Chapter 4 The Man without A Face

"I am so glad you're here," Asa said, her eyes teary as she tried to unlock the door while encircling Meryl in her arms. Meryl smiled at Asa as she remembered the unfurling of happiness and relief in her stomach seeing Asa jump on her laughing immediately she sighted her at the airport, she had been a bit skeptical, thinking Asa would be like all the other girls who left the town and came back with their nose in the air, but Asa was still as jumpy and talkative as ever, but even more stunning.

Meryl marveled at this stunning woman who stood in front of her, Asa had always been pretty, sometimes Meryl thought 'too pretty' but now she was even more beautiful with her radiant black skin that glowed under the light, her face was beautifully defined with captivating eyes that had the fullest, longest lashes mery had ever seen, her kinky hair when loosened was soo full it had to be put in two buns instead of one was now styled in thick, intricate braids pulled back into a full bun highlighting her graceful neck and delicate features, she was wearing bold oversized black earrings making her face look even more elegant.

"You need to rest. I was invited to a fundraiser, and you're my plus one," Asa said excitedly. Meryl laughed at her as she jumped up and down, raising the curtains.

"You didn't tell me about a party; what will I wear?" Meryl said looking worried.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's for work, and since you'll be working there soon, I thought I should bring you as my plus one so you could see the elites of Manhattan eat roasted vegetables and compliment wine all night," Asa replied with laughter in her voice.

Meryl tried to remember where Asa said she worked, an oil company that was known to be the best and most successful in the world, DE SANTIS IMPERIUM OIL, she recalled, the name was on one of the elegant journals in the care packages Asa insisted on sending to her when she was bored.

"Let me show you to your room; you look very sleepy," Asa said gently, taking Meryl's arm to lead her into a room. Meryl gasped at how clean everything looked and well put together.

The bedroom had a warm, cozy, and simple feel, with soft beige and cream colors that made it calm and inviting. The bed looked super comfortable with fluffy pillows and a thick knit blanket for extra warmth. A small wooden nightstand with a lamp added a touch of charm, while a tall floor lamp gave off soft lighting. A simple framed artwork above the bed kept things stylish but not too busy. A tall green plant in the corner added a bit of freshness. Overall, it was a peaceful and cozy space, perfect for relaxing.

"You put in soo much work into my arrival, I love you so much," Meryl said hugging Asa

"I love you too," Asa said, laughing. "You should freshen up and relax; there's plenty of food in the fridge; I'm going to run an errand and it's almost 3 pm should be back by 6 or later". Asa said as she stood in front of the mirror and smoothed the wrinkles on her simple, short flared gown.

"Thank you," Meryl said, yawning loudly, Asa walked out of the room and said as she closed the door "Sleep well,hairzilla" She ran away giggling and Meryl shook her head while laughing softly.

***********

Meryl woke up drenched in sweat, her luggage sprawled open on the floor. One suitcase, which her mother had instructed her to give to Asa as a token of appreciation, was packed with lip oils, the knitted blankets her mother had made, and Asa's beloved Harry Potter books, their edges hand-painted by Steven to depict all the characters. Nestled among them was a package of her mother's delicious stromboli and a large bundle of homemade cheeses, aged in bulk over the years. The other suitcase had held her clothes, but it now sat empty-she had neatly arranged them in the wardrobe before heading into the bathroom. After taking a bath, she had swapped her top and joggers for a white nap dress, which now clung to her damp skin.

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling shakily as the dream lingered, too deeply carved into her mind to fade. It had been years since she last had a nightmare, and this one had come with a darkness that clung to her like a second skin. A shudder ran through her as the cool breeze from the open window brushed against her arms, making her think of him.

In the dream, she had been searching for Asa, the frantic search leading her into a vast, dimly lit room. The only source of light was a wide window facing west, where a man stood with his back to her, a glass of golden liquid in his hand, swirling it slowly.

He was tall-at least six feet-with the lean, sculpted frame of someone effortlessly strong. His black vest clung to his toned chest, his dress pants loose and elegant. His hair was black, layered, a bit messy in a way that made it seem intentional, strikingly attractive in its retro style.

Then he turned.

And terror swallowed her whole.

He had no face.

Only a skull stared back at her.

Panic gripped her as she spun toward the door, her hands grasping at it-only for it to disintegrate beneath her fingers. Her breath came in ragged gasps as he stepped toward her, the glass now empty in his grip. But she barely noticed, too fixated on the thin gold bracelet around his wrist, the tiny initials K.V.S. engraved on it.

She wanted to run. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to move, to fight, to do something, but fear kept her frozen. Instead, she crouched instinctively, making herself small as tears spilled down her face.

It didn't matter.

He reached her in seconds, his hand clamping onto her wrist in a bruising grip, yanking her up.

She screamed, her fear raw and wild, but he only laughed-a rich, arrogant sound that sent ice through her veins. Then, in a voice smooth as silk and laced with an unsettling mix of British and Italian refinement, he said,

"No one can hear you."

Meryl flinched as his fingers brushed against her skin, and something in him shifted. His grip tightened, his hand snapping to her waist, fingers pressing into her flesh so hard she gasped in pain. The glass slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor, the shards scattering like tiny daggers.

Then his voice changed.

Darker. Possessive.

"You are mine. Only mine. No one else. Nowhere else. You'll never leave me-I won't let you."

