Chapter 3: Intruder in my Apartment

"Rise, my sweet, precious Luna." 

I heard rustling sounds and a soft giggle from a distance first before that gentle voice rumbled in my head. The warm tone urged my eyes open to see Anya playing with Fluffy on the grass. I shifted and realized I was lying at the pergola, a throw pillow around my arms and against my chest. A bit disoriented, I sat upright and glanced at the kennel behind me. 

Was that a dream? Did I fall asleep? 

My mind raced back through the recent events. The last thing I remembered before falling unconscious was the face of an unfamiliar man. But before that, what was I doing? The moment I approached the kennel, it was a reality. Was it? I was trying to write something on my laptop and got distracted by the dog's scratching noise before I left my seat to check it and…

I rested my forehead on my palm as my head throbbed. What exactly was a part of the dream, and what was not?

Anya's soft giggle resounded in the garden again. My eyes widened as the sight finally registered on me. Fluffy was lying on the grass while Anya sat beside him, almost leaning on his soft furs while stroking his tummy. 

Did I just dream of him becoming a man? I stared at nothing, completely lost in the ridiculous thoughts, until Anya called for me. 

"Ate Raya!" she giggled. "You're awake!"

She stood up from her position and ran over to me. 

"Hey, little one," I greeted her with a smile and reached out to stroke her hair. I looked around for Belinda and realized there was no one around. My brows furrowed. I quickly stood and glared at the stalking massive dog. "Where's Belinda? Have you been playing with your dog alone?" 

"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You're sleeping and look tired. Fluffy and I play while you rest." Her smile widened as she pulled on the pink leash and guided Fluffy closer to us. 

I blinked. In my dream, no pink leash was around the man's neck. I didn't remember seeing it around the dog's neck, which was odd because he had it since the first day he arrived here. 

I convinced myself that that was definitely just a dream and focused on Anya. 

"But it's dangerous to play with him alone," I said, taking the leash from her to guide the dog back into his kennel. But it suddenly fought back and planted its claws on the ground. I shook it and tried again, but he refused to go. "This isn't funny. Let's get you back in your house. Anya, you're not supposed to take him out of the kennel without supervision."

"But I wanna play with him. And you're asleep. He doesn't bite, Ate Raya. He's nice. Let us play here for a little more, please?" She pouted her lips and blinked her big brown eyes. "Since you're awake now? Hmm?"

She could play with Fluffy, okay? It was her dog, but I preferred to have someone else join us. I couldn't handle the beast if it suddenly went violent. Clearly, it seemed no threat, but I couldn't keep my guard down around him. Anya's safety was my top priority.

There was no other person around. I would prefer the guard or Belinda to be with us. After that dream, I was more suspicious of the beast and couldn't trust its enormous weight around the little girl. 

Belinda stepped out of the house to join us. She helda tray of cookies and juice for Anya. 

"Come, come, have your snacks first. You must be tired of playing with that beastly," she said to Anya as she settled the tray on the table inside the pergola. The little girl pouted and glanced at Fluffy before soon giving up to sit on the sofa. She happily enjoyed her treat while I put a baby towel Belinda handed to me on her back. I sighed at the amount of sweat on her dress and decided to fix her ponytail for her again. 

While she was busy, I faced Fluffy and grabbed his leash, once again trying to get him back in his house, but he was adamant. The dog silently snarled at me. I backed away slowly, but he did not follow. He had this determined expression that settled on his face. His ears raised, and he growled at me as if he could scare me off with that fierce expression.

Anya noticed what was happening and laughed. The beast turned his attention to her. His growls softened to a low whine. Anya thought it was a hilarious game and held her hand to gesture him to come to her. He obeyed. He crawled to her and lowered his head to Anya's outstretched arm. He dropped himself to the ground and licked her hand.

Anya laughed even louder. "That's the cutest thing ever! Don't you think, Ate Raya? He's the cutest thing?" 

I grimaced and watched them silently, not sure what to do. My gaze kept shifting to them and to the kennel to reimagine what happened in my dream. But the memory was slowly fading away. I stared at the dog to remember bits of it but ultimately shook my head and the thoughts away. 

It was good for a new storyline, but I don't write paranormal novels. 

I sat on the seat adjacent to Anya and grabbed my laptop, hoping to see something similar to my dream, but there was none. Perhaps I had typed something about it to have that kind of dream occur to me. But a blank screen was staring back at me. 

