Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Who was that?

An intruder?

Then suddenly it crossed my mind. It was supposed to be an intruder. My body freezing my mouth falls open the upper lips curling back. My stomach hardens and there is a  burn of bile in the back of my throat.

"Trying to hide from aren't you?" the voice speaks beside me giving me a sudden heart attack.

I lift my gaze and freeze gaping at the faceless hooded figure. My chest thudding hard from an increased heart rate, sweat slides down my cheek from the forehead.

This...he...who..why...

My fingers and hands trembling I try to focus. I'm unable to close my eyes. The hooded figure stays fixed with my gaze then a sudden dragging noise distracts me. I dart my gaze against the long axe it was having in its hand. The sharp iron metal scraping the wooden floors of my room.

My chin and lips trembling I stare speechless at the axe.

" Sharp enough to slit your head into two pieces" the hooded figure indicates to the axe twirling it to show me. The sharp silver blade glints with the reflection of the light on my night lamp.

My legs go weak my pulse racing.

It's going to kill me...

There were sharp pains in my chest and throat. I felt dizzy. I did not want to pass out now.

With rasping breaths, I wait for its words and next move.

Sighing it chuckles.

I flinch startled.

"You so scared of me aren't you?" it asks.

Adrenaline shoots through my system with heart palpitations and tingling in my chest.  My body temperature increases profusely sweating.

" Who - who - you?"I hardly push out the words out of my dry throat.

"Me?," It demands. "I thought you knew me!".

I stare lifting my gaze upon it.

I need to escape.

I don't want to die.

I look ahead the hooded figure at my room door for a chance to turn and flee, looking for an escape but I freeze when I find the doors already been locked from inside. Panic raises my heartbeat hastening.

If the door is already locked from inside how did he enter in?.

My anxiety overwhelmed me.

Does that mean he was already in when I entered the room?.

The thoughts gave me chills.

" You killed me and now I'm here to take my murderers soul to hell with me!" the words ferociously bursts from the hooded figure and pull up to my feet startled.

It was then when all the realisations hit my brain. The visual of me and Kristin hiding the body in my backyard. The visions of officer Karen questioning me. The visions of the dark figure that was following me I had seen in the class and infirmary lately.

It was him...

My heartbeat froze. Intaking a slow uneven breath shakily I lift my glance and stare directly into a pair of red fiercely looking eyes yearning for revenge.

Stumbling back a step or two I scream and run for the door when the hooded figure clutched the axe and hoisted it.

"YOUR DEATH IS IN MY HANDS!" the dark figure howled banging the axe in the air and running towards me.

I hastily unblotted the doors and dash out of my room catching my breath.

" Where ever you GO, "it shouts. "You CANT hide from ME!".

I run in the dark and come to a halt then turn to my left and start running. My feet misses the floor and terror-stricken me I fall tumbling and crashing down the staircase. My head hits harder. I collapse when my body hits the landing down the stairs and everything turns black.

****

It was Sunday Kristin and I decided to hang out at a Cheeseburger place across from our math tuition with Professor Mark.

We pick up our usual double cheese with a double patty Cheeseburger, a plate of fries and smoothies. Kristin picked up her favourite chocolate banana smoothie while I pick sugar free banana without chocolate.

We selected a booth in a corner and slid in. Once we are settled Kristin looks at me uneasily and concerned.

" Are you sure you don't want to go to a therapist?".

Raising my eyebrows I scowl crossing my arms.

"Do you think I'm nuts?" I ask in a sharp tone.

I have told Kristin about last night when we were at Professor Marks tuition.

Sighing she averts her glance onto her cheeseburger and plate of fries.

I bend over close to her cautiously making sure that no one else hears us.

"I saw him if you trust me or not," I say. "It was him. He wanted revenge on me for killing him".

Kristin raises her head and looks into my eyes, I see a lack of trust in them.

Letting out a loud breath, toying with my smoothie cup I shake my head.

" Okay fine then, you don't need to trust me I will not force you to, "I declare. "But it was so horrifying it almost ripped the life out of me".

I pull up the straw and drink my smoothie. It was creamy pure banana and delicious.

