Guest UnfortuNATE

Chapter 14: Beginning of an End

"You picking up Nala?" Spade asked Riley who was about to open their front door.
"Oh, you're awake. Yeah. I already told Diamond as well."
"Okay, take care. Keep us posted, please."
"Will do. See you this evening," Riley waved Spade goodbye as he fished his car keys from his bag. The latter watched as he backed up their driveway and drive down the hill.
She went to the kitchen after she lost sight of the car.

"Good morning, Dia."
"Oh hi Spade, good morning to you, too," Diamond smiled as Spade went for a hug.
"Ace and Heart are still sleeping," she announced as she picked up the knife and help cut the onions.
"Let them be, let's just wake them up when it's time to eat," Diamond nudged at her lightly. "For now, you will help me prepare the best breakfast we'll be having since we moved in here."
Spade opened her mouth wide when the onions started to make her cry. "Fucking onions," she angrily slammed her fist on the chopping board.
Diamond laughed at her as she reaches out with a tissue to wipe her friend's eyes. "You ain't used to it yet?"
"I'd forever be hating onions for the tears I've wasted on it," she grumbled which made Diamond laugh even harder.
They shared laughs and banters as they prepare for the day's breakfast they didn't even notice Ace standing by the doorway, watching them with fondness in her eyes and smile on her lips.
"Ace? How long had you been standing there?" Diamond was the first to notice their friend, almost causing her to drop the glass of water she was about to pour in the pot.
"Long enough to have my heart filled with so much love seeing you guys this happy," she smiled.
Heart just so suddenly pop behind Ace with a scowl on her face.
"You guys having fun without us?" she gasped dramatically, acting as if she was hurt. Spade only rolled her eyes at her while Diamond picked up a handful of flour before throwing it at her friend. "Get your dramatic ass over here and help us instead."
"You can do it, fighting! I'll just offer you moral support here in the corner," Heart ran to the table to avoid the flour and started to munch on the cookies that Diamond just took from the oven.
"Ya!" The latter ran to her and hit her hand as she tries to reach for another piece but Heart was quick enough to grab a handful and ran behind Spade who was busy mixing the dough.
You could tell that what comes after is chaos as the friends found themselves entangled with each other on the floor covered in flour, making the kitchen a huge mess.

"I'm so full I could sleep for a whole day," Spade exclaimed as she patted her stomach.
Diamond and Heart agreed who just came to join her in their veranda after finishing with the dishes. Ace was busy giving her dog a bath at their backyard as her friends watch her.
They just sat there, taking in the peaceful wind of that sunny afternoon, knowing too well it might take long before they'll ever have to enjoy a siesta like this again.
Even without talking to each other, they knew what each of them had been thinking in that moment. They have too many questions to ask, too many possibilities of what could happen any moment from then playing in their minds, thinking of too many unforeseen events that may unfold and of too many surprises the future has in store for them.
"I now understand why Ace doesn't want to tell us everything before, because to be honest, this really is just too overwhelming," Heart expressed with a pang of guilt coating her words.
"Yeah, it's driving me crazy too," Spade agreed.
"This is so messed up," Diamond can't help but let out a sigh of frustration. "Why is this even happening to us?"
"I don't know either," Spade shook her head. "All I know is everything happens for a reason."
"Ain't it even more appropriate to say that everything happens because of a reason." Heart chuckled when she noticed her friends turning serious. "Hey, let's not try to think too much about it for now. The afternoon is just too peaceful to ruin it with the uncertainties of tomorrow. Let's just savor this moment as we don't know when we'll have to be able to enjoy this kind of afternoons again." She closes her eyes as she leans back in her chair.
"You're right," Diamond did the same as she pulls Spade to lie beside her.
"Don't play the instrumentals!" Spade was quick to snatch Heart's phone when the latter suddenly put on a piano cover of River Flows in You. "This ain't the time to be sentimental, I don't have tears left to cry."
Diamond started laughing at Spade who is glaring at Heart. She was reminded of Spade crying over the onions a while ago.
"Not my problem," Heart just stuck her tongue at the other as she snatched her phone back and made the music even louder before hiding it in her pocket. "Just lay back in there and think of happy thoughts, don't ruin my moment," she added.
"Insufferable human being," Spade grumbled laying back as she was told.
Only the comforting melodies filled the air as the three friends just lay their with their own thoughts.
Their peace was short-lived when they heard a car pulling in their driveway. They quickly stood up and went to open the front door to meet their new friend.

"Nice to meet you, Nala." Spade was the last to shake the hands of the younger girl as Riley introduced her to them.
"Same to you," Nala smiled shyly as she look at them once more.
"Wait, where's Ace?" Riley looked around for the missing girl.
"She's not done with Cheska yet, I guess, " Spade replied. "I'll go get her." She then made her way back to their garden but she cannot see her friend or her dog.
"Ace?" she called out but got no answer. She took one last look around before telling herself that maybe Ace had already went inside.
However, she stopped frozen in her tracks when she entered the house and finally saw Ace with the others. A figure had her back towards her, she knew too well who might that be. Clubs was standing right beside her friend, holding her in the arms. But that's not what shocked her, she noticed that Clubs was shuddering in fright, clutching on Ace as if she was hiding from someone. She felt uneasy with what she is seeing. Clubs is a ghost, a spirit. What could possibly scare her? What was she afraid of? Or her eyes are just playing tricks on her again? Maybe she is seeing it wrong. She then rubbed her eyes and looked at them again, only to be the one shuddering in fright when she noticed another entity among the group. She tried to scream when a black figure started prying on Clubs, making her vanish and then going to Heart, trying to enter her friend's body but something seems to be preventing it from doing so. She managed to exhale a breathe she doesn't know she was holding. After the failed attempt on Heart, she watched as it moved to Diamond only to grunt in anger when it can't enter the girl's body too.
Spade opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out of her, she can't even move. She was frozen in place and she could only watch in horror and helplessness when the dark figure looked at her direction and is slowly moving towards her. She can make out it's sickening smile and it scared her shitless.
5 meters.
She can feel her heart about to explode as it started to beat faster like never before. Her body started to tremble. Her knees felt weak, she can feel that she's about to drop to the floor.
3 meters.
Help! She tried to scream one more time but just like before, nothing came out of her voice and she is still frozen.
2 meters.
She started to cry in fear.
1 meter.
That's it I'm gonna die.
The figure laughs maniacally, seemingly enjoying her fear and shudders. She closed her eyes when it hovers right to her face. Her knees finally gave out, landing herself on the floor.

"Spade..."
She groans when she hears distant voices calling out to her. She tries to move her body but she can't.
"Spade!"
She finally opened her eyes when she heard desperate pleas calling her name. She found herself surrounded by her friends, worrying over her.
"What happened?" she asked them, confused.
"I don't know if you're sleepwalking or what but you just stood up, ran inside and just stood there for like a good 4 minutes before passing out. Are you okay?" Diamond explained to her slowly.
Was that just a dream? She asked herself.
But before she could find out, they were interrupted by a car revving in their driveway.
"They're here." Ace turned to look at her, "Are you okay?"
Spade contemplated before nodding her head. It can wait.