Chapter 2

The door was calmly closed and tightly locked. I tensely knocked and rattled the knob, unfortunately, the only answer I could get was a cloudy silence. That was just like he used to be all the time. Our relationship wasn't committed, but I could for sure tell that it involved basic respect.

I moved the purse to my other Armand struggled the key out of it, and then led it into the lock. The door clicked and just with a gentle push, it swung inwards.

The entire villa was dark except for the bright swath of light let in by the door I had swung in to lead it open. It was similar to a glowing path that beckoned me forward. A yellow brick road bound for hell.

I compulsively followed it. The light switch on my left felt loose as I clicked and tapped it. My inner self was busy screaming; I was sweating and my entire body fell weary and wet, "Don't turn around to look back! Don't you dare" Part of my inner self screamed. I couldn't listen to it. I rudely and arrogantly couldn't. The past couldn't be moved far or rather be changed by shouting at it.

I turned around, a strangled cry escaped my lips.

The man I had known for long was lying beneath the couch and on the floor to make a heap. A puddle of congealing gore, so dark and like black, spread out around him and made the carpet fibers stiff.

The flesh of his throat was torn away. Muscles were stripped to reveal the gleam of his spine shining through the gelatinous, clotted blood.

"Jesus Christ!"

My entire body shrunk and shivered. My knees gave in as I lost the little energy I had been left with. I consequently surrendered to the ground. "Oh God!" I had to seek some help- I had to call someone; the police maybe? Or was it to be an ambulance? But I literally could not even stand.

"Jessica?"

A soft voice went through my thoughts tore them apart and firmly brought me back to the cell phone I held in my left hand. I stood in an open break area, my elbows planted on the countertop. A forgotten mug of coffee that remained untouched steamed next to me.

"Oh, your cellphone? Help! Uhm...what?"

I switched my eyes, clearly confused and without knowing where to start or what to say. The shop boy stood next to me, he was a picture of an independent young man; soft brown curls framed his face and his soft khaki pants clung in just the right places.

Although for the time I have been here, he has been wearing some silly fake smiles and curling his mouth into wicked smiles. His eyes made it clear that nonsense was not part of his life; he'd been insisting that he had some important business to attend to other than standing over there at the counter. The eyes reflected uncertainty.

"Are you alright?"

"Mh!" I shook my head to chase away the tattered remnants of a nightmare that became a reality. "I'm great!"

"You don't look great!" His lips clamped together as he attempted to study me.

My grey hair fell down my back in a tight ponytail, and long bangs carefully framed my light brown skin- face, my black eyes were rimmed with lack of sleep and a year's worth of depression. I had tried as much as I could to look "okay" but it wasn't enough.

"Are you thinking about him? The boy asked softly. I waved my hand in an attempt to make his concern drift away like smoke, because why would he be concerned? "No I'm fine.. are you going to help me out?

"There, pick that call-up!" The young man sighed, "That will make you talk about it maybe. And if you decide...!" He added softly.

"I'm fine, I already told you that! So why would I pick up the phone? Is it not meant for you?"

"It's yours I know!" The boy turned teasing.

"He knows you already, he had mentioned you before, by your name. And he knew you would be here at this hour. He instructed me not to tell anyone and that it was personal!"

"Personal?" I bet it was just the investing agencies again. In the last year, they had called more times than I could count.

They always played around with the same questions which needed the same answers, "No, I don't know who might have wanted to kill my fiancée. No, I don't know whom they were together with, the last time I checked with him. I wasn't either on bad terms with him; we just had some good times together and so many arrangements in place."

The young man glanced and his tone acidic. "Make it quick. My boss might react badly to me when he notices am breaching his rules"

I hadn't asked for any of this, I had to keep a lot of untold thoughts for myself and pressed the phone and held it to my left ear.

"Hello?"

"Jessica-"

The voice was deep and warm, and with the fact that very few people had this boy's number. The voice was unfamiliar. I never had heard it before. "This is Jessica Beur ?" I was stunned and wondered how the person behind the call correctly mentioned my name. "Who are you?"

"I have discovered who killed your fiancée. Please meet me tonight. Just when the sun sets. I will be at the abandoned goddess Ashira temple. I'm quite sure it is the only house on the main road from the place you are standing right now. At this end, the road is bare dead and rarely accommodates vehicles. Come with him, he will direct you. Nobody else should follow you along!"

"Alone? "

The phone immediately clocked as I had an attempt to keep him, "Wai. Hello?" There was no point anymore. I had a quiet buzz of a disconnected line as my only answer. I clutched the receiver to my right ear as if it would bring him back.

"See now?" The boy raised his shoulders to prove his point. At my expression, the smile he had on his lips died.

"I- I surely don't know him, how could he spell my name in such a correct way? Is he the solution you were talking about? Was that the help you were to give me?" My shock was replaced by a sharp anger.

"Some kind of joke? " I needed to go back home.

" A cruel one. Only a few hours before time!" His voice softened in sympathy.

"I know, but I'll just have to go.."

My inner self struggled. As I thought of going to meet that stranger, that was how people got murdered and our pack was not safe anymore. "To meet some stranger by myself? Am I even serious? I needed to give myself some break, I was certain.

I made my way to my silvery car that had waited for me under the late autumn sun, dead leaves sticking out from beneath the wipers. I quickly plucked at them absently before I could unlock the door and climbed into the driver's seat. I grabbed the steering as if I could strangle it.

Weirdly, the old man from the shop stood like a guarding sentinel next to the car, worry on his face. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Maybe you should!" The old man softly opened his mouth his eyes locked on me.

I had to cut him off, tired of his unrealistic advice.

"I don't need to see anyone so that I can know the truth. The police got everything in place!" I shook my head and stuck the key in the ignition.

"I'll see you!"

"Good luck!" The old man mumbled an inappropriate goodbye when I started the car and backed out of the parking lot. I glanced back in my rearview to see him standing alone in the parking stall.

I turned the radio on and let the blaring music take over my thoughts and memories.

Whoever made that call, will have to tell me why and how did Jack die-