The blood splattered everywhere staining the once white floor .
The victim fell to th ground with a hole in his head.
Gasps and shrieks could be heard as everyone backed away from the scene, grabbing the very next person beside them, reflexively , out of fear. Bella was grabbed by a single mom carrying her baby at the back.
Meanwhile, Winow shield off the little girl's vision from such gory sight. It was shocking and terrifying incident, everyone was having hard time to wrap their head around.
!!!
Winow jumped when she had an eye contact with the killer.
IT IS THE MAN FROM ALLEY !!!!
Inspite, the killer being cladded in all back and having his face covered by a black mask , Winow could instantly recognise the man – It was the one of the killers from the alleyway. His blue eyes were hard to forget.
Winow stiffened in her boots unable to move or unable to look away. Her mind was telling her to runaway, this man is pure evil , but her body refused to coordinate. It was as if her legs were paralysed .
Something sinister brewed in his eyes as he stared into her eyes before finally walking away along with the guards surrounding him .
Winow lost the strength in her limbs, sliding down onto the floor while her body trembled. A wave of coldness washed over her as she struggled to compose herself.
' No! No! No! Don't tell me I am his next target '. Winow panicked , her heart thundering against her rib cage . The last thing she heard was people screaming, before the world went black .
**********
Slowly opening her eyes , Winow found herself in a pristine white room . Everything around her was white.
" Where am I? What had happened to me ? "
She looked around herself finding saline attached to her . She tried to get up but stopped from doing so by the nurse lady who came to check up on her .
" Miss I will avoid you to lay down. You haven't recovered yet . Take rest not stress ." The nurse lady said .
" Nurse madam , can you tell me what had happened to me ? "
" You have actually passed out in the mall . The passerbys and your friend bought you to the hospital. Wait here , I will inform your friends they have been worried sick about you ".
Winow nodded . The nurse went out after few minutes the room was flooded with people.
Along with Bella , there was Chris , Merry , Tyson and Reese, her class president and one of the good friends.
" Thank goodness you are okay. We were scared when we received call over which Bella was crying, telling something has happened to you . " Reese said sighing in relief, handing over the flowers she had brought along with herself.
" Get well soon " Chris handed her some fruits while Tyson gave her a box filled with variety of dry fruits.
Merry came forward softly hugging Winow and giving the hand cooked food she had made herself. " I hope you soon returned to your healthy self ".
" I was so worried about you. " Bella too give a hug to Winow . Through her tear stained cheeks , it was visible that she had been crying since a very long time .
" For such a young age you take too much stress. Your report has come out and it's states due to high blood pressure you fainted. One of the major reason for high blood pressure in your case is stress . So avoid taking stress ." The nurse who was in the sideline adviced .
" Here have this pills . " The nurse handed over some vitamin supplement pills . After she made sure Winow has taken it , the nurse left the room .
" I understand we have all problems in our life and we take stress because of it . But that doesn't mean you will comprise your health for it . Enough is enough! After you get discharged, I will take you to an amazing place. " Reese stated leaving no room for refusal.
Chris , Merry , Bella and Tyson nodded in agreement.
Winow couldn't help but feel emotional. She has such good friends who take care of her . Only if her parents were as loving and caring as her friends, her life would have been so different.
**************
In the evening , after Winow had ample of rest and was discharged, she was dragged by Reese to ' Wonderplair Mall ' one of the biggest mall .
" Why we are here ? " Winow asked in confusion.
" We will know soon ". Reese replied .
Winow was dragged to first floor, from where a stage was visible from above . Her eyes widened when she saw the poster of her favourite boyband , " Eliptic Horizon ".
" Eliptic Horizon " was one of the biggest boyband of their country with hit songs like " Starlight Promise" , " Run to horizon" , "Eternal Glow " , " Moonlight Desire " , " Neon Promise " , etc . It was a 6 member group with multiple individual albums and recognition. They are highly influential people, hence their merches and the products they are brand ambassador of tends to sold out within minutes . They have garnered multiple national and international achievements and fans. They are also major contributors of country's economy.
Winow love them all but her bias is Zachery Lancaster , popular by his stage name 'Zach'. He is the vocalist, main dancer and visual of the group. Along with him being an popular member of ' Eliptic Horizon ' ; he has worked as an anchor in multiple shows ; runs a cooking show channel and vlog channel on Mtube ; is the CEO of Galvelanc Watches (luxurious watch brand ) and also has acted as an actor in multiple hit movies , dramas and webseries.
Winow loves him like a fan , inspired by his hardwork, kindness and determination to strive even in hardest situation. His life documentary of going from rags to riches has motivated her multiple times.
She never expected, she will be able to see their live concert. She almost shrieked in happiness when, Reese showed her fanmeet tickets .
" Thank you...thank you so much , Reese . I love you ." She hugged Reese tightly.
" Welcome my dear friend. I also love you ...as Friends ofcourse. " Chuckling, she returned back the hug .
There was a hour before the event started so Reese and Winow went to buy ' Eliptic Horizon ' merch and light sticks .
Soon the event started, the crowd went crazy when ' Eliptic Horizon ' arrived on the stage . Total five songs all from the recent album were performed by the group , " Moonstruck Love " , " Moonlight Fever " , " You Are My Sun And I Am Your Moon " , " Under The Moonlight" , " My Moon Without Scars" all in a sequence. The crowd went crazy by the seductive dance steps. Winow couldn't help blushing and enjoying the concert . They even performed their individual songs from their individual albums.
