DeCode. || Her Cyber Love (#Wattys2020)

mouSe

"Kiss me and you will see how important I am."
--Sylvia Plath

Aaron is online.

19:31 from Aaron:

You there yet?

19:32 from Meliora:

Ginger texted me to wait for her at the café; I'm almost there. I'll go with her later. Meet you at the party.

19:32 from Aaron:

Is there anyone still at the café? I heard everyone asked for a night off because of the party. I think my uncle got annoyed and closed it early.

19:33 from Meliora:

The light is still on. I think someone stayed behind. Maybe Ginger is already there.

19:33 from Aaron:

Okay then. I'll see you at the party.

Aaron is offline.

Now that Mel was closer, she was certain that the bright amber light in the distance was originated from the café. She looked at her watch; she was five minutes early. Maybe Ginger got excited and was already waiting for her there. 

She couldn't help but wonder back to this afternoon when she saw Aaron using his phone the exact same time her messages arrived. Maybe it was a coincidence. But her mind kept swimming back to his chuckle when she received the message, and his unusual quietness when she talked to Ginger. 

It couldn't be him. It couldn't. He couldn't have known Mel was coming to town, and Aunt Harper had told her to trust him. Maybe it was a coincidence.

The town was foggier at night. The dim yellow street lights were lit around the corners, but not a ghost could be seen around the square. The emptiness terrified Mel. She shivered despite the warm weather before fastening her pace to reach the café, to be surrounded by brightness again. 

She was almost relieved when her fingers touched the cold metal knob before pulling it open, letting herself in. The café seemed smaller at night; most stools were stacked in the far end corner of the room, and only one row of lights was switched on. The rest of the room were pitch black. She couldn't help but shiver again.

Ginger was nowhere to be seen. Mel expected her to be here, waiting early. But the room was quiet saved for a tiny splintering noise of a blinking bulb at the far end. Szzz, szz, szz.