Behind the mask

Chapter 7

 A few more days passed, and Asher was still trying to find April with no success.

"This forest is huuuuge," he complained to himself. It was getting dark, so he decided to go back home. Suddenly, he heard some noises close by. He walked over to see what it was. It sounded like it was a person. The person seemed to have heard Asher, and stood still in the shadows. Asher hesitated, but then he walked closer. When he saw who the person was, he gasped. And the person started running.

"April! Wait!" Asher shouted and ran after her. But April wouldn't stop.

"Damnit! Why are you so fast?" Asher shouted out of breath. "Please, I just want to tell you something!" he shouted again and then he stopped running to catch his breath. Surprisingly, April stopped running as well. But she was still hidden behind a tree.

"April, I really need you back," he started saying. No response.

"I know I probably mean nothing to you, but you can't imagine how much you mean to me, so please, come back home," he said again. Silence.

"Don't you get it?" Asher almost shouted. "I care about you more than anything," he said. Then he spoke more softly.

"I searched the world to find you, and now I did, I don't want to lose you again," Still, there was no reply. Asher sighed.

"You don't wanna come out?," he asked. Silence.

"I'm not coming back, Ash. I'm sorry." A voice then said. Asher looked at the direction April was hiding. There was a moment of silence. And then, when Asher saw her dark figure run off, he didn't chase after her. He stayed there for a while, but eventually went back home.

April walked along the edge of the tall cliff. She could hear the waves bursting with force on the sharp rocks. Normally, this would make her calm down a little bit, but her mood was getting even worse. She kicked a pebble off the edge, and she watched it as it fell and hit the water meters below.

'How did things end up like this?' she thought regretting some of her life choices.

'I don't know, how did they?' a familiar voice echoed in her head. Then, someone approached from the bushes. April turned around. Her eyes opened wide in a mix of emotions. Anger, regret, confusion.

"Why... are you still alive?" she asked the pink hair dude standing in front of her.

"Ahhh right! I did die but, oh well. No time for explanations. Don't beat yourself too much, your plan worked well honey. It's just... you can't get rid of me that easily," he said and winked. April was growing angrier.

"Oh and by the way, name's Diablo, nice to meet you," he added smiling widely, so his white teeth showed.

"What do you want?" April asked about to explode.

"Oh! Yeah about that, don't mind me, I just have to finish a job for my sis, honey," he shrugged.

"Stop calling me like that." April demanded annoyed.

"Yeah well, you don't seem very honeyish anyway. Why so bitter, honey?" he asked examining the cliffside. April just stared at him angrily. Diablo looked up and noticed April's expression.

"Alright, alright! As you wish, ma'am," he said. "But enough with the chit chat. It's time for you find out some stuff!"

"What do you mean?" April asked confused. But before she could get an answer, she felt hands pushing her and saw Diablo's evil grin. Half of her foot was hanging above the edge, as she struggled to keep her balance. A few pebbles rolled from down the cliff, and so did April. She felt the ground beneath her disappear. As she fell, she saw Diablo becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. His long hair was swinging gracefully in the wind as he watched. Why did he do this? What was he trying to achieve? Who was he working for? The questions rose in April's head. And, what did he mean when he said that it's time April finds out some stuff? Why did he say he died when he's clearly alive right before April's eyes? These questions were filling April's mind, and they were so many that she started to have a headache. And then, April hit the water. Her bones felt like they were shattered, as if she fell on hard concrete. The big waves were dragging her under. She tried to swim up, but her arms and legs wouldn't move. Then, a giant wave brought her on the surface. She gasped for air. Soon, another wave came and she was back underwater. Bubbles were coming out of her mouth, as she was trying to hold her breath. She struggled to move, but it was no use. As if her body was paralysed.