Five

     

After dealing with the dude outside, Trey stepped back into the house. The dude, Brandon or something still bothered him but he was pretty sure they would be long gone before he grew enough balls to call the police. At the moment, he was still fuming over the fact that someone else was contending for Hailey’s love. He was so into Hailey it felt sick. Trey wondered why it disgusted him so much, it wasn’t like he was vying for a role in Hailey’s life. The whole thing was just a duty he was bound to fulfill and nothing more. Then Trey noticed it, the absolute stillness of the house. There was nobody else in here with him.

“Fuck!!”

He went through the rooms and then found the one she had jumped through it’s window. He knew her scent and tracking her wouldn’t be an issue. He just hoped he wouldn’t be too late. He dashed out of the house, running past a bewildered Brandon. The dude wouldn’t even have a clue, he thought. As he followed the scent through the neighboring yard, he thought about what would happen if he botched this mission. Things weren’t going so well for him already and if something to Hailey, it was going to get much worse. The others would make sure of it. This had been his chance to at least redeem himself but now….he didn’t even want to think of what might happen.

Trey was just getting there when he saw Hailey and her friend come out of the cafe. His first instinct was to rush there and cart her off to safety. On second thoughts, he knew it wouldn’t be such a good idea. They were too many people here and so he decided to at least try and talk with her. Trey increased his pace and was soon some steps behind the pair. He whistled and they both turned in reflex. He could see the shock and fear on their faces. It was unmistakable but it couldn’t be helped. 

‘Hailey don’t do this, it’s not safe”, He deadpanned, cutting to the chase immediately.

“I don’t feel safe with you”, She called out and the two quickened their pace trying to escape him. 

“C’mon let’s talk with this over.” He tried to reason with her.

“Really? Now you want to talk?.” This came from her friend. Obviously, Hailey had filled in her in on what happened. Trey let out an exasperated sigh. 

“See, I don’t know what or who you are and right now I don’t even want to know anymore.” She said this with an air of finality. 

Dang it! Talking wouldn’t cut it and so Trey quickened his pace. He didn’t even know even know what he would do when he got closer to them, he couldn’t just force them to do whatever he wanted. They were in public. Hailey and Peggy nearly jumped out of their skins when they saw him getting closer. They started running and he gave chase. That was when a police officer hollered at him. Things were just worsening by the minute. Everything was already complicated and adding law enforcement to the list of problems wasn’t necessary. Trey turned and fled in the opposite direction while the police followed in his patrol car. Just before he ducked into an alley, Trey turned and saw Hailey and her friend board a bus. He’d have to find her later. In another alley, a figure had been watching the whole drama with great interest. As soon as Trey disappeared from sight, the figure hopped on a Bike, lowered a helmet visor and sped after the Bus.

The first thing they did as soon as they stepped into Peggy’s apartment was to lock all doors and windows. Though, a part of Hailey thought it was silly considering what had happened earlier at the motel. She didn’t say it cause she hoped nothing like that would happen here. Peggy’s parents and brother had travelled for a relative’s wedding so the place was pretty much theirs. The two of them dropped on the sofa, drained and exhausted. They stayed there awhile, each lost in her own thoughts, eyes looking at the ceiling but seeing nothing.

“I still can’t believe something like this is happening”, Hailey finally said.

“Me neither”, Her friend echoed.

“Like this is some movie shit”, She mused.

“Yeah, like maybe he has super powers or something like that”.

“Like super hearing?!”

“Exactly”. Peggy nodded in agreement. The two laughed at how absurd the idea was.

“You know at one point, I thought you planned this”.

“What?, Peggy asked with a laugh, why on Earth would I arrange something like this?”.

“I don’t know”. Hailey shrugged. “To create some excitement in my life, I guess.” Peggy stared at her with incredulous eyes before saying “Sweetie, this is way too much excitement!!”

“I thought so too”. 

Peggy started laughing, quietly at first then more loudly. Hailey listened to her laugh for some time before joining in. They laughed freely and unabashedly for a while. When they finally stopped , Hailey quietly asked “Why were you laughing?”

“I don’t even know”, Peggy said and started laughing once more. Hailey had no option but to join in again. They laughed until the two of them were too tired to anymore and soon after, they drifted off to sleep. The events of the day had taken it’s toll.

A light tap roused Hailey from sleep. She forced her eyes open to see Peggy standing over her.

“What ?”, she asked drowsily.

“I think someone’s trying to get into the house”, Peggy said in a whisper. The sleep clogging Hailey’s eyes before vanished momentarily and she jerked up immediately. “What did you just say?”

“Shhh”,  Peggy said sharply. At that same moment, the apartment was plunged into darkness. Hailey swallowed hard. She didn’t like this one bit.

“I’ll get the flashlights”, Peggy said, still whispering. She patted Hailey on the head, a reassuring gesture. Then she tiptoed away. Hailey wanted to follow her but she was aware that it’d be hard for her to make her way through the darkness. It would be quite easy for Peggy seeing as she lived here. Holding onto Peggy would only slow her down. So, she sat still, apprehension and fear getting the best of her. In the darkness, her brain conjured images, terrifying things that wasn‘t there. Not withstanding, it still scared her. Then suddenly she heard glass breaking followed by Peggy’s scream. Strength surged through her and she stood up, making for the direction it came from. She hit a couple of objects on her way to Peggy but it didn’t matter. She started seeing streaks of light from what she presumed to be the passage and she followed it. Eventually, she got to the kitchen. The Kitchen was a conventional one in which several cabinets lined the walls. These small, square cabinets probably contained cutleries. Then in the middle of the Kitchen was a huge rectangular concrete slab. It was all tiled over. 

The first thing she saw was the Flashlight, lying on the floor flickering a bit. The first thing she heard was Peggy crying. Then she saw him. IT. Illuminated dimly by the flashlight on the floor. He had  long hair that came down to his chin, his eyes were slits that glowed green. Shiny in the partial darkness, an aquiline nose and a mouth full of bared sharp teeth. The monster had the semblance of the person from that horrible night. He held Peggy in front of him, by the shoulders just as he had held her. Tears streamed Peggy’s face uncontrollably.  Yet, she mouthed the words “Run!” to Hailey. It broke something in Hailey.

“Please let her go, She knows nothing about this!!”. She cried coming out of the shadows which hid her.

“Then give me what I want”. His voice sounded guttural, unnatural and scary but still had that accent. “You tell me and she lives”.

“Hailey run!!”, Peggy shouted. She winced as the Monster’s claws dug deeper into her skin as punishment for the small act of rebellion. The green eyes focused on her.

“Where is the Blood Orchid, Hailey Brookes?”

“I….don’t>>>>know,” She replied with a sob. She wished then that she knew, she wished that the Blood Orchid was in her possession. She would have given it to him no matter the value or importance. 

“Wrong answer”. Hailey watched the long, dark claws swipe at Hailey’s throat. She watched Peggy try to wrest her hands from his grasp in order to hold back the blood gushing from her slit throat. She watched her best friend try but fail. Peggy mouthed another “Run” before falling face first on the Kitchen floor, the blood streaming out from beneath her and staining the white tiles. It seemed to Hailey like she was watching from a distance, she didn’t even realize the person shrieking and screaming was her.