Art of Deceit

XIV

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
dark

"Where are you? It's almost 3am. Call me back." I left a voicemail for Dawn as I sat in the waiting room anxiously.


I didn't want another missing girl on my conscience. My foot tapped vigorously onto the ground as I nibbled onto my nails, my thoughts going wild. 

I turned to my right, seeing Anna in a deep slumber and I contemplated leaving her and going to search for Dawn. I had no idea why, but my gut kept drawing me to Woods Field.

I took a pen from one of the tables, scribbling a note on a napkin for Anna just incase she woke up before I came back. I left it next to her right before calling for an Uber.

The road was close to empty, making the journey that much quicker. We stopped at the sign that read WOODS FIELD in big, red and bold letters. I gulped, staring into the woods that was close to pitch black.

It had a different vibe from when I was here with Taehyung. The velvety black curtain that draped over the sky was something I would normally find breathtakingly beautiful but there was a certain sinister feel to it today. The eeriness of it crawled up my body in the form of goosebumps and I shuddered.

"Dawn!" I whisper-shouted into the woods, not daring to enter. "This is so stupid." I start regretting my decision, realising I had based this whole thing off of my gut feeling.

I fished out my phone, trying to call her once more but it goes to her voicemail again. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, staring into the thick trees as I eyed the narrow path that led right through.

"I'm not doing this." I turned around on my heel, watching too many horror movies to know better but a blood curdling scream gets me to stop.

"Dawn!" I screamed, recognising her voice instantly. I start running into the woods, not having a plan in mind.

What if I come across an axe wielding murderer. Or worse, something supernatural. Being by myself's not going to be enough, but who can I call? It's close to 3 in the morning. The police? But-

Another scream snaps me out of my paranoia but this time I freeze. It wasn't Dawn's voice.

"Yeona?" My voice strained, hearing her voice tear through the still atmosphere. The scream resounds once more and my head swings around, trying to locate where it was coming from. "Yeona!" I yelled, running forward.

I knew there was still a chance she was out there, she couldn't have been gone. There was no way.

"Yeona, where are you?" I scream into the night and I feel an icy droplet roll down my spine.

"Right here." A whisper came from behind me and the blackness around me embraced me, my body hitting the ground.

I feel someone shaking me awake and my eyes peer open. I jump the moment I regain my consciousness, remembering what I had heard. "Yeona," I breathed out, holding whoever was next to me.

"Jina," the voice pulled me back to earth, his warm arms holding me.

"I-I heard her." I stuttered, looking to my right only to see Taehyung.

"What?" He looked at me, brows furrowed.

I stared at him, taking in the entire situation and I paused. "Wait, why are you here?" I asked and he helped me up.

"I'm here almost every night," he shook his head, eyeing my form with confusion. "Jina, why are you here? What happened?" Taehyung asked, eyes filled with worry.

"Dawn, she left and I thought she came here. Then I heard her and- and-" I feel myself shivering and his eyes search mine.

"Jina, no one's here." His voice was soft. "I heard you screaming so I came out to find you and the next thing I knew, you were on the ground."

"No," I pushed against him. "I heard Yeona, she's here." I feel my eyes sting as I looked around but there was nothing but trees.

"Yeona?" Taehyung tenses up a little, "Jina, I think I should get you home." He tugged onto me a little and I pushed him away, this time a little harder.

"No!" I looked around, my heart pounding against my chest as I feel everything close in on me. I couldn't accept the fact that she was gone. If only I had gone to meet her like she asked or at least answered the call. I needed to know what she wanted to tell me and what was in that letter.

The letter.

Taehyung watched me as I dug through the pocket of my jeans, trying to find the letter. "Where the fuck is it?" I spat, going dangerously close to the border of insanity.

"Jina." He tried to get me to look at him but my mind is focused on finding the letter that was no longer in my pocket.

I dropped to my knees, patting the dirt on the ground, hoping that I had just dropped it here and nowhere else. "She wanted to tell me something," I say, my breathing ragged as tears start brimming my eyelids.

Taehyung lowered himself, kneeling before me as I continued searching the ground frantically. "She tried calling me." I finally tell someone, a tear dripping down my cheek. "And I shut her out, and now it's missing." I say, referring to the letter and I feel him touch my shoulder.

"Hey," his voice low and inviting but I still don't turn to him. "Jina, look at me." He grabs either sides of me firmly, finally getting me to meet his eyes. "What's going on?" He asked, his eyes softening as I start whimpering.

"It's my fault." My hand clasped over my chest as everything I had been keeping within me came erupting. "It's all my fault." I whimpered as I looked to the ground. "I pushed her out and now she's gone and I can't find the letter." I start rambling and Taehyung bends over, trying to get me to meet his gaze.

"Okay," he breathed out, "let's look for the letter then." He nodded but there was something about his demeanour that seemed off. Maybe it was the fact that I had brought up the name of his dead girlfriend or the fact that I said I heard her. His body was tensed and there was a certain sense of fear that I managed to catch in his eyes.

But I couldn't think about him in that moment, call me selfish but I needed to find the letter. Taehyung began patting down the ground in front of me and I did the same, hoping it'd turn up but instead I feel a sharp sting on the palm of my hand.

"Shit," I cussed as I pulled my hand away feeling a warm, damp sensation. I pulled out my phone, using the flashlight to look at my hand that was bleeding.

"That looks bad, Jina, we should go." He said as he stared at my hand.

"Help me hold this," I say, passing him my phone as I tried pulling out the shard of glass. I finally pull it out with a wince and I stare at it. "Is this-" and I pause staring at the red tinted glass.

I grabbed the phone back from Taehyung, shining the light onto the ground and I freeze. "Isn't this a headlight of a car?" I asked, looking up at Taehyung who shook his head.

"Who knows what that is, come on we should go." He said but I pulled away, staring at him as a dark thought entered my mind.