As Tarik rushed toward Clea, he had absolutely no idea what to do. After calling out to her several times, he did the only other thing he could think of doing. He shook her. He took her head in his hand and tried to shake her back to her senses. "Clea! Clea! You have to wake up. Wake up." Wolf ran around and growled in worry at the scene. When Tyler's shaking didn't work. She ran forward and pushed him aside. Then she stood in Clea's face and growled with all her might. Clea's eyes snapped open. She saw the wolf's face in front of her and her mind put two and two together. She screamed and searched her pockets, looking for an unavailable gun. "It's okay! It's okay!" Tarik pulled her shoulders. "Look at me! It's just me, it's just us. Clea!"Clea's breathing slowed down. "Tarik." She raised a hand to touch his cheek. "Yes, it's me. You're okay."She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. He hugged her back and kept whispering 'you're okay.'"I thought someth
When Clea saw the crowd outside, she understood why Tarik was reluctant to bring her to his place. It was only then she realised the magnitude of the tough situation she put him in."You okay?" Kali asked. She took Clea's hand and guided her down the wooden porch steps. "What's this on your forehead?""Just a little scratch... no biggie. I was having a great sleep.""I told the sheriff you'd be okay if we found you here and he told me I didn't know what I was saying.""Tarik Wolf."Tarik stared at the sheriff and the men gathered behind, his face an emotionless mask. The sheriff's face on the other hand was cold. Cold and filled with hate, and a tint of disgust."Come down."He stood before the sheriff. "She's okay as you can s—""Have I asked you to talk?""No... sir," his tone was mellow."The inn lady reported you to me. What was the deal? That you stay OUT of the town. OUT of the town's business. Wasn't that it? Am I mistaken?""No, sir."Clea shook her head worriedly. "I was the
"What are you doing here?" asked Tarik as he set her on the ground."What about you—" he clasped a hand over her mouth. One of the guards had rounded to the backyard. He pulled her gently away from the wall towards a shrub which they squatted and hid behind.Things became awkward quickly once the light receded."What are you doing here?" Clea finished."Came to see you.""There are guards!" She whispered strongly. "What if they caught you?""And you? Going into the forest and through the same way that got you lost." They had a stare-down, then got up together. "Okay," Clea said. "Agreed, we were both doing stupid things. Stupid cancels stupid." "I wanted to see how you were feeling... after what happened.""Oh, I'm great." He shifted the hair covering her forehead and Clea tensed. "Weren't you bleeding there?""Oh, that. It wasn't... my blood. It was— an— a mosquito's that I must've killed, on my forehead.""It was a bit much for a mosquito.""Yeah," She chuckled nervously, "It mu
"Oh God, oh God." Clea got down from the shrub. "Go—" She looked around and saw Tarik had already disappeared into the forest. "That was fast." She put on her crocs which fell when she was busy wrapping her legs around Tarik. Tried to button her pyjamas and found the buttons were no more. She facepalmed and tried to slow her breath, crouching deeper into the hiding place. The person came closer and closer, heading towards her. Clea withdrew her hand for a blow, stopping when she recognised Kali."Kali!" She stood up. "It's just you." Kali shone the torchlight on Clea."Stop.""Why is your shirt unbuttoned? Is that a hickey?"Clea held her collar together and covered her neck with her other palm. "No, it's not."Kali pointed the torchlight into the forest. "Kali!" Clea took the torchlight out of her hands. "What if you draw a wild animal towards us?" "Wild animal?" Kali laughed. "Who is the guy you were with? The one you don't love?"Clea said nothing. "That one? He's the one who
Clea shook her head but the pack remained there. In the air. Someone entered the aisle and she grabbed returned it to its place on the showcase. She hurried out of there and to the checkout. She paid for everything Rose bought alongside hers. Even after they got outside, she kept looking backwards in fear. "What?" Rose asked.Clea put an arm around her shoulder. "Nothing. Get one of those cabs for us."The drive to the inn was silent. On Clea's side. And Rose's. By studying her in silence, Clea noticed the change in Rose's body language. The girl kept fiddling with her fingers. Pulling at them harshly. Clea held her hand when she couldn't bear it anymore. "Are you nervous?"The girl shook her head. Then she nodded."Why?" There was fear in her eyes as she spoke. "Your friend. That came to see you at the class earlier...""Tyler? What about him?""He was part of the men I saw sneaking in."* * * * *Clea was startled when she got to the inn and met Kali already there. "How did you g
Tyler picked her up with the sheriff's jeep. On the way, he ranted about how the sheriff appreciated his help in the hospital and offered him an unoccupied house to live in during his stay. It was once home to a cop who no longer lived in Ohalo. He had cleaned it up and contacted the necessary people for repairs.The house was in a sparse area of the town. An area reserved for the cops. It was a two-bedroom bungalow.Tyler guided Clea through the overgrown bushes surrounding the house. "I already got someone to clean this up. The weeds should be gone by tomorrow."Clea smiled at the house. "Looks nice.""Yeah," he agreed. "Much better than the inn. I couldn't sleep there. It kept feeling like it was going to come apart any minute."Clea laughed. "It's not that bad.""It is.""Woah," Clea exclaimed as Tyler swept her legs off the ground, carrying her bridal-style into the house. "This is nice." She giggled. He kicked open the door to a small parlour space. By the right, upon entrance
"What the fuck! Tyler!" Clea raged. She turned sharply, dragging the bedsheet around her body. Not that it did anything. Tarik had withdrawn his head immediately he 'saw'. Clea was mortified. Angry. Embarrassed. Ashamed.She didn't even know what she was ashamed of."Oh really?!" Tyler entered and locked the door. "That's unexpected. I thought it wouldn't be an issue since y'all must've fucked the night you slept at his place." Clea gaped. This was a Tyler she knew painfully too well. There was disgust strewn all over his face. "You don't need to play this game, Clea. 'We' know. You know that I know!" Clea's voice was unstable when she spoke. "You're mad." She began to dress up. "No! You! Are! Mad! To have the effrontery to say to my face that I'm lying when that's all you've been doing ALL DAY. Friends huh?" A burst of sinister laughter left his mouth. "What? You think I'm some fool? You think I didn't see how he was staring at you that day at the inn?! I could smell him on you t
The sun had begun setting when Tyler called and asked if he could visit. Clea was playing with Jo when he called. And she was still playing with him when Tyler arrived. Playing with Jo was something Clea had learned over time brought her peace. She and Kali stayed in, expecting a call from Natasha. Until it came, there wasn't much they could do aside from sitting around and pondering about everything. Clea, in particular, now had fear situated in every fibre of her being. She was forced to accept that Kali's theory made sense. And her accepting it made her anxious. What weird situation would she find herself in next? If she didn't even understand what was happening to her, how could she be sure she wasn't being a danger to Kali?That was what scared her the most; Kali getting hurt."Aren't you scared I might unintentionally hurt you?"Kali looked up from the book she was reading. "No. You are?""Yes, I am.""Awww," Kali cooed, then laughed. The matter wasn't as serious to her as it