About one week ago,
Brenda laid on her bed with her phone in her hands. Because of a certain event, she was grounded by her parents without being allowed to leave her room. But being the stubborn girl she was, she didn't plan on complying with them
She was chatting with her best friend using the skyline and they were planning on sneaking her out.
"It'll be easier to leave by 4:00 PM. Make sure you come few minutes before then," she muttered while typing the words before pressing the send button.
After waiting for some seconds a reply came in.
[Okay]
She nodded in satisfaction before standing up from her bed and staring at the full length mirror.
"I'll have to get ready," she muttered before walking towards her wardrobe and picking out a black and a blue dress. She stared at them for some time before shaking her head, placing them back and picking out a red and white dress.
"This should do," she smiled before placing it on her bed.
Ethiopia had several textile factories, so they wasn't any scarcity of clothes as production rates kept increasing with time.
After some minutes of freshening up, she did her hair and wore slight makeup. Her parents always warned her against putting on much makeup which had been the case since she was little, so she wasn't used to putting on much makeup, and even if she did, she won't be so comfortable.
She didn't dress up yet and even hid the dress while wearing casual clothes because of a certain routine which happened everyday since they grounded her and this was the reason why she told her friend to come few minutes before 4:00 PM.
She stared at the clock which said 3:26 PM.
"She's a little late." Just as those words left her lips, she heard a knock on her door. With a gasp she backed the door, lying on her bed and covering herself with a blanket so her mum won't see her makeup, before saying in a gloomy voice. "Come in."
Her mother slowly pushed the door open before walking into the room.
By 3:00 PM She always came to check on her daughter to see how she was doing.
"Are you all right, honey?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She complained.
"Honey, you're aware that you messed up and have to be punished for it. I hope you understand," her mother said while walking towards her and sitting on her bed.
"Your hair is arranged, that's unusual," she teased.
Brenda felt her heartbeat get faster, but this wasn't the first time she was lying, so she was already quite the actor.
"That's what happens when you're locked in a room alone," she muttered, high enough for her mother to hear.
"I'll call you when dinner is ready. If you be a good girl, then your dad might shorten the time," she said, before walking out of the room and closing the door.
A smile appeared on Brenda's face when this happened, as she immediately got up from her bed and started changing her clothes.
Few minutes later, she was clad in the white and red gown while staring at her beautiful reflection. She ran her hand through her hair. 'I guess I'll be using it.'
She walked towards the secret compartment of her wardrobe, where a fair amount of headgears laid.
She located her red hair band which perfectly fitted with her dressing. Without thinking twice, she picked it and put it on.
"All set to go," she muttered to herself before sitting on her bed and waiting for Alice and as she expected, her friend, who never failed her, knocked quietly on her window.
With a smile, she leaped out of her bed and walked towards the window before opening it.
"Alice, you're late," Brenda pouted
A beautiful red haired girl, dressed in a blue and white spotted knee length dress rolled her eyes when she heard this. "You never gave me an exact time."
"Nice point," said Brenda with her right index finger on her lips.
"May we?" Alice stretched out her hand through the window.
"Yes we may." Brenda replied with a smile while taking her hand.
"Careful," Alice muttered as Brenda tried to cross over.
"Shhhhhh! My mom might hear us," Brenda whispered.
****************************
Some minutes later.
They were both walking on the wide pavement along with few others while engaged in a conversation.
"Why did you get grounded in the first place?" Alice asked worried.
A sigh escaped her lips. "I told them that I wanted to attend a friend's party, but they told me not to and...."
"And you still went," Alice completed the statement already knowing how her friend was.
"Yeah, and you know the rest," she smiled wryly.
"So, where are we going?" Alice looked around. She hadn't been in this part of the neighbourhood before. Brenda stopped walking and stared at Alice in confusion, which caused her to stop as well. "What?"
"I thought you were the one leading the way." Alice face palmed when she heard this. This meant that they've been subconsciously following each other all along.
"So what do we do?" Alice asked.
"Hmmmmmmm." Brenda looked around with a thoughtful expression. "How bout that?" She pointed at a colourful building.
"Huh? A Karaoke bar?" Alice wasn't sure about this.
"Come on, it's going to be fun, and if I remember correctly, you have a very nice voice." Brenda tried to convince her friend.
"But....."
"Don't worry, we won't stay long. Besides, my mom would probably come and call me for dinner an hour from now. So pleeeeease." She made a cute face while saying this.
"Fine," Alice rolled her eyes.
"May we?" Brenda gestured towards the building as they both walked towards it.
Even by this time of the day the interior would have been dark if it wasn't for the multiple colour lights which lightened up everywhere while moving around.
