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2023-01-19 07:31:47The thought of Olivia attempting to end her life didn’t sit well with me
Yes I have been a bitch to her, I betrayed her and we stopped being friends because of it but how was it that I didn’t see that she was going through so muchI mean, I am a very caring person and I had her best interest at heart – before Jeffery came in and complicated thingsI used to take her to parties so she wouldn’t live our high school days without a single experience. I would visit her regularly so we would do assignments together, I even helped her when she wanted to participate in a math competition, I hated maths but I still practiced the calculations with herWe used to go on walks most evening because she loved nature. We would buy street food and eat on our way ignoring the judgemental look from passersby. And yet when she talked, she did so like she had been alone all her life – that kind of hurt thoughBut then I have been a bitch when it comes to stealing her man. Even though he approached me first and kept trying even when I kept rejecting him until I eventually fell in love with him and then I couldn’t stay away from him any longerI would have told her from the very start, maybe that would have strengthened my resolve to not let the prick near meThat thought clouded my mind until I dozed off a while ago and the moment I wake again, the thoughts return once more refusing to back down, or at least give me the chance to figure out the dream I just had and what exactly woke me – could be my shock from the dream. I mean it is still night out and everyone seems to be asleepI didn’t just dream of Jeffery and the day I caught him cheating, but a few extra details I care not pry my mind on. It could be because of this talk I had with OliviaIt might have made me dream of Jeffery and then my subconscious might have decided to add icing to the bitter cake in a bid to punish me for being such a bad friendA loud scream grows from just outside the hotel and I jerk, Tony wakes the instant and the rest just adjusts their lying positionI stay still looking around till my gaze stops at the door of the hotel, it is slightly open! Oh my God! Did someone just leave the reception, the environment is starting to cool down which is supposed to be comforting since the charcoal heat is terribly uncomfortable but the force of the breeze washing into the room keeps me unsettledThe door slams open from the breeze and the sound from the contact with the wall as it swung alerts the rest“what was that?” Tony’s voice is throaty, he definitely wants to go back to sleep“I don’t know, I heard someone shouting outside” I whisper back“outside? Who the hell opened that door?” he grunts and pushes himself to his feet and then Willow yawns and gets up as well “lets go check it out, you guys remain here”We nod in response and remain sitting except for Olivia who returned to sleep right awayTony and Willow walk slowly to the door with deodorant spray and a lighter. They peep outside the door and nod their heads at usThen they step back to where we were after closing the door again “I am sure I heard the scream” Tony says“is there anyone missing?” I ask, standing to my feet to survey the villagers, I might not know their numbers but the beds weren’t enough for them so they had to manage small positions to sleep so any gap will mean someone is missing and there is nothing like that“I don’t think so” Willow says my mind. He sits back on his bed “I am going to sleep”“its been a long day” I respond. Not uttering a word, Rose and Thelma drift right back to sleep and I do the sameTony looks around once more before climbing to bed. I close my eyes and try to push my dear friend, Olivia from my mind and before I know it the world is blank againI don’t know if it has been a lot of time since I slept the second time but I know that I might have heard some screaming that had jerked me awake againMy lids are difficult to keep open but I try the best I could and I turn around.The teenager that was in charge of taking care of the villagers is kneeling on the floor crying and Tony is consoling her with Willow standing by the closed door and Rose and Thelma is posing beside him with a scowl printed on their facesI sprung up to my feet and hurried towards them “what happened?” I ask looking from the crying girl to Willow and them to the girls“we just lost another teenager” Tony says“how is that possible?” I did notice that inside had become a lot cooler but then there is no way that the shadows had entered the place since it was really warm“we are waiting for her to cool down so she can tell us how that happened” Thelma hand-gestures at the girl. Irritation lace her words“we just found her standing by the door and shouting her friend’s name” Willow says, he squats down to the girl’s eyes level and takes her hand “we need you to tell us what happened?” he says softlyThe girl whimpers and sniffs “we heard someone screaming so we took the pan to check it out before we woke anybody, the door was already open and the moment we stepped to the door, she disappeared. I was the one with the lamp”“I did wake up when you dropped the pan” Willow said and straighten back upWe heard screams when we first woke up but there was no sign of anything or anyone missingIf there was anyone that didn’t come to the hotel that is probably being taken I don’t see how these girls decided to check it out instead of waking us but reprimanding the girl will only make us a lot more tensedEspecially when someone starts to have an opinion on how insensitive I will be.