Chapter Three

Snowflakes fell gently from the sky and landed on Chris's body. The sound of his screams amplified through the chilly air.

He held on to Ivan's feet, struggling to save the last piece of his mother's memory.

Undaunted by the bitter cold, Ivan smiled as he watched Chris struggling. When Chris's gripped on his feet hardened and he couldn't press harder on the Amulet, Ivan kicked Chris with his free leg, and then stepped on his fingers.

Even as the fierce winds raged, and a snowstorm brewed, nor the bones of his fingers as they cracked by every trampling of Ivan's feet against them, Chris's eyes were fixated on the Amulet that was now in ruins.

Tears dried from his eyes as he stared at the Amulet now in pieces.

When Ivan noticed this, he looked at the Amulet and smiled. "What are you going to do now?" He laughed. 

Chris crawled towards the Amulet, and then gathered the pieces. His dried eyes suddenly welled up and tears began rolling down his cheeks. 

"Mum..." He sobbed in great misery but it only irritates Ivan. 

Seeing that Chris had gathered every pieces on his hand, Ivan walked to him and kicked his hand. 

The pieces dispersed in the snow, taken away by the wind to different directions. Ivan kicked each piece that was close to Chris, spreading them farther apart. 

"How could you do that? That was the only thing left of my mum." Chris yelled using his last strength. 

Shocked, Ivan scoffed and then kicked Chris hard on his chest. "How dare you?" He kicked Chris again.

Coupled with the beatings, hunger and weakness of his body, Chris's insides began to freeze after being exposed to cold for such a long time. 

Chris was slowly losing consciousness. He laid lifeless on the snow, his eyes slightly opened. He watched as snowflakes fell on his body.

Ivan toweled over him and gave him a slight kick but Chris didn't respond.

"What the hell! Chris?" Ivan gave him another slight kick but Chris wasn't moving.

"Are you trying to pull pranks on me?" Ivan raised the corner of his lips scornfully. 

"Get up!" When Ivan saw that Chris wasn't moving, he was flabbergasted and it made his mouth part in astonishment for a split second. 

He was stupefied, he didn't want to think that Chris might have died. Ivan took to his heels screaming for his parents as he ran up the stairs to their room.

He couldn't let Chris die, it would only cost the family troubles. The mere thought of it sent goosebumps through his body.

He kept screaming for his parents as he arrived at their bedroom.

"Father, I think Chris is dying." Ivan said shuddering. 

"What?" Morris frowned as he jerked from the bed and immediately followed Ivan. Teresa cared less, it was good news to her if Chris ends up dead.

Morris stared at Chris and noticed his eyes were slightly opened, but he wasn't moving. 

"What heck are you pretending for?" Morris growled and kicked Chris.

"Is he pretending?" Teresa asked upset that Chris was still alive.

"Of course. How could he faint? He just knelt for a few minutes. He is such a dimwits." Morris was irritated.

"Chris! Chris!" He called again but there was no response. 

"Harry! Come pour water on this kid." Morris called for the butler. He then placed his hands in his pants as he waited but no one was coming. 

"Where is the butler?" He asked looking behind him. "Get the butler Ivan." 

Just before Ivan could take a step inside, Teresa started to ramble, "I just remembered, I gave the butler three days off. It's just the third day, he would be here by morning." 

"What?" Morris yelled.

"The butler said his mother was quite ill, and asked for a few days off. I couldn't refuse him." Teresa pouted.

Morris was left stunned. His gaze instantly fell on Chris as it dawned on him, "Who fed Chris for the past few days we were away? Why didn't..." 

Morris barely finished his statement when Teresa held on to his arm and muttered awkwardly-

"Maybe he didn't eat or drink anything the past few days." 

When she uttered these words, Morris felt a pain shot through his chest, and it spread to the rest of his body, as stars danced around his head for a couple of seconds. He didn't know what to do, it was completely earth-shattering. 

"Heaven's mercy! Why the hell would you forget such a thing?" Morris thundered like an enraged giant.

 Teresa was frightened. She took a step back from Morris and watched as he checked to see if Chris truly was alive. 

"That boy is stubborn I doubt anything happened to him." Teresa glared at Chris icily. 

Morris opened Chris's eyes, and saw that he was alive. But he wasn't responding to touch. 

He was dumbfounded, for a moment. Morris felt a rush of guilt down his body as he stared at the unconscious boy.

"If he knew he hadn't eaten for the past three days, why didn't he just admit his wrong. This wouldn't have happened if he weren't so stubborn." Morris snapped and that little pity he had felt for Chris instantly disappeared.

Rather, he felt burdened.

Chris was very much conscious, and could hear them clearly. He was unable to move his body neither could he feel their touch as he has lost his senses due to the cold that have stiffened his body.

When he heard his father's words, he felt a piercing pain in his heart. 

Suddenly, Ivan broke out in tears as he cried out, "I'm so sorry father. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to take me camping after the checkup at the hospital. If we had arrived home early, nothing would have happened to him."