“Alright.”He continued.“But just this once, Hugh.”“You’d better listen, Raymond.”Hugh swept his hair back and kissed the exposed ridge of my forehead. He turned and walked away. I sank to the grass, staring blankly at him as he left. Jérôme tugged on the lead to get my attention. I looked up at him.Once I met his gaze, Jérôme muttered to himself, as though speaking alone.“You look pathetic.”He stared me up and down.“Hmm…. ”Jérôme released the lead and returned alone to the stable, leaving me on the grass with the horse. The horse stared back at me blankly. I remembered this horse—Jérôme’s favorite. The one he rode when I ambushed him on a rainy day, and the one he dragged me to the stable to grope my genitals.Seeing him now, his face was gentle, almost endearing. I reached out and carefully stroked the bridge of his nose. It felt coarse. The horse looked at me with big dark eyes, then flared his nostrils, sniffing.Jérôme reappeared almost immediately, carrying a set of overalls—top and bottom—and a pair of worn sneakers. He tossed the clothes at me.“Put these on first.”He said,“Not sure if the shoes will fit… what size do you wear?”“….”“I said, what size do you wear?”“….”“Oh.”Jérôme raised one eyebrow, as if he’d realized something.“You were trained not to speak. Then bark?”I remained silent. Jérôme nodded.“Still not barking. Got it. Anyway, put them on quickly.”I hesitated, looking up at Jérôme’s firm, bored expression. I unzipped the overalls, stepped into the legs, slid my arms into the sleeves, and zipped up to the collar. I looked up at him again. He nodded toward the shoes. I shoved my dirty bare feet inside and tied the laces. Without a word, Jérôme turned and strode away, leading the horse. The horse followed dutifully; I crawled after them, dragging the lead. Jérôme didn’t wait, and we quickly fell behind.Soon I noticed him panting, struggling on all fours to keep up. He made a look of utter disbelief. From a distance, Jérôme called,“Raymond! Stand up and run!”When I didn’t move, he urged me on again,“Quickly!”I pulled myself up and ran toward him.We moved in silence. Jérôme led the horse into the woods; my oversized sneakers slowed me, so I followed one step behind. As soon as we entered the trees, he mounted the horse. I gripped my lead tightly and looked up at him. He leaned forward on the horse’s neck and watched me.Bright sunlight flickered through the canopy, making Jérôme’s green eyes look almost transparent. He stared at me for a long, strange moment. I wiggled my toes inside the shoes and held his gaze, anxious and oddly exhilarated.We had never looked at each other so deeply, so peacefully. His face was bored, yet pale with resignation. The youth’s cheeks held a flush of life, but the sparkle in his eyes—so bright before—was gone. He looked at my face as though at the calm surface of a pool.A lock of hair fell across my eyes. The wind picked up—stronger than a breeze. I tilted my head back to watch the sky. Still clear, with no sign of storm.“I don’t know what to do with you, Raymond.”He finally spoke. I said nothing.“Should I wash you, like Hugh suggested? Dry your hair and send you back to the Dormitory?”He asked.“Hugh sent you here to dunk you into that filthy trough. You’re a beast now, can’t use a proper bathroom, right?”I remained silent.“Maybe I should have done that….”He muttered, as though in a daze.“But that’s no fun.”I stared at him. Without a word, Jérôme unhooked the horsewhip from the saddle, flicked it in the air. He motioned me closer, handed me the whip, then tied my collar to the rein. I stood there, stunned. He took the whip back and studied me.“Raymond, what would happen if I lashed this whip across the horse’s hindquarters?”“….”“You wouldn’t be quick enough to chase after the galloping horse. You’d break your neck.”“….”“So I’ll give you ten seconds. In ten seconds, unfasten that collar and run. You understand, woof-woof?”“….”“Let’s hear you bark. Ten. Nine. Eight…. ”Each number pounded in my skull. My heart raced, blood pounded through my veins, my limbs burned with heat. It was real—he’d let the horse run. I screamed and clawed at the collar choking my throat, trying to free it; my fingers slipped on sweat.I still hadn’t removed it.“Two… One….”Jérôme raised his arm, whip poised, and brought it down in a flash.