Chapter 2: Dormant Secrets
The screeching of the birds made both men look towards the high prison walls. Then in union both look back towards each other. Both briefly revealed a fleeting secret.
Jesper keep a close eye on the giant of a man with the realization this man has also seen the crows. While this truth whirls around in his mind, he was again unaware of the shifting qualities of his eyes.
“Did you see those birds?” he questions.
“What are you talking about?” Gregor challenge.
“What do you want?” Jesper look around and noticed most of his followers stood a small distance away from them both. He narrows his eyes finding their attitude puzzling. He looks back towards Gregor and noticed the man has step slightly away from him now shaking his head. Whatever was going on inside seem to unsettle him and he seem chilly somehow.
“I asked you a question?” Jesper keep his voice stern but only loud enough for the other man to hear.
“Who are you?” Gregor asked instead while rubbing his arms.
“I am Jesper Strange, I already told you that.” He replied flatly while his expression was closing and his eyes keeps changing.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Gregor asks.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you know?” Gregor was clearly puzzled. He was now making a point of not looking into Jesper’s eyes. He feels a sense of nervousness and guilt washing throughout his body. He doesn’t like the feeling.
Jesper rubs across his face then shrugs his shoulders. He turns to walk away but only took a couple of steps when he stops and turn back to face Gregor. “What do you want from me?” he asked the same question again. His eyes focused directly in the giant’s eyes.
“I was hired.” Gregor said with surprise. There was something about this young man that really seem to affect his behavior.
“Who hired you? What was the intent?” Jesper keep his eyes focus unaware of the hypnotic effect his eyes have on the other man.
“Erick Dawn. The man wants you dead.”
Jesper has moved so fast before Gregor could think, the usually mild-mannered man was right in his face. He has grabbed hold of his prison jumpsuit pulling the giant down to his eye level.
“What did you just say?” Jesper asked so softly.
“I was hired to kill you man.” Gregor answered in a measured voice. “The man said you should remember your first punch.”
Jesper quickly step away from the giant. He turns his back on Gregor now looking at the crows. He closed his eyes as fragment memories flood his mind. A boy of six looking towards the mansion on the hill. He found the place fascinated with the crows always circling around in the sky…’sickly fool’ the older boy screamed into his face.
Jesper start rubbing across his face before he looks down at his hands seeing blood on his knuckles. The memory was vivid in clarity. He lifts his head.
“Did he give you a time when I should die?” Jesper asked without looking backwards. He received no answer but he was aware the giant didn’t move.
“I asked you a question?” The silence continues and this made Jesper turn around. Before he could react, a t-shirt was quickly pulled over his face effectively concealing his eyes.
“Bloody fuck,” Gregor cursed. “Bring him,” he orders his men. They quickly jumped in reaction to his command. “Keep his eyes closed. I don’t like the look in his eyes.”
Jesper instinctively knows a sliver of his past was in action…feeling the effects of his six-year-old self the familiar feeling of fear mingled with the certainty no one was coming to save him. He recalls the remembered feeling of being dragged across thorny bushes while he listens to the scary laughter of the boy so much older than him.
‘Let me go,’ he asked in his timid voice.
‘Why should I? We are going to play with you. You are the mouse in the trap,’ the boy laughed again.
‘You will get into trouble,’ he said in a voice vibrating in growing fear. The words barely left his lips when he felt himself being dropped hard onto the ground. He quickly curled into a protective ball. ‘Why…why are you doing this?’ he asked.
‘We don’t like you,’ the older boy said flatly.
‘Who is we? Why,’
‘What is your name?’ the boy asked suddenly in a demanding voice.
‘Jesp…Jesper…Strange,’ he answered immediately. There where he was laying just saying his name allow a sense of strength to slipped into his veins.
‘Liar,’ the older boy scream in anger.
Jesper managed to look up. He was quick to noticed the changing of expressions on his face. He tries looking for the other boy but there was just the two of them. He looks back towards the boy with the changing expressions. He was fascinated.
‘What are you doing?’ he managed to asked.
‘Shut up! You are not in control,’ the boy keeps hitting his own head.
Jesper the boy just keeps looking as he sit motionless. He doesn’t want the boy to noticed he was watching. The blurring of various expressions was truly fascinating. He only blinked a moment when he opens his eyes the fist punches him right in the face… ‘I am going to take or murder the girl you love…’ the statement was cement in crazy laughter.
Jesper felt the memory fragments shattered when his body hit the cold wet floor. The moment the wet smell of the showers assaults his nostrils he understood he was getting a beating.
“Pick him up but keep his eyes covered.” Gregor ordered.
Jesper managed to find his footing. The hand grips of both men’s hands were tight and secure. Quietly he was of the opinion to find out who Gregor Drake really is. He senses there was a deceptiveness hidden behind this physical attack.
“Tell me fool, what is your name?” Gregor punch him in the stomach.
“You know my name. I am…Jesper Strange,” he said through the wave of pain. Each time he said his name a kind of calming silence settles in his mind slowly opening doors within his memory.
“Why are you in prison?” Another punch right through his face.
“I killed…my wife,” he breathes heavily.
“Are you sure?” Gregor challenged with a very suspicious sounding voice.
Jesper said nothing just keep breathing heavily.
“Silence won’t help you. Erick Dawn wants you dead. Tell me Jesper Strange, do you have a counter offer?” Gregor slapped him through the face.
“No,” Jesper spit the blood from his mouth. “You tell Erick Dawn I am coming for him.”
Gregor orders his men to drop him whistling as he walked away.
Jesper sits motionless looking into his memory as a door slowly opened. The silence around him was deafening…