Enola stood in place, her body tense with fear as she tried to discover the identity of the person calling out to her from behind. That was just a mere whisper-like voice when she heard someone calling her name sent shivers down her spine, intensifying the battle within herself. After a moment of hesitation, she decided not to respond, urging her frozen legs into motion as she hastened towards home.
The alley, normally bustling with people, but to her surprise it is dark and deserted today, adding an eerie atmosphere to the already unsettling situation. As Enola quickened her pace, she could hear the distinct sound of heels following her way, sending a jolt of fear coursing through her veins.
Panic overtook her, she was about to run when the voice called out her name again, but what shocked her this time was that person's voice. Stopping abruptly, Enola turned to face the source of the sound, witnessing a girl standing there with a strange smile painted on her lips.
Enola lingered in a state of bewilderment, her gaze fixed upon the strange figure drawing closer to her. Many questions filled her mind, no face like her she had ever encountered in her life.
As the stranger's strides brought her within arm's reach, her smile widened, a disconcerting display that only deepened Enola's perplexity. With furrowed brows, Enola silently implored the stranger to break the unsettling silence.
"Enola?"
The single word hung in the air, uttered by the stranger with a tone that made Enola look at her more carefully. She just stood there with no words.
"Enola," She repeated, her voice tinged with a blend of anticipation and apprehension.
"You seemed not to remember me isn't it?"
Her voice made Enola to nod her head in affirmation. The girl smiled and stretched her hand for shaking.
"Irene Campbell"
Enola struggled to find her voice similar to anyone related to her life but no she was far away from her knowing. She refused to shake her hand and Irene understood the uncomfortableness showing on Enola's face.
"Irene Campbell... I'm sorry, do I know you?"
A flicker of amusement passed across Irene's features before she masked it with a composed smile.
"It seems time has a way of erasing memories."
Enola's brows furrowed in confusion.
"I don't understand whatever you are saying."
Irene's gaze held a glint of determination as she replied,
"We shared a bond Enola, how could you forgot me in just 2 years?"
Enola's heart quickened at Irene's cryptic words.
"Bond? What are you even saying?"
Irene's smile widened, though it held a hint of mischief.
"I am your brother's friend Enola."
Enola's breath hitched in her throat.
"Brother?"
The word slipped from her lips, laden with disbelief. Since when did she have a brother? Irene's words seemed to blur the lines between reality and fiction, leaving Enola grappling with a sense of disorientation. Was this woman truly speaking to her, or had she mistaken Enola for someone else?
"I think you.... have some confusion. I am surely not the one you are searching for and as for my brother, I am the only child of my parents."
Irene's smile widened, her eyes locking onto Enola's with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. Sensing the unease creeping over her, Enola made a decision to leave that place as soon as possible.
"You should have verified the information before seeking someone out, definitely I am not the one you are searching for"
Enola muttered under her breath, her words laced with a mixture of frustration and confusion.
Irene remained silent, her expression now clouded with feigned bewilderment. Yet Enola couldn't shake the feeling that this confusion was nothing more than a facade, a ploy to mask something deeper.
Enola's head spun with an unsolved whirlwind of emotions. Clutching her temples in an attempt to soothe the sudden ache that throbbed within her skull. She wondered why she was feeling this pain now for her illness maybe. Perhaps this stranger had ignited a turmoil within her mind.
With determination hardening her resolve, Enola cast one last glance over her shoulder before turning on her heel and striding away. To her relief, Irene made no attempt to call out to her again.
As Enola's figure faded into the distance, Irene's lips curled into a malevolent grin, her laughter bubbling forth like a twisted symphony of chaos and malice. It echoed through the desolate alleyway, sparkled amusement that bespoke a mind veiled in darkness.
"Oh, Enola,"
Irene muttered under her breath, her words dripping with a venomous undertone. Her laughter, unrestrained and manic, echoed off the walls of the dimly lit alley, casting her presence in a sinister light.
Her demeanor bordered on madness, a twisted reflection of someone who had found solace in the wreckage of another's existence.
"You can run, Enola," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with a wicked fervor. "But you can't hide from what's coming."
Her laughter subsided, replaced by a chilling calmness that belied the storm raging within her. With a calculated breath, Irene allowed herself a moment of respite, relishing in the thrill of her own deception.
With a smirk curling her lips, Irene turned on her heel in the depths of the darkened alley. But before she could take a single step, an unseen force seized her, wrenching her back with a violent tug that sent a shockwave of fear coursing through her veins. Her eyes widened in alarm as she stumbled backward, aghast at the unexpected interruption by someone.
In the blink of an eye, the icy touch of metal grazed her chin, compelling her to meet the gaze of the enigmatic figure before her. A rush of exhilarating fear coursed through her, mingling with ecstasy that pulsed through her veins. With a sly smile dancing upon her lips, she uttered in a low, husky voice.
"Blessed with the sight of your presence Your Highness."
___________
Enola hurried into her room, slamming the door shut behind her, her mind was puzzled by what happened to her just now. sitting on the edge of her bed, she gazed into the mirror, how calm she was looking behind the facade of her restlessness. No one would ever fathom the chaos beneath the surface of her composed demeanor.
As she observed her trembling hand, a sudden wave of fear gripped her heart. The encounter with the stranger had ignited a flame within her, making her forced to think of things she hadn't realized existed till now. Questions swirled in her mind like a tornado, each one a puzzle demanding to be solved.
She attempted to dismiss Irene's words as mere folly, brushing them aside like dust on a forgotten shelf. Yet, a stubborn corner of her mind refused to release its grip, tantalizing her with the possibility of truth.
What if there was merit to Irene's claims? And if not, what motive could the stranger have had in orchestrating their encounter? Were these doubts merely the reason for her imagination? What if there was something in Irene's claims? And if not, what motive could the stranger have compelled their encounter?
She sighed in order to calm herself down and was ready to settle herself on the bed when a sudden gust of wind rattled her window. The air seemed turned a little berberic, as if the very universe held its breath in anticipation.
Before she could ponder further, She walked towards the window to locked the window when unintentionally her gaze was drawn to the lampost directly standing before her house. As she looked at that pillar a sudden shadowy figure she imagined, only to disappear into the night like a thin air. Was it a trick of the light, or something else?
With a furrowed brow, she rubbed her eyes, Enola stepped closer to the window, peering into the darkness beyond. But all she found was an empty street, shrouded in silence and obviously, no one was standing there. A middle-aged couple just walked past through the road laughing running from the winter wind made Enola confirm that all of this was just her imagination.
As she tried to close the window again her eyes darted on that pillar, and a sense of unease settled over her like a heavy cloak. Something in that pillar was pulling her like a magnet in the depths of the night, something that whispered secrets yet to be unveiled. She whispered in her low voice...
"What's with that pillar?"