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2022-12-13 20:22:33Anthony
“you should never go anywhere without a burning coal” The woman says.her charcoal-stained hand sweeps a handful of coal into the deep cylindrical can made of what seems like metal sheets, it’s hung by a thick rope which she held with the other hand.Tapping my feet impatiently I watched her fill the tin. A few long minutes ago, we had been awoken by the sudden screaming probably at the hotel. Left for the woman’s warning and Olivia’s reluctance to risk her life I would be racing down there by now.The screams, although not frequent and now distant still disrupted the silence of the night making it all the more difficult to just stand here and watch this woman slowly package some coal lamp.“If no one can leave this village for years. How are you even surviving?” I ask. Something I had been wondering from the moment my boss showed me this game ad to our long unbearable journey to this god-forsaken town.“Hopefully the lands are fertile” she replied. At this point, she was dropping some fluid into the coal“you never thought of escaping?” I ask, trying to get a sensible reply.The woman’s lips curl downwards, her eyes focused on the charcoal that she now fed to her fireplace and the metal tin filled with charcoal resting on the floor beside her. The heavy breath she let out moving her chest down to her stomach answered it all.They would be stupid if they didn't try to leave and let me not skip the fact that the network was non-existent in this town. Even I cannot contact anyone even if I was in a life-and-death situation “So you wake every day awaiting your impending doom?” I askThe woman’s eyes darkened with blood searching my face intently. The tiny stretch on my lips that was meant to lead to a chuckle disappears, blinking my eyes for a more serious face. Her gaze softens and she turns back to the fireplace"It stopped eventually after it was just we, the older ones – I could say the land was quiet" she says“We will find a way to leave, there is a whole world out there,” I sayI look around the house for a sight of Olivia, her tiny hand stroke on Bella’s hair tugging some gold strands further and further behind her ears repeatedly - whatever it was between these two I definitely don’t want to be part of it“that was like a month ago – a couple of youngsters got lost here” The woman struggled to lift her body into a standing position, squeezing on her waist, her brows cringe a little and she lets out a deep breath “she was here too” the woman gestured at Olivia“let's head back, we need to find out what is happening in the hotel,” Olivia says approaching me with a paper she had slipped out of the pocket of the straight-cut blue jean she wore below her loose blue shirt.“I thought you gave me all of them” I snatch the paper from her hands but it slips when she raised her hands higher with a grin. I frown at her and her bright grin disappears but she still had that amused look in her eyes, she slides the paper into my hand with the world's most annoying wink. I didn’t have time to look through the paper so I stuff it into my butt pocket.**************BellaRose would normally catwalk outside the hotel with her head slightly raise and an annoying grin that spewed innocence highlighting a glossed lipstick that could be any color and of course, she would be on one dripping hot outfit you have never seen before.On second thought she wouldn't even bother coming out of her room so why is it that a few miles from us, Rose seems to be running so fast her legs barely touch the floor and she has on the white spaghetti hand gown she normally wore to sleep clutching her chest with one hand and terror decorating her face“you guys are not going to say anything?” After the shadow attack and a calming sleep. I was woken and without a word, Tony and Olivia had made me follow them in the middle of the night with the lamp to the hotel. I genuinely just thought the woman had wanted us to leave since nobody speaks to us here“Did something happen at the hotel?” I ask Tony while Olivia walks ahead of us hurrying toward Rose, who could barely stand. Rose crashes on Olivia dragging her to her knees with her face buried in Olivia's shoulders.I and Tony hurries towards them “Rose, what happened?” I raise her head from Olivia's shoulders holding it between my two palms“the shadows – they came" she manage the few words and returns to her heavy panting.Looking at the hotel, Thelma is pacing in front of the hotel building avoiding the darkness from the shadow of the building courtesy of the bright full moon. I exchange glances with Tony as Olivia helped Rose to her feet. I had only slept for a few hours and it seems a lot has happened“We heard a shout from the village so I left with Rose to check it out and when we got back the house was dark. The children were screaming -” Thelma could barely