Beguile

Chapter 18

"You're coming with me. I heard that they were kicking you out, what an awful friend I would be if I look the other way."

"You don't need to. I'll only drag you down." It's true, what can I even do. I don't have an ounce of knowledge in survival nor do I have the skills to protect myself. It's better for me to be alone.

"Nonsense." He stood up and slowly walk towards me. Then he bent till his lips reached my ears. "We can only rely on each other."

"But-"

"That's right!" The door burst open. Tears are yet again on El's eyes. "I didn't know that you were thinking about us like that! I thought you're cold-bloodied but you're actually hiding a magma within you!"

Kurt heavily sigh, his brows furrowed. "I didnt say anything about bringing you along"

"Are you actually eavesdropping on us?" My thoughts were buried when El tightly clutch on his leg.

"Friends aren't supposed to have secrets!"

"Let go!"

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate you!"

"Go away!"

I laughed. I couldn't hold it in. I know it's not appropriate when our lives are in havoc, and the people outside are on edge but this moment may rarely come. I know that most are still hiding themselves, everything will be worst once everyone show their true colors.

They let us go, or it's best to say that they were relieve when we told them we're leaving.

In my case, I don't have a choice. I would even stay and hide within its four corners just to be safe. What I don't understand is why they're okay with leaving. I eat up what I said earlier: I can definitely stay with people I don't trust as long as I can have something in exchange.

"Can you tell us now about where we're going?" I asked.

"Dont worry too much, I promise that it will be comfortable." He evade the question again. He never told us anything.

The sky have already darken and the fog thickens amongst giant trees. El's hold around my arm tightens as cold breeze pass by us, while Kurt is on my left still undisturbed by the change.

"Are you sure we're going to the right place?"

"We're almost there, just dont move away from my side."

The grass are longer under our feet and the surrounding is eerily quiet -though it's always been, and it's easy to catch sight of anything lurking behind us.

Someone's here.

Someone is following us.

I thought it could be my brain tricking me caused of stress. Before, I hear when insects legs scrape against the hard trunks, and the disgusting screeching noise they make. But this one is different.

It steps on the grass as we do, breath as we do, and ghastly eyes observed us as we go.

I look at El and Kurt. Did they realize? Is it just in my head? Or are they feigning ignorance?

"Are we there yet?" I whispered.

"Almost." His smile is no different. He doesn't show any hint of suspicion.

Maybe it's really just in my head.

After a few minutes of walking and turning, not once did anyone speak. Occasionally, Kurt's fingers would graze into mine but nothing more than that, while El's hands finds its way to curl up on my arms. She had to uncomfortably hunch her back once in a while when she rests her head on my shoulder. Warm breath would often fan on my skin, and it helps distracts the uncanny frightful stride that neither belongs to the three of us.

Then a minute pass. Then another. We were still walking, until we stop.

There's no change in the weather. The surrounding still felt like a blur from the fog but it's not as cold as it looks. However, I felt invisible fingers run along my spine and my body run cold.

The hands on my arm turned into a grip, and her nails are digging into my flesh but this time it didn't distract me from the foggy silhouette moving towards us.

Slowly.... Gradually she was getting close but neither mine nor the other's feet can move. It's as if we're glued to the ground.

Despite the heavy fog, the first thing I saw was the silver knife glinting back and forth from her hands but when the fog disappeared from her body my fingers began to tremble and my throat squeezes shut.

She have blood all over her, but it wasn't that which made me choked with horror. It was her smile.... She had carved her face into a permanent smile. Blood have run down her cheeks from the gruesome tear, and bits of flesh were left hanging.

I want to cry.

My stomach churned from horror. And I cant close my eyes. I fear that even if I close them or look away, her appearance is still what I see. I fear that it already engraved into my brain, giving me a non-ending nightmare.

"Guys, I missed you." I flinch. The sound when she speaks was revolting, raw flesh would rub against each other and her cheeks pumps out a mixture of blood and saliva. It's as if she's drooling from her cheeks, the thick gooey dark liquid was constantly hanging from her face.

"Jen?" Kurt wondered, his voice heavy of disgust.

She put her hands up. "So scary. But don't worry, you'll never see me again. I just want one thing.". She pointed at something in front of her, when she spoke panic roared through me. "How about you come with me Kennedy."

"Go away, Jen." El hides me in her back. "Don't even try. You wont stand a chance against the three of us"

"Three? Are you even sure?"

"Did you torn out your eyes too? If you didn't, how about you try counting."

Jen's cheeks ripped up when her smile widens. "You haven't change do you?" She burst into unrestrained laughter. "You're so innocent I could've pitied you. I mean I am the same after all, I value friendship. But what did you all do? You drove Femi to her death. My only friend! She was so nice, so kind, so beautiful. She was the only one I have!"

In a disheveled heap her grief poured out in an uncontrollable tears. "It was all your fault!" She pointed at me, trying to speak up from her strangled cry.

"I didn't do anything!" I tried to defend myself. I wondered on why they kept blaming me, do they hate me so much that they point on me of unlawful doings? I felt my heart crack as I struggled not to cry.

"Lies! Lies! Lies! Femi would never lie."

"I didn't-"

"If you only said the truth, she wouldn't have to die! Then I wouldn't be left alone!" She had wiped her eyes so much they were red and swollen. And I..... I couldn't speak, if I do an onslaught sob would tore through my mouth. Jen wouldn't believe me, and if I break down now, I fear that El would look at me with same eyes. "You're really on that bitch's side?"

"Im always on my friend's side."

"Then too bad one of your friends doesn't feel the same."

I didn't understand what she meant.

We were only out here because we believed on Kurt's words that our friendship is the only thing we can rely on. I believed on El who haven't change, still clumsy, still happy, still positive, and that there are others like her. I believed on Lucas whom I haven't met yet, I believed he was fine according from Kurt's words.

His words....

I believed that he was still my friend.

When Kurt steps to stand beside Jen, my heart which was welled with tears had shut. My tears had stop and my eyes were red, except it was not from crying. My fingers were trembling. And my heart...

My heart began to numb.

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