The streets fell into silence as darkness enveloped the earth. The red moon shone brightly with a red glare and the stars as red as blood.
Out of the silence came the ringing of a bell, softly but clear. It tolled faintly till it became loud and then it grew louder, louder and louder until it seemed to be directly over my head.
I looked above me but saw nothing but it went on ringing and tolling as I could no longer hear my thoughts.
I felt the pressing need to run with each passing moment. I tried to move my feet but they seemed as of they had been put in concrete. They were immovable.
I stood with a sense of dread holding a package in my hands as the tolling of the bell above my head seemed to tell me to hide, warning me each passing moment.
My hands were slippery and heavy. They were wet with sweat as I ached to know what was in the box. I stood near an alley corner and unwrapped it with shaky hands.
The paper fell away and then I saw it. It was my own head. Lying with bloodshot eyes, my lips parted with my teeth showing and my braids wet with blood. I ran with my bloody head in my arms.
The light grew brighter and brighter and I was sweating and panting from running and the bell rung so loudly that I could hear the Iron clanging against the metal sides evry time it swung.
I was running over a street paved with gravel and my feet kicked at the little stones quite painfully. I knew very soon I was going to need a place to hide.
Before me, I saw my former assailants. Their eyes as red as the moon with deadly snarls. Their teeth sharp as though they were fangs. They came before me menacingly with as an evil grin graced their faces, terrifying me to my bone marrow.
I looked at the head which was now slippery with blood in my hands and I knew they had come for it and I cursed the clanging bell.
That moment, I didn't give a damn about what happened to me and I stopped running. But still, they came closer and I hurled the bloody head in their faces honkhonkhonk
I opened my eyes and a car was horning at me with a very angry driver, his face as red as a tomato. I could have sworn, I smoke leave his ears.
I scrambled up quickly and left the road. How did I even fall asleep in the middle of the street. I yawned as the angry driver sped off, smiling at him and waving.
I rubbed my tommy as it growled. I need food like ASAP. So I did what I had never done in my life.
I stole.
Real smooth A. Who knew that you were such a smooth thief
Zurvan teased me and I shot him a glare. While not technically because he was inside my head but nevertheless, I still did.
I had just stolen a loaf of bread from a bread seller or whatever it is they call them. The poor man didn't even notice that it was gone and I sighed.
Hey no one ever said life in the streets was easy. You have been living a spoilt life all this while
I wanted to be angry but the stupid voice in my head was always right.
Hey I am not stupid
I rolled my eyes and continued in my thoughts. My parents gave me everything I ever wanted. All my life I had lived like a princess, I had never gone hungry for one day, never broken a law and sure as hell, I had never once stolen in my life save from my father but technically speaking it was the money reserved for my college I took when I ran away from home.
I loathed people who stole but funny situation cause I am stealing right now to survive. In that moment as I munched on the stolen bread, I wept.
Oh I wept just cause, I wanted to though and the salty tears added some flavor to the bread. I should do this more often. Crying when eating, I mean.
****
She bumped into him again as she went into the nightclub.
'You,' she said as she rubbed her forehead, wincing a little from the pain of the impact. He rolled his eyes.
'Why do I always meet you in places like this?' He asked her as they both made their way to the bar.
'Same question I should be asking you,' she said sassily as she sauntered on the stool and he settled himself next to her.
'Four shots of ratafia please,' he said to the bartender and she looked at him, creasing her brows slightly in question.
'Try it, you'll love it,' he told her. 'Get the lady the same thing please,' he said to the bartender as he brought his drinks.
When the drinks where brought, she eyed it before seeping slightly. The liquid hit the sweet buds of her tongue. Tasting somewhere between brandy, peach and almonds at the same time. She downed it all and he laughed.
'Told you, you would like it,' he said and she nodded. 'Although I do not recommend underage drinking,' he teased and she scowled at him before falling into silence.
'So what's a respectable billionaire like you doing in a nightclub,' she asked him sipping on her drink.
'I lost a daughter. Forgive me if trying to cool off a little like this is wrong,' he said angrily as he downed another glass of his drink.
'And I lost a friend,' she shot back.
'Then what the hell are you doing here?' He asked her.
'I am not the one trying to use Ariel's disappearance as an excuse,' she retorted back angrily.
'Oh really! Then why are you here? Please enlighten me as I would love to know your excuse,' he sneered at her.
'You are a pathetic father,' she said not knowing what else to say.
'What?!' He ran his hands through his hair with frustration etched on his face.
