Pursuance Nine

The moon was shining brightly in the night sky above him while driving the car out of the city. When he knew that Vesta was in La Moran after Sean told him, he decided that it was time to tell her everything he knew. He has long wanted to tell her what happened to his brother, but he was always restrained by himself because he was afraid that if he said it so much trouble will happen.

But the guilt was killing him every day, he was thinking did they feel the guilt of what they did? For him, this remorse inside killing him enough to the point he could not eat. The sound of I lost myself by Munn was played in his car stereo. It seems like medicine to him, to always remind him he can't outrun what happened.

He needs to go to his friend first, he wanted to talk to him about the important thing about the problem going on inside the VHSO or Vampire Hunter Secret Organization to which he belongs. He ran fast as if he was being chased.

Three minutes after he reached La Moran, he turned onto a road in the dense jungle and stopped in front of a wooden house. He turned off his engine and got out of the vehicle. He walked to the front door of the house and knocked.

He wondered why the light inside was off, even though his friend knew he was going to meet him, and knocked several times and turned the doorknob and the door opened.

He didn’t expect that because he knew his friend always closed the door when he was at home.

"Alex?" he calls his friend's name.

It was dark inside, and the curtains were closed in the windows to prevent the moonlight from entering. He called again his friend's name, and he was stopped at the kitchen door when he saw a body pooled with blood lying on the floor.

He immediately pulled out the handgun on his side from the holster. Likewise, he knew his friend was dead. And he knew the killer was still inside. He felt the surroundings, and he froze in stand when he felt the blade of the hunter knife on his neck. He smelled the familiar perfume.

"I won't let you, Clyde, tell her," she told him. And in a flash, she stabbed his chest into his heart.

"How could you do this A ..." he said with difficulty, he didn't finish what he said as he lost his breath.

His dying body hit the cold marble floor while the murderer was looking at him with tears in the eyes.

****

Vesta tightly closed her eyes, disturbed by the ringing sound of the alarm clock, and she turned it off.

Vesta wanted to sleep for at least an hour. She lifted the blanket over her face. Breathe slowly along with the relief of her feeling, and slowly falling asleep again when the phone next to the alarm clock suddenly rang. She grabbed the phone with her eyes closed and answered the call.

"Hello?" Vesta yawned and still kept her eyes closed.

"Good morning, Blue! We just miss you! How was the vacation?" Simultaneously four voices said on the other line. It was like the chorus of the song.

Vacation? She has been in the house for four days, she was still healing, but she was better now. The doctor who was sent by her godmother Stella came yesterday to see her and said that she could come to school tomorrow. Vesta was so happy when she heard it. She was very bored inside the house, and she was often in the garden spending time sometimes with her Ninang or her cousin when she was vacant.

It's a good thing Ashley didn't tell Aunt Elena what happened to Vesta or her aunt would be upset, and she would deport Vesta from the place. After she begged with her Ninang Estella about it, even to her cousin.

"Turn on the Wi-Fi and let's v-call," Pink said happily.

"Yeah, common Blue. We'll show you something," Red's said in the inpatient's voice.

"What's that? I'm still sleepy," Vesta reasoned. She got up and sat down on the bed.

"Secret!" said Violet and Black.

"Go, common, you'll be surprised," pink whispered.

"Ok, ok, I'll turn off the call and see you at the hangout," Vesta said once pressing the end call.

She immediately went to the hangout and her eyes widened at the many messages in the group chat. It has not been open for three days. Her colleagues have been talking about the movie five feet apart lately. Vesta typed, "Really? What's on that five feet apart? 🤨" and send it to the group chat.

Vesta accepts the video call. And the first thing she sees was their studio room. Where are they? She asked in herself.

"Guys?"

"Where are you?"

Almost three minutes have passed. We're her colleagues annoying her? What surprises are they saying?

"Guys?" She was losing her temper.

In a flash, she shouted when a scary face appeared on the screen. The phone fell into her clutch.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened. Estella's worried face was what Vesta saw as she approached her.

"Why did you shout? What happened?" Estela immediately attended to Vesta on the bed and touched her face.

"No Ninang, I was just stunned by what I saw on the phone," Vesta said in tremor.

"What's on the phone?"

