I feel like throwing up when physical pain and anxiety consumed me. I opened my eyes and saw Katrin and Nikki silently making their way to my side. The ground felt like a wavy ocean as my head spun and I attempted really hard to crawl away from them but I lost all my strength when a few pairs of hands grabbed me in my arms.
I cocked my head upwards when I saw Von's feet walking towards the table. He loosened his tie and pushed the table to the side so he could open the door.
"Hurry," he muttered.
I growled when Katrin and Nikki dragged me on the floor as a thick liquid seeped on the back of my head. The cold wind outside brushed on my skin like a knife's blade. I bit my lower lip as I quivered in fear.
Please, no.
This is an outright offering of my life, but I still wished that they'd change their minds. They kept dragging me until we reached the grassy yard in front of the warehouse. I quivered once again, tears rolling down my cheeks. Katrin and Nikki just let go of my arms, making my head hit the grass; a few stones prickled on my cheeks.
With all effort, I crouched sideways to the ground trying to see their faces but all I saw was the closing door. I haven't heard anything from them, not even a single apology. My heart stung at every beat. How could they do this...
Another set of tears made it way to my cheeks as the rain started pouring. Losing hope, I sobbed as hard as I could, letting all my restraint. I, too, don't want to die here, but what did I do to deserve this?
I heard a faint rustling in the grass along with the sound of the rain. It's dark and I can't see anything, I trembled as I tried to make out the dark surroundings.
"Please.. I'm sorry," I pleaded in fear.
The rain poured harder but all I could do was close my eyes. A hand caressed my arm so I jerked in shock. When I tilted my head sideways, my heart felt like it just exploded at the sight of Don sitting on his heels in front of me.
"Please, don't…" I bit my lower lip, shaking my head as I begged.
He blinked slowly, then he lifted his gloved hand and caressed my cheek. I squinted to keep his figure clear to my eyes as the rain poured at us.
"Your friends are horrible," he whispered.
I held my breath when he slowly pulled me in my arm and made me sit. He leaned me on his chest and his warmth made me shed another set of tears.
"Let's get you dried off."
His voice was comforting but I furrowed my brow when I saw a yellowish light that reflected in his eyes. I turned to the small window of the warehouse and my mouth hung open at the sight of a lamp thrown at us. I jolted in shock so he held me tight.
Before the lamp hit us, he easily caught it with one hand and tossed it straight to the door. I gasped as the flames grew before my eyes. He tried to lift me but my head throbbed harder so I growled in pain. He froze midway then slowly stood up.
"My head…" I whispered as the throbbing went on. He held me closer so I could lean my head on his chest before he began walking away.
I closed my eyes as I inhaled his scent.
My friends gave me away.
Not a minute had passed and they had already decided that it was just right to offer me.
I opened my eyes when I felt a soft sheet covering my body and a galaxy-designed dome ceiling welcomed me. To my shock, I forced myself to sit, making me jerk when my wound throbbed; my head was now wrapped in a bandage.
I looked around trying to figure out where I am. The bed has four poles and there are pairs of black see-through curtains on each side. There were few paintings on the wall and across the room was a glass-doored balcony. I'm in someone's bedroom.
I cocked my head to the bedside table and saw my pair of earrings. My breathing hitched when I figured what I am wearing. It's a black satin nightgown, tied properly. With shaking hands, I parted the collar of the nightgown and saw that I am in a pair of undergarments that was different from what I wore last night, but I know that these are mine.
I choked in my own saliva as I tried to look for clues on where I am. The door slowly opened so I pushed my way to the bed's headboard, cautiously waiting. My shoulder dropped when I saw Don walk in. He's in a pair of black sweatpants, a black shirt and a black mask, but this one was made of fabric and covered only the lower part of his face.
My eyes landed on his ripped arms. Jesus. It flexed as he slid his hands in his pockets and walked towards me. He walked like he's on a runway, totally graceful and calm. My face heated so I diverted my eyes to the paintings on the wall as I sat with my legs bent sideways.
I held tight on the blanket covering my legs and pulled it up to my waist. He cleared his throat so I automatically turned to him. My jaw dropped upon staring at his whole eyes closer. They flaunted double lids and thick lashes. His dark brown to black eyes gave me a hint that he is somehow South Eastern. Hell, he was hot.
