When I woke up, I looked around me.
I could not be sure where my abductors had brought me.
I got out of bed and felt sore all over.

However, when I saw Zachary, tears suddenly started rolling down my cheeks.
“Uncle!” I hugged him and cried. I had survived an attempted abduction! I did not die!
So, just as I was about to suffocate in the boot, I did see his face.
“I was so scared, Uncle. I thought that I would never see you again…” I cried so hard that I got all choked up.
Zachary patted my back and comforted me. “That won’t happen. I told you before that as long as I’m around, I’ll protect you. So, don’t ever leave my side again, alright? Those abductors have all been arrested.”
He wiped away my tears and adopted a stern tone. “Why did you do a gig at such a remote place? Don’t you have any idea how dangerous that is?

“If I had been a moment later, the consequences would have been dire…”
I hung my head and did not dare refute him.
He sighed. “If anything had happened to you, I would have died too.”
I did not know how to respond to that either.

I could only throw myself into his arms, but I was too afraid to look up.
“Let me check your wounds. You kept saying that it hurt while you were sleeping.”
“I-I’m not injured.”
“Not injured? You have a bruise on your face. Listen to me and let me check on you already.”
“Uncle, I…”
With practiced ease, Zachary removed my clothes.
“I’m really fine, Uncle.”
Pity flashed in Zachary’s eyes.
“Fine, you say? If you can tolerate pain so well, why did you cry when you cut your finger with a knife last time?”
He did not know I had only done that to get his attention back then.
However, I did not want to see him fuss over me anymore.
“Rest early today. We’re going to the hospital tomorrow.”
Just then, Zachary lay down beside me.
“Uncle, are you… sleeping here?”
“Where else do you want me to go?”
I grabbed fistfuls of my shirt and curled up under the covers. After a long time passed…
“Uncle.”
“Yeah?”
“Turn the lights off, please.”
He turned off the lights, and the room became incredibly dark.
I could hear my heart beating clearly.
I dared not move, and my heartbeat was all over the place.
When I was a child, I would always ask Zachary to put me to bed.
Once I was a little older, Zachary stopped doing it.
Years had passed, and he was suddenly sleeping in the same bed as me.
It looked like I was going to lose sleep tonight.
“Uncle.”
“Yeah?”
“Your belt is digging into me.”
After a brief pause, Zachary hoarsely said, “I’m not wearing a belt.”
…What?
I did not dare say anything else.