Personal Recount 11: Write about an occasion when you revealed a secret and suffered as a result.
“You will pay for betraying the triad, Shana!” yelled Alastor as he stormed out of the room. Those were the words that marked the beginning of a year haunted by fear and suffering, which happened two years ago.
I joined the triad when I was sixteen, enticed by the bad company I hung out with. I came from a broken family and the triad was like a family to me, with those ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ who would protect me from harm. I yearned for acceptance, and there I found the answer to my desire.
Arson, gang fights, drug trafficking were daily activities of my life in the triad. I participated actively in all the triad activities, and was loyal to the triad, and soon, I rose up the ranks quickly and held a high position. Yet, little did I realise that my rise to glory was short lived, and I would be on the run from the place I called home.
It all started when I met Allen at the pub, he came over to where I was relaxing after a day of work, and struck a conversation with me. We got along well, and soon, we started dating. Soon after, he started to probe about my work in the triad. I thought nothing of it and shrugged him off, telling him there is nothing interesting about my work. Then one day, in drunken stupor, I unknowingly spilled the beans about the triad’s top secret drug trafficking mission which was to be held on Friday night.
Friday came, and at the stroke of midnight, the mission was carried out. The drug runners hopped onto motorbikes and zoomed off in the middle of the night to their various delivery destinations. However, they never reached their destination as they were apprehended by the authorities. A few days later, many police cars surrounded our headquarters. Men in black stepped out of the cars and they were led by Allen. “Everyone freeze! Put your hands above your heads.” He shouted. I had a shock of my life. Allen walked up to me and said, “Thank you for the information you told me when you were drunk. I will be expecting a huge payroll after this case.” Upon hearing that, I stood rooted to the ground, dazed. My ‘family’ stared at me with hateful look, and they swore revenge on me. Some of the brothers stayed out to fight the policemen, while the rest retreated to our underground escape routes. I ran for my life.
For the next eight months, I was running away from the triad, as they hunt me down for revenge. Many times, they were close to capturing me, but I managed to escape. Finally, on a fateful Sunday, they managed to capture me resting in an alley, burning with fever.
The moment I realised they were approaching, I tried to run. Yet the road ahead was blurry, and my body was extremely weak from the fever, and as they loomed above me, I blacked out. When I regained consciousness, I was chained to a bed, and my eyes were blindfolded and my mouth was taped up with electric tape. My body felt extremely sore and painful, and while I tried to break free, I felt a searing pain on my cheek. The blindfold and the tape was ripped from my face violently, and I gave a yelled in agony. Before my eyes were my triad mates. Alastor, my best friend, stared at me with eyes filled with hatred, and started slapping my face with great strength fuelled by anger. I cringed at the pain and kept silent.
Then, the triad boss entered the room. He sat himself on a chair like a king on his throne, and started questioning me. I told him I was sorry for letting out the secret, and I did not do it on purpose. He accepted the reason in account of my years of loyalty, but affirmed that I had to be punished for my mistake. The verdict was out, I was to be tortured to my triad’s mates’ content, in order to repay for what I did. The next two months was living hell, every single day I was beaten and tortured, and some of them tried to take liberties with me. After two months in their hands, I was a wreck, and when they were done with me, they kicked me out, leaving me helpless and homeless with no place to go to.
I picked myself up, and for the next few months, I strove to be self sufficient. I wanted to rid myself of my old ways, and lead a life of a lawful citizen. Although I am a mere odd jobber now, I am glad that those days were behind me. Nevertheless, I am still haunted by the secret I let out by accident, and the consequences that followed, and I lived by this principle from that day on-a secret shall remain untold.
(written during 14 essay pia :X this one ah i was infatuated with shakugan no shana :))
