0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.14 | Fait accompli

Joseph directed Ruby by trudging ahead, stumbling by the stone and cursing in his broken breath that secured a place near the foot of the streetlight pole. But for his drowsy state, it was the stone's fault to come under his feet ─ none of his.

Instinctively, she shot her head up as she chaffed along the murkiness of creepy little plants edging the sidewalk as their shadows formed on the pavement made out of solid concrete.

They looked as though they were any runaway couple -- one who didn't value the night for sleep until they found a permanent shelter that would keep them safe from their thwarted enemy's wrath for eternity. Cliché? No, it was not in their case.

Pressed down, were her eyes where grainy eyeliner swooshed on the lids. Her lips were sealed together to soothe the inner corners of the two pink cushions against the frigid winter.

Joseph had taken a turn to the right--perhaps, to the main entrance of his house. He would've entered inside quietly but something had happened which caused him to whirl around, flinch and linger there a little longer with a dour frown forming on his lips.

Overdriven by the command of fresh air that caressed her dry face. The smell of jasmines and a visualization of an idyllic scene of white jasmines providing a reciprocating effect to the torch-lit garden occurred to her. She didn't realize for how long precisely she'd been wandering off in the garden dream sequence until she bumped into a hard, ultra-tech cemented wall. A thud sounded louder. But, way louder was her shriek.

"Ahhh!"

"Hey, stay quiet little idiot! I don't want your sleepwalking to be the cause of my exit from this area where I've been living for . . . whatever. Why am I even explaining this to her?" Joseph whisper-bellowed, rubbing his face with weak hands, and motioned her to follow him further but stopped as he added on, "Come inside. Only if you can silently."

For once she had sketched him as an honest, kindful man. But the second he opened his mouth, the same old same old words hit her hard. Before, she could even recall the moment where he blurted the crumpled mysterious soliloquy about his aloof state of living from a few minutes earlier discourse ─ which still didn't lead to any solid conclusion ─ her mind shunned all such thoughts and accepted the brutal reality of his cunning character. A leopard can't change its spot, it was so true.

Ruby fisted the lapels of her jacket and brought it closer to the center. She dragged her feet as she followed his suit and very soon they merged in the dark tunnel.

As the lights turned on, she was welcomed by the great emptying sigh of the house.

"Everything is the same," Ruby muttered calmly, and her fingers ghosted on the genuine leather covering the sofa; it was soft and warm to the touch and gave a distinctive aroma- rich and appealing.

Her eyes scanned across the room and she moved forward in awe to explore the adjoining kitchen.

"You can stay over a night in your room. It was earmarked for your lodging and then leave before sunrise. I hope it's our last─"

Instantly, he placed a hand on the wall. His struggle to stand erect escaped from her eyes as she was reminiscing the past moments (although they held no good memories). His knees were too weak to fight against the death grip of sleep deprivation and a mild hangover. A faint sound of his body falling on the sofa perked her ears up, and she paced toward him.

"Joseph, should I take you to your room?" she asked nervously. Although she knew he would say a big no, surprisingly, he didn't. Rather, with animated gestures he pulled himself up and started to walk on his own, pressing his hand harshly on the other side of his head.