His skull was inches from her face now, the words crashing over her like a tidal wave.

She sobbed, her body shaking, her skin burning where his fingers had dug in deep enough to break the skin. Blood beaded against her ribs, warm and real, unlike the nightmare she so desperately wanted to wake from.

Then he reached for her face-

And Meryl woke up.

She reached for the small clock that was shaped like a bird and made a small whistle when it finished an hour.It was 9:45pm. She couldn't believe she had slept for soo long,she got out of bed and walked to the sitting room where she checked if the door was locked,she sighed in relief the door was locked form the inside and the security chain was engaged, she went to Asa's room and found her asleep on her big bed,large enough for 5 people,her room was spotless except for her vanity table which was littered with jewelry.

Meryl closed the door to her room gently and made her way to the kitchen, another room Asa made sure was clean enough to eat off the floor,she opened the fridge and found the a full ceramic,transparent bowl of Mac and cheese and took it out and placed it in the microwave. She set the timer for 3 minutes and leaned on the counter as she tried to figure out what to wear to the fundraiser tomorrow evening.

She walked to her room,the bowl of food in her hand on a small tray,she set the tray down and turned on the light in the closet as she picked five of her favorite dresses.

After what felt like an endless search, she finally found the perfect dress-a strapless blush pink gown with a lace-detailed bodice, a cinched waist, and cascading ruffled layers. It was elegant, timeless, and, most importantly, unworn. Tonight felt like the perfect occasion to change that. She slipped on a pair of silver stiletto heels to match, then reached for the thin silver pearl station necklace her father had given her on her 16th birthday. Running her fingers over the delicate pearls, she let out a quiet sigh, memories of him flooding her mind.

Her father had been a carpenter, well-loved in Galena. He often spoke of learning the craft from his Italian father back in Italy and would carve tiny pieces of furniture for her dolls with a kind of patience that mesmerized her. A tall man with a laugh that carried for miles, he adored her mother, and Mrs. Giovanni, in turn, lit up whenever he was home.

To him, Meryl was always Bella Bambola. He would scoop her onto his lap whenever she cried, whispering, "Sei la mia bella bambola."-"You're my beautiful doll." And he had insisted-almost stubbornly-on passing his trade down to Steven, teaching him the art of woodworking from an early age.

But then, just like that, he was gone. A stroke, the doctor said. A blood vessel had burst in his brain.

Her phone pinged and she put the four dresses,kissing each of them first as she said "I'll wear you later, I promise" back in their places in the wardrobe,she giggled and twirled till she reached the vanity table where her phone was,she gasped as she saw 5 missed calls from Steven, 3 from her mother and 5 from alex and opened her phone to see even more messages from them.

Meryl called Steven immediately.

"Thank God you called-we were getting worried," Steven said, breathless with relief.

Meryl rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you just call Asa?"

"We did. She said she left you at home but had to run an errand. Mom wanted to know if you were alright," he explained.

"I'm fine. I just fell asleep and woke up now," Meryl reassured him.

"Mother says you should behave well," Steven added.

Meryl chuckled. "Tell her I will."

There was a brief pause on Steven's end before he spoke again. "Call Alex."

"I will," Meryl promised.

She hesitated for a moment, then softened her voice. "I love you and Mom."

"We love you even more," Steven replied.

Meryl scrolled through Alex's messages and felt a pang of guilt-he had tried calling four times and left multiple voice notes. In the last one, his frustration was evident.

"Fuck, Meryl, if you don't call me tomorrow, I'm getting a flight to Manhattan. Don't try me."

She exhaled, shaking her head. She knew better than to take Alex's words lightly. This was the same man who had camped outside a movie theater for three days just because she wanted tickets to the new Star Trek movie. Without hesitation, she called him. He picked up on the first ring.

"I was packing already," he said, his voice sharp, edged with worry.

"Babe, I'm sorry, please," Meryl pleaded.

"What were you doing?" he demanded.

"I was asleep," she admitted.

He let out a slow breath. "I called Asa, but she didn't pick up." His tone had softened, but she could tell he was still tense.

Meryl knew how hard this was for him. Back in Galena, he always knew exactly where she was-it was a small town, predictable. But now, she was a thousand miles away, and he had no way of keeping track of her.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

Alex sighed. The tension in his voice melted just a little, and she couldn't help but giggle. "Were you really going to come?"

"Check your DMs," he shot back.

She opened her messages and found a screenshot of a booked flight to Illinois for tomorrow. Her heart clenched.

"I'm sorry. I won't make you worry so much again," she murmured.

There was a pause before Alex asked, "Do you need anything?"

"I really just need sleep. I'm so jetlagged," she admitted.

"Don't forget to eat," he reminded her.

Meryl glanced at the bowl of mac and cheese on the table, forgotten hours ago. "It's late already," she tried to argue.

"Shut up and eat something," Alex snapped, but there was warmth beneath his words.

"Okay," she conceded.

His voice softened again. "I love you very much."

Meryl swallowed. "I wish you were here."

"I'll visit soon. Now, tell me you love me so I can let you sleep."

She smiled, her voice quieter now. "I love you."

Satisfied, Alex hung up and sent her a sticker of a pulsing heart. She reacted with one of her own, then sank into her vanity chair and finally ate her mac and cheese.