Rabbit Hole (Romantic-Suspense)

Chapter 24: Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter 24: Little Red Riding Hood

3rd Person's POV

Seating in the rowdy moving bus, Alice stood up, holding the hanging handles the moment she saw the familiar view outside the window, a sign she's getting near her destination. She squeezes her bag's sling, hanging on her shoulder while enjoying the picturesque natural beauty, as the uncertainty of her aunt's condition is still bugging her.

"Please, be alright. Please, be alright." Alice mumbles, eyes fixed at the moving panoramic view outside.

Restless, she opens and chews another gum, putting the wrapper in her pants' pocket, and heaves a heavy sigh. Looking back and forth at her phone, hoping she'd get a reply from her aunt and Mae, but yet again anxiousness feels heavier as she sees none of them still responds to her text messages and attempted calls—suddenly, a few seconds after she heard her phone rings.

With high anticipation, she hastily checks on it. But her expectation swiftly dropped the moment she saw who is calling.

"It's amazing how he got his own number saved here." She said, irritably ending the call she has been cutting for several times now.

He must have saved it when I was unconsciously lying in his room. She thought, thinking of the only way Lennox could've got his hands on her phone.

Then, other possible scenarios of what else could have happened have flooded her mind.

Wait, a damn minute. She thought with pure disgust that stiffens her face. Imagining Lennox taking advantage of her while she's asleep keeps coming in her mind, considering his serious obsession with her.

Tsk, just why? Why is he so obsessed—since when have I caught a psychopath—obsessed jerk's attention on me?! I knew it. He recruited and hired me not for my credentials and potentials—damn you.

Pondering how she managed to get herself tangled with Lennox's mess even before she met him, a memory flashed through her eyes.—By now, you have probably reached twenty-one years old. Since you're an official adult now, I congratulate you if ever you reached this age without encountering him yet.—

Subconsciously reminding her that everything's already out of her control when it comes to Lennox, she clenches her fist and thought to herself—

Hah, that bastard Dove, did he think this is cool? What is this? Some sort of movie play for him? I swear, if ever he's alive, he better hide well. Not from Lennox but from me. Ugh, this is freaking me out—

Then, before she could finish and curse Dove completely, another line from his letter flashed through.

— I'm sorry, I know I have been selfish not saying anything directly, despite knowing what would probably happen. But, I promise you that I will help you get out of his grasps.—

"Hah, how?" Alice mumbles to herself. And, with impeccable timing, Lennox calls her phone again.

Having enough of Lennox's persistent calls, she didn't let it go for seconds and immediately decided to block his number.

"Ugh, I should have done that in the first place." She said, and irritably getting down the bus as it reaches her destination.

Alice's POV

Walking down the sidewalk where I used to walked by with Mae when we were little, I can see our younger self vividly walking, running, and chasing each other down until we reached their house, a house not grand but feels more home than the grandiose mansion where my own blood lives in.

Smiling melancholy with the memories running down my mind as I get nearer to their house, the anxiety and stress rubbing on me earlier got brushed off the air. Feeling at home, I run and go after my and Mae's younger self images when they turn to their house's street.

But, just as soon as I took a sharp turn, I stopped when the next thing I saw instantly pulls me back to my senses. Seeing the two familiar men leaning on a car parked right in front of Mae's mother's house, lighting their cigarettes as their eyes watch the house intently, I couldn't help but feel rage.

"Is it just me, or everyone's just one step ahead of me?" I uttered, amused and nervously looking at them. Observing them from the street's entrance, four houses away from them, I found myself decided on what to do next.

So, in the end, even aunt's not safe from that person's radar.

I thought, trying to check the house from where I am as the trees, and the house next to it hinders my vision.

"Damn it, if only they're not here—wait, there's a shortcut at the rear side of the house." Remembering the shortcut and the hole through the house's rear gate Mae and I used to use when we were little to sneak in and out, I immediately run back to where I turn before going in the street—but then a tall and well-built physique in a suit stands in the way, with the most irritating timing of all.

I meet him again.

"What the hell? You sure have a talent for tracking people, huh?" I said, glancing back to the two men who luckily haven't noticed us yet.

Well, what do I expect for someone who has been stalking me for years?

"Ohh? I thought you'd be more surprised seeing me here? hmm, have I underestimate you coping—"

"Shut up, move." Before we get those men's attention again, just like what happened with Mae's apartment, I cut him off with firmness on my tone, as his smiling face and unsympathetic eyes locks on mine.

That's right, take a guess why I'm no longer surprised with you being here. I thought to myself, knowing he hasn't yet known, I'm aware of him being the devil in Dove's poems, and as I have expected, things would have turned this way.

But, the question is…how he is doing this stalking s**t.

Feeling any moment, we'll be caught the brain and brawn's attention. Because of Lennox's unresponsive gesture, I immediately started walking as I brushed off the thought momentarily as I have something else to do in mind. But, his arm quickly grabbed my hand.

"Shouldn't you be working now?" He said, trying to make a segue way.

"Says the one who has many client meetings scheduled every day." I retorted calmly, trying to break free from his grasps.

Yet, he glances at the back without much effort, checking the men they had encountered before. He smirks and let a sigh go, turning back his eyes on me, he said—

"Let's go, Alice." He said, trying to persuade me with his seemingly kind tone.

The hell? Do you expect me to get swayed with that now? The same tricks won't always get the same result, f*cker.

