Under the Gray Willow Tree

Chapter 46

"Well, if you want to talk, you'd better start talking," I said impatiently.

"Oh, no yet," he replied, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the whole world. "We're still waiting for someone I know you'd love to see. And he's running late."

I don't feel comfortable around Desmond. And what more to say we're on the roof. With about twenty or more storeys below us. Not good at all. I wonder what he's planning on doing. I can somehow bet that it won't be anything pleasant. And I wonder who is this 'person' I would really love to see who's running late.

As if on cue, Desmond commented," Oh, here he comes."

I looked in the direction of the door I was just pushed through just now. The door handle twisted, and it was swung open. And it revealed Gray.

Gray froze when he saw me. But he soon recovered from it. His expression hardened, and became as hard as stone. I felt as if I was once again looking straight at a living, breathing, human gargoyle. Allow me to tell you something. It's not nice.

"Come here quickly Gray," he barked. "Oh, and would you kindly lock the door for me?" he added.

Gray nodded and locked the door, going to Desmond's side like he was some sort of psychic or something. He handed his 'master' the door key. "Ah, the key," Desmond said. You don't say. "Thank you Gray."

He turned to face me next. "So, do you know where we are?"

My gaze on him hardened. "Somewhere on Earth," I spat out.

His eyes flashed with anger. He approached me and slapped me on the cheek, hard. A sharp stinging pain crossed my face and I bit my bottom lip to try and sustain the pain of it. I help up a hand to the part where he had just slapped me.

"Don't try to be a smart aleck," he snarled at me.

He snarled! He actually snarled!

"Des—"Gray started.

"Shut up!" he yelled. "Do not try to interrupt us!"

He looked slightly stunned and disappointed at the same time. And by 'he', I meant Gray, not Desmond. Why would Desmond be disappointed anyway? He had everything exactly how he wanted it to be. "Yes sir," Gray muttered under his breath.

"Good."

I had kept my mouth shut all the time. I also didn't move. I didn't dare to move. I willed myself not to cry. I couldn't cry. I couldn't cry. Not in front of Desmond anyway. I don't want to give him the impression of me being some very weak kid or something.

And I have a strong feeling this is where Gray comes in.

Both him and I know that my biggest weakness ever is him. I think that Desmond might know of this. And I have an instinct that that was the only reason Desmond brought him out here with us. To make me the weakling that he thinks I am.

To make me vulnerable to his threats, if he's even going to say any.

But I am going to do everything that is in my power to not seem vulnerable. Not to the likes of him anyway.

"So, shall we go back to our conversation?" Desmond asked.

I did not answer him. I don't want to.

"Remember our last face-to-face conversation?" he asked once more, making me feel sick.

"How could I ever forget your sudden burst into my house when you last time I checked, you were uninvited?" I muttered sarcastically, sub-consciously hoping that he did not just hear that.

"Excuse me?"

"I meant yes."

Darn it. He's starting to control me. I think he knows that he's the one who's in charge over here, and not anyone else.

"Good."

An awkward silence filled the air. Desmond was looking at me in such a way that it seemed that he was daring me to break it. I gulped.

"Why?"

He smirked. "Because we are going to continue that very conversation right now."

I kept silent, not knowing what to say.

"Except..." He paused, as if trying to keep me in suspense. "Let's talk about what will happen to you from now on."

I did not reply – I did not want to reply – silently urging him on.

"I know you already know this, but Geraldine and I had devised a plan to get rid of your family."

Yup, he got that right. I already knew that.

"But the first time we tried, you didn't die."

Thus why I am even here in the first place, I continued for him. If I did die, I wouldn't even be here to begin with. Way to state the obvious.

"And so, we are going to try the second time."

I felt as if time around me froze. What did I just hear? I blinked my eyes rapidly several times. No, I did not just hear what I think I just heard. That's impossible! This is all just a bad dream, and I am going to wake up any time now. Wake up from this nightmare, and my little world would be a lot better than it used to be.

It's time to face the facts Willow. This is all real.

I stole a glance at Gray. He didn't look surprise at all. He looked as if he knew that this was coming all along. Figures! He obviously must know about all this. But instead of a surprised look, he looked nervous.

As if nervous of what was about to happen.

"So, what's plan B?" I asked, trying to sound confident in myself and not a scared little girl which is how I actually feel on the inside right now.

"And that, my friend, is what I'm about to tell you next."

On the bright side, he didn't call me 'my dear'. On the dark side, I do not want to know what is about to happen to me. I want to live, not die.

"Let me tell you the whole plan up to now. First off, Gray was supposed to get your mobile phone number."

Check. He had done that a long time ago.

"Next step was for me to threaten you and possibly frighten you."

Check, sad to say. But the gap between the first and the second step was really huge. I wonder what they did to make the gap so huge...

"And then it was to give you a visit in your apartment."

Check. Add a monotonous droning kind of tone here.

"Then for me to send you parts of the info you deserve to know."

Check. And I didn't particularly enjoy that experience. If anything, it was actually quite freaky. I mean, if you started receiving information from someone aiming to kill you, won't that be freaky?

"Then for Gray to bring you here, to the HQ."

Check. If not?

"And then last but not least, was – is ­– for us to kill you once and for all."

He smirked at me. Uh-uh. Not checked, never want it to be. Because when it does get checked, I would not be around to check it.

"So..." I wonder what he's about to say or ask me. But I have a huge inkling that I will not like it. "Are you ready?"

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So, did you all enjoy that? The upcoming chapters would not be too long, so yeah. Oh, and I really desperately need an editor (I hate proofreading :P). Anyone wants to be one? :)