Once again confused, I glanced at Fluffy and caught a pair of silver eyes watching me while Anya continued to pet his head. 

Then I remember the voice in my mind before I stirred awake. It addressed me as Luna, and I knew no one by that name.

Night came, and the moonlight shone into Anya's room. I stroked her hair and heard her tiny snores. I smiled and closed the storybook before returning it to the shelf. It was time for me to go, and I was earlier than usual. Anya got so tired playing with Fluffy during the afternoon that she easily fell asleep before I could finish her bedtime story. 

I walked to the window to close the blinds, but for some reason, I expectantly looked up at the sky and the starry sky. The moon was not visible from here, but I had a strong urge to have a glimpse of it. As always. 

My apartment was just a walking distance outside the village. I could look up at the moon on my way home. I closed the curtain and turned off the light before leaving the room. 

In the living room, Mr. Bello sipped his cup of coffee, his laptop on the table facing him. He looked up at me and fixed the reading glasses on his nose.

He was in his late fifties. Anya was their miracle daughter, and luckily, she was born healthy. 

Mr. Bello looked decent and had that mature aura around him. The thing that stood out the most was his genuine, warm smile. I could only imagine the countless girls who swooned over him in his younger days. 

Mrs. Bello had told me that her husband used to be one of the most popular guys in high school. And that was still evident despite the wrinkles that lined his face now. He had an elegant posture, and he looked so much like a gentleman.

He spoke first. "Are you ready to leave?"

I nodded. "Anya's sound asleep now, sir."

He glanced at the glass window and frowned. "It's still early but already dark. Walking alone at night is dangerous for a young woman like you. Do you want me to call Kaleb and ask him to drive for you?"

I shook my head. "No need, Mr. Bello. It is not far." Really. It's only about fifteen minutes to reach the exit of this gated community, then another ten minutes to my apartment. 

"Are you certain?" He gave me a disapproving look. "My wife and I had been telling you to use the guest room next to Anya's room."

"Thank you, sir, but I'm fine staying in my apartment. It's also not that far away from here. I enjoy walking in the streets, too. Please, tell Mrs. Bello that I left already," I picked up my backpack from the accent table in the corner. 

Mr. Bello sighed and waved a hand. "Very well. Take care, and make sure to come back safely."

"I will." I bowed politely and smiled. "Goodbye, sir."

Mr. Bello returned the bow, and I stepped out into the hallway.

Outside the house, everything felt quiet.

I filled my lungs with a fresh night breeze and closed my eyes. I heard Fluffy's scratching noise again. I stepped out to the front house and did not walk past his kennel, yet he made that noise as though he knew I was leaving the house. 

I tightened my hold on my backpack and thought of trying to write something again now that I was coming home an hour early. 

Ignoring Fluffy's whining, I stepped out of the gate and onto the streets. I could not understand what the scratches were for, and as much as I was curious about the dream, I had to go home and be back at the residence early for Anya's school. 

I walked down the street and did not look at the houses, knowing they were closed at this time, and even with the cold, I never felt alone. 

My steps faltered while I searched for the moon overhead, and it was there, giving out a lovely glow as always. I used to believe it followed me while I walked in the street as a kid until I learned in school that it wasn't. I'd be anywhere in the world at night, and it would be there as long as I was outside to see it. 

But for some odd reason, I still felt like it was following me. A distant memory of when I was a child reminded me of how the moonlight found me in the middle of the forest and led me back home. 

Sighing, I continued walking down the street. Besides, I've been doing this for the last three years now that I get used to the distance. 

As I reached the second floor of a four-story building, I entered my apartment and locked myself in. I left my backpack on the small study table and began to strip myself before the shower. 

Minutes later, I was on the bed and facing yet again the empty screen of my laptop when a message popped out.

"I need your help."

I rolled my eyes and clicked on the message to communicate more clearly. The text read:

"I'll be back in town this week. I'm looking for a place to stay."

I typed: "That does not sound like a problem to you."

I almost heard him chuckling as he typed: "No, it's not. But maybe on you."

"No, you're not planning to crash in my place now, Henderson!"

The answer came back almost immediately: "You're mean!" 

Then, a request for a video call appeared. I laid on the mattress and placed the laptop on the side, just enough for him to see me. 

I accepted the call and found him on his bed, too. His hand was over his head and against the headboard as he gave me a lazy wave. 

