Chapter 11 - Escape

RHEA

The conversation I had with Selene kept replaying in my head from morning until night. Also, Travis didn’t bother to check up on me till the end of the day, and I loved that. I didn’t think I could face the murderer without selling myself out. As soon as the sky started turning grey, I knew I was getting closer to my escape. I kept checking the time every second.

Soon, it was 1 a.m., and as agreed with Selene, she came into my room.

“Take this,” she said, handing a bag to me. “Change into this for a smooth walk,” she mumbled. “Your dress won’t do.”

I took the bag from her, went into the bathroom, and changed into it. Afterward, we headed outside.

The whole house was silent and void of people. There was nobody to stop us or ask us questions. However, it wasn’t the same when we stepped out of the door. As soon as we got outside, the men surrounded us.

My breath hitched. How could I have forgotten that this house was heavily guarded?

The men studied us with suspicious gazes. I held Selene’s hand tightly, trying my best not to ruin the plan by making my fear evident.

“Gamma, who is…” one of the men wanted to ask a question, but for some reason, he stopped. Instead, they all bowed and gave way for us.

I was shocked and confused at the same time, but either way, I had no questions. Instead, I was thankful that things were going our way.

Once we passed the gate, there was a car already waiting in front of it.

“Hop in, Rhea. The driver will take you somewhere far. Keep your head low until you see my message,” she said, holding my hands and looking into my eyes.

I could tell she was reluctant to let me go. How I wished Travis weren’t a murderer. I wished he weren’t a bad man. I would have stayed, and Selene would have been my best friend.

“Thank you, Selene. I will return this favor one day.” I hugged her.

She laughed and whispered into my ear, “I hope you will be alive to return the favor.”

An ominous sensation spread over me at her statement. I knew there was a different meaning to every word and statement, but somehow I had a bad premonition. Of course, Selene wouldn’t wish that I die. I was sure she was trying to tell me to stay alive no matter what.

The honk of the car made us split apart. I entered the car and waved at her.

“I hope to meet you again, Selene.”

She didn’t say anything. She merely smiled and waved back, but something flashed across her eyes. I couldn’t name it. However, it was anything but exciting.

“Selene…”

“We have to go now, ma’am.” The windscreen slid up, stopping me from asking Selene if something was wrong.

The car zoomed off afterward.

Even as the car moved, Selene was still waving. However, there was something different and baffling. She was laughing as she waved… or could I be the one seeing things?

Selene would never laugh in this situation, not before she knew I had reached wherever I was being taken safely.

As the car went farther, her silhouette disappeared, and a deafening silence overwhelmed the atmosphere.

Letting out a sigh, I rested my head against the window and let my mind run wild.

Who would have thought I would end up in the hands of a murderer right after leaving a cheater?

I scoffed. Life can be unpredictable and unfair most times. While I was trying to heal from one mess, I got into a deeper one. If Selene hadn’t come to my rescue, I would have died in Travis’s hands. I was certain I wouldn’t spend seven days before I got killed by him.

As the journey continued, I felt my vision dimming and decided to sleep. I didn’t know how far we would be going, but the main thing was that we had moved farther away from Travis’s place.

*

I didn’t know how long I had slept, but a loud screeching sound forced my eyes open.

When I looked ahead, a huge bear-like creature was in front of the car.

“Jesus Christ!” I blurted out. Beads of sweat instantly covered my forehead. Did I run into a deadlier creature while running from death?

Before I could say a word, more creatures like the one that stopped our car appeared, surrounding us.

My heart thumped hard. My palms became sweaty, and my whole body trembled violently. Maybe I had made a wrong decision. Maybe I shouldn’t have run away. It would have been better to be murdered by Travis than to be eaten by some unknown creatures.

Then one of them grabbed my hand and pulled me out. It tossed me to the floor.

I gasped, holding onto the ground tightly. My size was like an ant in the middle of these beasts. The night was dark, and the only sound audible at that moment was my heartbeat.

My chest heaved up and down as I slowly drifted backward. However, as I shifted backward, the one who pulled me out kept moving forward.

“Ple… please don’t kill me,” I muttered. I didn’t care whether they could understand my language or not. I just wanted to survive.

The creature stopped in front of me, exuding a familiar dark and dangerous aura.

I raised my gaze to it. It stared at me as if I were its prey.

Well, I actually was. It could kill me and eat me until nothing remained, and nobody would know what had just happened.

My mouth parted, but before I could formulate a sentence, I heard the breaking sounds of bones, and the creature wriggled along with them.

My lungs tightened. I couldn’t feel my heartbeat anymore.

Darkness took over afterward.