Devil in Disguise

Chapter 3

“Open them.”

I opened my eyes and he was there ̶ Gray Eyes. He smiled and he was good-looking as ever.

“Hi.” he said.

“Hi.” I replied softly.

“I believe we've met before. But I didn't get the chance to introduce myself. Not after you ditched me. I'm Ethan.”

Ethan. At least I won't have to call you Gray Eyes anymore, though it sounds good. “Nice to meet you.”

He raised his brows. “Aren't you going to shake it?”

I looked down and saw his hand reached out, which he must have done so after giving his name, waiting for me to shake it back.

I hesitated, then shook it slowly. And I felt the same tender touch of his fingers, as I did the first time. I was abashed. He chuckled but I dared not to look at his countenance which must have been radiant, I'm sure. Otherwise, I would melt.

I stopped shaking his hand and slowly put my hand down. But he kept his hand held out. I scrunched my brow as I stared at it.

“You still haven't given me your name.”

Oh. I slowly reached for his hand again.

“I'm Lora.” and then I looked up and was once again caught under his spell.

“Nice to meet you Lora.” he smiled and gently shook my hand.

I managed to avert my eyes from his and

looked at my surroundings. It was sheer darkness. No trees. No buildings. No people. Just black. I looked down, and there was no floor. I felt I was standing on solid ground, but as I looked at the darkness below, it seemed as though we were floating above a dark abyss.

“Where am I?”

“Away from your problems.”

I looked at him. He was still glaring at me, “Huh?” I was confused.

He reached out and took my hand, “Come. I'm going to show you something. Close your eyes.”

I complied.

“Now open them.”

I did so. And I found myself sitting in a roller coaster car that slowly ascended to the highest point of the railway. Ethan was sitting right next to me, on my right flank. I looked down and saw a group of tiny people staring up and waiting for the spectacle to begin. The car rolled slowly, creating scraping sounds of metal against metal which indicated rusty hinges and oxidized rollers.

When the roller car reached the apex of the railway, I overlooked the local carnival that beamed with different rides and attraction sites and enjoyed a numerous number of local spectators. And ahead, was the main road filled with various tiny moving vehicles, with headlights slightly twinkling in the dark, that meandered through forked roads that led through different kinds of structures and edifices.

I recognized the two people sitting in the row preceding ours. It was my older sister on the left, and my cousin on the right. I looked at Ethan, he was looking ahead with a smile that says 'I'm ready for the action' while keeping hold of my hand.

This is all so confusing. This place looks like ̶

The roller car suddenly plunged down the sloping railway at a speed that caused my insides to stir. I felt my heart in my throat ̶ an unusual feeling but familiar. The rush of wind against the car brought tears to my eyes.

When we reached the bottom, I felt my insides drop to the bottom wall of my belly. We swerved left then right, and the people won't stop screaming. I tried to push confusion away. I tried not to think. This is a moment to enjoy. The car once again climbed an elevated part of the railway, lower than the first but tall enough to cause my insides to stir once again when the car plunged. I splayed my arms in the air, raising Ethan's hand that held mine and screamed to the top of my lungs, letting fear and ecstasy flow through me. When the ride was over, I was smiling breathlessly and wished for more. But Ethan, stood up and helped me out of the car. I saw the other people disembark as well, including my sister and my cousin, who seemed stricken with joy and awe. I looked at Ethan, who was already staring at me.