I had my first kiss when I was in high school, well, it was a kiss for me even if my lips barely touched his cheek.
And that's what I believed a kiss should feel like. That's the distance I ever walked towards a male species. I thought Yuri was a kind boy, with deep brown eyes and sharp features. He was half-Japanese and everything I liked in a boy.
But I never confessed.
I couldn't. Not when I saw the blonde girl hanging off his arms. I believed the crush should have come to an end. But I couldn't. It hurt me to see him with her and when I didn't see him, it hurt more.
My friend convinced me it was just one-sided until Yuri cornered me at the gym. I was so flustered and shy that I couldn't say anything. And when he arrogantly proposed I should confess to him, I refused. Not that I no longer liked him. No. It was the eeriness. The numbness inside me that halted me. Partly because I knew I was just a nerd wearing glasses, and he deserved someone like Christine, the blonde with him.
But I was so flustered to be close to him that I felt myself tumbling.
Today, I felt that once again.
The only difference. I neither liked the man nor wanted to be close to him.
He was having… sex. And… I saw him doing the deed. It would've been fine if it was just sex. But the brutal thrusts, the pained moans, the roughness with which he handled her, and… his sinful body. How could… a man look like this?
So dangerously handsome, and sinfully sinister.
The scene left me shocked, my breath catching in my throat. I remember the erratically pounding of my heart as I stood frozen unable to tear my eyes away. My body trembled, a shiver running down my spine, as my mind struggled to process what I had just witnessed. A bitter blend of dread and an uncontrollable rush of adrenaline coursed through me leaving me both stirred and horrified.
I barely recalled how I stumbled through the hallway. When I turned a corner, I collided with someone.
I looked up to see a pair of cold, piercing eyes staring down at me.
Kyle. Judas's bodyguard.
My breath caught in my throat, and I felt the world spin around me. Every sound seemed to muffle, the hallway stretching out like a tunnel.
"Going somewhere, Ms. Rosewood?" he asked with his usual low and menacing voice.
I couldn't find my voice.
My legs felt like they would give out at any moment. All I could do was nod my head, trying to back away.
"U-yes, I am not… feeling well. I need to… go," I stammered my voice barely above a whisper.
Before I could move back, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm with a grip firm and harsh. I looked up at him wide-eyed. This was the first time he had touched me. And I didn't like that. Time seemed to slow, my heart pounding in my ears as I saw every detail, the way his fingers dug into my skin, the flicker of a cruel tilt of his lips.
"I'll take you to your dorms," he muttered suddenly appearing larger than life.
No. This wasn't the Kyle I knew. Or did I really know him at all…
Fear shot through me, paralyzing my limbs. My body tensed, every muscle rigid as I fought the urge to flee. I tried to pull my arm away, but his grip tightened, making me wince.
"No, I can manage," I whispered, my voice trembling, my eyes darting around for an escape route.
Kyle's gaze bore into me, unrelenting and icy. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "I insist."
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. My legs wobbled, barely able to support my weight. I swallowed hard, my throat dry, and nodded reluctantly, unable to find the strength to defy him.
My breath hitched. Tears streamed down my face, and I felt a sob rise in my throat. The fear was paralyzingly nauseous. I didn't know what he was capable of, but I knew I was in danger. And I realized I was trapped.
I nodded, and he let go of my arm. Pain shot through me as his grip released, leaving a deep, aching bruise. I hissed in pain, the sound echoing in the silent hallway.
Kyle's eyes never left mine with the suspicious gleam in their depths. He stepped back, motioning for me to lead the way.
Strangely, every step felt like walking through quicksand, my body heavy with dread. I looked around, suddenly noticing the things I hadn't seen in the past month.
The silent house. The out-of-place things-like the statue of the snake wrapped around the woman on the lawn, the tattoos on Judas's back, and the strange amount of gold in his house.
His grip felt like iron, and I realized how little I knew about the people around me, about the place I was working in. My breath came in shallow gasps, my chest tight as panic threatened to overtake me.
My eyes landed on the portrait of Judas on the stair wall. Large, almost taking up most of the wall, it was hard not to notice. I had looked at it many times, but today-today it was different. My whole body stilled as my eyes moved from his piercing blues to his wrist. There, on his wrist, was the same gold watch, unmistakable and hauntingly familiar.
My mind raced, piecing together fragmented memories and odd details.
Flash of memory hit me like a sudden storm leaving me breathless and disoriented.
The lump in my throat swelled and the jagged stone lodged painfully, making each swallow a struggle against the torrent of emotions surging within.
My breath hitched the sharp intake of air like a cold blade slicing through my chest.
I tasted the metallic tang of fear on my tongue the bitter reminder of the fear I felt at that moment.
My ears rang with the echoes of forgotten words.
Everything around me blurred my vision clouded by the veil of tears threatening to spill.
The scent of snow and pine filled my nostrils dragging me into the present yet heaving me back to that moment.
My fingertips tingled at the sensation of the cold air prickling my skin like a thousand tiny needles.
The stalker from that night, his silhouette tall and menacing under the streetlights the gold watch catching the faint light when he reached out.
And my breath hitched.
What if-maybe, just maybe-that man was… Judas?
The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning leaving me momentarily paralyzed. The thought vanished as soon as it came, but the haunting realisation lingered like the shadow of him that night that wouldn't dissipate. My limbs stopped trembling, replaced by a cold numbing fear that seeped into my bones.
I tried to pull away again, but Kyle's hold only tightened.
I looked at him slowly.
His cold eyes bore into me, sending another wave of terror through my body.
And whatever suspicion I had, his eyes confirmed.
Ivan mentioned there were two men.
What if… what if I was doubting the wrong man all along when…
I staggered my legs felt like jelly, barely able to support my weight, and my fingers tingled with the onset of numbness. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run, but I couldn't move. I was trapped, my mind and body betraying me.
