I waited for the impact of my fall on the hole, but there was no pain as I found myself sitting below it. I touched the ground and frowned. It is too smooth and fluffy to be a rocky, dangerous underground. I crawl and find something to light up. Luckily I found a cabinet, then I moved my hand to the first drawer and found a lighter. I pressed it, and my eyes widened. My expectation of this place is reversed. This place has different paintings of animals and mountains. It is creepy, but it feels good. It has sky blue wallpaper with a touch of red on the walls, and it is like a room of a creative person. I spotted a tall lamp with a switch on it. As I tried to move closer, “Ouch!” I accidentally felt the lighter since it heated my thumb. I sighed, putting my thumb on my mouth to lessen the discomfort. Suddenly, I coughed roughly, I needed to change my shirt, or else I would get sick here. As I feel the hardness of breathing, I recall the most important thing I’ve learned living with Mi
Darkness crept me out, and I could not move until I felt the adrenaline rush when another growl echoed upstairs. I ran in the dark until I reached Caleb’s room. Without thinking, I made a noise when I knocked on the door too loudly, and the growl faded until it was already in the distance. I rushed to the other room and opened the window. I saw the large wolf running in the woods out of the mansion. My body quivers and keeps on throbbing. It is the same wolf. I am not hallucinating things. I am sure of it now. It is indeed an enormous wolf. When I was nine, at the orphanage, words spread out that wolves lived with humans. I thought it was only one of the scary stories that older adults wanted to tell kids who love playing at midnight, but now I am sure it is accurate. My legs were trembling, and my throat dried up. I shook my head and moved fast to open the light in the room. I must pull myself up and leave, or Caleb will see me here. I halted as I recalled Caleb without wearing anyt
In every word of Caleb’s best friend, there is something odd that he does not want to reveal. They are suspicious of their movements and seem to haven’t seen each other for a long time. Even though I am a few weeks here, it is evident that Caleb did not accept any visitors here. Charles’ surprised face when he saw me could not remove my head—he was relieved, then turned into sadness when he found out my name was Eliana.“Eliana!” I was startled, then got up and faced Caleb. “I thought you wanted to go out.” He smirked and went out.“Wait,” I said, following him outside the mansion. My jaw dropped as the sun directed at me. I ran outside and turned around, closing my eyes to feel the heat coming to my body. Nature is indeed helpful in forgetting any worries. I was ready to run on the highway, smiling ear to ear, but he grabbed my shirt.“You are so immature!” Caleb shouted. I pout my lips and walk behind him. As he kept walking, I did not look around and lowered my stare to the ground
Caleb never removed his hold on my hand. I find it cute, which I should not. I am indeed dreaming. It is too unreal to have this silent treatment towards him. My heart jumps with happiness which is not a good thing. “We’re here, but I can’t go inside.” He said, handing me a wallet. “What is this?” I asked.“You don’t know a wallet?” I smiled a bit and shook my head. Why do I even ask? I need money for the check-up. “Good. Go inside.” He said, putting his hand in his pocket. I sighed and walked inside the clinic. The nurse told me to wait because there was still another patient inside. I went first to the comfort room to wash my face, but on my way back, I froze on my stand. I run to return to the nurse station, unsure how to react to seeing Miss Rosie.“Miss Dion, your next,” the nurse smiled. I run inside the room, clasping my two hands.“Are you alright?” The doctor asked. I plastered a smile, hiding my nervousness, and nodded a little. “Take a seat,” I followed him, and he chec
The rush sounds of waves hit my ears. I blinked my eyes while roaming around. The trees danced with the wind, and the birds hummed with life. I look down, gasping at the vast water, then fear lingering in my body. It is a cliff. I am standing on a cliff. Word by word until it sinks into my thoughts. With just one inch of movement, I will be dead. My heart begins to pound, and I move backward with my legs trembling. “Relax,” a stern voice echoed around. Trying to see who is the man but I could not find him. Suddenly, in a snap of seconds, the footsteps are approaching. I turn my head, but someone pushes me on the ridge. I shout in horror until a warm hand touches my head. I am catching my breath and blinking my eyes.“What now?!” Caleb shouts at my face. I tilt my head to remove his hold. I am looking around at a pure white wall and ceiling. Hospital. I creased. As far as I can recall, I am only at the clinic.“Where are we?” He gets up, walks to the side of the room, and looks at the
