Chapter 1 THE MEETING ...

Walking through the path, I was devastated and tired. Only the full moon showed light to my path as many thoughts found their way to my head.

'Why now? Why will he tell me to meet me?? After everything he had done?' Questions upon questions kept on ringing in my head.

'You should hear him out.' That little curiosity popped into my head.

Cold hits my bare skin as I thread carefully towards the place where the whole thing started.

"Alright! I can do this!!" I assured myself.

There he was, standing and looking towards the other side. His hands are in his side pockets... I couldn't see him well but his features said it all...

I didn't make a sound nor let my presence be known by him. Regretting my action, I decided to go back to where I was coming from, far and farther away from him.

I turned back to the direction I was coming from, but he beat me to it. He calls my name in a gentle yet audible voice "RAILAH".

His voice breaks every wall I had built around me. I turned back to face him, not ready to meet his eyes. He walked towards me and then smiled. Not a happy one though, but a thankful one.

"I'm glad you agreed to meet me, I thought you wouldn't want to see me" He paused, and then I met his eyes,

"I'm sorry"... He said at last.

Sorry could make everything go away but instead, it added to the fury burning inside me. I was expecting that, but it reacted negatively.

'SORRY' is one of the magical words or so to call it, but this isn't working magically...

I started to build the wall that crumbled around me, using the strongest bricks I could find.

"That's all?.... Sorry is all you could say?? After doing all that to me? Wow..." I summoned the courage to speak.

I was on the verge of breaking down as he looked up at me (well more like down since he's taller than I am) trying to find my face in the dark.

The silence between us was uncomfortable, screaming to break itself from the intensity. 'How long will this last?' It seemed to ask.

"It wasn't my fault" He decided to break the silence,

"I... I didn't plan it, He told me to do it, and I couldn't help it... I didn't know it would result in that, I honestly didn't want to hurt you....... " He spoke nonstop.

Too much to take in, but I was processing each word. I must have been a good pawn in the game he had planned, earning my trust to use me like a pawn in a chess game that's strategically used to achieve a goal.

'How did I get to this??' I laughed at my stupidity.

The last time I checked, I wasn't a gregarious person. I'm someone who loves to be alone, not that I wanted to but the universe has a way of working against me, so I decided to be what it wanted me to be, 'ALONE', but what changed??

'He changed you!!!!' My subconscious screamed at me.

I got cold feet as I looked at him. Maybe because I was afraid or because I was feeling cold... blame me for putting on shorts without socks.

'What am I doing here? Should I be here with him? I shouldn't have come out, but here I am with him...again..' A series of thoughts flooded my head.

'He changed you totally!!' My subconscious found its way to my head again. I shook the thought away from my head and looked at him.

"Why did you want to see me?" You ghosted me after the incident and now, you decided to see me, telling me you are sorry!" I yelled.

I fought back the tears willing to spill as memories of the terrifying incident flashed through my mind.

"Is this also one of your plans?" I look around, making sure we are alone in the dark...

He moved closer to me, and I moved back.

"No, never, I can't do that to you, just hear me out...Please" He begged. He moved closer again, stretching his hand to touch me, but I moved back.

I can't believe it happened to me in a twinkle of an eye. There's a minute between life and death, but mine took less than a month.

Not death in a conventional way, but death that made my whole world crumble. Those moments that made me whole then shattered me.

'I shouldn't have met him, I shouldn't have agreed...' I blamed myself. Tears I had been fighting for those brief moments found their way to my cheeks.

'I can't cry, I'm not weak, he can't see me cry,' I said mentally, giving myself false hope. The deed had been done.

'All I needed was an explanation, but do I need it right now?' I asked myself again.

"Railah," He called my name again.

He has a way of calling my name that always had me feeling in a good kind way, It works now though, but I won't let him have his way.

"I'm going back to my hostel," I said. I cleaned my face and turned back to the direction I came from, not ready to look back as he called after me,

"Railah, Railah, Railah...... " till his voice faded away in the dark.

I got to my room, retired to my bed and closed my eyes hoping sleep would take me to another dimension...

"He's missing!!" Brelany, my best friend and roommate shouted.

This brought me back from my tiring yet comfortable sleep. I rubbed my eyes as I sat up on my bed and looked at her. She was looking all perplexed as she stared at her phone.

"Who is that?" I asked dozing off.

"Drevy is missing!!" She shouted again and that jolted me.

"What!!" I shouted and jumped down from my bed. I collected her phone and scrolled through the article.

DREVY ANDREWS IS MISSING

LAST SEEN, THREE DAYS AGO.

His picture made the headlines.

'That was the last time I saw him, that was the last time he called my name' My head pounded heavily.

Brelany looked up at me "You met him that night didn't you?" She asked.

"No, I didn't... I didn't meet him" I lied.

"But you told me he called you four days ago to meet him," She said, confused.

"Yeah, he did, but I didn't" I lied again.

"But you were not on your bed that night when I...."

"I just went out for some fresh air," I cut her off.

"Are you fine?" She looked at me worriedly.

"Yes, I am," I lied for an umpteenth time, then gave her an assuring smile.

She stood up, patted my back and left the room, leaving me with thoughts and regrets.

'I should have listened to him, I really should have let him explain before I left him.' My subconscious blamed herself.

'Can this get any better??' Tears found their way to my eyes again...