Chapter 10 I want to live

She stood there, daunting her spirit as she noticed all the eyes fixed on her. The men were shocked at her daring incursion. They already felt a presence around, but never knew she was the one.

"I am innocent," she found herself voicing out." You can't just kill me without a reason. I am not what you all labeled me; whatever you called me is not what I am. I promise to prove my innocence... I will do anything, anything, just to prove myself."

She voiced out amidst terror shooting from her eyes. She wondered how she got such courage, but as it stands so, she doesn't care again. Her life is at stake, keeping quiet and crying won't solve anything. She will escape here, that's for sure, but in the meantime, she has to gain their trust.

She stood there looking at the men, the surprise in their eyes at her sudden outburst made her breath hammer in her chest.

The stranger man watched her from head to toe, her long hair hangs wildly down her shoulders, and he wondered what had gotten into her to disturb their meeting.

"On what authority do you have to barge in here?" His voice thundered.

"On the authority of knowing I will die anytime soon." Mell blurted out but stepped back nervously as the man started walking towards her, but before he will reach her, Boyld interfered, standing between the two.

"I will handle this." He quickly grabbed Mellisa's hand, dragging her out of the room.

"What are you?" He began as soon as they left the room.

"A normal human girl." She managed to struggle herself free from his grip.

"Where are your minions?"

"I don't have any minions; I'm a nurse chosen by the ministers of health for a health outreach at some Northern Country rural area. How did I turn from a nurse to a spy."

Bolyd shook his head, this lady was not what he thought of when someone said the word spy.

"But why are you guys scared of spies; what kind of business are the people in this village into that makes everybody look like a spy to them?"

Bolyd ignored her statement and led her inside the room.

"Stay here for the time, been okay."

Mell walked inside the room, staying in this room makes it look like her death sentence is near.

She climbed the bed and opened the window, her head peeking from there. At least she will have to admire the birds of the earth before knowing what she will do next. Her new environment has made her lose track of time, dates, and events. As the soft breeze swept across her face, she held her chin, and got lost in admiring the flowers from the windows, she smiled as they gently responded to the direction of the cool breeze.

"I will do the cooking," Rai told Rhoda, who was busy preparing the dinner.

Rhoda we as shocked at his statement, never had they interfered during her cooking, not to mention doing the cooking themselves.

"Mellisa skips her lunch; so I want to hurry, we can't make her starve."

"Don't worry, I will do that." Rai offered. Rhoda stood and watched him start bringing out his utensils, and a glare from him made her leave the kitchen. Maybe he needs some privacy, she thought as she left the kitchen.

Rai was spicing the chicken when Samie joined him.

"At least she needs to have a good meal before sending her away"

"If you will order me around, better start helping with the cooking." Rai urges him.

They have decided on what to do with Mellisa and a part of the plan is what they are here for.

"Let's give her salads, cheese, and some chicken, we need to feed her well"

"Your good is evil; which stand are you on this issue?" Samie retorted.

"The stand that says; eliminate any threat that will expose our existence." Rai countered him.

"Get her ready for supper."

Mellisa seated on the blanket, leg crossed, her gaze focused on the door. She was trying to process the past few moments, she wondered what happened or what was about to happen. What happened scared the life out of her.

She rushed to the bathroom, running the cold shower all over her. She tried to shove these feelings past her, this same dangerous feeling started a few hours ago. As she was watching the flowers dancing and swaying to the cool breeze; suddenly, the swaying became slow, a sudden breeze blowing on her face and she grows goosebumps. Even the birds flying became slow as if something were dragging their movement, her teeth shivered with colds and when she managed to wrap herself up with the blanket, unexpected heat erupted from nowhere and set her body ablaze. Now she sweats like she was kept inside an oven.

She felt so scared as she peered at herself in the mirror, what is this feeling, she asked no one in particular. She rushed to one of the paintings on the wall, not being a fan of ancient painting; so taking a look at the painting on the wall only seems to aggravate her the more. Her hand was already shaking, and she wondered what was happening. She restlessly paced up and down the room.

"Mellisa you can't be scared of your shadow" She was about to go back to her bed when she heard the click-clack sounds of the boot. She freezes and a knock came after some minutes of not answering, the knot twisted and a young man came in.

"Sorry!!! Rhoda not around to serve you dinner, mind joining the rest of the men?"

"No! Thanks; I will wait for Rhoda." She replied.

"I didn't say Rhoda will be back today, not next week, probably not in two years." Samie sarcastically replied to her:

Mell stood and watched the young man, her eyes widening at his remark.

"Hello!!! That's some joke there." He waved his hands over her face, jolting her back because she was already lost in thoughts.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure... I'm fine, I will join in."

"See you then." He said before excusing himself, leaving a confused Mellisa standing and staring at the door.

