A Warning In The Dark
1074 Words
Ica’s hands shook as she gripped the note, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.
Who was that man? What did he mean by “pay up”?
And—most importantly—how deep was Carlos in this mess?
The street was eerily silent, the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears. A cold chill ran down her spine as she quickly stuffed the note into her pocket and forced her legs to move.
She needed to get home.
Now.
---
Later That Night…
Ica locked her bedroom door behind her, her heart still pounding. She pulled the crumpled note from her pocket and stared at it again.
"Pay up. Or else."
Her mind raced with possibilities. She already knew Carlos’s family was in trouble, but this—this was serious. This wasn’t just about business failures or bad investments anymore. This was a threat.
Her fingers hovered over her phone. Should she tell Carlos?
Would he even tell her the truth?
Taking a deep breath, she pressed call.
It rang once. Twice. Three times.
Then—
“Ica?” Carlos’s voice came through, sounding groggy, like he had just woken up.
She hesitated for a split second before saying, “I need to see you. Now.”
Carlos instantly sounded more awake. “What? Why? Are you okay?”
“I—I just need to talk to you,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “Please.”
Silence. Then, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
---
Ten Minutes Later…
Carlos arrived exactly when he said he would, pulling up in his car. Ica rushed outside, slipping into the passenger seat before anyone at home could notice.
The moment she closed the door, Carlos turned to her. “Ica, what’s going on?”
She didn’t speak. Instead, she pulled out the note and handed it to him.
Carlos frowned as he took it, his eyes scanning the words.
Then his expression changed.
His entire body went rigid, his jaw clenching so tightly she thought his teeth might break. His hands gripped the paper, crumpling it further.
“Carlos,” she whispered, suddenly terrified of his reaction. “Who are these people?”
Carlos didn’t answer immediately. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
“I didn’t think they’d come after you,” he muttered under his breath.
Ica’s stomach dropped. “So you know who they are.”
Carlos remained silent.
That was all the confirmation she needed.
“Carlos,” she tried again, her voice shaking, “tell me the truth. Who are they? What’s going on?”
He looked at her then, his dark brown eyes filled with something she had never seen before—fear.
“My dad owes them money,” he finally admitted. “A lot of money. And they’re not the kind of people who just let things go.”
Ica swallowed hard. “Carlos, they followed me home. One of them grabbed me.”
Carlos cursed under his breath, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. “I never wanted you involved in this,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Well, I am involved now,” she snapped. “So don’t shut me out. Tell me everything.”
Carlos looked like he wanted to argue. But then he sighed in defeat, leaning back against the seat.
“My dad borrowed money from them years ago,” he started. “Back when our business was struggling. He thought he could pay them back, but things got worse. And now… now they’re coming to collect.”
Ica’s fingers clenched into fists. “How much does he owe them?”
Carlos hesitated before answering. “Fifty million pesos.”
Ica’s breath caught in her throat. “Carlos. That’s—”
“A death sentence,” he finished grimly.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ica whispered, “What are they going to do if you don’t pay?”
Carlos didn’t answer right away. But when he did, his voice was barely audible.
“They’ll destroy everything.”
---
The Next Day…
Ica barely slept that night, the weight of everything Carlos told her pressing down on her chest like a heavy stone.
How did things get this bad? How did Carlos’s family, who had everything, fall so deep into this mess?
And what could she possibly do to help?
She couldn’t sit still anymore. She needed to do something.
That was how she found herself in front of Ly’s house early the next morning.
Ly opened the door, looking confused. “Ica? What are you doing here this early?”
Ica took a deep breath. “I need your help.”
Ly frowned. “With what?”
Ica hesitated for only a second before saying, “Carlos is in trouble.”
That was all it took for Ly’s expression to change.
“Come inside.”
---
An Hour Later…
Ica sat on Ly’s bed, explaining everything she knew. Ly listened in silence, her eyes narrowing as Ica spoke.
When Ica finally finished, Ly sighed. “This is bad. Really bad.”
“I know,” Ica muttered. “That’s why I need your help.”
Ly gave her a skeptical look. “Ica, what can we even do? We’re high school students, not crime investigators.”
“I don’t know,” Ica admitted, “but I can’t just sit around and wait for something to happen.”
Ly exhaled. “Okay. What’s your plan?”
Ica hesitated before saying, “We need to find out more about these people. Who they are. What they want. Maybe—maybe there’s a way to stop them.”
Ly gave her a long look before nodding. “Alright. Let’s do it.”
---
Meanwhile…
Carlos paced his room, his mind racing.
They had gone after Ica.
They were getting desperate.
His hands curled into fists. He had to fix this.
Somehow.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he never thought he’d have to call.
A deep voice answered after two rings. “Carlos. I was wondering when you’d finally reach out.”
Carlos clenched his jaw. “I need to talk. In person.”
The man on the other end chuckled darkly. “Finally ready to make a deal?”
Carlos closed his eyes. He had no choice.
“Yes.”
- Writer
