, look at me. There will not be safe if you go. Never"
"I love you mum and dad. Love you so much sisters, but I have to go. I'll be back" tears flowed my too wet eyes again. Then, as they flowed, I knew that they were not tears of grief only. They were tears of fear, guilt, shame, and weirdly excitement.

I wanted to stay with family, but deep inside I wanted to leave. To live the adventures, the danger. I guess that's what happens when you are born genius. Life is boring at the normal human pace. Sweet, settled family life had never been me. I wanted more power, more danger, more risks. I could not stop myself from trying out scary experiments each now and then. It was fun, it was me, and living with family was just not my thing. I knew this was my call.

Where was I going? To the Russians. I owed them a lot. Money and labor wise. It was because of me if they had lost close to half of their intel to my USB which was not lying in cinders near my bed. Well, I had accidentally hacked their systems. Do not judge! I was bored, okay. Stuff happens when people are bored. Anyway, I had no idea of what I was doing till I started receiving all their emails, private chats, and close to all their dirty little secrets. I have to admit, it was fun surfing through the Russian lives every now and then. So much was happening, I can't even remember it all. But, in the end, as all thieves, they got to me. They always do.

I raced out of the door screaming the little Russian I knew with my hands up. Five black cars were shining their huge lights at me, smoke coming from one of them. I was definitely not climbing in that car! Tall white men in black came from each car to take home their prize.
They had me, and the smiles on their faces convinced me that I was not on my way to Disney Land.

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