Hesitantly Estella picked up the phone with the screen off. Vesta immediately took the phone from her godmother afraid she might see the scary face and fainted. She didn’t want that to happen.

"I just pressed something wrong, Ninang. I'm sorry if you're worried," Vesta said shyly.

"I thought there's something wrong happened to you here," Estella said and looked around anxiously.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Ninang, thank you," Vesta smiled saying she wasn't lying.

For a few seconds, her godmother looked her in the eye and smiled. Vesta felt relieved, for she doesn't want her godmother to worry about what her colleagues did.

Her groupmates will face her annoyance later.

"Are you coming in now?" Estella questioned, she glances at the alarm clock.

"My class start at 8 am today, Ninang," Vest replied politely. She almost forgot what she needs to do later, she needed to look at his brother's dorm.

"It's only three minutes, maybe you'd better eat breakfast. Maybe it's just hunger." Estella winked at Vesta as she laughed softly.

"Maybe I'm hungry too," Vesta lied.

"Oh just come down, and I'll make you breakfast. Nak in the living room talking to Sean on the phone." Estella stood up from sitting.

"I'll be there, Ninang," Vesta said before her godmother closed the door.

Vesta opened the phone. The video call was gone, and her head got even hotter when she saw the recorded video of her frightened in the group chat.

The Colors

You're not funny! 😡😡

Black: It's a prank Blue. 😂🤣

Scarlet: OMG! Blue was frightened, 🤭🤭😂

Red: 😂 I can't believe it.

😡😡 I hate you!

Scarlet: Pink is the initiator of that Onee-chan. Pink !!!!!

Black: Oopss, Imma head out.

Black offline Black!

You can't even head out! You are part of it! 😤😤

Pink: You are not loyal! Scarlet! 😥

Scarlet: Sorry 🥺

Red: Yes 🙄🙄 You're a traitor.

Pink offline

Red offline

Where is Violet?

Scarlet: Uhm Onee-chan, she goes to Paris. After she startled you and left immediately saying vamanos Paris, adios. 😅😅

😑😑😑 He won't fool me. Not me. Get ready! 🤜😭🤛😵😵

Vesta went down then and found Ashley focused on the local news. She did not know that there was a local network here in their area.

"What's up?" Vesta said and passed her cousin. She headed to the kitchen.

"Another person who went missing last night and found the corpse in the La-Moran forest," Ashley's tune was sad.

"Where's Ninang?" Vesta came out of the kitchen grabbing the plate with only rice and dish and sat down next to Ashley.

“Leave when mama’s friend from the network called her, they said mama might know the victim,” Ashley whispered. She turned off the television.

"I'm sorry," Vesta said sadly.

Suddenly an idea passed to Vesta. Whoever killed the victim could have taken his brother? She stopped eating.

"Is it known who the killer?"

A shake from Ashley. "They've been looking for the suspect for three months, but they can't put any lead on that who it might be."

Vesta nodded while thinking, and she went back to eating again. Ashley was silent until Vesta finished eating. She washed the plate first, put it in the plate drawer and went back to the living room, and found Ashley was no longer there.

Maybe she was in her bedroom, Vesta thought. Who might be the victim that her godmother knew?

Ashley doesn't seem to want to talk about that thing with her. It might be she knows that person. Vesta could sense grief in her. Vesta will discuss it with Ashley later at school.

When Vesta finished getting dressed, she stopped in Ashley's room and knocked. No answer. Maybe she was in the living room. After she descended the stairs, Ashley was not there either. Where was she?

Vesta tried to call her but did not answer her call which caused her to feel hostility from her.

"Ashley?" Vesta calls her name loudly enough, so Ashley could hear.

Did Ashly leave her? Vesta looked at the time on the phone. It's almost eight. Maybe her cousin was already at school and there was a reason she came earlier and left her. She went out the front door of the house and locked it with the key given by her godmother.

Vesta looked at the shady sky. It looks like it will rain. Well she had brought the umbrella. She closed the gate before walking into the waiting area. A few tricycles passed by but were full of passengers. Vesta hopes she doesn't be late for class.

Vesta was thumping rhythmically on her right foot while waiting. She stopped what was doing when a car pulled up in front of her. It's a black Maserati. Suddenly, the door opened. A familiar face approached her.

It's Zaiden. Vesta didn't expect that they would meet today.

