Chapter 3

I am shaken the whole way to the city. As the vehicle is nearing to the border, the once grandeur sight slowly disappearing. The city is beyond fairytale, and I can only gritted my teeth upon the dreaded that slowly rosing inside me.

This is more so as I feel every eyes is on me, and they searching up and down while revealing the lustful expression. This didn't ends just in the vehicle extracting me to the city, but even at place that is bustling with activity; eyes are instantly rest on me.

And the same expression is reveal!

I only have my red dress in me, and not even good as my legs so smooth in white shown just a wind blows and almost wipe it away from my possession. Men can only look, but the way they did, they as if ready to eat me anytime they want, but gulp soundly I almost lost my sanity for the maintime.

A weird thought come across my mind once and for all, and they arenot good to the health. The way these men look at me remind me of the creepy dog, saliva drip from its mouth while staring hungrily at me.

Such action never thought I've seen through the men around the city, and it's such a strange they almost couldn't hold themselves. It makes the hair to stood to end, even my scalp numb on the creepiest of this all!

I even thought I've saw their eyes turned glowing red, but it's so strange that I can only look away and gulped the hardway.

I only breathe a relief when a woman approach me with a soft smile, but glaring to the men around as if to warn them. Strangely, the men are threatened and as if the strangest would never end, they vanished through the blink of the eye!

“What?”

The woman shook her head and clear her throat and said, “Are you new?” She cover the area I once saw the men, and her strange looking eyes meet mine. It glow red for a second, yet I'm no way of certain the truthfulness of what I'm seeing!

I step back shakenly, my lip trembled. “Uh,” I can't find the exact words, but the woman gasped, as if thought for something.

“You must be from the town outside the city!” Her expression is one of a innocent and sincere, but there's something I couldn't pinpoint. She smiled the softest, and I can only force the smile and atrangely stop myself restraining the stares.

There's no shock in her eyes that is now pure black, only it amuse and somehow strangely excited. I cleared my throat, force a smile as I said, “How... How you able to know...?”

“Ah, that,” she faced the building behind me, and I can only assume it's such a good sight, however I couldn't turn even I willed it to. She added, “I'm in vacation with my brother, like you! So I assume you here for the vacation, too, right? I could tell by the way you dress...”

She never explained furrher what does it even mean. They are not dress just like me, and I only realize how the people here so old fashion, and as if been detach from the innovation of the world I learn as realiy. I glance to my dress and thought lerhaps it's something I couldn't think without. There's nothing wrong with my dress, as so their fashion to almost cover their every part of their body.

Only if the wind stop pestering it will be fine totally, though. I smile when she reveal a pondering expression, then looking attentively to every ounce of my being.

“I'm actually on the vacation, yeah,” I almost tells her I was searching for the truth and run away from home. I can only shook my head, then roared without thinking too much of it. “I'm Altara!”

Strangely, the woman is shock and shaken miserably. She even distance a few step away, and is conflicted for unknown reason. She as if don't want to talk about name and said instead, “That's... a nice name.” He look away.

“Um, how about yours?” I look at her expectantly, her face so down that gasp me. I instantly said; wavin my hands in her face, “What's wrong? Oh, no! Sorry, I didn't think right,” I realized I hit the wound that suppose healed, and uncover by such a reckless question. I sigh, regretfully said, “Forget what I ask, please. Mom and dad told me it's fine not answer the question if you don't want to!”

She look back at me as if I was so strange, and can only force a smile while still express her strange mood. I could only shook my head and smiled back. Actually, the city is strange in itself, so I've been wondering whether it's good or not to have this conversation with this woman.

In an instant, the once bustlint of place are now devoid of life. The woman seem to notice my curiousity and she said hurrily, “There's actually a curfew. Have you got a place to stay?”

I am reluctant at first to say 'no'. However, the night just surround the place and it's so eerie to continued search for something that hardly found in the unfamiliar emvironment. I even feel like my heart soon to leave my body, burst to no end. Its intense beat is a fear the unknown, whether cause by instantly notice that people are gone, as so the surrounding itself that is once bustling with activity!

I barely remember mom and dad, and they told me the truth that I'm no way to believe recklessly. Yet now, I kind of understand that bad guys surely everywhere!

I couldn't see them, but they are watching for sure. As if they are part of the darkness, or the shadow of the light that never reach tbus place!