I spoke before him. "What do you want? I'm busy." My attempt to sound serious failed as a soft chuckle escaped my lips. It was because of that contagious smile on his face. 

"Oh, please! You always say that."

He laughed, too, and I had to bite my lip from laughing out loud. 

King Henderson is a friend of mine from high school. He was a rich, cool kid known for his parties and expensive clothing. His father owned half of the biggest tech companies in the Philippines, and he got to spend lots of money as the only heir. Sometimes, I wonder how we ended up being friends. I just remember him being so nosy in high school, and maybe, just maybe, I was forced to be friends with him when he learned of my dangerous situation with some bad guys, and I pleaded with him not to tell anyone. 

I didn't trust him initially, but he proved himself worthy of my trust when he told no one. Still, he worried about me until the bad guys suddenly stopped coming for me. But I remained unsafe for being in the same town. 

"Seriously, I'll be there this week. In fact, I was there the other week but had to leave for some urgent paperwork. I need a place to crash."

"My apartment is small, you know that. I'm not here in the morning. Why don't you just rent a place for a while?"

He grunted and pulled on his hair dramatically. There's no way he was serious about staying here. It always happened before, and he was always playing around. It became one of his jokes from high school when he learned that I was living alone and wished to give me company. In fact, I got the apartment at a lower cost because of him and his connection.

I chuckled at his reaction and was about to say something when I heard a noise outside. It was a one-bedroom apartment with a small and no division between the dining and living areas. 

I got used to leaving my room door open to hear the entire apartment in case danger ran after me again. Probably the effect of the trauma I got used to growing up. None of this happened in the last three years, and I jerked in alarm when a gentle knock came by the main door.

"What is it?" Henderson asked, but I doubted he heard the faint noise. 

If he were not there on my screen and on his bed, I would assume this was another prank of him. But he was there, and I knew that the call was not recorded. 

I didn't want him to worry, especially since I had no idea what it was. I shook my head and smiled at him on the screen.

"Nothing. I'll be sleeping now. You can come whenever you want, really. This is your house, too. But only if you're being serious. Bye for now. Call when you arrive here."

With that said, I turned off the screen and shut the laptop to place it on the nightstand. It was rude of me to end the call like that, but he probably was used to it, considering how often we called each other like this. 

Also, I couldn't shake the fear off from my system. After being at peace for three years, my paranoia was back like the horrors of my life were just yesterday. 

The sound outside stopped, or that's what I thought. The deafening silence lasted for half a minute. 

A scream nearly left my throat when someone pounded against the door. 

I straightened my body against the headboard, my hands fisted the ends of the comforter, and waited. 

I jumped to my feet and went to open it carefully. I stood in the doorframe and stared at the tall man with familiar hair, silver eyes, pale skin, and, most of all, naked all the way down where my eyes could travel. His body was muscular and brooding. 

My dream came back to me in a flash. 

The man in my dream was standing right on my doorstep. Unclothed as I last remember it. 

He lifted one eyebrow, lifted a hand, and made some weird gestures in the air. Realizing it wasn't enough, he parted his lips, but no words came out. I understood none of his intentions for coming here.

His hands were shaking so badly that I took pity on him. He wouldn't hurt me, but his muscular body reeked of strong intimidation. I feared for my safety for a moment until I realized he was looking at me with wide, fearful eyes. His breath staggered. He did not have the look of someone who would cause danger except for the towering height, broad muscles, and the dark look on his face. 

Before either of us could speak, he stumbled forward and crashed into my chest. I gasped, worried for my dignity because I had no bra underneath the loose shirt. 

"W-What…"

I wrapped an arm around his shaking shoulders and buried his head on the side of my neck. His weight was a shock to my small frame. Cold sweat soaked his violently shivering, rigid body. 

I tried to push him off me, but the weight doubled as he went limp. I lost my balance, and we fell back onto the wooden floor with an almighty thump. 

"Ouch…," I squeaked in pain and was startled when I heard his face hit the hard, cold, unforgiving floor. "Oh!" That must be hurt as hell.

He didn't move. 

"Hey, are you alright?!" I quickly rolled him over and to the floor; okay, maybe not so quickly because of the enormous weight. I struggled, but I gained strength with the rush of adrenaline at the dreading thought of a stranger dying in my place.

Why does he smell like the dog Fluffy?!