complete her sentence without choking on her words"how many are still up?" I ask, breaking free from Thelma’s grip"I ... I don't know, everyone was running" I have never seen Thelma so panicky“We need to go in” I demanded and they all glare at me“Bella… are you –”"let’s wait here till morning, the moonlight is bright enough. They wont reach us" Rose interrupts Olivia, her voice shaky and clogged with tears“Someone might be inside" I persisted, but no one moves so I nod my head and looks at the dark hotel building, darkness oozed like a cloud of smoke from the windows and the whispers tingled in my ears so distant.This is definitely not how I imagine this game vacation will go but I am already in the middle of this and I have to make sure I figure this out to the very last. Call me stupid but I don’t sit around asking questions, I find answers. unfortunately, my curiosity chose this very moment to play a wild goose game in my head, and from the way I walked slowly toward the hotel, it was winning."Anyone that didn’t leave is probably taken" Thelma was right but apart from saving a life, I need to understand how they pull off this wind gust of a thing. she holds me firmly on my arm and doesn’t let go when I try to shake her off.“Have you ever wondered why the oozy darkness hasn’t left? It is looking for something. We need to find out what” I suggestshe nods negatively “No, we don’t. this is no longer the joke we signed up for” Thelma persists but I finally succeed in losing myself from her grip and steadies back to them grabbing the coal from Tony and heading first towards the building. Tony's huge hands wrapped in my elbow he pulls me back."You really think I would let you stroll in there alone?" he asks and I let out a dragged breath"Bella, don't be stupid - that hotel is as good as haunted right now" Olivia still had Rose in her hands“I will go in with her, you all stay here and wait” Tony says and that puts an end to the resistance – thank goodness
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Beneath the whispers Chapter 14
The whispers grew even louder as we got closer, stepping over the line of darkness from the hotel building, violent wind blew against the burning coal and with our hands we tried to block the wind from getting to the burning coal lamp Walking slowly through the front door, the Whispering tugged in our ears and the heavy wind slammed at the coal tin almost tripping it from my hands. Tony grabs on the tin's handle and we circle the tin with our bodies staggering blindly through the dark reception. The darkness poured on us like a heavy wind and the whispers grew to loud deafening wailings surging through the hotel building and echoing as far off. The heat from the tin gets too close to my body and wounds the flesh of my stomach sending excruciating pain purging through my veins and with a whimper I throw the tin and grab on Tony's arm. The shock in his face over ridden by the shabby dark clouds pulling us away from each other, I pant heavily grabbing on his arm tightly, but my hand sl
Beneath the whispers Chapter 15
I had never hoped for the light of the sun in my entire life like I did today, even my regular habit of enjoying morning sleep by bombarding excuses as to why eight hours of sleep is good for the brain and ignoring the fact that I intentionally stayed up till 12 am had disappeared It's been minutes since every one settled in Rose’s room and yet not a word. Rose had not recovered from the shock giving the way her legs trembled inside the tight embrace of her trembling hands, she still let out sobs in the midst of her shaky breath. The only person that seemed calm was Thelma who gazed at the top door frame blankly “They didn't take any one?” she asks slowly. Asking a direct question might just be the wrong decision and Thelma knew it but the silence needed to be broken “we don't know" Tony's deep calm voice was what the atmosphere needed. The whispers were gone but the aura they dispensed wasn't. He patting Rose on her back when her sobs grew louder, she curled up tightly resting her
Beneath the whispers Chapter 16
Sometimes playing a game would require knowing fully well the rules that control that game. Apart from helping us win the game, it can tell us the specific borders we shouldn't cross. But like most people, we only ever worried about the rules when our life started to depend on the game. it could be literal or not. But when we desperately made ourselves believe that beyond all reasonable doubt, we are in a haunted town with actual demons tormenting the villagers, we also realized that we could remain here unless we figure things out and save this village then it's practically our lives that we are fighting for I don’t believe in ghost though. I mean for some reason two twin children are haunting their village after their mysterious disappearance and then someone creates an ad and brings us here. But the truth is that I did experience what I experienced and I am still stuck in this town regardless While everyone seems to be cracking their brain trying to remember what the site did loo