Tears continuously streaming down my cheeks makes my heart so heavy and make me lose my appetite. Cleaning the table is the way I could reverse my thoughts. I am trying to calm myself and start washing the dishes. I kept myself busy since my emotions were so strange that I could not understand why I was emotional. My back hurts, and I am weary of the chores. I go straight to my room, changing my clothes when the gust noise starts at the ceiling. I look out the window. The rain starts pouring. It is slow, making a melody that makes me at ease. I jump in bed and close my eyes. —Time flies so fast. Nothing special happened in a week because Caleb returned for being a beast—locking himself in his room after that conversation in the dining room with Charles. It seems his mood is getting more and more gloomy. “Are you going out?” I was startled and turned around to face him. I nodded and could not grasp what to say. He walks past me and sits on the couch. I wait for his words as he grab
The deafening silence sits between Caleb and me. His heart beat quite loud while my throat dried up, making me run my fingers on my neck.“What are you doing here?” His voice was so firm, trying to control his anger. “I…” I’m trying to find the right word and cannot think of any. Until he grabs my arms, dragging me outside. His hold was so tight, and his nails pierced my skin. “Ouch!” I shout, pulling my hand, but his grip is too firm. “Please, let me go,” I sob while he keeps walking until we reach the living room. As I open my mouth, he removes his grip. “What are you doing in that room?” The muscles on his face moved with his gritted teeth. I move back. He groans as I keep silent. I startle and say, “I… accidentally fell into the hole,” I halted, not wanting to tell him more. Unsatisfied, he shakes his head and walks past me. I sigh, taking a deep breath when he shouts, “You are a liar!” I close my eyes for a moment, controlling myself from weeping. Until I heard the loud bang o
I changed clothes but stayed in the room, strolled, and placed my head on the door. It is too silent outside. I get up, shaking my hands to ease the nerves. How am I going to start talking to Caleb? The door suddenly swung open. I turn back, looking up at the ceiling. He cleared his throat. “Go out and prepare breakfast,” My jaw drops. Caleb is not going to drag me out. I faced him and nodded, but he just headed back outside the door. I followed him and went straight to the kitchen. As I start cooking, a soothing sweet smell hit my nostrils. Then it followed with a loud thud upstairs. I run upstairs, panicking to check him while creasing my forehead. His room was empty, but the wind coming through the open balcony door while the curtain danced in the air made me gasp. Strange. He is opening the balcony now. I move forward and start walking inside. A loud gasp echoed downstairs as I was about to go to the balcony. Suddenly, my body trembles in fear. “What are you doing here?” I tilte
Eliana gets up and takes a shower to forget about the dream. But she can’t forget how Gonzalo reacted when she told him about the dream. She sighs while wrapping the towel to herself.After half an hour of preparing, Eliana stared at the mirror. Her eyes dilated and moved backward until a loud noise on the floor echoed in the room. She turned around and saw the pieces of glass. She frowned and was about to pick it up when the door opened.Gonzalo stepped into the room, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than necessary, before he nodded and gave a smirk. "Get dressed. We’ll head to the office now." She nodded and then Gonzalo walked out of the room.—Eliana was working quietly, her hands methodically cleaning the space around her. She didn&
The wind blows, swaying in the rhythm of the trees, and birds sing. The light so blue gives so much energy. Eliana closed her eyes the sun hit her face, and suddenly fast footsteps approached, and a loud growl followed in a flash. Then the light seemed dark, and thunder was sprinting in the sky. She turned around, and her eyes widened. The woman…Eliana wakes up with a sweaty head. She is trying to catch her breath while holding the blanket. In her thoughts, what a weird dream—-A different one, giving so many emotions inside her that feel so real.She shook her head and continued her chores. She did not see Gonzalo all day until evening. She decided to forget her dream and expected to sleep so well.But that evening, just as she had drifted into a fitful sleep. She stood on the edge of a cliff, staring out at the vast, endless ocean below. The air was thick with the scent of salt and wind. The sky was a strange shade of crimson as if the sunset itself was caught in a constant state of
The days had become a blur of silence and strange interactions. Under Gonzalo's watchful eyes, Eliana hadn’t fully adjusted to her new life. Though she had settled into the routine of working in his office, her mind was constantly wandering, trying to grasp the cause of the situation she had found herself in. Her ability, once so sharp and vivid, seemed to be fading. Each day that passed, she felt a little less like the person who could bend metal and see things in far distance The only trace of that power left within her was a vague sense of unease, a feeling that something had slipped through her fingers, and she couldn’t quite hold on to it anymore.The oddest thing, though, was the petals.Every night, when she returned to her small room in the building, she would find them scattered across her bed. Rose petals. Delicate and soft, they glowed faintly in the room's dim light. At first, Eliana thought nothing of it. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, or maybe someone had left them b
