Against The Sun

A Story by Jesben Acupan

"Everybody, inside." I hear the innkeeper order us. We didn't need to be told twice, we knew the horrors that came with the night too well. I headed to my room just like everybody else, locked the door and prepared for the night. The rooms is a poor source of comfort. It has nothing more than a bed, a workdesk that doubled as a dining table and a small bathroom. I checked my pack. I'm almost out of things to trade for my stay here. I gave the innkeeper my last pack of cigars yesterday which meant I bought myself another two days, after that then God knows what. I still have food, a can of beans, dried meat, a pack of biscuits and a rare piece of chocolate bar. The inn can only provide oats and a dish of soup that's made up of a few spices and a bit of chicken meat. I checked the time, it's two hours before midnight. Most of us here don't really pay attention to the time not until the innkeeper comes in and reminds us.

I can't sleep, I know it's about to begin. I was about to go to the bathroom to wash myself when the screams pierced through the window in my room and into my head. I froze on the bed, unable to move. All throughout the night, I tried to drown out the sounds of pain and cries for help to no avail. I tell myself that there's nothing I can do, that it's not my fault.