“I think they are using the screams to draw us out. it was a trap and the girls fell into it” Willow saysHe is right. We heard the scream and the door slammed open from the wind. But for some reason they didn’t take any of them only to come back after we had fallen asleep with another scream“they are getting creative” Thelma tugs one end of her lips upward “we need to warn everyone”“their should be rules, if we want to survive long enough to escape. We don’t know what they will come up with next” Tony says, he helps the girl to her feet and leads her deeper into the reception hall, where the beds were“I was itching to give that girl a good reprimand” Thelma whispers, fuming through her words “how did they think checking it out first would have helped?”I chuckle, at least I wasn’t the only one that wanted to shoutOn the bright side, we know now that our contender is creative and will look for ways to make sure they take someone whenever they wishThe more people they take the more in danger we were because I don’t want to be the available option and I hate to think it this way but the young among us is drastically reducing. Wait, come to think of it“did anyone see the man we saved?” I ask and Thelma shrugs in response whileRose widens her eyes “he must have disappeared during the commotion of settling the villagers in” She looks towards the sleeping congregation “I did look around for him earlier, expecting a thank you for saving his life”“see me thinking he was one ungrateful bitch” Thelma snorts in her typical shrill voice and I half chuckle, still trying to be chill about it all, because that man might not be who we thought he was“the man must be working for the shadows” I say“good point” Rose nods and rests her chin on her knuckles “he just suddenly disappeared after the villagers arrived”“they knew our plan and staged the attack for us to execute it” Thelma adds with a tiny laugh“why?” Rose asks no one in particular“maybe because they wanted to know if our weapons are viable” I say. Intending for it to be a joke“or they are really playing with us for real” Rose adds“you guys know you shouldn’t discuss this type of things in the hotel” Willow whispers at usI didn't know he was there“we were half whispering and besides this is the reception. You said it wasn't bugged” Thelma complains“we will meet at the hut once the sun comes up. we will go look for where they keep the captives, that teenage girl might still be alive” he says“I hope so” I reply wistfullyI don't know her but knowing she was taken by this secret organization, their is no telling what might happen to her. Ugh... They could have just woken someone
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Beneath the whispers Chapter 34
A few women had left to get extra supplies along with Thelma, Rose and Olivia It was only until last night that we realized that people still eat and water is an essential of life. With the villagers crashing at the hotel, all this supplies need to be in the hotel with us Some other women had volunteered to get the farm produce they had and others go to get anything they might find and the rest especially the younger ones arrange for water from the hotel This leaves me and the Boys the opportunity to find out where these men stayed. We need to know if they stay at the mansion or another place The mansion is going to be our last resort or in essence we are not going there, if we have checked everywhere and no sign of anyone then the only plausible location will be the mansion Another thing we hope to find is how they transport themselves. We all can recall that it was a long drive to this place and if we go by foot – I don’t even want to imagine what my pretty legs will have to say
Beneath the whispers Chapter 35
“We will first remove all ‘whatever this is’ from where they are buried so we can be able to leave the village” Willow announces to us We are in his beaded house, where we had initially planned to create our escape plan in. Since from the looks of it, our captors will have no idea what happens here unlike the hotel that is brewing with cameras It has not been long we had returned from the border and the rest have already been waiting for us We only took time because we were trying to wait long enough for something to happen at the brick house and still no sign of anything so we gave up when our patience ran out “Then we will need a vehicle that will convey us to the beach, Olivia’s friend had left a boat for her we can use it to leave this place” I say, looking at Olivia and she nods along Apparently she had filled the girls in on what she told me so we didn't have to go through that again “we saw a packed vehicle outside a house and that house was virtually empty” Willow continu
Beneath the whispers Chapter 36
“I may have recovered a bit of my memory” Thelma says she is walking beside Rose and behind me and Olivia while Tony and Willow are behind all of us She seems to have gotten close to Rose and the said Rose had found someone to cling to after Tony told her about us. We are not really together since I really want to take care of my past relationship baggage first “And what would that be?” Tony asks sweetly and she chuckles lightly “I may have driven off the bridge on the last day I remember” she says slowly as if trying to observe our reaction. We all stop and turn to her almost simultaneously and she folds her lips with a shy expression “what?” I half-yell if anyone had told me that Thelma would ever plan to end her own life, I would laugh at the person and sip from my cup of coffee afterwards. First was Olivia and now Thelma? “yup, I might have drank too much and it just felt right and so I just did it” she tried to make it seem casual but her breaking voice betrays her “why di