I lose choice and nodded for her question before said casually as if t an old friend, “I'm new to the city, I'm not familiar with it... Mind sharing your, um-”

“Don't worry,” she assured as she cut the nonsense. “My brother don't actually stop over and busy himself for something. And I'm sure his room will availbale for you tonight! What do you think?”

I really not think too much of it and only feel so good when she express what I really wanted from her. Without thinking much, I nodded excitedly, and unconsciously let myself loose and carefree for the first time.

As if those men were just somewhere on the dark, I've secretly scan the surroinding. I waited to feel the safety, yet the uncomfortability only rosing!

It instantly came to mind the thought of some sort of dog that is collared. Their saliva is dripping, look at my flesg with too much lust. If they able to escape by the collared of the master, it's surely my end.

They will surely feast for my flesh if that is to happen!

“Altara?” I shivered just as the woman call my name and it's accompanied with warning resounded in her voice. She look wary then, as if my sudden lose of attention worried her until now. She said, “Don't look around... Just not look! Especially if you haven't see anything,” her voice soften, yet her expression say otherwise as she added, “It's so dangerous if you really haven't seen a thing... Remember that, will you?”

Her words just now bugged me deeply. Until we reach the building she stayed with her brother, I couldn't really stop my heart from beating so fast. Naturally, the brother she told me is nowhere, but the feeling of strange is keep me away from the bugging thing. She looks so disheartened talking for his brother that is like enjoying the world in the city, all by himself.

There's a question that can't possibly answer by my lack of understanding. I glance for the last time to the darkness, and be creep to the unseen in the dark. How could not seeing something be so dangerous anyway?

The words of this woman is quite intriguing, and there's no way she form it out of the blue. Or out to get me!

“Welcome to my home, Altara!” Her voice of lively shifted me back from my deepest of thought. I force to brightened my my face, and scan the wonderful and grand interior of her home. Outside, it as if hunted for some reason and is creepy to say the least, but it instantly turned brightly and lively inside!

“What a wonderful home!” The shining floor is so clean that I can't help but think thwice to step onto it. Even the roof so high and glow with blue like those of the sky. “Wow,” I can only murmured, and forgot to even follow her inside.

My awed shifted to something dreadful the instant I scan the staircase. It may shadowed by the darkness, but the filthy smell came contact to my nostril. I almost stop my breath as my mind spun to the foul smell.

The awed turned into horrored. Coldest breeze surround me and I felt my blood freeze and stop flowing forward. Yet my heart is crazy. It somehow able to beat in madness!

However, the sight that is unexpected and disturbing one is causing my judgement into fiery, and my mind spun. The feeling of throwing up what's I'm most likely gone to do.

Blood spattered everywhere is what keeps recalling my mind the sight of the bizarre in the stairs!

To high above the stairs, from down the barely shone floor is a trace of bloody footprint! O feel so worst to the idea that is recalling in mind, and I staggering to remain standing.

There's no way the barely seen bizzare in the dark is a good thing in itself, than seeing clearly what appear to my mind!

It replayed the very scene that is accompanied by the mere accident. It's a bloody gore, and not even the accident can able to compare the bizarre of this all!

Mom words echoed out, of how bloody accident wasn't at all a mere accident!

“What's wrong?” The woman smiled sweetly, and the unsighty of my expression is reveal once and for all. It trembled my heart and my mouth to slightly gasped.

Her question only brought me upon to a maddened realization!

I barely look away. Her stabbing icily eyes is creep me. But she smile sweetly, as if enjoying something, perhaps the torment and the horrored in my face!

“Why aren't you stepping inside yet, Alatra? Don't tell me-” Her voice thundered as it thrilled off, and every steps she make is a heartthrobbing moment. “-you changed your mind already?”

I brave to meet her stabbing of an eyes, only to shaken miserably. I barely able to calm myself, express the coldness of my voice as I softy said, “I never change my mind... Except when I really need to do so...”

I didn't live my life to keep pretending that nothing really bothering me. I couldn't even do anything to stop the shakiness of my knees as I step back unconsciously. There's no way I'm brave enough to face this unbelieving!

This woman was no way of gentle... and no way she just came her to play around!

I can only scream inside my head the instant her eyes glowed in red, 'She will kill me... She definitely will!'