Under the Gray Willow Tree

Chapter 14

19/06/17: I'm sorry I forgot to post. I'll post another chapter tonight to make up for it!
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I stared at the two people standing at my doorway, dumbfounded, with my mouth gaped open. I shifted my gaze from the guy and the girl at the door – whose names are supposedly Desmond and Geraldine – to Gray, and back to the pair again, looking the most bewildered in the group.

"You... You... You guys all know each other?" I blurted out hastily and as quickly as I can, not trusting my tongue if I say that too slowly, gesturing frantically at the three people at the same time.

A sinister yet disturbing smirk made its way, very slowly, onto Desmond's face. Whereas Geraldine snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh no, we don't," she said, very sarcastically.

"Shut up," I hissed at her. Now directing my question to the two guys, I ask," Do you guys know each other?"

"Yes, we do," Desmond replied for Gray, in a matter-of-factly kind of tone.

My eyes were widened in shock, but I was staring at no one in particular. My jaw was still hanging open slightly. I could feel Gray's body tense up a lot from beside me. "What are you doing here?" he asked directly towards Desmond, his voice very cold and full of venom.

"Gray Lopez," he replied, in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice. "Surprise, surprise."

All of a sudden, I felt tears stinging in my eyes for absolutely no reason at all. Question after question after question were swimming around in my head. Questions that formed itself when Gray said those two names.

How do they all know each other?

What in the world are they doing here?

How do they know where my apartment is?

And the most important question of them all: Who are they in the first place?"

But I guess, there really is only one way to find out. And it is such a simple way. The only way to find out the answers to all these questions, is to ask.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" I questioned, looking at the two strangers to let them know that I am asking them the questions. "And you." I turned to look at Gray. "How do you," I pointed at Gray to emphasize my statement. "Know them," I nodded my head towards the others.

"Um... Well..." His eyes darted around the room. This time, it's him who does not want eye contact with me, not the other way round. "From work...?"

That sounded more like a question than an answer to my ears.

"And I'm a human," Geraldine said, and once again, very sarcastically.

This time, she is the one who's saying things sickeningly sweetly. Which made my skin crawl.

My fists were balled up, the only thing I could do to stop my emotions from overflowing. Because once my emotions overflow, I will tend to cry, and I didn't want to look like a weakling in front of the likes of these two. Especially not in front of the likes of these two.

"Well, I can tell," I mimicked her tone. "I want something more... Specific." I paused. She opened her mouth to speak but I beat her to it. "And don't say you're a girl," I added as an afterthought, in case she had that in mind.

She scowled, and shot an icy glare in my way. A chill ran up my spine. "Fine," she replied, defeated. "My name is Geraldine Lopez..."

She paused, as if on purpose, trying to increase the already ever so intense suspense in the room. A smug look crept onto her face.