Beneath the whispers Chapter 37
After a while of sitting together and just letting the cool evening breeze caress us as we digest the story we had opened up to each other about We continue our journey again but this time it felt good, holding hands and walking with the people I grew to be real with We didn’t care about our pride or how we wanted to be perceived instead we let ourselves to be vulnerable and we learned to embrace our weak sides and our experiences bonded us the more I have found the real friends I have always wanted. Not the kind I hang around with in school, the kind I boast to about how often I made my nails, they will talk about their expensive clothes and they complement my hair while I fake compliments at their crooked make up the truth is, I had a true kind of friendship with Olivia but I was so used to looking for perfection and gloating in my superiority complex that I didn’t appreciate her enough. Maybe I wasn’t a good friend after allWe might have been caught in the moment when we
Beneath the whispers Chapter 38
Change of plans, apparently our captors are ahead of us and they have sent someone to join us to keep a close eye on us If he dies, they would start to suspect and if he don’t we wouldn’t know how to get through with our plan. He is at liberty to keep an eye on us and he would definitely want in on whatever plan we might have. But I did find a good fight topic, I just hope the others catch on real quick“I am Thelma” Thelma smiles and stretches her hand for a shake, when Harper return the gesture she pulls him in for a hug instead“Thelma” I drag her name. She breaks free and scowls at me“What? He is cute” she winked at him and he lets out an awkward chuckle. We haven’t told them that Harper was one of the two people that carried the dead body we watched that day. If not she wouldn’t even want to touch him one bit“I am Rose –”“That is all” Tony interrupts her and she hits his shoulder “don’t bore him with the whole flower stuff” we all break into a cackle at Tony’s words“I
Beneath the whispers Chapter 39
Everything Olivia said about me was true and harsh but for some reason I was only hurt by what I said to her insteadI only started to fire back because of the plan we cooked up but the moment the first sentence leave my mouth, I lost control and just like that I spilled everything that had weighed me down for a long time now and more so I broke down the wall that protected me from my true self and now I am staring at the real Bella.Not some front, not the class president, not Miss 2017 of my high school, but me. The Bella only Olivia knew, the Bella I have hidden from myself all those years and yet in the midst of all the tension and panicking, I still felt relieved I was happy to finally see her, I wanted to make her better, to grow her and to love her. But I hurt my friend and I need to make up for it the best I could but then again is this plan that I cannot destroy“Bella, are you ok?” Tony’s deep voice pierce through my subconscious and I am completely aware of my surround
Beneath the whispers Chapter 40
Anthony“so, you like Bella huh?” Harper asks slowly enough to confirm he wasn’t provoking a punch.“I do hate you” I respond almost as fast and he flinches at my response. The fact that he is extra jumpy is enough reason to suspect him if we hadn’t seen him that day“why would you hate someone you just met?”“lets see…” I breath in with my hand below my jaw like I was thinking “you are disgusting and you smell like death, how about that?” I face him briefly and continue walking forward“ouch!” he exclaims and jogs to cover the distance I had created between us while he was trying to process what I just said “look, I am going to try to win your hearts”“just focus on making us not hate you further. Tip number one” I point out a finger at his face “shut the fuck up or I will shut it myself” I fume at him briefly until he steps back and nods “good”That was enough to keep him quiet as we stroll through the house checking each, I did make him shout out for Olivia and Willow interm
Beneath the whispers Chapter 41
“So the family in the mansion, did you ever see them?” Tony asks the old man and he interprets to the group of villagers that were sitting around us and they all nod sideways I do the very thing I have always loved to do just that now is for the right reasons – I am watching Harper closely as the conversation with the villagers grew If we cannot ask him anything then we can observe him and count anything that does not count as part of the normal human behavior as clueAll these is frustrating especially when I grew up where people just ask questions when they get curious and all the more tensed is the fact that we would sleep tonight with Harper in the same hall as us How would I sleep knowing that? I think he might have scratched his head nervously when a villager mentioned that they had wanted to go to the mansion themselves since it was the root of all these problems but the stories they heard discouraged them That woman must have spread the stories, right or wrong… I don'
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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
