The Ghost Inside

Chapter 29

Michael's POV: 

Where could Niki be? It's been half and hour, and no sign of Niki.  I thought she would be looking for me, but she didn't turn up. What if I really did hurt her, that hard? I shook my head vigorously, trying to keep my head up high. Maybe she's back home, I thought to myself. Yeah... that's it.  

I stood up and headed back home, now that I just spent like the entire time sitting, on the park bench. A few minutes later, I entered our apartment, and there was no sign of Niki. I guess maybe she was out looking for me, and all of sudden, she has to pick up groceries. Maybe she knows that I want to be left alone. I smiled a bit, and kept remembering my mantra. However another half hour later, I was filled with paranoid thoughts. 

I don't know where to start. I thought my mantra helped, but as soon as Niki took a bit longer, dark thoughts keep coming in. A voice keeps screaming into my head. Where could she have gone to?! WHERE IS MY NIKI?!!  

I tried to keep myself calm by drinking warm milk and pacing myself, back and forth. Then suddenly, a vision popped inside my mind. Yes... I can see it. I can see Niki all tied up in the back of some kind of car. Even though her voice is muffled by a gag, I know that she's screaming for me. Finally, the vision was over and I came back to my senses. I was gasping for air after I saw that vision. There's no time to lose. I must find Niki. 

Niki's POV:

Unfortunately, I was sleeping until I woke up, to see a room that is so grand. It feels so fancy, but a bit dusty. It's a bit dark, and the lights were not on. Whoever owned this place, he or she should've fixed the place up. Or maybe... this must be some kind of an abandoned mansion. No one's in here, except for me and this shadowed figure, who appears to be bulky. He steps towards me slowly, and all I can see is his glasses and gray hair. The mayor, I thought. 

"Well, well," the mayor said. "A pretty little girl, who seems to know the person that I'm looking for." 

Though I couldn't see his lips moving, but I can tell that his voice sounded sickly, than ever. Looks like he wanted to hide it from the camera. After all, it would be bad for his reputation, as if his people had turned against him already. He takes a few steps towards me, revealing his full form. Yeesh, I thought, again. He is really losing himself, already. Not only that, who knew he can be really big, in person. 

I narrowed my eyes at him and tried to get myself get freed. I grunted as I try to break free, but the mayor hold up his hand, as if to get my attention. Well I already got his attention... Now what? Then, the mayor stepped closer to my face, while I try to back away from him. "I didn't think the maestro would get himself a lover, now would he," he said, as a little smirk appears on the corner of his lips. The maestro, I thought curiously. So that's Michael's nickname, to what the mayor gave him. 

The mayor walks slowly around me; his hands on his back while looking at me. "Sounds so interesting that you would hang around with him, but it seems he has secrets kept inside. How pitiful."  

Can't I just wrap my hands around his neck, for once? All he does is trash talk him, and held me captive. There's nothing so devious that he was planning to do. Finally, he stopped in front of me and leans closer to me. Still disturbed by him, and I wish he would stop that. I can feel his heavy breath, and finally he speaks. "You will be my bait, deary..."