Stopping I take a bite of my cheeseburger attempting to distract myself to maintain patience.

Why doesn't she believe me?.

I wanted her to trust me she was my best friend after all and we were in this together.

Taking another bite I look ahead when I hear a familiar voice ignoring Kristin who was lost in thoughts.

My eye catches someone familiar who was holding smoothies in my hands and laughing harder.

" Isn't that Alexander?"I ask Kristin bringing her back to reality.

"Huh?" she raises her eyebrows skeptically trying to focus.

"What are you thinking so hard?" I scowl darting my gaze over to her. "I asked you whether that's Alexander ?" I point him to her.

Kristin turns around raising her eyebrows.

"Obviously he is," she says looking dazed.

"What is he doing here?" I look at him flat with my eyes narrowed.

Alexander wears a brown leather jacket on top of a red tee shirt with matching denim pants. His honey hair is ruffled up with gel. My eye darts to the shy smiling girl beside him.

It was her.

Her again!

She wears a black long skirt with a coral tank top. Her hair is unfairly sleek and shiny.

" Certainly on a date" Kristin declares.

My stomach hardens and a burning sensation emerges in my chest.

"With her?" I ask bitterly.

Kristin turns to me and looks into my eyes.

"Don't you think they will make a cute couple?" she asks.

A flash of anger urged from the pit of my core at Kristin's words.

"I don't think so," I say still the flaming sensation in my chest. "He is a strong and handsome guy but she is not brave and wise enough for him".

I put my smoothie straw into my mouth and watch them laugh and joke at each other while waiting for their take out order.

I bite the straw harder adopting a sullen look.

" Are you jealous?".

The sudden question from Kristin make me choke even though I wasn't drinking from the straw.

"Are you crazy?" I frown. "Why would I be jealous of them?".

Kristin shakes her head smirking and takes a drink from the smoothie before replying.

" Because you like him?".

I feel a crunch in my stomach and a tingle in my limbs. I dart my gaze away and twist the straw.

"What gave you the idea that - that I like him?".

" How your acting now settles everything up Kristin says and I lift my glance to her ceasing my eyebrows together.

"What do you mean?".

Kristin casually takes a bite of her fries.

" Come on Madelyn," she rolled her eyes. "We are best friends for a long time now!".

I slid out my phone from my pocket and check for any messages trying to distract from the topic.

She frowns at me.

" Is everything alright?" she asks concerned.

I sigh putting my phone back away. "Yeah, everything fine" I assure her.

Kristin shooks sauce onto her burger. "What do you think we should do?".

" About what?"I asked picking up my fries and stuffing one into my mouth.

"You know what exactly I am talking about?" she lifts her eyebrows.

Letting a heavy sigh I glance around making sure that no one was watching us.

Turning back to Kristin whisper. "I certainly have no idea".

Kristin looks a bit tensed.

" We are gonna get caught up," she says quietly." We will have to do something!".

I hunch my shoulders staring apprehensively into her twinkling brown eyes.

Are we gonna end up in jail?

The thoughts give creeps in my chest.

"We shouldn't have done this murder "I whisper looking at Kirstin's worried face.

"Murder?" a loud voice pops behind me. "What murder are you talking about?".

I freeze my heartbeat accelerating. Tension forms in the air between us. I stare at Kristin who sits still horror-struck. Swiftly I turn to meet the crazy chartreuse eyes. Dixie stands staring at us suspiciously her hands crossed against her chest.

"We - we were -"my words break my mind searching for a confession.

Dixie squints her eyes and gapes at us skeptically. " Were you two talking about some murder?" she asks a nasty smirk. "I heard it. Don't try to hide it from me?. Was it about -".

" Of course, we were conversing about the murder she did"Kristin submits.

A sudden feeling of cold expands in my core.

"Wha -?"

I turn to Kirstin my eyes bulging with disbelief.

"Obviously, we were talking about it weren't we?" she raises her eyebrows suppressing a  polite smile.

Is she crazy?.

I feel my panic raise.

"Are you out of your mind?" I mimic with my mouth as only Kirstin could get them.

"What?" Dixie pokes in. "What is popular bitch saying ?".

