She could not keep still. There was this unsettling feeling in her gut that there was something out of place - what bothers her is that she could not pin point what it was - still, she drove.
It was her usual road home. She was sure of it. In fact she'll be sure to get home even when blind folded any day.
But this was not just any day.
Her drive was consuming triple the time it normally takes and it feels like she has been driving herself in an endless circle - like she was on a horse attached to a pole in carousel.
It felt like she was being played.
In fact, she felt like she was being watched.
She took several deep breaths contemplating whether or not to remove her shirt and wear it backwards but the eerie feeling of being watched stopped her.
She blindly reached for her phone mounted on the dashboard to try and contact her Kuya Nico so he could pick her up but her luck fails her - there was no network coverage at... wherever the heck she is.
She jumped when there was three knocks on the driiver side window, making her drop her phone.
She rolled down her window, her heart still pounding against her chest.
"Yes?"
"Miss, do you need help?"
It was a man who looked about the same age as her.
Plain white shirt, khaki shorts, rubber shoes, Fair skin, deep... brown eyes...
She felt like the man's eyes were drawing her in, very much like a blackhole - pulling you in slowly then all at once.
"Miss?"
She shook her head, shaking of the trance she seemed to be on. "Uhm, yeah. I think I'm lost. I took my usual road home but it seems like I took a wrong turn somewhere. Could you tell me where I am?"
His brows furrowed, his mouth in a tiny frown. "Where were you supposed to be going?"
"Sta. Maria."
He made a disappointed sound, shaking his head once.
"You are a long ways off, Miss. Better stay the night. I'll accompany you to the nearest bed and breakfast and if you would want me to, I'll guide you out to the main road tomorrow morning."
She chewed on her lip - conemplatign whether or not to trust this peculiar stranger.
You've watched too many horror films, Nicomaine. You know where this leads to. He might be a psycho killer out for your innards.
Ugh get over yourself. They were just films and he looks like he genuinely wants to help. You really have no choice. Unless you want to drive aimlessly all night in the middle of nowhere.
She looked at him and gave him a tentative smile.
"Thank you for offering to help." She said, unlocking the passenger side door. "Hop in... uhm..."
"Richard." he smiled, flashing a dimple on his right cheek.
"Nicomaine. Hop in, Richard."
As they drove through the streets, it bothered her how everything looked different from when she was driving alone.
What bothered her more is that she still could not shake the feeling that they were being watched.
------
They reached a decent looking house with a paved walkway and pebbled parking. Vines crawled up the posts and across arches, under eack window were potted flower beds, on each post was a lantern type light fixture giving the house an eerie glow.
