Sweet Deceit

Chapter Six: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

It was very dark, and I regret not bringing anything that could produce light.

Pero kung magdadala rin naman ako, agad akong mapapansin ng kung sino man itong taong sinusundan ko. I haven't gotten a glimpse of this person's face yet. But I tried to stay as quiet as possible.

I prayed to the moon that it would light my way as I kept eyes on the person who just ventured deeper into the woods. Where is this person going?

Surely not to a party. Gracie didn't mention another building outside of the wide woods. Lumipad ang aking isipan at hindi napansin ang stick na nasa aking harapan. I stepped on it, a snap so loud it broke the silence. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden shot of panic.

Agad akong nagtago sa puno na malapit sa akin. I watched as the person turned around, looking. My eyes widened when I could see a familiar face. It was a girl. She had a really annoyed expression on her face.

"If that's you, Melvie, come out," she says, after a silent minute of looking around.

Umirap siya at nakita kong nagpatuloy siyang naglakad. "Fine. Be that way. Humanda ka sa'kin bukas," she grumbled, as she continued to walk.

Rheane kept on walking. Her pace was faster than earlier. Where was she going at the dead of night? And with exams tomorrow? Who was Melvie? So many questions and not enough answers.

I frustratingly bit my lower lip, but I still followed her, determined to not make any mistakes this time. Focus! My mind hissed.

What seemed like long minutes of walking, she stopped at a clearing. Wala ng puno sa kung saan siya nakatayo. It was just a circular space where you could enjoy the moon's effervescent light. Hindi na ako gumalaw sa kinatatayuan at naghintay sa kung anong susunod niyang gawin.

"Whoever's following me, come out," she demanded coldly, her eyes are daggers as she looked around.

Time seemed to stop as the wind blew, shaking the trees and rustling the already dead leaves on the ground. Amongst the defeaning silence, my heart still thumped heavily inside me. Rheane knows me. Shouldn't I just ask what she was doing here?

But... I don't know her. We've only met once. And at that time she wasn't acting friendly towards me. So should I still reveal myself? What if she harms me? I don't know what she's doing here. A student died here just weeks ago.

Isang segundo na lang ay alam kong lalabas na ako sa pinagtataguan, to reveal myself and to come clean. I could think of different escape plans when something bad happens. If Rheane meant harm, I could just run. I took a deep breath and was about to step out but an arm grabbed me and I almost screamed at the horror and surprise.

Someone else was here!

This person covered my mouth with their palm, pushing my back against the tree trunk. My eyes widened, the stars in my eyes slightly dancing and adjusting to the dark. A pair of eyes, cold and dead as galaxies that have already stopped existing, calmly stared at me.

He raised a finger to his lips, a slight smirk forming. His eyes turned into menacing slits. Those eyes alone could devour me alive. I frighteningly nodded, my head thinking that I was probably going mad. He was the last person I thought I'd see here.

He wasn't wearing glasses tonight.

His fingers slowly slid so gently, almost a fluttering butterfly, down my throat. His fingers danced around my neck, a shaking glee of death teasing me. A tight grip forming, almost enough to make me choke but it didn't. Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes, and my body started to shake slightly in this unknown extremity of fear.