The Devil's Witness

CHAPTER3

Safe Haven

Elena's Pov

By the time I left the restroom, it was already late, yet people kept pouring in.

The music was still loud as I watched people laugh and dance without a care in the world. Who would have known that a few hours earlier, a gun had been pointed at my head.

The place became suffocating and all I wanted was to get out. I pulled myself together and exited through the back door.

My eyes searched frantically for any lingering shadow or sign of Marcus. Even if I managed to convince myself that he couldn't be there, my body couldn't help but act on survival instinct.

The thought of someone coming out of a dark corner with a gun pointed towards my head, kept clouding my mind.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.

I quickly walked to the road to flag a taxi.

Taxis were hard to find, especially at this particular time.

Pls come… I kept saying to myself.

The weather was freezing, and I wasn't wearing a sweater.

I wrapped myself together with my arms, creating a little warmth for myself as the cold bit through my dress.

My fingers had gone numb by the time I reached the road.

And I didn't know if it was the fear of being cold, or it was simply the cold.

After a while, a taxi finally drove past.He took advantage of the situation and taxed high but I didn't bargain like I usually did. I only wanted to leave this place as fast as I could.

My cold and dark apartment was the last place I would want to be right now. I needed someone to talk to.

So I gave the driver Ariel's location, and I was dropped off there.

I dragged my stiff body towards the doorstep.

Knock knock!.

I kept hitting the door. Each time louder than the last because she wasn't opening up.

Then a voice finally called out.

"If that's another drink customer, I'm calling the police," a sleepy voice grumbled from inside."

The door swung open.

Ariel blinked at me.

"Elena?"

One look at my face and the sleep vanished from hers.

Her face was a mixture of different things but mostly surprised at how I looked.

I brushed past her and curled up in the nearest chair.

The familiar scent of candles hit me as I entered Ariel's apartment. Compared to the cold metallic smell of the club, this was rather comforting. And for the first time that night, some of the tension in my chest loosened.

I kicked off my heels and collapsed on the nearest sofa all curled up. My mind finally began to process everything that had happened.

What if Marcus had shot me that night—Maybe I wouldn't even be here.

I stared at Ariel, realizing that I might have never seen her again, and fought the urge to tear up once more.

"What happened?" Ariel asked concerningly. She pulled out the pillow and sat beside me.

"Nothing". I replied abruptly. I didn't want her to know about this .

How was I going to explain to her that, a few moments ago, one mistake would have resulted in me not seeing her forever.

"Ele...na..." She held my hands .

"I said nothing." I jerked my hands from hers immediately.

She looked shocked and stared at me in disbelief.

Hurt flashed across her face before she quickly hid it.

For a moment, silence shifted between us and I regretted it.

Ariel didn't deserve that. She was the one person who stayed when everything else fell apart.

"I'm sorry. It's..... I...it's been a rough night." My voice came out smaller than I intended.

Still no response from her.

Lifting my head, I saw her staring blankly, and I tapped her a little.

"H..e..y"

Then I heard a slight sigh escape from her lips.

"Look, Elena, I know you have your things and sometimes ,things maybe a little..... I just want you to know I'm always here for you”.

And that was all I needed to hear.

I hadn't realized how badly I needed someone to say that.

The crushing workload. Marcus. The threats. The pressure from the firm.

Then tonight —

"I..... I was almost killed, Ariel," I finally voiced out.

I saw Ariel's eyes widen as she brought her hands to her mouth. "What?”

"Oh no," Ariel grabbed my shoulders.

"Wh..e..re. where.. How did that happen? Are you hurt? O my God Elena, are you fine? "

She bombarded me with a series of questions, not leaving me space to answer any.

Her eyes swept over me as though searching for an injury.

I stared at her and my eyes teared a bit.

This was... Ariel.

"Tell me Elena what happened. Talk to me"

"A gun was pointed at my head, Ariel, a f*****g gun. I....." I went on narrating the ordeal of that night to her.

All of her hands were closed over her mouth as she prevented herself from screaming out loud.

".....and that was how I got here. "

A pause for a while. Then I heard Ariel's voice coming out quietly.

"Elena, with all that you've told me. Won't you drop the case?"

"No," I answered decisively.

"But.."

"I said, No Ariel." I turned towards her, taking her hands in mine.

"This could finally be it, Ariel. I can't watch those people do those things and go scot-free, I have to expose them.I have to fight."

I stared at her.

My fingers tightened around hers.

Her eyes held my gaze for a while. Probably wondering why I would be willing to take so many risks.

"Sigh, I can't really stop you, but please don't do anything to endanger yourself, alright? Please," she looked at me pleadingly.

"I promise".

She drew me into a bear hug and for the first time that night, my shoulders relaxed. She was my safe haven.

"Okies, Okies, so tell me who was that hunk you said you kissed earlier," she raised her eyebrows cheekily.

"Oh please, Ariel, not now," I giggled a little.

"C'mon Elena. Come on", she tugged at me a little.

"I honestly don't know. It feels familiar yet not".

"Hmm….so..." We went on chatting until late into the night before we both switched off the lights for bed.

I felt a little bit better but the scenes which happened earlier that day refused to leave my thoughts.

I pushed them to one side of my thoughts and tried to focus on the good things.

Like Ariel.

But somewhere deep inside me, an unsettling feeling began to grow. I couldn't explain it, but I knew something was about to change.

But what?

I stared at the darkness, and somehow I felt it stare back at me.