Poison Rose

CH- 52 - The Persistent Tease

Sven jolted awake, finding himself lying on the cold floor. He sat up quickly and his eyes scanned the dimly lit room in confusion. His head throbbed with a dull ache as he tried to piece together the events of the previous night.

He peeked inside the third room and found everything neat and in place, just as it had been before. He stepped inside and struggled to understand what had happened and how everything was in place when what he saw last night was a pure mess.

He saw from his own perspective that everything had scattered here last night. But it seemed he needed to be corrected.

As he turned to leave, something caught his eye. He glanced toward the window, where he had seen a ghostly figure the night before.

His heart raced as he approached it, but nothing seemed unusual. The glass was clean, and the view outside remained unchanged. He shook his head; he needed to meet that girl who spoke of ghosts.

Sven grabbed his keys, locked the office, and headed home, hoping a hot shower would help clear his mind. Entering the bathroom, he flicked on the light and froze.

The reflection stared back at him in the mirror was almost unrecognizable as if it belonged to someone else.

Long and carefully coiffed, his hair had been haphazardly chopped as though a naughty child had gotten hold of a pair of scissors.

He ran his shaky fingers through the ragged remains of his hair. His stomach churned with unease as he realized the nightmarish encounter was real.

Had he imagined it all or had he really encountered something sinister? The question circled endlessly in his mind as he stood in the bathroom, staring at the stranger in the mirror.

With resolve, he stepped under the shower with only one thing on his mind—he needed to meet that girl, and before that, he needed to visit the hair salon.

****

Donovan pulled up to the entrance of Liora's residence on campus. The car idled softly, leaving a gentle hum in the air. He stepped out and walked her to the door.

"I'm going to treat you next time to show my gratitude. Thank you once again," Liora said as her sincere eyes met Donovan's. The magnet in his eyes drew her in despite herself.

"Sure, I'll wait," a hint of a smile danced on his lips with a warmth that reached his eyes. It was a smile that seemed to hold secrets and promises all at once. "I'll see you around."

He watched her walk away, his heart rode high on the exchange before he turned to leave.

A tingling sensation fluttered in her stomach as Liora walked towards her apartment. She recalled the moment she awoke in the hospital to find Donovan's face so close to hers.

Liora's hand instinctively rose to her forehead, and then she gently brushed her belly, still feeling the lingering tickle.

'Is this how you feel when someone is close to you?' Liora mused, her thoughts wandered as she reached her apartment door.

Her phone vibrated in her purse, snapping her out of her reverie. It was a call from Daran. She kept her messy thoughts aside and tried to focus on her immediate surroundings instead of the fluttering in her belly.

After speaking with Daran, Liora hung her purse on the hook by the door. Liora had a lot to handle, especially her mom and uncle Dane. She groaned, thinking about the better and more convenient excuses she needed to calm their worry. Once she was done with that task, Liora released a sigh of relief.