"Hi!" Zaiden greeted her without a smile. What could be the reason he stopped his car?

"Hello," Vesta casually replied. "

You can take a ride for me if you don't mind. I noticed you haven't ridden yet," Zaiden said with a wide smile at Vesta.

He knows how to smile Vesta thought he was not.

He's offering her a ride to school? She didn't expect that. It's only now she will accept him because Ashley had left her.

"Really?" Vesta assured. Maybe she just misheard it.

"Yeah," he replied, and opened the front seat door.

"Thank you, I owe you for this," she thanked him. She already owed two from him.

When Vesta entered, Zaiden gently closed the door and returned to the driver's seat. He went inside the driver seat and quietly started the engine and drove.

Vesta looked ahead. This was the first time she felt awkward when someone in his lap sat with the bag held in both hands.

"How long have you been here?" Vesta asked in the middle of the silence.

"No, my father moved me here," Vesta replied, her gaze fixed on the road.

"That's right," Zaiden asked. Vesta wanted to ask why he moved and where he used to study.

"Yeah, my father wants me to study here because the teaching class is better. My mom won't agree, but you know, what father says you should say," Zaiden said.

If Vesta's father was alive, would he do that to her? She doesn't remember well how her dad was a father. She turned her gaze into the window, hiding the sadness in her reaction.

"I understand, that's common." Vesta shrugged as if it was normal in the family.

"It seems you are new here?"

"It seems like that. I just came back after a year," Vesta laughed.

"I see," Zaiden said.

Zaiden told a story about where he lived and about the place. He was ok to talk to her, not at first impression that he was snobbish and arrogant, and unsociable.

"You love to play Soccer," Vesta told him in amazement when Zaiden told the story.

"Yes, since I was a child. My father taught me how to play that game. He has a sense of the game, so I liked it." Zaiden shrugged.

"My brother also likes to play soccer," Vesta said, relieving her brother's memories in her mind. Yet she can feel the bitterness in her tongue when she says those words.

"Where is your brother? Maybe he's studying like you."

"No, just, somewhere," Vesta said in phony laughed.

It feels sad to Vesta, for she knew her brother will be happy to hear when someone loves soccer as he loves it.

Vesta never spoke again. Maybe she will tell him what happened, then he will feel sorry for her. Again the feeling of being pity was the one she hates, for she does not want his sorry to the man next to her. It's favourable if not to.

Zaiden was silent until they reached the school. Vesta thanked her before she left the car. She had only two minutes before she got late for class. Going up to the second floor, Vesta quickly stopped for a moment, wondering the words Zaiden told her about his soccer seem so familiar. Someone before had told her about that same word, and she can't remember who. This was so weird. A creased form in her forehead, trying to remember who might it be and when?

Vesta continued to walk when she couldn't recollect those memories until she reached the room. It was almost full of students when she entered. She sat on the vacant seat near the window, and she wondered why Ashley wasn’t there. Even when the class started, her cousin did not attend.

Vesta called her immediately after leaving the room when the class end. What could be the reason Ashley did not attend the class? Vesta asked herself. Hoping nothing bad has happened to her cousin. Ashley answered her call in a few rings.

"Ashley, where are you?" Vesta's upset tone.

"I'm not feeling well, Vesta." Ashley's voice was hoarse. Did she cry?

"Are you okay? Tell me, what happened?" Vesta walked quickly down the stairs.

Vesta knows she's not feeling fine. Something might happen. Possibly they had a tremendous fight with Sean or—not impossible that the two broke up.

Then Vesta heard a sob from the line. "Sean's brother died, Vesta. The corpse, in the news…." Ashley could barely speak properly, "That's Clyde."

Vesta gripped the phone in the middle of the hallway. That was impossible. All Vesta knew was that Clyde was in Manila. They even met a month ago. He's a pilot in a Philippines airline. Why didn’t Ashley or Sean mention to him that Clyde was here?

"How?" full of shock, Vesta said. Her hands tremble. Darn it, not now. Not here.

"Last week Clyde visited his parents, and we thought he was going home to Manila. And this," Ashley whimpered.

Clyde was just like their big brother. Childhood friends. Xyller looks at him as his real big brother. Why was this happening? Her lips quivering as her tears slowly sliding down her face.

Not again! Not again!