Labyrinth | ✓

t h i r t y - f i r s t ♂

Shock.

Shock completely overthrown my control over my mind and movements, immobilizing me right on the spot. It spread through out my blood and nerves like a lightning and affected every single parts of my body in less than a second. Dark, hefty flashbacks chased after me as if it I was its prey, and successfully pounced me on the spot. I found myself affixed to my own seat, so I was incapable of prompting myself out of it.

I tried battling their forces, but seeing that I was immediately overwhelmed, I realized that they were all too powerful. Rena needs to ride out of here... I don't want to see his face again, nor do I want him to notice I'm sitting right here...

They shouldn't be there.

They shouldn't be.

I continued shaking my head, refusing to accept the reality.

It's just my stupid hallucination acting all shitty on me again... It has to be... There's no way they were there... I thought out an excuse. It's just a stupid brain trick...

"Is t-that Florence and R-Raphael?"

Unfortunately, not in this case.

"Wow... how did they m-manage to end up t-together?" Rena took heed of the talking couple as they stepped out of the store. I didn't want to stare at them for so long, but I did manage to see them carrying some sort of goodie bags.

Seemed to me that Rena was giving a rhetorical question, so I didn't answer. Besides, I was too distraught to think about why they were hanging out together. All I care was getting the fuck out of here... but it seems like Rena's curiosity get the best of her.

She didn't bother to pedal on her bike once the green light turned on. She simply moved to the edge of the road, probably wanting to take a good look at them. I instinctively held my breath, cutting off any oxygen from accessing my lungs. Due to my involuntary action, my skull started to throb, as well as my heart. I quickly turned my head away from them, focusing on the cars instead.

...why would I be at the wrong place at the wrong time...?

"Rena, it's time to go." I ultimately have the courage to tell her to leave this area immediately. "The lights had turned green."

However, at this point, I accidentally reverted my gaze back towards the couple, and I couldn't broke my stare anymore. They were getting closer to our spot, and the more they did, the more tense it was for me. I was incessantly begging for them to not look to their side and resume whatever they were talking about. They seemed pretty immersed, thankfully...

...for a short time.

I thought they would walk away without acknowledging our presence, and I was about to let out a deep sigh, until Raphael's attention caught me.

I stopped dead on my tracks, turning into a statue at the same time. My blood began turning drastically cold when as he continued gazing at me as if I was some sort of meat. He was standing still, like he was in a trance, but I knew something more to that. His uncomfortable smile, in a flash, broadened into that one, barbaric grin that never failed to throw me to the depths of hell. 

No... Stop...

Raphael never utter a single word, nor did he threaten me verbally. His hand snaked into the back of his pocket, as if he was about to obtain something, most likely an object of some sort. My breaths went full-blown crazy, and everything started to grow hectic, just like an approaching storm. Out of reflex, my shaky hands grabbed Rena's shoulders, which made her jolt in surprise. While I was pushed to the brink of snapping, I muttered these words to her ears.