'Assuming you had taken care of her, this would not have happened,' she said and he saw red.
'How dare you? You were the one who took her to that party. I know Ariel and how much she hates parties. So obviously you must have been the one to have forced her there and now she's gone. And you have the nerves to tell me that I caused it?' He asked her and guilt hit her hard. She struggled with her tears but still manged to speak.
'I was trying to be a good friend to her. I wanted her to loosen up and see the world differently from how you made her see it. I wanted her to relax and be happy and forget the unhappiness you caused her,' she said with a cracked voice as a tear escaped her eye.
'Well look at where it got her,' he said to her drily.
'You don't even care,' she screamed at him. By this time the had downed all their drinks and they were standing face to face glaring at each other.
'I am her father. What makes you think that you care for her more than I do?' He asked her.
'Apparently, it seems I do,' she breathed out.
'No you don't because I will always be her father but you and her tomorrow may stop being friends,' he said, letting his words sink in as he turned to leave and they did sink in. But Meg was far from done.
He had left the club but she followed him out quickly after paying for the drinks. She rushed after him as she saw him reach the car.
'Well then show it! You can't say you care and everything you do says otherwise,' she said still a little hurt at the words he had spoken but all she cared for was proving a point and having the upper hand.
'How else do you want me to show it,' he shouted, making her flinch. 'I went to the police, Every single day I call them, trying to know the situation. I hired private investigators to help with the goddamn case. I put in enough money to the police force, providing them with whatever they might need in the case.
I have used my money and my time. I have done all I can for my daughter and yet you say I don't show I care. How else do you want me to show my care?' He asked as his whole body vibrated with anger.
'Since you do know how to care better for Ariel than I do, please tell me what you have done. What have you done?' he continued as they were standing nose to nose.
'You left her, you told her that she no longer had a father,' she said quietly.
'And I think I am paying enough for my mistakes for having to suffer another loss again,' he said as he tipped his head and kissed her.
It was a rush. Neither of them expecting it, they both froze. Nobody pulled back and then in a single kiss, every emotion was poured in. All the anger and pent up frustrations they felt was poured into that feverish kiss.
'Car,' she managed to whisper when they both came up for air.
'All taken care of,' he said as he texted someone. The both got in his car and he drove like a mad man to his home. He had never been this desperate.
She wrapped her legs round his waist as he kissed her while running up the stairs to his room. The shed their clothes in haste as though the world was about to end in a minute and they were racing against time.
'What about you lovers?' She asked him. 'What about your boyfriend?' He retorted and she shut up.
As they were on the bed wrapped up in passion, neither of them noticed his phone ring and they didn't notice her phone ring also after a while. They were in a world of their own and nothing else mattered at that period.
He watched her mouth crease into a frown and she said, 'This is bad.'
'Hey I'm not that old and besides ladies of all ages love me,' he said smugly and she rolled her eyes.
'What about my car?' She asked him. 'And you owe me cause you left the club without paying for your drinks.'
'That was clearly your fault honey,' he said.
'What's the time?' She asked him and looked around searching for a clock but she found none.
'Strange,' she muttered and pulled out her phone to check the time.
'Shit!' she exclaimed as the same time as he did. She looked up at him and found out that he had also taken out his phone.
Ariel had called.
He tried calling her back but there was no signal. She tried but her number was switched off. They both looked at each other with faces filled with shame and guilt as they dressed up.
Her phone rang again and she they both looked up with hope.
'Hey babe, I just called to say hi before I get to my station,' Jace said and her face fell in disappointment and guilt.
'Hey Jake, Umm can I call you back? Ariel called and I need to get to the station right away,' she muttered.
'Shit! What did she say?' he asked her.
'Umm... I was err.. asleep so I missed the call,' She said biting her lips nervously.
'That must hurt alot. Let me not keep you waiting any longer. I'll call you later for updates. I love you,'
'Okay. I love you too,' she said and hung up.
'I hate to spoil the moment but we have to go,' Ariel's dad said and she nodded as she dressed quickly and they zoomed off into the early morning darkness.
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A/N: Hey Dearies, I hope you loved the chapter. My favorite part was the nightmare Ariel had. Now we know why Ariel's dad and Meg didn't pick up their phones in the last chapter😉. Ariel's dad's name is Mr Jace Norman if you can remember but it seems really weird adding the Mr to his name, so I'll call him Jace and don't get confused with Jake, Meghan's boyfriend. I'll stop here for now.
Ta-ta my young friends... till we meet again.