Overally the concert was lit .
Reese and Winow, both were excited for the fanmeet . They couldn't wait to meet their biases . Reese bias was ' Ryul ' , the rapper and the leader of the group. And Winow's was ' Zach '.
They didn't have to wait long , soon their turn came and soon had their album signed by every member. There were some funny intercations and some quirky interactions.
Finally Winow got the chance to meet her bias .
Zach : " Hii "
Winow : " Hii , I am your big fan...I mean your group's big fan but you are my bias . You are the most inspiring person. Thank you for being so bright that you discard the surrounding the dark world."
Zach chuckled finding your words comforting.
Zach : " Thank you very much . So who is your bias in the group, again ? " .
Zach asked signing the album, with a flirty smirk.
" You " Winow replied timidly , slightly blushing in the process.
Zach : " So you wouldn't mind me holding your hands right? ".
Winow: " Huh !? "
Before Winow had the time to process what had happened, her hand was already wrapped around by Zion's hands . Winow blushed at the touch . She realised how big his hand was against hers. A hue of pink coated her cheeks when he interlaced her finger with her.
Zach : " Your hands are just as beautiful and cute as your face . It will compell a man to wife you up as soon as possible."
Winow blushed , her face turning red like tomato. Zach noticing her expression giggled.
Zach : " You are so cute. Sorry for being flirty , actually we got tasks to make 5 beautiful fans blush to win a cup of noodles.".
Winow : " Hey that's cheating, you caught me off guard, I wasn't blushing ." She playfully replied. Thanking him , she moved to next idol.
The fanmeeting peacefully concluded without much chaos or trouble being caused.
******************
" So, shall we head home now ? " Winow asked.
" Why ? It's so early. Let's wander little more. Let's go to the food court . I have heard that they have delicious food " Saying Reese, dragged Winow along with her to the food court which was situated in the ground floor.
The food court inside the mall was a spacious, lively area with a variety of food options to suit everyone's taste. Bright lighting and modern décor created an inviting atmosphere, with plenty of seating for individuals and groups. Stalls offered a wide range of dishes, from flavorful non-veg options like grilled chicken and kebabs to veggie-friendly meals like pasta and stir-fries. International cuisines like sushi and tacos too were added to the variety.
The prices were affordable for everyone, with budget-friendly deals alongside more indulgent choices. The food court's lively ambiance, filled with the scent of fresh food, made it a popular spot for customers to enjoy a quick, satisfying meal.
Reese ordered a veg burrito while Winow ordered a grilled chicken sandwich for herself.
" I need to go washroom" Saying Winow got up from the seat . Reese nodded having her fill .
Winow was midway when she realised she doesn't know the way to the washroom. She stopped one of the passing by male staff .
" Excuse me, do you know where is the women's washroom. "
" Yes mam , please go straight then turn right then left, take another right, you will find the washroom. " The male staff directed .
" Okay , thank you for your help ". Winow thanked him .
" No problem mam ". The male staff nodded , going in his way .
Winow followed his direction and ended infront of a corridor where there was a board on which it was written ' Way to washroom ' with arrow pointing into the deserted corridor.
" Oh thank goodness I finally found the washroom" Winow mumbled to herself relieved on finding the washroom in this maze like mall .
But there was one problem, infront of the corridor was a creepy woman wearing surgical mask and looking everywhere as if trying to find someone , was standing.Her messy hair was tied into a low bun . She had a brownish stained tote bag hanging around her shoulder.
Strange.
And suspicious.
" Excuse me , miss please move aside , I need to go to the washroom. It's urgent". Winow asked trying her best to be polite even though she was extremely creeped out by the strange behaviour of the women .
The woman didn't say anything but moved away from Winow's path. Winow quickly ran into the corridor until she noticed a door with " female washroom" board hanging on it .
Winow quickly entered in .
**************
" Ah! Feels so refreshing ! " Winow exclaimed getting out of the washroom.
*Sob!*
*Heuk!*
*Sob!*
*Sob!*
" Huh !? "
Winow suddenly heared someone sobbing around. Initially, when she entered the washroom she didn't notice maybe her focus was on her business but now ...she heard the sounds coming from the trashbin beside the male washroom. She walked forward to see behind the trashcan.
She was taken aback at the sight.
There was a man beside the trash can , trembling insanely . He was sweating profusely especially his forehead was completely covered with sweat . He wasn't breathing properly, choking on his sobs as his tears wet the black mask covering his mouth and nose . He was hyperventilating, clutching his chest tightly with his hands .
He was having a panic attack.
Winow knew how to handle patients suffering from panic attack . She quickly crouched beside him , softly patting his back .
" Shhhh...shhh..calm down. ".
The man suddenly hugged Winow , catching her off gaurd but she didn't pondered on it more rather focused on helping the man .
" I can't....breath " The man stuttered clutching the hem of Winow's top .
" Breath in , breath out . Follow my words , I know you can do it . You are a brave man ." She said caressing his back . She noticed the man was choking on his mask , so she took off his mask to let him breath properly.
She was dumbstrucked when she saw his face was revealed.