“Nooo! Jérôme!”I yanked at the collar, tearing it free—only to see Jérôme’s whip slash the air.The horse neighed calmly. Jérôme’s laughter exploded, wild and manic.Psycho bastard. Crazy bastard!Terror overwhelmed me. Nothing had hit me, yet I ran as if my life depended on it—because it did. My legs trembled, but I forced stride after stride, breathless, vision flickering dark. I glanced back: Jérôme still grinned from the saddle. Our eyes met, and dread flooded me—he would kill me. A grim certainty settled in: here, now, he’d catch me, bind me to the horse’s tail, and my skull would split against the stones.Jérôme raised the whip again and struck the horse’s hindquarters. The beast charged straight at me. I let out an involuntary scream and bolted. Hooves thundered behind me—closer with every beat, rocking my mind like thunder. I ran, truly ran, as if dying, yet he was there behind me in an instant.“No, Raymond, that’s not enough! Faster! Faster, run faster! Faster—faster!”He shouted from just behind. I looked back: he and the horse were almost on top of me. A breeze brushed my ear as the whip cut through the air.“More! Run faster, Raymond, run!”I ran. My shoulders itched as if he would seize me at any moment, my lungs burned with every breath, yet I kept going. In terror, I looked back and saw him standing a distance away—until our eyes met, and he charged again.“Run, Raymond! Ha-ha-hah!”My ill-fitting shoes slid off, and I ran barefoot, mad with fear. Jérôme hunted me through the forest like a predator driving its prey. After what felt like an eternity, I collapsed, exhausted. He slowed, sometimes stopping to watch me, then at the slightest glance, galloping again. He drove me deeper into the woods—deeper.At last, we reached Kelly.I fell at the edge of the bog, gasping in agony. My legs trembled. I had no strength to run, yet I fought to lift myself. I drew ragged breaths but felt no air enter. My chest and throat burned like fire.Jérôme arrived at Kelly moments later, still perched on the horse, some distance away.I glared at him. He smiled, lips curling in excitement, cheeks flushed. This son of a bitch… even if I die here today, I’ll take him with me. Clarity swept through the fog in my mind; hatred for him kindled into a blazing inferno.“Well. Your puppy eyes have become quite insolent.”He said, smiling from the saddle.My heart lurched, but I steadied myself. I clenched my teeth. He knew nothing—only provocation. He’d keep testing me, try to trap me, because he didn’t know the real me; he believed the false mask I showed him. I mustn’t fall for his taunts.“No… gh, no… it’s not that.”I gasped between breaths.Jérôme didn’t look disappointed; he merely smiled.“No, you’re angry now, aren’t you? Your anger shows.”“It’s not true… Jérôme, no, really, I’m sorry… please don’t tell Hugh…”I crouched, pretending tears.He said nothing. After a moment, I heard him dismount and walk toward me, the grass whispering under his boots.A chill ran down my spine—was he going to kill me? Should I kill him first? But how? I was weak, unarmed, and every ounce of strength had been drained by the chase.He drew closer, whip in hand. Silence constricted my throat. His face was backlit, hidden in shadow. Panting, I looked up at him with narrowed eyes.Don’t kill me. Not now. Tonight is mine. Tonight ends with me. I’ll kill you first!“Alright. I understand. I’ll admit it.”Jérôme said.“Have a fun vacation with Hugh, George, and Simon.”I stared at him, speechless.“Jérôme…?”“I’m leaving early tomorrow morning.”He said curtly.“I was really looking forward to this break—damn it, Raymond. To disappoint me like this.”He watched me for a moment more, then turned and remounted his horse without hesitation.Jérôme left me at the edge of Kelly. There, where I had nearly died and been betrayed by the boys and Simon, this time it was Jérôme who departed deceived. I remained crouched until the sound of hooves faded. Only in that perfect silence did the tension drain from my sweat-soaked body. I lay back and stared at the sky. My mind cleared. My ragged breathing slowed to normal.The strong wind cooled my sweat quickly, and as my body cooled, the chaos in my mind dissipated.Jérôme leaves tomorrow morning. Tonight is my last chance to kill him. If I let him go, maybe things will get easier—one fewer enforcer to escape from Hugh, George, and Simon’s grip…No, I couldn’t be sure. The boys always devised unpredictable traps. Better to finish it all at once. I needed to create an opportunity.If only Simon had a few more syringes… then perhaps I could have fought back. Or should I just run now? I turned my head toward the forest. The school was ringed by «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» fifteen kilometers of woods. If I plunged into them and hid, they’d never find me—but I’d spend the rest of my life on the run, haunted by fear, anxiety, rage, hatred, regret, and resignation, reliving old memories alone. I couldn’t live like that. No one would survive here. Either they all die, or I alone remain. That was all.

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