Nine Ways How

Chapter 31| LETTER 2

E L A R A

Neville reads the next letter and tries to figure out what point is dropped in this poem.

He fold it back and let out a sigh before speaking, "The very next day in the evening when Waylon was out with his friend, he got a message from his mom. It was something like, 'Elara is here at our home, come home soon she wants to meet you"

"Sheer shock took place on his face, he was afraid of why you were there. Because he saw a very different side of you after Fiona was jailed just yesterday, he was afraid of what things you're going to do to change this whole suicide case."

"He hurried his way home and sighed seeing Nat and his mom seating on the couch"

"Who is Nat?" I ask.

"His younger sister" he replies.

"He realized that you were gone from his house strangely, his mother told him that you talked with Nat and left meanwhile she was preparing you a coffee"

"What did I talk with Nat?" I ask. He shakes his head. He doesn't know? I don't remember any of it either.

"Another message pops up on his mobile and his expression changes in horror reading it. It was a message from Poppy, saying that you are there at her house with... your boyfriend, waiting for her at the pool. She didn't want to meet you alone so she asked Waylon to come too-"

"Did you just say your boyfriend?!"

He nods. "Who was he?" I ask, seeing him staring down at the floor and not answering anything. Why is he not saying anything? With whom I was in a relationship?

My hands hold my forehead and I close my eyes trying to remember that day. Focus, deep breaths, and I can do it. I can remember. Pain strikes my head as I fist my hair tightly to stand it all.

I stand near the swimming pool and wait for her to come. Why is she taking so much time, I don't have the whole night. It's already 9:00 pm. "Hey?" I hear a voice from behind and turn around, looking at Poppy.

"What do you want?" she asks.

I smile, "This is not the question you're supposed to ask a guest, Poppy"

She pauses, reconsidering her question, "We can sit inside and talk"

"Ah, I like it here," I say, letting out a pleasurable soft moan feeling the small breeze out here.

"So, Poppy, I want to ask you that... where's the other footage?"

She looks at me in horror, "I- I don't have any-"

"Where. Is. The. Footage" I ask, stepping near her. My voice is as hard as the pressure inside the depth of the ocean.

"I don't have the footage. I had" she says.

"You had? Where it is now?" I ask.

"I don't know... like, it just got disappeared from me"

I let out a small laugh, "Really Poppy, you think I trust you with this ridiculous story? Just handle me the footage you recorded with your hidden camera"

"If you don't trust me, you can leave" she shrugs her shoulders, "What you're going to face in your future are the consequences of your actions, why you're afraid now?"

She turns around to leave but I push her and she falls at the swimming pool's edge. Before she could balance herself, I grab her neck in just one blink and push her head into the pool's cold unkind water, "You're not getting away from me that easily, Poppy. Tell me where is the other footage video!"