She turns to Kirstin doubtfully.

"Well nothing she is just scared," Kristin says.

Dixie frowns."Scared of?".

Kirstin clears her throat and says"Scared of not having to commit another murder".

"What?" Dixie burts.

I scowl not knowing what Kirstin was about to do, but my inner sense panicked that she was about to give away something.

" What do you mean?"Dixie asks surprised."Is she the one who murdered that -"

Coldness seeps through my body.

Kristen nods interrupting and completing Dixie's sentence before she does on her own. "That nosy rat which was robbing her groceries for a week now".

Dixie and I stare at her together astounded even though Dixie was not regarding my emotions at the moment. She looked dumbfounded. Her expression changed to a cold look. Standing in a stiff position she grimaced.

" What do you mean," she asks coldly. "Are you trying to make a fool out of me?".

Kristin giggled.

" Not at all," she says her gleaming brown eyes meeting mine and I understand her at that point.

She was trying to make fun of her and nothing much more serious to give away our secrets. But, even though I don't approve of her making fun of our very significant stuff. This was a dilemma that was emotionally and physically damaging me.

"We were certainly talking about the murder she did last night," she turns to me and nods for consent. "Weren't we Madelyn?"

I sigh frustratedly.

This was not the accurate time and thing to make fun of.

Kristin smirks and darts her glance to Dixie who looks heated.

"She murdered the robber rat and buried it in her back yard," she says.

The visions of the previous night on the day that thing happened play back in front of my eyes.

"And she is happy that there is no one to steal her food," Kristen says.

The colourful blue and red lights.

" but at the same time worried," she continues.

The dancing dark figures and the wine bottles were being passed around.

"that there would be more mice around the house since,"

The screams.

" the one she murdered was a female rat".

The car.

"Fine that's enough!"I get to my feet my heartbeat accelerating.

Kristin gapes bewilder.

" What's wrong?" she asks.

I sigh heavily and turn to Dixie who was watching us suspiciously with her hawk-like gaze.

"Would mind excusing us?" I raise an eyebrow. "We have to leave"

I turn to Kristin and nod.

She glances at Dixie, me and then at her left half burger and fries. "But I didn't finish yet".

I pick up my smoothie and hardly push a fake smile. " If you so much crave, "I say. "Let's get a take out, now come on, excuse us Dixie"

Kristin edged out of the booth and got to her feet starting at me.

"What's wrong with you two?"

I walk to Kristin ignoring Dixie and give her a gentle push.

"Let's go!" I say.

"What's - "

"Go!" I interpret her in a whisper frowning and she obeys.

I hear Dixie's nasty giggle behind us.

"I know you two are hiding something from me," she shouts behind us. "I warn you that I will find it sooner!".

A tiny relief washes over me when we were away from Dixie even though tension was hanging on me.

" Get your take out quick if you wanna, "I say and Kristin refuses.

"No I'm fine, thank you," she says. "But what went suddenly -"

My phone beeps and I slide my phone out from my pocket not considered hearing her.

I hang backstopped in my tracks with a tingle in my chest. Chills run down my spine when I read the text.

"Madelyn? Madelyn?" Kristin stops and looks for me. "What's wrong?"

I lift my glance and speak in a quiet voice my hands trembling.

"Officer Karen is at my place "

"What?!," Kristin looks her eyes bulging without blinking in a rigid position.

What if she got a K9 (cop dog)?

Pulse races and I could hear my heartbeat thrashing in my ears.

"We should get there," Kristin suggests. "Quick!".

With a pain in my chest, I push myself and force my weak legs to run behind Kristin.

Kristin gets to the car before me and I lose my balance when I bump into someone halfway to the car.

I lose control over my body and collapse dropping the phone. A sharp pain shoots up my spine.

"You're under a warning," a smooth voice speaks and I look up.

A woman in her fifties or sixties stands in front of me. She had a pointed nose with large black eyes. Her under eyes wore covered with dark circles. She wore a red filthy robe. Her hair was sloppy and dirty. Her skin was pale as a ghost and her lips were darker.

I gape at her confused.

"You are in a hazardous crisis," she says. "You're going to lose yourself to it"