Mellisa arrived at the dining with a lugubrious expression showing on her face. When she saw the six men already seated, her heart skips a beat. This was the first place she had the meal that nearly choked her to death. The same place she was interrogated, now she wondered if this will be her last meal. Without saying anything, she took the empty seat closer to Raiden even though the one on the left was empty, but she didn't mind.

He stared at her and she swallowed hard. "I'm Raiden" Rai stretched out his hand for a handshake and Mellisa responded by shaking it.

"Mellisa, Mell for short." Now she wondered where she got this courage even with those eyes fixed on her, yet she managed to keep her cool. Maybe her words work wondered and the situation turned around for her good. She smiled at the thought that crossed her mind.

"I will introduce each one here, Mellisa; Rai began. " From my left, you have Arson, Calton, Boyld, Samie, and Ramsey. The men smile and wave at her, even though only three out of them smile heartily, the rest just stare at her like she is a pry. As she watched Rai introduce the men, she felt this sudden rush of cold air as if someone were sitting beside her, but she was sure the chair was empty, so she didn't bother to look back. Mellisa listens to all those names, even though she doesn't like the auras surrounding them. She managed to force out a smile. A smile she never knows how long it will last. These eerie feelings are getting worse and worst.

"And the person sitting next to you is known as ARMSTRONG."

The way he pronounced the last name makes it sounds like a warning as if the name is a threat, like I am warning you of danger. Startled, she whisked around, only to come face to face with the most beautiful face she will ever see.

One whose face stand out among the other six men, his crystallized ocean blue eyes smoldering over her, his hair was styled leaving the rest to fall freely down his shoulders. His gaze was fixed on her as if he wanted to swallow her whole, she nervously pushed her chair backward. Despite being the most handsome, he is still the most fearful and dangerous being she has ever met. She swallowed the lumps already formed in her throat.

Now she wondered how such a man could possess such a dangerous aura.

"Whatever happens to you right here is your choice."

That was Armstrong telling Mellisa the things she will have to experience. A devilish act the demon Lords agreed to, aside from Bolyd, a part of Samie and Ramsey who disagreed with it.

"If you want to eliminate her, do it without watching her struggle in pain" Samie contradicted the Lords.

A part of Armstrong agreed and a part of him disagreed. Giving witches some poison is the worst punishment ever and the type that eats deep into the heart, it means dying a cold slow death, in pain, agony, and regrets. That's the most dangerous way of handling and torturing spies. Having agreed on poisoning Mellisa, Armstrong can't wait to see the poor girl struggling for her life, at least the poison will eat up her body system and leave her helpless. Witches should have known better than sending her to spy in his Kingdom, and now he thought of it, Mazatlan will soon come asking for his captive. He better get rid of her by himself than for Mazatlan to visit him. The least he wants now is to deal with any intruder, as he always called him.

There are many ways to get rid of her, handing her over to Mazatlan, throwing her off the cliff, taking her back to the woods and abandoning her to be devoured by the hungry beast, or probably feeding her to his dogs.

He gave out a mysterious smirk and Mell shuddered at his actions.

"If you people are going to torture me on accepting what I am not, then I am sorry to disappoint you all, I will never be a spy." Mellisa blurted out when she couldn't stand the aura the men were emitting.

"Sounds like what the villain of the piece will say." Arson retorted, picking up his cutlery and eating from his plate.

"I am Mellisa Keller, a 23 years medical student, and a casual health worker, went out on a health mission with my team, carried out a successful mission, but had some issues with my team; they decided on playing pranks with me just as mistakes happened; It turns out I lost track of roads as I chase our bus and get lost in the wood. It's good I was saved, and I will always be grateful for that, but labeling me a spy all of a sudden can never sit well with me. I know at this point I'm nothing but a captive, I don't know the business you all are into that makes you think and see a stranger as a spy, I'm not and will never be part or interested in ratting out you guys. Just like every young lad out there; my dream and hope is to live, not just to exist. I have worked all my life, living under the protection of my parents. Society is evil, they always say to me, but I believe the good is also there among us, I was scared and lost all hope of being alive, but thank heaven he sent you guys my savior, and save me from the shackles of those evil men. I don't want to believe I was given hope to live, only to crush it again. Forgive me if I keep acting naive, even though I am naive about what being a spy is. I've been having strange feelings for the past few days, and it's affecting me psychologically. I knew something was not right. The feeling was there, deep inside of me, but I could not quite place a finger on what the matter was." She blurted out, her eyes welled with tears and it drops freely.

The men were stunned at her outburst, not even Armstrong could think straight about what to do next. He draws back, his hands on his chin, staring lengthy at Mells and her sudden outburst. He knows he had entangled himself in her mess, and now he needed advice on how to get out of it.