Beneath the whispers Chapter 17
“So, what do you get from the code?” I had to ask. The way he was flipping the paper, raising it up to the sun and tilting it to view from different angles screamed confusion. I had left with Tony to figure out the code It wasn't easy though given that Rose was typically having a nervous breakdown and she wanted Tony to stay with her, but his solid point about him being more useful with me in figuring out the code than consoling her, won me a day with him and her only other option, Thelma went to the woman that saved us earlier to find out more on her husband before he disappeared and possibly the mansion mystery with probably some extra survival tips, leaving her with Olivia whom she still suspects to be working with the shadows – I hardly imagine it would go well “I suspect that we need to -” I approach him pulling on the paper to get a better view “These are symbols, either they have a meaning or they are just marked somewhere” I say, squinting my eyes I am literally trying to l
Beneath the whispers Chapter 18
Love is beautiful they say, but it stings and hurts yet it illuminates and soothes. It gives the sense of longing so intense with a touch of desire. But this is different. This stings harder and burrows deeper. Breaks free the darkness lurking within the glimmer of light in our souls, desire encroaching on our common sense and a deep sense of longing, a distraction to the dark tunnel that could barely let us stand. The broken rays of light from the sun interrupt our echoing giggles through the other side of the tunnel covered with a long-leafed plant. I stride towards it and rip the plant from the mouth of the tunnel taking time to inhale the cool moist air with a bright grin, I hold my head still as the calm wind slam on my face, pushing my stubborn strands away from my face – come to think of it, my hair is getting worse, I need to start packing it away I break free from the tunnel landing on the moist forest soil with hardly a leap, the trees piercing through the sky and their roo
Beneath the whispers Chapter 19
Anthony The silence in the tunnel is a lot more obvious making the littlest sounds from us echo with violent vibration and sending a huge chunk of chills down our spine. We are stuck in between trying to be quiet for some reason and struggling to be fast, dreading the shadows that might come strolling into the tunnel. But we cannot stop our feet from slamming on the tunnel floor as we sprint breathlessly towards the other side. On the bright side, the whispering had not tingled in our ears since we entered the tunnel. Panting Bella clutch onto my hands, half jogging along with me and she doesn’t say a single word, the rope-like plants hanging from the tunnel rub against my face and some sticking long enough to force me to rip it off in frustration. And for a few long minutes, the light from the other side flickered its rays on our path making me spill a huge chunk of air from my lungs, Bella seems to be elated by this change because she picks up speed as we rushed out of the tunnel
Beneath the whispers Chapter 20
The bright morning sun above the town rests on the roofs of the tiny houses. Their shadows resting on the paths and the tall trees scattered in the town created some shade for the narrow path that broke into the houses. I didn’t notice the old woman return from the farm last night. When I open my eyes, Tony is pacing the hut with one hands wrapped around his chin and the other crossed below its elbow I stretch my hands from the floor mat humming and turning on the bed till I hear the satisfying sound of my joints snapping back to form – I will never get used to this. My sleepy eyes rest on him and I frown a little “what are you so agitated about?” He stops pacing hurrying toward me and sits on the edge of the mat “Mrs. storyteller didn't come back last night” my lids burst open I know I didn’t hear her come in but I still did not expect her to not be home all night, in the normal circumstance I wouldn’t be so intrusive but here there are a lot of things to worry about - like the s
Beneath the whispers Chapter 21
The rustling of the leaves from behind wakes me. In response, I throw myself on my knee and turn around on all fours. With no more noise, I thrust myself to my feet still observing the tiny overgrown weed behind the trunk I rested on “Who is there?” The grasses is still, the shrill silence of the hot afternoon and the calm brush of warm breeze remains. I sigh dropping my head on my palms, how long was I asleep? Tony had followed the runner and now I have no clue where he might be – my stomach rumbles, reminding me that I haven't eaten since this morning and the day seems to be far spent. I grunt after the repeated rumblings, normally I would go for a day without food but that was only when I have a function to attend to and nice cloth that I wouldn’t want my body to destroy. ‘A function could also mean going to surprise your cheating boyfriend on his birthday with a cake nobody ate’ I say to myself “Very much craving that cake right now” with a heavy breath, I mumble squeezing my
