Nethania

Chapter 39: Which Building?

VINO

FUCK!! Austin would get a punch from me when I got to his dorm later! Why did he want me to throw the mess at the back of that building? There were so many garbage bags here. Why on earth did he think of that place? Plus, I forgot my phone on the table. How would I call him? What a life!

My steps were booming on the pavement as I ran as the wind was just about to escape from Nethania. As soon as I placed the sack against the wall, I thought of leaving immediately. My guts didn't fail me. My own self was urging me to stay away from that place instantly because beyond my awareness, a killer was standing there waiting for her next victim. When I saw her, I never wasted any seconds standing there. I ran fast as I could, but unluckily, I tripped over something hard and fell on my chest with a loud thud. I could feel the chest pain right now. It was still stinging and hurting.

That was why I felt someone was following me while I was dragging the sack. It was Nethania.

My feet never stopped until I arrived at the front of our dormitory. I felt my chest would explode! I bent forward, placing my hands onto my knees. I almost slumped my body on the grass just to recover my respiratory system from a tiring escape activity that I did. I sat on the grass, but I couldn't bear the exhaustion anymore. Even though I knew that Nethania wasn't following me, I still chose to run fast to avoid misfortunes along the way. What if she sets traps that can capture a human? What if it was meant for me?

I inhaled and exhaled deeply. My constricted chest was gradually recovering as I was inhaling some fresh air. Inhaling through my nose and exhaling out from my mouth.

"f**k," I cursed under my breath. I got up and left the grass. I dusted off the dirt from my uniform and pants. I lifted up my tired foot forward and began walking. I could feel stiffness in my feet, like it would crumble at any minute.

I could barely walk normal. Exhaustion was dragging my body down to the third floor. I trudged my way up to the stairs and along the hallway. I felt my breathing becoming scarce. I guess I am going to pass out.

"Finally!" I expressed when I reached the door of Austin's room. I held the doorknob and turned it over. I pushed the door with a great force. It slammed on the wall, making a loud sound that boomed across the room. I appeared in the doorway with clenched fists and glared at them from under my brow. I caught them staring at me with knitted brows.

Behold the people that were in the room of Austin that were looking at me and knitting their brows like there's no tomorrow.

"Where's Austin?" I asked as soon as I entered the room and banged the door closed behind me. After a staring moment with me, they went to do their thing.

"He's in the bathroom," Janarus answered me with a loud voice. He was eating a bag of chips and holding a plate of cake with his left hand in the kithen.

Janarus Edsmith, section C. He wasn't our classmate, but my new roommate.

"Austin, Vino called you! I guess he is mad!" Avalus shouted out. He was sitting on the couch while watching a TV series.

Avalus Rey Jinvere, who was also in section C, is my new roommate.

I've never met Janarus and Avalus, but since they are friends with Devon and Serfy, our classmates, Austin and I got to know them and we became friends. And we were here in Austin's dorm because we have a group project. Our teacher didn't limit us from forming our groups. Even though we had members from other sections with the same subject as ours, it was okay with him as long as the number of members in each group didn't exceed 6 members. We were lucky that there were six of us in our circle of friends, so we didn't find it hard to group ourselves.

I wiped my sweat with my backhand and sat on a chair beside the couch. I caressed my chest and felt if it was still hurting. The pain somehow decreased and I felt okay. The dirty stain on my shirt made me cringe. I wouldn't be this dirty if they just helped me with the mess. They said, "it's your fault so it's your responsibility."

I heard the bathroom door open and Austin got out while wiping his hair off with a towel. He only wore shorts and topless. "What's the matter, Vino? Have you dispatched our mess?" he asked.

I clenched my jaw. "Yes... and I nearly met my death because of you."

I saw in my peripheral vision that Avalus turned down the volume of the TV.

He walked to the middle of the room. "Why? Have you seen the grim reaper?"

