The Mask Man In The Woods

34.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I sighed as the sun's rays shone through the window and hit a book on a bookshelf. I got up from where I laid on the floor and rubbed my side where it ached. I grabbed the book and stepped to the side to get away from the sun's heat. I almost chuckled as I read the author.

Edgar Allen Poe.

Though I never read his books, it was because of Tristian that I recognized the name. I almost put the book back when Tristian came out of the bathroom, his towel hung around his neck as he messily tied his hair back into a ponytail. His face appeared to be better without all the dry blood and dirt on his face, but it still looked pretty bad.

His left eye was completely swollen and a nasty gash ran across his forehead. There was a cut on his lips and all over his knuckles. His face twisted into pain as he slowly lowered his arms. He wore a clean long-sleeve black shirt with black sweatpants.

It seemed weird to see him without his mask or half mask. It was like he was naked as my eyes roamed over his face and neck. There were a lot of scars on his face, some deep and long and others faint. The one that struck out to me was the long scar that ran across his neck.

As if sensing my stare, his eyes met mine and stood next to me. He chuckled, a deep rich sound that made my cheeks tint pink. He nudged at the book in my hands.

"Did you ever read the book that I let you take?" He asked, referring to the one that I accidentally took during our first encounter. I shook my head, sliding the book back in its place.

"I don't like to read." I reminded him, wiping my nose with my sleeve. Tristian blinked and let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry about Javon. I really didn't know..." He trailed off. Even though I cried all night to the point where I felt like there were no more tears, I felt a bash of new tears burning my eyes.

"Javon was my best friend. He helped me through so many things. And at some point, I really thought he was the one," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I wiped away the tears, "Are you sure Harry left his body?"

Tristian nodded. "The arrow basically kicked Harry out of Javon's body. It didn't kill Harry, but without a body, Harry isn't strong enough to attack you. He'll be back as soon as he finds a freshly deceased body to possess."

I sniffled and crossed my arms over my chest. "I thought ghosts could possess people that are alive." Tristian rubbed the back of his neck and walked towards the makeshift bed he set on the floor. He sat down, pulling the blankets over his lap. I sat across from him and hugged my knees as he sighed.

"Harry isn't exactly a ghost. He's a curse," Tristian began, averting his eyes until he finally locked eyes with me, "I should probably explain everything from the start."

I forced a smile and nodded. "No secrets and no holding back, got it?" Tristian chuckled awkwardly and nodded. He cleared his throat and exhaled slowly.

"In your first life, you were married to my brother, Harry Vale. When you and Harry moved to what used to be the colonies, we met for the first time. I was working on building the settlements for those coming over for a long time, so we never met before your marriage. There was a party being held for Harry's arrival. I went, of course, and we... clicked. We started seeing each other more and I confessed my love to you one night." Tristian paused, his cheeks tinting pink.

I blinked, remembering a dream I had where I was at a ball, dancing with Javon and meeting his brother. A brother who had the most beautiful brown eyes... As if sensing my thoughts, his eyes lifted to meet mine and I inhaled sharply. That wasn't a dream...