CHAPTER FOUR
Cherry pressed her hand to her forehead, checking for a fever, to confirm her own sanity.
"Phew... I think I'm finally losing it!" She turned back to the cat, intending to apologize for her outburst.
But her words faltered as she saw the feline already turning away, and padded across the road.
'Well, kitty, I'm sor....." She trailed off, feeling abandoned, as the cat seemed to be leaving her and her problems behind.
Cherry's voice echoed through the air, a plaintive cry,
"Hey kitty! Wait up!"
She hurried after the cat, her footstep was light as she tried to keep pace with the agile feline.
"I know, I know.. I shouldn't have unloaded my emotional baggage on you.
It's not like you signed up for therapy sessions!" She chuckled.
"But seriously, kitty, come back! Let's track down your owner, and maybe they can offer me some advice on how to get my own life together!"
Cherry scanned her surroundings, her eyes scanning every nook and cranny, but the cat had vanished into thin air.
"I didn't take a shot after my emotions forced me a while ago... So why am I seeing things?"
Qué pasa?(What's happening?)
The cat I just saw disappeared?
She wondered confused.
Has the stress of the day finally gotten to her?
But then, just as suddenly as it had disappeared, the cat reappeared, its movements were swift.
It darted across the road, leaving Cherry to chase after it once more.
"Espera!(Wait), come back!"
She called out, her feet pounding the pavement as she struggled to keep up.
"What's happening to me?!"
Cherry wailed as she chased after the cat, her legs pumping furiously to keep up.
But her body was betraying her.
A deafening ringing filled her ears, and her vision began to tunnel.
She felt herself being dragged down, her limbs turning to lead, until she crashed to the ground, her head spinning like a top.
The world around her dissolved into chaos, a swirling vortex of colors and sounds, spinning wildly out of control, before finally, everything went black.
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Cherry's eyes opened up as it darted around, her heart racing like a jackrabbit as the sirens screamed and the lights flashed, putting her in the spotlight like a suspect in a lineup.
"What's going on?" she demanded, her voice shaking slightly.
Cherry's thoughts swirled, leaving her disoriented and questioning her sanity.
Had she merely dreamed the part about chasing a lost black cat through the winding streets? Or was it a hazy memory?
The sirens and lights were real enough, but everything else felt shrouded in a thick fog.
Her eyes narrowed, her thoughts crystallizing, - this could be about the CEO's wife and she was in trouble.
With determination and with fear, Cherry declared,
"Telo juro por Dios! (I swear to God) I didn't deliberately put the pin in that meal!
Raising her hand, blocking the intense lights, her voice ringing out, clear and strong.
"We thought your mother had rented a billboard to find you!" a voice exclaimed, as the crowd were around Cherry.
With a hushed tone, one of the passersby whispered to a fellow passerby,
"isn't that the daughter of the prestigious Company owner in City F? Isn't she an idol?
I thought she went missing some months ago? So she's finally out of her hideout?"
"What are you doing here, in our City? And how did you even get here, without anyone knowing?
You got everyone thinking you were missing!"
Passersby stopped to snap photos and record videos, while news reporters closed in, microphones at the ready.
Another passerby said, "Oh! How I've missed you on the internet, your shows, your contents, finally, we have you back!'
Cherry's hands remained clasped over her face, shielding her eyes from the harsh light, as she continued to plead her innocence.
"I'm telling you, I didn't put the pin in that meal! I..I can explain if you just listen.
Her voice was muffled by her hands.
"And I ...I don't know," she stammered.
"I was just walking, and then I saw a cat, and...and I don't know how I got here."
The crowd began to murmur, exchanging skeptical glances.
One of the reporters stepped forward with a microphone in hand.
"Miss Amy, can you explain why your mother thought you were missing?
Or if you were, can you reveal those who kidnapped you? And what's with the cat?"
Suddenly, a hand emerged from the sea of faces, reaching out to Cherry like a lifeline.
But the owner of the hand remained shrouded in mystery, his face obscured by the crowd.
Cherry's instincts screamed at her to be cautious, to not trust this unknown savior.
Yet, the alternative was too terrifying to contemplate - being dragged away, her name tarnished by a crime she knew she didn't commit intentionally, her parents' faces with shame.
The thought alone was enough to make her hesitate, and then, with a deep breath,
She placed her hand in the stranger's with so much builded courage feeling a spark as their palms touched.
The hand tightened around hers, pulling her forward, and Cherry stumbled after, leaving the chaos behind.
As she surrendered to the stranger's guidance, Cherry deliberately closed her eyes, surrendering to the unknown.
She didn't want to anticipate what lay ahead, fearing that her expectations might be crushed.
Instead, she chose to walk blindly into fate's arms, ready to face whatever awaited her - be it the cold steel of a jail cell or the warm embrace of a helping hand.
As she walked, the cacophony of the crowd faded into the distance, replaced by an eerie silence.
The only sound that broke the stillness was the soft creak of a car door opening.