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- Beneath the whispers
Epilogue
Its morning in France, the duplex vacation house on the hill reflects the sun away from the lawn The huge sized swimming pool at the back yard is blue with sit outs in pairs of twos lined up in one side of the pool and a huge fence on the other. I come out from the bathroom in a white robe and my wet brown curly hair falls on both sides of my shoulders.I get to the dressing table and with my finger collect a little potion from the cream can and apply on my legs. The flat screen television behind me has a blonde American woman on it“the increased rate of suicide within the country had pushed the government to consider closing the Sheetan bridge since it is considered the place with the highest record of suicide attempt over the past year. In comparison, other countries has reported growing rates of suicide attempts also and social media has been proven to be one of the major cause of suicide so the union government has decided to draw the lines on things permitted online”I appl
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 57
“that day, Rose had ran out of the bar when I was out. I looked for her throughout the bar and surrounding parks and when I didn’t see her, I went to her house… the door was open so I rushed in and found some men taking her, I saw the face of one of them because he didn’t have it covered When they saw me, I ran away and they chased and chased me until they caught me… A blow to the head and blank blank” Tony narrates and we nod. We were able to find some edible snacks on the shipI don’t know how long it had been but I do know that we didn’t have to wait with anxiety, instead we decided to use that time to bond since we would have to go our separate ways when we get back to civilization It is really sad though but I have learnt not to use the uncertainty of the future to stain an opportunity for good memories.Talking about our families and how much they will be happy to finally reunite with us, that is…when we have torn down this organization The boys on the other hand had no
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 56
The interior of the ship is a definition of luxury, from the wood brown furniture to the white beddings and curtains Inside the boat are four long couches arranged around a round center table. A curtain opposite where we entered from covering a king sized bed with white beddings and a brown wood frame structureThe inside smells of strawberry and mint and the cupboard has shelves with spare towels, toothbrushes and robes Beside the bed area is a bathroom, with an oval bathtub and a waterproof curtain. If anything, this cruise boat is the highlight of my stay in this island. Would you look at that? I don’t know Harem but this?The pain in my head suddenly disappears as I look through the boat, even the tension of waiting for them to leave had completely disappeared. I need a cold bath and to sleep on an actual bed and I didn't need get back to civilization to experience all these. I love my lifeI sink into one of the couches rubbing myself against the smooth fabric and beaming
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 55
“we need to move” Harper announces. The sun is kissing the hills now, its red light dimming by the minute making the forest darker and the shade from the trees aids this A day ago we would be wary of the shadows but with them gone we only have to worry about the group of men aiming for kill shots at us Sincerely, this is a lot scarier than the shadows. At least we had a fighting chance against the shadows and now? Even Willow has lost his weapon – imagine that He walks over me and takes out some white handkerchief from his pocket and gives Tony “tie something on that”I really should look at the mirror at this rate because the way everyone is looking at my head feels like my brains are out and Tony is already talking like he is scared for me. I smile weakly at Harper and he smiles back before hurrying to the othersTony folds the hanky and places it on my head, his rips out his inner shirt and wraps it over the hanky on my head, hitching it behind my head He fastens it tight
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 54