He furrowed his thick brows so I looked down only to see the huge bulge between his legs. My blood seemed to rise to my head because I felt my cheeks burn. That's some work of art.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
I darted my eyes at the balcony as my memories from last night came flooding. I seemed to have forgotten his presence at that very moment when I flipped the sheets and got off the bed. My head throbbed as I sprinted towards the glass door, sliding it open.
It came to me that we're on top of a huge hill when the cold wind ruffled my hair. I quickly darted my eyes at the warehouse below the cliff and got weak in my knees when the roof had already collapsed and the walls turned into jet black because of last night's fire.
I turned to Don who was now a few inches away from me. "You killed my friends!"
My eyes welled in tears as I gripped on the railings behind me. He stepped close enough for me to throw a few punches on his chest. "You killed them! Why?!"
My head throbbed from all the shock especially when he held me in my arms and forced me to turn around, facing the warehouse. I shivered when he leaned his cheek on my head, his breath gently grazed against my neck. My heart thumped as he sniffed on my hair.
"They offered you, have you forgotten? Your life… for their safety."
I totally lost my balance when his words sunk into me, but he caught me in time, locking me in arms from behind. I slowly shook my head and shoved his hands. "No, they won't leave me."
I pushed him as hard as I could and made my way out of the room. I'm at the end of a hallway so I kept walking, not minding the cold titles that were nipping on my bare soles, until I saw a stair that leads to the lower floor. I ended up in another hallway and kept walking. When I saw the living room and the familiar double door. I ran as fast as I could, away from the house and the hill.
My feet and head hurt as I walked but it may be the adrenaline rush that made me sprint a kilometer without falling in my knees. I breathed the air that I badly needed when I reached the lawn. Another set of tears made its way to my cheeks when I noticed the quiet surroundings.
I went to the porch and turned the knob, it was open. The quiet living room welcomed me, not a trace of someone moving around. The food and drinks from last night were still on the table and a trace of blood from Dwight's wound was drying on the floor, uncleaned.
"Nikki? Von!"
I screamed on top of my lungs and headed to the kitchen; it was empty. I went upstairs and opened all the doors and found no one. I quivered in fear and disappointment. I don't know what to think except for the fact that they literally offered me thinking that Don wanted me that much.
Is this real? Did they really leave me? I went to the other house to check on Olevia or Andres but they, too, were not here. I gently caressed the bandage on the back of my head as I cried, walking back to the lawn. They really left me.
It was that easy for them to let me die...
I sat on the porch as I rested my head in my palms, tears kept rolling down my cheeks. If Don was a bad person, I would've been dead. I know that my friends and I argued a lot since we were freshmen but we all stayed friends even after three years. How could they leave me like this? My biological parents abandoned me, my adopted parents died and now my friends have left me too.
I tilted my head upwards, and watched the bright morning sky. Clouds formed in chunks and were passing fast. What have I done to deserve this? Have I been cruel as well without knowing, that's why I was being punished like this? It hurts. That the people I cared the most treated me like this. We were all problematic in a way, but somehow I wished that I can count on them as much as they can count on me.
I felt my whole body numbed so I leaned sideways on the pillar beside me. A few moments later, I heard a few stomps, like a running horse, so I cocked my head to the lawn and saw Don riding a black horse. He wore the same pair of clothing except that he had his usual mask on.
"Had you not told them you want me, they wouldn't have given me away," I said.
He hopped off his horse and sat on his heels in front of me. His hand gently landed on my left knee, I let it stay there without taking my eyes off of him.
"You ask me what I want," he replied in baritone. "What they did after was not something I expected nor asked."
I got weaker even more. I'm trying to understand that maybe they offered me out of fear, but knowing how fast they did it, it breaks my heart. Don inched closer and scooped me in his arms.
"What if they don't come back?" I asked.
We were riding on the horse as we entered the woods. I rested my head on his chest to lessen the throbbing of my wound.
"Then they are not your true friends," he whispered, his voice was laced with slight annoyance.
"But they were all I have." Tears rolled down my cheeks but I've already lost all my energy to wipe it off. I closed my eyes and for once, I wished this was just a bad dream.
He gently rubbed his cheek on the side of my head and whispered, "You will be fine."