By this time of the day, they weren't many people who visited the karaoke bar, so they didn't have to bother about being pestered by males.
Brenda walked towards the free karaoke machine and tapped on some places of the screen before grabbing the microphone while Alice sat on one of the sofas around it.
Rays of different coloured lights swirled around her forming beautiful designs as the beat of the song started. Brenda moved her body to the beat while waiting for the right moment to join in.
A smile appeared on Alice's face as she watched her friend perform.
"I wanna be in your life, until the night is over. I wanna hold you so tight, so tight, come in closer. It's been a hell of a ride, but every single moment. You were there by my side.
Whenever I'm broken, you make me feel whole. Whenever I'm lonely, you're there for my soul. Wherever you are girl, that's where I'll call my home. Whenever you doubt it, I'll be letting you know...…."
When she was done, she ran towards Alice excitedly. "Did you see that? My singing got better!"
"I guess so." Alice shrugged. She wasn't so happy about her friend's reaction. "Your turn." She stretched the microphone to Alice.
"Huh? Never mind, I'll pass," she said dismissively causing a frown to appear on Brenda's face.
"Come on, it's not fair. You have to," she grumbled.
After two minutes of arguing, Alice finally gave up. "Fine, give it to me."
Brenda smiled cheerfully while handing the microphone over to Alice, who took it from her before walking to the Karaoke machine and pressing some parts of the screen. After five seconds, the beat of the song started.
"Nice choice," Brand muttered.
"Winter, oh me cold and me need ya. You got my number, You can call me like whenever. Put your eyes on me, this your body give me ginger. Don't go far from me. Oh I know you dangerous. I know you bad for me, but I can't turn back. I know you dangerous. I know you bad for me, but I can't turn back. I love it baby when you drop it low...…"
About two minutes later, Alice finished her song, which at the end of the day she got lost in. Brenda began clapping at her friend's beautiful voice and performance, but to her surprise, she wasn't the only one.
Alice walked towards her friend with a whisper. "I think we should get going."
"Yeah, you've drawn some attention to us." Brenda said as they both quickly made their way out.
*******************************
"Whoa! That was intense," Brenda exclaimed as they both walked back home. "Your hair even got messy. I was starting to think that you're precious locket might have flown out of your neck."
Alice smiled wryly while gently touching the locket on her neck.
"Here, let me help you." Brenda began to arrange Alice's hair when a thought came to her mind as she took off her red hair band. She knew Alice didn't usually wear not just hair bands, but other head gears and clothing, still she wanted to give it a try.
Alice who noticed this, quickly turned around. "What are you....."
A dull sound came from the alley beside them which caused her statement to be cut short.
"Did you hear that?" Alice asked.
"Maybe it's a cat or something," Brenda shrugged.
"I guess so." Before they could leave, the sound of bottles falling and breaking on the ground was created.
Alice eyebrows furrowed when she heard this.
"That's the wind, right?" Brenda asked a little nervous.
Alice could've sworn that she saw a figure behind the wall. "I'll just have a quick look." She said while slowly walking into the alley towards the area which she saw the figure.
"Be careful," said Brenda obviously worried.
Alice eventually got to where she saw the figure but there was no one present. Feeling that something was wrong, she quickly turned around and started running out.
Brenda sighed in relief while walking towards her but about ten meters away from the end of the alley, Alice stepped on something which slipped her as she fell to the ground.
"Arghh!" She groaned while picking herself up and was surprised by what she was seeing.
Strands of her hair were on the ground and she was sure that it wasn't from falling down.
She looked at Brenda who had an even more puzzled expression. She had seen what had happened and couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Alice shifted her gaze to the wall on her left side where a long narrow slash which wasn't there before could be seen.
Now, she realized her life was in danger and it turned out that whatever slipped her had just saved her life as it wouldn't have been her hair but her head that would've been lying on the ground instead.
Her survival instincts kicked in and turning around, she could see no one so she quickly stood up to continue running.
"SPURT!!"
The hair band on her hand dropped as Brenda watched blood shoot out from Alice's gut while bringing out the shape of the figure which it coated.
All the energy in Alice's eyes disappeared as she was slowly being lifted.
Brenda stared at all this in horror and even though she couldn't hear it, she could tell by her lips movement that Alice was telling her to run.
Her heart was caught in a turmoil as she didn't know what to do. Part of her didn't want to leave her friend behind but part of her was scared to death.
But the latter overpowered the former as the abyssal suddenly appear completely before her. Cowering in fear but somehow gaining strength, she ran helplessly away with tears in her eyes.