"Are you alright, Ms. Rosewood?" Kyle's voice dripped with false concern, his smile never reaching his eyes.
Heavily mocking realisation engulfed me.
I was in over my head, surrounded by darkness and danger.
Kyle's grip tightened again, and without another word, he began leading me down the hall.
Why? Why would he do that to me?
'Your mouth, around my cock.'
Was it... because I refused to sleep with him? The horror of realization struck me like a lightning bolt. The stalking-oh God, the stalking-had begun that very day. Panic clawed at my chest, each breath a struggle. Please, dear Lord, let this be a figment of my imagination, a cruel trick of the mind. Let that shadowy figure lurking in the corners of my life be anyone but Judas. Because if my suspicions were true if it was him... I was as good as dead.
We reached the outside, and the cool night air hit my face, but it did little to soothe the panic boiling inside me. Parked in the driveway was a sleek, black car-Judas's car and the same white Lambo I saw earlier. And my heart stopped breathing. He was in the house with Veronica or Valentina whatever her name was doing god knew what. And it felt too easy for me to run from him and Kyle insisting on dropping me.
Too easy for the predator who enjoyed chasing.
It couldn't be a mere coincidence, or was I being paranoid?
Kyle opened the passenger door and motioned for me to get in.
"Inside," he ordered, his voice a chilling command. I glanced around in a desperate search for an escape. If I ran, what were the chances I'd make it to the main road? Hell, what were the chances I'd even reach the front gates?
I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest, but his sharp glare made it clear I had no choice. With a sinking feeling, I slid into the passenger seat, clutching my bag to my chest as if it were a shield. Kyle got in the driver's seat.
The car started, and we drove off into the night.
I adjusted my glasses, my fingers trembling, and tried to steady my breathing. The mansion blurred away in silence, and I kept stealing glances at Kyle. I should've taken karate classes instead of art sessions in college. Maybe then I would've been able to land a punch or two. But even though Kyle seemed deadly, he couldn't compete with the evilness Judas wore like a proud flag.
Kyle watched me closely, his eyes never leaving my face.
The silence in the car was suffocating, broken only by the occasional murmur from my seat as I shifted. My breaths were like a nail in my coffin. My head was a mess. And I didn't know how to sort it out. I had no proof it was Judas, and it didn't feel like I needed one. The man was cruel, and it wouldn't be a surprise.
It was written on his face, hidden behind his cruel smile, his piercing eyes.
I loved to torment me. And he successfully had.
And it was the last time, it had to be the last time, because I didn't know… how'd I face him next time. Screw the money, screw the contract.
"You shouldn't have seen that," Kyle said suddenly, and I paused in my back-and-forth motion. I slowly looked at him and swallowed hard.
"See what?" I muttered. "Him having…. Sex or him covered in blood?"
I watched as his eyes darkened but he didn't look at me, I didn't know what it was supposed to do. He sighed and made my skin crawl.
"Both," he took a sharp turn his eyes focused on the road.
My heart pounded in my chest, every instinct screaming at me to run, but I was trapped. I had stumbled into something far bigger and more dangerous than I could have ever imagined.
"I-I didn't mean to," I stammered. "I just... I didn't know."
My flesh shivered as his lips curled into a cold, humourless smile. "Ignorance is bliss, Ms. Rosewood."
It was. But now I felt like crossing the line I couldn't uncross.
He reached into his jacket, and for a split second, I thought he was going for a gun or something. Instead, he pulled out a small, sleek device, a cell phone. His fingers moved swiftly over the screen, sending a text message.
I swallowed hard averting my eyes to the familiar streets. It was the road to my dorms. And I didn't know how to feel about that. Too easy like I said.
"Here's some advice for you," he said, his tone matter-of-fact.
I glanced at him warily, bracing myself for whatever twisted wisdom he was about to impart. His eyes glinted with a cold, knowing light. "Keep your head down and your eyes open," he continued. "You never know what you might stumble upon in the dark. Strangers are deceiving."
I nodded.
My throat suddenly felt dry and I cleared.
A movement happened in my periphery, and Kyle bent down and retrieved a bottle of water from the compartment throwing it at me I barely caught it as it hit my nose and tears formed in my eyes.
I eyed the bottle and twisted the bottle, uncapped it, and greedily gulped the water like a thirsty boar.
Taking deep breaths, I closed the cap and mumbled. "Thank you."
The car suddenly pulled to a stop, and Kyle opened the door, gesturing for me to step out. I stumbled out of the car, my legs barely able to support me. We were in front of my dorm.
He bobbed his head at the building. "Hope to see you again, Ms. Rosewood."
I clenched my fists and turned around, looking around, hoping to catch sight of the stalker for the first time I wished I'd see him. I wanted to believe it wasn't Judas.
No one. Not even the feeling of being watched. A sob threatened to escape my lips and I quickly rushed into the building.
I was trapped, caught in a web of fear and danger. And I had no idea how to escape.
I was near the reception when my eyes landed on the box meant for me. Another shiver ran down my spine. Something in me told me to not open it. I swallowed the light was on and there was no one, but I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
The light flickered suddenly, and I flinched. My hands hovered over the box, and my fingers trembled as I took a deep breath.
Do not open it.
I grabbed the edge of the tape.
Do not open it, Sera.
I ripped the opening.
You'd regret it.
Grabbing the flaps of the box with my both hands, I pushed them away.
I regret it.
A scream echoed in the hall. Blood-curdling and mine. My body stumbled back, and the box I was holding fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Eyes wide with fear, I fell to the floor, scrambling backwards on my hands and knees. The contents of the box spilt out, rolling across the floor, coming to a stop near my foot.
Severed head lay there.
Dead eyes staring back at me.