"Claire, are you fine? Are you feeling any better? Is everything alright at your place?
I got a text message from Shaun.
"I'm good and everything else too, don't worry," I replied.
He was still worried about last night's incident. Even after dropping me off at home himself, he waited for me to get into my room. He kept standing outside until he saw me from my room window.
I was looking out from my window remembering the view from last night when I was interrupted by Emily's call.
"Hello," she spoke.
"Hi, Em."
"Claire, what are you doing in the evening."
"I have no plans for this evening."
"Great, let's hang out."
"What's the occasion?"
"Nothing, we haven't hung out in so long, and lately you have been looking so stressed. I'll meet you at your favorite bookstore."
"Okay, see you."
I met Emily at the bookstore, we spent some fun time reading comics, then we had dinner at a fancy restaurant and went to chitchat at a Cafe.
"Claire look isn't that Natalie? Who's that guy with her." Emily pointed to the table behind me.
I looked back and before I could find Natalie, I saw a glimpse of Joseph walking outside the Cafe.
What is he doing here? Wait, is he going to meet the person on the phone call. With that thought, I got up to follow him.
"Emily, I have to go."
"Right now? Where?"
"You should go home, I'll go back with the driver. I'll call you." I said rushing out of the Cafe.
I looked around and found Joseph walking along the roadside. I discreetly followed him. He then turned into a dark street at the corner. I tiptoed my way behind him. He kept walking into one street after the other and I went along. He suddenly stopped at the corner of the street. Where is it? I thought to myself. I looked around and found myself standing in front of the high hill. When did I get to the outskirts? Joseph went around the corner and I dashed to the place but he's not there anymore. I glanced at my surroundings but found no sign of him. I ran here and there but it was just forest hills all over with not a soul.
I lost him!
I was about to walk back to the street I came from when a loud thump caught my ears and on the instant, I felt the ground beneath my feet vibrating. What's happening! I looked to the hills and saw a huge rock bouncing between the trees and rolling down towards me. The sight stupefied me. I tried to run away but my numbed feet no longer supported me. I fell on the ground. Before I could try standing up it was already too late. The rock came flying to me after a bounce. I covered my face with my arms and shut my eyes tightly thinking of it as my last moment.
I opened my eyes to the sound of the rock smashing and with my numbed senses I faintly discerned a wolf standing upfront. I gave my head a sudden jerk to come back to my senses. I could see the broken rock fallen beside me at a distance and the wolf standing in front of me. It looked like a large German shepherd but more ferocious. The air brushed through its gray fur and four black paws stood firm to the soil. It lowered it's head while its amber-gold eyes fiercely scanning me.
In a split of a second, he jumped over the hill and disappeared in the woods.
I sat there still for a few moments to comprehend what just happened.
So that wolf saved me, was it the one from that night? How's that even possible? The thoughts swirled my mind.
I slowly got up and walked back to the Cafe through those maze of streets. Emily had already left, I called the driver and went home. I couldn't sleep a wink that night, I was bewildered by all the accidents I have been through in the last few days.
I decided to tell Shaun about Joseph's phone call that I overheard and last night's incident.
The next morning I called Shaun.
"Hello Shaun, Claire speaking."
"Yes Claire, what is it about?"
"I have to inform you about something. I should have told you about it on the day I got locked up, but due to the incident I forgot."
"It's fine, you can tell me now."
"That day when I was keeping an eye on Joseph I saw him going to the staircase and secretly take a call. I followed him and heard him speaking to someone who was threatening him. Joseph said he'll take care of things but the man on the other side of the call asked to meet him the next day. I wanted to know who was he speaking to and about what so I decided to follow him that night but due to the circumstances I thought I couldn't and gave up."
"You should have told me instead of deciding something like that." He sounded angry.
"I told you since it was the weekend I couldn't follow him so I let go of the idea. But the weird thing is that I went out with Emily to hang out and saw Joseph near the Cafe. I followed him because I thought he might be there to meet the person. He went around the dark streets near the outskirts and then vanished at the end near the hill forest."
"You followed him alone near the outskirts like that!" he snapped.
"Umm... But nothing happened so... I mean something did happen but I might sound crazy if I tell you."
"You shouldn't hide anything from me, Claire." His voice deepened.
"It was really strange when I was looking around for him on the hillside a rock came sliding down the hill my way and I thought I was going to die but.. then I was saved and that too by a w-wolf. I know this is insane and you must be thinking I have gone mad but it isn't a lie believe me. I can still visualize the scene from last night." I took a pause but Shuan didn't say anything. 'Shaun, are you laughing at me right now? You don't believe me right?"
"No Claire, it's not like that, I am just worried if you are fine after going through this all."
"I am not that weak, don't worry, I'm fine."
"Claire, you should take a break from all this, stay home and don't go around following people like that, it's dangerous. I'm scared something bad will happen so please listen to me.." his voice cracked.
"Okay, Shuan, I'll do as you say." I quickly assured him.
"Then don't go out alone ever again, and take care of your self."
"Alright," I replied.
For the next few days after telling me to take a break, Shaun didn't come to school. The day of the play contest was approaching and Emily was worried sick because Shaun was neither picking our calls nor replying to our messages. Then the day before the contest he finally came to school. He was quiet all day long, he didn't even talk to Patricia. After the rehearsals, I grabbed his hand and took him to the music room.
"What's wrong? Why weren't you coming to school and why didn't you pick up my calls neither replied to my messages?"
He tried to walk out without replying to me.
"Shaun!" I yelled. "Why are you being like this to me again. Why!"
"Because I want you to stay away from me." he turned back and shouted.
"Why do you want it, why? Why do you keep pushing me away like that? Can't you see I'm suffering because of it."
"You'll suffer more because of me, I'm the danger for you," he shouted.
"How do you know, how can you assert it like that?"
"Did anything bad happen to you when I was not here, It didn't right? Nothing happened?"
"That's not the case Shaun."
"It is, he said you'll die because of m-" he bawled out but stopped before completing his sentence.
"What did you say? Who said that to you?"
He turned around to leave.
I ran and pulled him back by his hand. "Complete what you were saying."
"He sent me a letter saying you'll die because of me." he rubbed his forehand with frustration.
"It's just because he wants you to stay away from me. This isn't possible I can never be hurt because of you, don't listen to him, Shaun." I held his hands firmly.
"Claire, come back to your senses. Can't you see what has been happening to you since the day you met me? You need to stay away from me to be safe." he took his hands away from mine and walked away while I stood there calling his name.
*****
"Claire, tomorrow is the D-day, I'm so excited." Emily cried with joy. "You're prepared, right?"
"Yeah. Is Shaun still participating?"
"Of course, he said he isn't feeling well, but he won't let all our hard work go in vain so he'll do his best tomorrow. I'll so thankful to him."
"Are you sure he won't run away tomorrow?" I sarcastically asked.
"What's with your mood today, did something happen between you two?" she said raising her brow.
"What do I have to do with him? I don't even care!" I raved.
"Okay, okay, I got it Claire." she tried to calm me down.
"Why are we even talking about him. Leave him. Tell me about Ed, how's he doing?"
"Ed is better, he can move around now so he said hell come to see the play."
"That's great, it's been so long since I last saw him."
"But you recently had a video call with him."
"Did I? Oh right, I did. Well, I just miss him so much." I said to Emily and myself.