Beneath the whispers

Chapter 1

Miss Bellatrix, a close friend seeing me right now would say that I am a skeleton of my normal self. It wasn't my first time as a 19 year old to have been on a long boring ride, most times it was outside the city with my friends for what I would always prefer to call 'unwinding’. Particularly because my mum can be a reporter when it comes to prying into my private life

This time I ride for hours not knowing exactly where I am headed, my bright blue flower patterned dress in contrast to the gray color of the seat’s leather. I did spare sometime for a good make up, blood shot red lipsticks and pink blush complimenting my warm beige skin tone.

Who knows who I'd meet in this 'God knows where’?

The image of Jeffery with the pudgy junior from college flashes through my head, I shake it off with a sneer and my squeezed face lightens as I stare absent minded at the roof of the cab. How would I have known that the business proposal he got during the holidays at his Uncle's was in fact a girl whom I believes is not nearly as hot as I am

I have been on the road for close to two hours now since the airport and apart from trees and hills I'd only come across an old house on top of one of the hills, the residents must have had to stop by the road and trekked through the thick bushy forest to get to it. I chuckle bitterly wishing I spared time to do my hair first and my newly manicure nails look like I had been toiling the ground with my bare hands.

I couldn't bother much for I know I have to get away from Jeffery, from school – from it all. What I need is time and who cares where I have to go to get it? Even the thought of going through the forest to the old house on the hill is not much of a bad idea. But the good news is I don't think my final destination is an old house, the pictures I saw online will confirm it.

The air conditioner is starting to get too chilly that the long sleeves of my off shoulder dress did feel useless, letting the cold fizzle into my bones that I couldn’t help but squeeze my arms with both my hands.

Leaning forwards to the driver. His heavily muscular arm protruding from the folds of his tight white shirt which contracted and relaxed to every movement and his veins drew on like a map to his huge palms which he used to clutched onto the steering with, I would say he is in his late forties.

The place must be hell of a wonder, even the cab driver is hot

“Mind turning off the AC? It’s chilly – ”

His huge hands moved swiftly to the AC button turning it off before I could add the please, I would have loved it if he let me finish then maybe we would have started a conversation to make this mind drenching journey a bit more bearable. Call me needy but with the rate at which the thought of Jeffery slips into my mind the moments I let my guard down, I very much need every one to fall in line and treat me like the princess in distress I am.

“So, how did you find yourself here?”                                                       

He steadies his gaze on the sandy narrow road in front of us that rose high enough that we can’t see beyond it.

Infuriating much

Gritting my teeth hard enough I fall back on the seat and sigh. This is the moment I have desperately been trying to avoid since entering the cab at the airport. For someone that haven’t spoken a word to me I would have guessed that he would ignore my desperate need to start a healthy conversation.

Normally cab drivers will want to stir up the conversation, raising up my head to get a better look at the huge chunks of sand that formed rough mini mountains, the sun forcing its ray between the edges of dark clustering clouds to give a breath taking beautiful look – at least I didn’t have to squint my eyes so much to look at the sky.

After a few clicks with my phone I notice him looking at the nice view not minding the sharp bend ahead of us. I chuckle when he rushes his gaze back in time to swerve through the bend. Pro indeed

“The view is beautiful on this road – how often do you ride here”

 

“I don't get crazy customers often, keen enough to offer me a week’s pay”

His tone brushes me off and once again my words doesn't settle for a friendly remark, odd – since he chuckled after me just a few minutes ago

“but the view is nice, that should be motivation”

he chuckle dryly and in no time returned to the straight face he wore but not succeeding in hiding a little bit of concern that stirred in his face "I needed the money for my daughter’s hospital bill”

“Oh my God, is she okay?”

my big brown eyes sharpens with even more concern and lurking deeper was a bit of excitement, I think I am finally borrowing deep into his rocky front. He opens his mouth to say something but hesitates, with a deep breath he finally says “I mean to say I was not willing, desperate is the word”

His empty gaze from the front mirror pierced my amused face, it had never been hard for me to stir up a conversation before. Normally men would spend hours throwing their lame old jokes to keep a conversation with me and I only have to support them with one word replies and flashes of my bright intoxicating smile.

I grunt and fall back again on the seat dipping my hand into my black crocodile pattern composite long handed bag that matched my knee length boots and I Grab a hand mirror which I use to check my lips stick. I rub my thumb over my annoying chin pimple hissing to myself and hoping he hears my frustration.

At this stage, I could feel my ass lit in flames and I literally couldn’t control the way my restless legs shook in a bit of desperate impatience, I will swear another hour just passed by and I am still on the road with this psychopathic driver, stretching my head to catch a view of something that would convince me that I was almost there, wherever ‘there’ is. but it’s still the same old hills this time the trees blocked the good view of the mountains and the sun barely sitting in the sky.

“So, how far along are we?”

“You should know better” He says brushing me off again

That was it, I am sure going to rate this cab driver down – it seems his job is not nearly as important as he claims but who knows what might happen to his daughter if I did rate him down. I breathe out heavily and lay back down on the seat sliding my lids shut as I prepare for the thrilling events that would make this journey worth it

“here for the game?” his voice snaps me right out of my thoughts. If we weren’t in a fast moving car I would have guessed it was someone else. My face lit once more and I sit up in a hurry

“Yea, you know about it?”

Hesitating for a long three seconds with a humming sound he finally parts his lips and declares “Something of that nature”