A flash of blurry lights hit my eyes and dims down again, the throbbing pain in my head slowly increases and a banging sound erupts in my head, I raise my hand to hold my head but my arm hurts too so I let it lay still. The light comes back clearer and leaves again“How many more are still alive?” I heard Harper sayI struggle to open my eyes but my whole body aches and I grunt lightly, a hand scoops me up into some huge body, the scent is familiar so I sniff harder and it is mixed with smoke and blood – blood! I shoot my eyes open but it only slowly breaks apart and I am looking at Tony, there is blood on his head and his arm has a deep cut that is bleeding. I gasp and try to get up but he holds me down“stop, you are hurt” he says“where?” I manage to say, my whole body aches so I cannot pinpoint where exactly is hurtingHe looks at my head and smacks his lips reluctant to answer my question “just stay still, we are trying to get the survivors out before they figure out how t
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 53
We had rode and rode through the sandy road as the afternoon sun heated up the bus, sweating and anticipating the sight of the beach even though we didn't know where it was. We don’t even know if we are going the right way – at least we are going at allThis journey reminds me of the journey that got me here and how I wondered if the experience was worth the long journey and yet even in returning I couldn’t wait for the journey to end“guys” I call their attention “isn’t the length of this journey familiar?” they all laugh Olivia smacks her lips “well, I for one... I was excited but that excitement turned to fury when the cab man wouldn’t talk to me” Olivia saysThelma claps “the snubbing cab man, I thought I was the only one”“he did talk to me eventually, I didn’t keep quiet” I boast. Beaming at myself“wow, I don’t even know what his voice sounds like” Olivia complains and we laugh“he also asks me what if the ghosts haunting the village was real” I say“wow, he did. You d
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 52
I step back, and stood transfixed staring as she stumbled and fell to the floor, my mouth drop open and my lids break apart“Thelma!”The girl wipes her broken bottom lip with a finger and look at me, her red strands that she had hidden away in a hair tie falls loose on her shoulder“I am sorry Bell” she almost stammer in breaking voice“don’t call me that!” I fume at herShe breaks down in tears and falls again on her butt, crying her eyes out “I shouldn’t, you just destroyed my only ticket for a better life!” She yells back at me“we were going to escape, we were going to finally be free and you, what did you do?”“I made a deal that would have helped me live normally. The way I could”“so we should all be damned so you live well, we were going to give each other that, that is why we connected”“you don’t get it do you? All you faced was a cheating boyfriend and you got yourself drunk. I freaking drove off a bridge. How did you think I would want to return to that same worl
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 51
We had intentionally not used the tunnel to get to the mansion given that it already was an obvious route and we plan on sneaking up on the shadows, if that is even possible We also needed to set as much on fire as possible and the tunnel will be our major route of escape but the moist weather in the forest area was going to be a problem so we switched to plan BWe head fast towards the mansion, the sun had just barely risen and the morning still had the flare of last night’s chill breeze. the mansion slowly comes into view We excitedly hurry towards it but stop when we notice that the door was closed. We raise our weapon and point it towards the doorWith slow calculated footsteps we stroll closer and closer to the door, when we get to the door, I gently push it and it strides open. Cool air hits my face and I freeze, aiming my spray can inside. I snap the lighter and slowly enter into the building“Rose, you will wait out here, find the back door” I say and Rose nods and leav
- Beneath the whispers
Chapter 50
AnthonyWe had arrived at the border not long after we left the hotel, the bus is not there as we saw it earlier. So we decided to wait. In the process of waiting we had slept through the night at the border and it is the morning nowI grunt “what should we do now?” the sun is barely risen but the light of day is upon the island“check out the brick house” Willow suggests and I nod along with himWe slowly make it for the brick house, one step at a time until we are leaning at the wall of the house. We walk slowly along the wall till we got to the rusty front door that was already slightly open“when will they arrive?” a huge man with chest tattoos and a tiny nicker says in a grumpy cracking voice“I think in fifteen minutes time. They are an hour behind us” says the younger one looking at his wristwatch, he is better dressed and has glasses on “oh, the package?” he asks looking from the chest tattooed man to another similar sized man“it's ready” the similar one answered“wha
