My Dear Annabelle

Chapter - 12 Phantom Thoughts

Lian and Kuea entered the dimly lit theater and found their seats, settling in as the opening scenes of the horror movie flickered across the screen.

Lian's eyes were barely on the screen, though. Instead, they were on Kuea. He couldn't help but smile to himself... he wasn't a big fan of horror movies, but he loved watching Kuea's reactions to them.

Kuea's expressions, the way his eyes widened in fear or excitement, the nervous laughter that escaped him... it was all fascinating to Lian.

Every jump scare that startled Kuea only made Lian's heart swell more with affection.

Kuea, on the other hand, was already gripping the armrest tightly, his body tense as he prepared himself for the first scare. He was terrible with horror movies, scared out of his wits, yet he loved them.

It was a strange paradox that Lian had grown used to over the years. And sure enough, when the first chilling moment hit, Kuea let out a sharp gasp and immediately reached for Lian's arm, squeezing his biceps as though that would protect him from the onscreen terror.

"Relax, it's just a movie," Lian whispered, his tone gentle and teasing.

Kuea didn't reply, just shook his head slightly, eyes wide, peeking through the gaps between his fingers as he covered his face. The ghostly figure on the screen loomed closer to the protagonist, and Kuea's grip on Lian's arm tightened even more.

"You say that every time," Kuea muttered, half-heartedly trying to laugh but still too engrossed in the horror. Lian chuckled softly, loving every second of this.

It was almost a ritual for them now... Kuea clinging to him for dear life, Lian pretending to focus on the movie while secretly watching Kuea's reactions.

For the first half of the movie, everything was just as usual. Kuea gasped at every jump scare, his hand darting out to grip Lian whenever the tension on screen became unbearable.

He'd watch through the cracks between his fingers, half-hiding behind his hands but never fully able to tear his eyes away from the action.

Lian felt the soft, familiar pressure of Kuea's fingers digging into his arm, signaling each intense moment on screen.

But then something changed. About halfway through the film, during a particularly eerie scene, Kuea's usual reactions stopped.

Lian noticed that Kuea didn't squeeze his biceps when the ghost suddenly appeared, and when he glanced over, he saw something that took him by surprise... Kuea wasn't covering his face at all.

He was staring at the screen, his expression serious, almost contemplative, as though something else entirely was occupying his mind.

Lian blinked, his confusion deepening. "Kuea? Not scared?" He watched him for a few more moments, intrigued by the rare sight and somehow he finds it cute.

Normally, Kuea would be trembling by now, but instead, his eyes were glued to the screen, unfazed by the horror playing out in front of him.

Quietly, Lian pulled out his phone and snapped a quick picture of Kuea... he couldn't let this rare moment pass without evidence. Kuea, engrossed in his thoughts, didn't even notice. Lian smiled to himself, tucking his phone away.

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As the movie progressed, Kuea wasn't paying attention to the plot anymore. Instead, his mind began to wander.

The eerie atmosphere, the theme of possession and lost memories... it struck a chord deep within him. "What if something similar is happening to me?" The thought slithered into his mind uninvited. "What if I'm not just forgetting things, but... what if something is controlling me? Like a ghost?"