Beguile

Chapter 15

I couldn't tell her.

That Femi was dragged and butchered to be eaten by another human being.

And that she was alive too, until we left her there -cold and crying as she felt the blade slicing through her skin, and cant even run with her legs dislocated from impact.

When she fell, I remember that bits of her flesh had flew off, blood had splatter all over the place, her legs brutally turned upside down, and one of her eyeball had pop out of its socket. We thought she was dead. But it shouldnt be our fault that she wanted to live while her body crumbles on a puddle of blood. Her desperation is what made her suffer.

I couldnt tell El though. It's too harsh, too scary. It will keep her up at night.

"We're almost there" She clasps her hands, her grin getting bigger as we walk. "They'd be excited!"

"They?"

"Our classmates-" she paused. "I know you have a rotting memory, but you should atleast know some of their names!"

A laugh escape my lips. "I do"

"Yikes Ken, dont be so defensive"

"What? I wasn't!"

"See? Defensive" She burts out laughing. She almost wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, but then remembered that her hands have dirt stuck to dried blood. "We should really walk faster, I swear I feel something twiggling on my hand!"

"Poor El, I'll console you with the power of hug"

She quickly put a distance between us. When I saw her shiver from nausea, I found myself the one laughing.

"God no" she held her hands up. "You need to hug the shower! If this is a zombie apocalypse, you're already infected! In Anaconda, you'd be headless right now from oozing all those blood. In Aliens versus Predators, they'd think you're each others ally. In Carrie, everyone would think you are twins! TWINS!"

My mouth just hung open. Thats a lot! I couldnt make a comeback when she got references, besides when did she even watch movies? But I'm still glad, that Elisse didnt change even through this situation. She's still my friend.

"We're finally here"

I thought I'll be seeing a cave, like the one I was brought to -cramped and dark, and all you can hear is when bugs crawl through the cracks. However, a huge shack lay before us. The wood had turned into a moldy green, and it looks like it will knock over if it's flick with a finger but it's a better shelter still.

"How did you find this? This is huge!" I couldn't contain my curiosity. A random shack in the middle of the woods is definitely the start of a horror movie.

"I know right! The dorm and the school doesn't sound safe, so we were walking around trying to avoid them and we found this!"

"Don't you think it's a little suspicious?"

"It definitely is!" Elise chimed "But it has running water" She wiggles her eyebrows and puff out her chest feeling proud.

At a distance, the shack still feels abandoned. There's no electricity, so it stood there in darkness, almost wrapped in the cold fog, and the green mold sways in silence. I couldn't believe that I'd miss the laughter and the singing... the bonfire was the beginning of our end.

Elise knocked on the door in which she calls a secret knock- it was a Happy Birthday song.

When a voice spoke through asking on who she's with, she explained that I'm a friend and basically harmless. It was an easy interrogation, the security is too lax.

When the door opened, I wasn't able to see who guarded it when El suddenly spoke. "We're allowed to be ourselves now" she said in a serious tone. "The rule was removed, we can share informations however we want. However, that also made people act different. The people in our class are not what they used to be. The land we're in is a prison, we might know that we're all criminals but we don't know of each other's crimes."

I was taken aback. I couldn't help but asked. "How bout you? Are you still the Elise that I know?"

Her eyes grew wide but then it quickly masked into a squinch and her lips molded into a smile. "Of course. And you?"

"Yes" I have no other answer, even I dont know who I am.

We're now heading to her room to get us some clothes, on the way I felt some of their gaze etched with worry. Our classmates are opposite of El, their ghastly eyes had followed me and their dry lips bleeds as they tremble from anxiety. I thought El's group were doing good, but as we walk pass them, only El hums a cheerful tone.

"I think I should warn you on this one" Elise said. "He honestly freak me out, he just did a complete 180 when all this started."

"Why? Do you think there's a murderer here?" I whispered in panic. I braced myself, I should protect my friend.

"Not a murderer, I think. But he's a complete psycho still. You should stay away from E-"

I hit on a wall. I couldn't her what she said.

I saved myself from getting tumbled, and I instinctively rub my nose to see if I broke a cartilage. When I look up, I found that the wall is in fact a hard chest.

He tilt his head down to look at me. When his hazel eyes met mine, I immediately knew who the chest belong to, who wouldn't when he's academically brilliant. He's rude and cold, but he's tall with a pretty face.

"Eron, Im sorry" I immediately apologized. The 5 inches difference in our height intimidates me.

Cold had run down my spine, and I just stood there with clammy hands. Why isn't he moving?

Suddenly, he kneels right in front of me. I sensed a feel of deja vu, more so when he started to speak. Before, I could hardly hear his voice. He was always alone, and only spoke when it's necessary for him. I couldn't believe on what I'm hearing.

"What?" My eyes grew wide.

"Hit me again, please?" He looks at me with hopeful eyes. I could almost see them sparkling.

"Why would I hit you?" I asked horrified.

Fortunately, Elise is quick to interrupt. She swings her arms between us. "Okay, no one's hitting anyone!" She turned to him, "Eron, honey, how about you go to Christine. She'd be willing to kick you"

He nods incessantly, then he quickly ran by us.

"What just happened?"

"That's what Im trying to say, Eron turned into a masochist!" She swings her arms as if to make a point. "All this time. All this time! And we didn't notice a damn thing!" She exclaimed. "But that must be the dude's crime. He's must've stalked some poor girl -asking to hit him!"

I turned to look for him but he's already gone. Instead, a couple of familiar faces stares back at me.

We didn't notice anything about Eron. We thought he's just someone clever who happens to be antisocial. But now, I realize that he was more than an honor student, he's capable of thinking but he's also capable to hide secrets. In the multiple faces I see here, I know that each of them hide their own secrets, but I wonder on who among them has the darkest to unveil.