Eliana stood in the silence of the office, the hum of the fluorescent lights above now the only sound filling her senses. Her fingers hovered over the trash can by the door, her mind still racing from the strange events of the morning—The man she had seen in the hallway. It had been the oddest sensation, her senses had stretched far beyond what they should have been. She could feel every vibration, and the shift of air, as though the walls were alive. It is unusual—like she is dreaming. Her abilities began to get stronger and she might get lost and harm people. She shakes her body, trying to calm herself.As she glanced at the metal lid of the trash can, something caught her eye. It was a simple object, nothing out of the ordinary in the grand scheme of things, but there was something different now about her eyes tracking the lines of the metal. Her pulse quickened as her vision sharpened, the
Eliana was so shocked to see the big brown wolf face to face. She can’t move until Gonzalo hits it on the back. The wolf growled so loud that pierced Eliana’s ears. She gets up and does not know where her strength came from. She did not think twice and ran as fast as she could. Unexpectedly, she stumbled on the tree trunk on the grass. She tried to resume her momentum to run but she saw dripping blood on her legs. She screamed in fear until she passed out.Gonzalo stared at the brown eyes of the wolves in front of him. The big brown wolf growled so loud and turned around. Gonzalo did not waste time and carried Eliana. He touched her forehead and whispered, “Everything will be alright. Rest and forget these things.”—Eliana stood frozen in the middle of the office, the air a
Eliana's feet slid into the dirt, and she breathed in quick, harsh bursts. The storm raged around her, yet the noise didn't drown her out, driving her heart race. She'd never felt more out of control, and the space between her and Gonzalo seemed like an ocean.She hadn’t meant to come out here. She hadn’t meant to confront him. But now that she was, standing just a few feet from him, the truth hung in the air—heavy, suffocating.Gonzalo’s eyes darted nervously toward the trees. Something stirred in the woods, just beyond the line of rain-soaked branches, a low growl spiked a fear in her bones. She felt the chill on her exposed skin and in her veins, which only served to heighten her resolve to uncover the truth. The storm wasn't the only thing. The tension in the air seemed off for some reason.
The rain hit against the roof, and the constant pouring panicked Eliana’s thoughts, keeping her on edge. The quiet after the explosion still hung heavy in the air. The danger had left, but the unease lingered, settling deep within her chest like a weight she couldn’t bear.She ambled around the room, unable to sit still. Her mind replayed the events from the night before. Gonzalo’s calmness had bothered her, the way he’d brushed off the explosion with such ease, the faint flicker in his eyes when she asked about it. It wasn't just him, though. It was the growl she had heard, the one that made her skin tingle and seemed to rattle the air. The woodland was where it had come from. She was certain. What makes it an animal? She kept asking herself this question until she heard another loud smash outside, followed by the howling wind that seemed to lash through the trees with unnatural ra
Eliana tried to escape to the man beside her, but his grip was tight around her arms. Her eyes looked around, desperate to find a way out, but the darkness swallowed everything. Why is it so dark? The question echoed in her mind, her breathing rapid and shallow.A light appeared in the distance, just enough to see the man's face. Then, she takes the chance to escape."Ahhhh!" The sound hit her ears as her leg scraped against something sharp. She winced, pain shooting up her side, and her hands flew to the nearest tree trunk, fingers digging into the rough bark.Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last, drowning out all other noise. Clinging to the tree, Eliana struggled to pull herself up, feet scrambling to climb again. Sweat trickled down her brow, mingling with the dirt and blood
Everything seemed the same. Eliana returned to doing chores in exchange for Gonzalo's kindness in caring for her and letting her live in his house. At first, she felt like a robot, performing the same tasks repeatedly.She reached for the broom and started sweeping when she gasped and dropped it.“Are you okay?” Gonzalo asked.Eliana forced a smile and grabbed the broom. A loud growl resounded, but it lasted just a second. “Perhaps you're hungry. Let’s eat.” She nodded, ran out of the kitchen, and began preparing the food. Gonzalo smiled, and they started eating. The silence gnawed at her, making it difficult to chew the pork properly as if she wanted to vomit until Gonzalo’s phone rang. He answered it with a frown.“I have to go,” Gonzalo said, then left. Eliana exhaled deeply and grabbed a glass of water. She thought it would be the last time. She needed to get along with him until she could find a way out.The next day, Gonzalo knocked on her door. She opened it and gawked. Gonzalo