"Fortunately, I haven't seen the grim reaper yet, but how lucky I am to see Nethania," I announced. I felt their stare was transferring to me.

"What?" Avalus gasped.

"You saw her?" Janarus asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"What did you say?" Serfy chortled.

Devon, beside the wall, laughed. "Oh the killer woman, how coincidental!"

I snapped my finger and clicked my tongue. "It's not a funny thing to laugh about, guys. I felt someone following me, and when I looked sideways, I saw her smiling at me. How creepy was that?"

They didn't know what I experienced earlier. It was the first time I faced her that close.

"Good thing she didn't kill you," Austin muttered and he went to the couch and sat on it.

"Yeah, I'm going to say I'm "lucky" that I didn't get chopped by her long knife, and it's all because of you," I retorted sarcastically.I held my neck and twisted it sideways, then I cracked my knuckles.

"You're welcome," he said solemnly.

Was he kidding or scoffing at me? Was this intentional?

I almost grabbed her neck and punched him on the face. It's a good thing I could control my temper. "f**k you, Austin! Didn't you know how frightened I was? Tha—"

"I went into critical condition because of her, Vino. I felt dread more than you do," he cut my words short.

My mouth zipped. I just stared at him. I remembered the day when he almost died because of Nethania. He was correct; he felt more fear than I did. But at least I felt it.

I slowly sat down again on the chair. "I knew about your past condition, but I wish you hadn't let me feel it," I mumbled.

"If only I knew that she was there, I wouldn't have let you take the sack of mess there. Sorry if I brought you to your fear," he stated, combing his hair backwards while looking at me.

I sighed. "I was just overwhelmed by her presence. I never anticipated that she would appear and I never expected that I would be seeing her there."

"Yeah, life has many surprises," he responded.

I sat up straight when I realized something that was odd for me. "Wait, why did you think of putting the sack at the back of the building? Why there? We even have a garbage bag here," I asked, pointing my finger at him and knitting my brows.

He blinked multiple times upon hearing my words. He leaned closer to me as if I said a lie, a wrong statement. "What did you say? At the back of the building? Which building?" he queried with full confusion in his voice and it could be seen in his eyes. He even took a glimpse at our classmates to check if he heard my words right. Our friends nodded at him.

I leaned back while spreading out my hands to show that I was asking the correct question. "You didn't mention the name of the building. But you said building, any building."

He stared at me for several seconds. He gaped and leaned back on the couch, shaking his head. "Vino, Vino... That's the result of leaving the room without comprehensing the whole request. I said that you threw away the sack at the back of the billing office because there is a large garbage zone where all garbage is collected."

I gasped. "No, I won't believe you. You said building," I defended, shaking my head.

He clearly said at the back of the building. When I left, my mind was confused because he didn't specify which building, so I went to the back of any building just to put away the sack.

"Prove it to him," he declared, and glanced at the people listening to us.

"I didn't hear it," Janarus immediately answered like he was suspected of something.

"I heard it clearly," Avalus confessed with a nod.

Devon smirked. "Nah, Austin was clearly mentioned at the back of the billing office."

"Yeah," Serfy agreed, the last to give his statement. "I think Vino heard it wrong. You went out of the room immediately without hearing all Austin's words. Your fault anyway."

When all their words sank into my occupied mind, I almost punched the wall because of the mistake that I'd made. "What the F! I wouldn't have gone to that building where Nethania was, if I had just listened to Austin!" I yelled. Yes, I admitted that it was my fault because I left immediately but because Austin was commanding me to throw it right away, as in immediately, so I hurried to the door dragging the sack and went out without hearing all his words.

"Yeah, that's right," Austin calmly muttered, "So I committed no sin to you."

I clicked my tongue. "Psshh, what an unfortunate moment in my life!" I embarrassingly shouted.

They laughed at me. I was an i***t and all because of Austin.

"That's enough. Vino clean yourself and get dressed; we'll finish our project tonight," Austin declared.