Chapter 60 Consuming Darkness
IT WOULD destroy them. Them, not only him. Because it was also hard for Lena to choose this path. It was hard to let go of something that gave her happiness and contentment. It was never easy giving up on a beautiful fantasy to face the cruel reality.
"Lena!" Clara waved her hand in front of Lena's face.
It was lunch break and she ate with Clara and her friends. She met new people, something she always wishes to happen, but now, she couldn't even understand everything that's happening around her.
She blinked, her lips parted and closed while looking at Clara. "Hey..."
Clara frowned. "What were you thinking? Is there something wrong?"
Lena shook her head, smiling. "Nothing. Were you saying something?"
Clara smirked. "We're going to the barbecue house later. Wanna come?"
"Uhm..." Lena thought of it. She hasn't gone to a barbecue house with friends before. And it's not like she had friends in the first place. Nodding, she smiled. "Yeah, sure!"
Lena's whole day passed in a blur. She called home to ask for a favor from the maid to take care of Angel.
\[Hello?\] It was Eva, who answered the call.
Lena's lips parted as she looked at Clara who was waiting for her in front of the barbecue house's entrance. The cursive letters of the barbecue house's name hung above her, gleaming under the neon lights.
"Eva," Lena whispered her name. She's finally back from her sick vacation.
There was a silence for a moment before Eva spoke again. \[Miss Lena, this is Eva.\]
"Uhm... Can you take care of Angel while I am still out? She just needs to eat, clean her body, and go to bed," Lena asked politely.
\[Of course, Miss Lena. Don't worry about her.\] Eva sounded fine now, and Lena was thankful. After whispering her gratitude, she ended the call and followed Clara inside the barbecue house.
Clara has two friends, Mira and Freya. They already ordered when they got in and the two girls were talking about a blind date happily.
"How about you, Lena?" Mira turned to her. "Have you gone on a blind date before you get married?"
Lena smiled. "No, I didn't have the chance."
Freya sighed. "Life has been so cruel to you, Lena. I heard your story, and I'm telling you, you are so brave to carry all those burdens."
Clara scoffed. "Life has always been a bitch, Freya. Just say that Lena is strong enough to face all that because honestly, if I were in her shoes, I would've lost my mind already."
Lena smiled, looking at the three friends she found. It was no longer uncomfortable for her to talk about her past. At least not with these girls. They are younger than her, unmarried, and not stained by the world's cruelty, but they treat her like she's not different.
"I would've visited the mental hospital a thousand times for you," Mira commented and laughed.
Lena laughed too. She was enjoying the moment, finally forgetting her problem for a while.
The smell of grilled meat and alcohol hung thick in the air, the restaurant buzzing with noise and neon signs glowing on the windows. Laughter spilled from other tables,
"Spill! Spill! Spill!" Mira and Clara chanted while watching Freya, teasing her.
Lena laughed while eating barbecue. The two were asking Freya about her blind date last night.
"Fine!" Freya groaned. "We went to the hotel after dinner."
Clara and Mira screamed while Lena laughed, shaking her head.
They were drinking while eating, and it was fun. Lena must admit it's not a bad thing to join them. Aside from the fact that she's getting to know them better, her mind was occupied by them that Lucian and Viktor couldn't squeeze in.
They're all having a good time, and Lena didn't realize she already drank too much.
She took a drink.
Then another...and another.
She lost track of time until she realized her vision was already spinning.
"Lena," Clara called her, also drunk. "Are you okay? I think...we already had enough hik of drinks."
Lena swallowed hard and cupped her forehead. "I'll just go to the restroom."
"Let me go with you," Freya said, but when she pulled herself up, she almost lost her balance. "Oh, shit! There's an earthquake!"
Mira started laughing, she can barely open her eyes now. "You dumbass!"
"I'll be quick," Lena said drunkenly and pulled herself up.
Her eyes narrowed as she walked towards the hallway.
She almost tripped, so she stopped for a moment and unconsciously laughed.
She blinked. Her limbs felt slow. The spirit of the alcohol kicked too fast, and she knew she had to sober up first or she wouldn't be able to go home properly.
Lena continued walking, until she suddenly bumped into someone.
"Hey!" A male voice, loud and aggressive, hurt her ear.
"I'm sorry..." She immediately bowed her head, unable to lift her face from too much dizziness.
The man didn't speak again, then there's laughter around her. It sounded so loud and near. She was about to continue walking when a hand on her wrist stopped her.
"Leaving already?" The man sounded drunk and dangerous. "Let's have some fun, pretty lady."
Her heart thudded in her chest as she lifted her face, forcing her eyes to focus so she could see the person trying to make fun of her.
Fear consumed her as she realized he was looking at her with a dangerously perverted smirk on his lips. She couldn't see his face properly, but his intention was clear.
Lena shook her head. "No..."
He smirked, licking his bottom lip. "Why? You seemed lonely. I can make you happy."
"No-" Lena shook her head again after she hiccup. "-I'm going to the ladies room."
She tried to stand. Her legs wobbled. Everything started spinning.
"I'll take you to the ladies room, then." He started dragging her somewhere.
Lena tried to fight back, to kick her legs, to pull her hand back. But he was too strong, or was she too weak?
Her eyes pooled with tears as her chest rose and fell violently. Fear was taking over her sanity, keeping her panic, unable to think rationally.
She remembered the time she was harassed at the club. Her painful past started rushing back into her again.
Noises became static. Shapes lost their outlines. Hope became unreachable. She could feel her body, but she could not fully control it.
"Please!" Lena cried when the man pushed her against the wall.
She looked around, it was dark and was raining. The raindrops fell on her skin, sharp and cold. Her lips trembled, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Don't cry," the man said, caressing her cheek. "We'll make this quick."
"No!" Lena pushed his chest, but nothing happened.
He just laughed devilishly, his eyes lingered, burning with dark intentions.
When the man attempted to kiss her, she bit his arm hard.
"HEY!" Another voice ripped through the cold and heavy rain. Lena tried to run away when the evil man let go of her, groaning in pain.
But then, she stumbled as someone grabbed her again. She tried to fight back, but she already used her last strength.
A tear escaped her eyes again and then darkness consumed her.