"We're outside the office now, so don't go overboard and tell me what to do. Stay out of my way, Lennox," I said, still trying to break free as his smirks fall off his face. Sternly looking at me, grip getting tighter on my wrist, I knew the tension's building up again until—

"Hey, you two there!" A voice getting nearer interrupted. Glancing back, there I saw the men who were facing the aunt's house just a while ago's now approaching us.

Damn it. If they knew who, I am sure this would reach that person's ears. If that happens, Mae's situation can be more complicated—f*ck we have to run.

"Let's go, here," I said, making the decision fast and abruptly pulls Lennox with me, grabbing the hand that's holding mine.

Right then, he seems to be caught off guard with what I did. However, it didn't take too long for him to come up with me. Running from the pursuers, I hear his giggles.

You're enjoying this, huh? Damn you.

"Hey! Stop right there!" One of them said chasing us behind, but because of the hidden shortcut, I know that if things are just how it was, we could escape from them without any hassle.

Damn, I can't risk getting identified now—

"Here," I said, pulling Lennox to the alley the moment I saw the familiar mark that's full of wild grass around it. Luckily, The Street's corner helped us buy a few seconds before seeing us enter the narrow alley.

Seeing them running away from sight, I looked at Lennox's enjoying face.

"Yes?" He asked excitedly.

What 'yes?' you sure make it looks like I'm the weird one here for looking at you.

"The heck? Ugh, never mind. Leave me be." I said, surrendering to argue with him while getting my hands off for his grip.

"I've got my own business to attend to. You attend yours—"I added with an attempt to get my hands back, but instead, he swiftly turns his body in front of me, hands on the wall to block me from running away into the alley, as his other hand stays holding my wrist, pinning it on the wall. Because of the alley's narrowness with only an estimated space of two feet—in this position he made, we naturally became intimately close.

Anyone would suspect we're doing something nasty if they saw us here hiding in broad daylight.

"What's this?" I said, calmly assessing how I will kick him off of me.

"Nothing, just trying to take advantage of this alley—"

"If you're trying to be romantic, then sorry to say but, you're gravely failing at it," I said, shuttering his fantasy.

Taken aback, he giggles as he grins wider, leaning his face closer to mine until his forehead touches mine. He stopped.

"Oh, really? But what you're showing me is turning me on." He said, whispering.

Reporting this pervert has occurred in my mind frequently, but ever since I saw him say his indirect agreement with his kind of business gives me hesitation covered with thousands of fear.

I knew, if I hadn't risked my decision knocking on his door and instead reported him—I knew something worst will happen.

I thought to myself, as I consider the fact that Dove took years to warn me. Maybe—no, it must be.

This guy right here could really be anybody's worst nightmare. But, f*ck, I'll make sure to give that damn Dove a taste of my fist when I meet him.

"Of course, every indecent person would only get a turn on in this situation," I said, coldly stating the fact in his face. Fighting the growing fear within—I may have wished to meet a psycho, but I never wanted to save someone—just when the hell I did that—

—I decided to send poems with codes hiding in them. If you still have all my entries in your inbox, I suggest you collect them from the very start to this very last entry—

—And there, it goes—f*ck.

I swear inwardly, wanting to explode, as I remember a part of Dove's letter just now. But I already deleted his poems; I only have his poems from four months ago, ugh. This is driving me nuts.

"Ah, then I'm glad to be one of those people," Lennox said, getting me back to my senses. Seeing him looking down on my lips, sensing what he's is up to now, I called him.

"Lennox."

"Hmm?" He hums, looking at me, showing me the sweetest smile—the smile that secretly screws me over.

"Let go of me—"

"Not until you agree of going back." He said, disregarding my refute. Smiling kindly, right then, the anger I have been holding back until now burst.

"You piece of s**t, scram before I kick your balls—

"Hey, I can hear something here." But, my outburst suddenly got cut off when I heard the familiar voices coming over.

Shit.

Thanks to these shrubs covering the alley's entrance and fast pace, we managed to hide well earlier. But now they're back, they must have sensed something's wrong and decided to look around. Now, where to go? Should I--we make a run—wait, I can just leave this sh*t bag here and run by myself—

I thought, making the final decision as I hear footsteps getting heavier and closer. Then, I looked at Lennox to kick him off of me, but the next thing he did paralyze me on the spot.

As his reversed coat fly on top of me, just as when someone sneaks a peek in the alley through moving the shrubs covering us.

Covering half my face that was visible from the alley's entrance, he leans his face forward, pressing his lips on mine gently—it happened quickly, yet it strangely it felt like the time slowed down as I could hear the person gasps and hissed in annoyance when he saw us in this position.

Huh?

Couldn't process anything at all with the sudden kiss. I froze.

"Tsk. No one, just thirsty couple hanging around." A man hissed when Lennox started moving his hand on my back, pulling me closer to him, causing the man to cuss in annoyance, and leaves us in this framed-up situation.

Is this really happening? I thought, couldn't believe how fast things have turned this way. Dazed, eyes wide open, I looked at his soft-looking eyes. Parting from the kiss, he smirks and put his hands and coat back, saying—

"I saw it in movies. I just thought it would be fun to try this out in this kind of time—"

"You...scram," I said, stiff with anger.

How dare him—he just stole my first kiss. A guy like him stole my first kiss.

Caught off guard with how hard my tone must have been, he loosens his gap. Taking advantage of it, I break from his grip and walk into the alley, not minding Lennox anymore. As the shock of what he just did still bothers me, I marched down toward the short cut I knew.

"Alice! Hey, wait up." Choosing to ignore him, feeling I just lost my emotional capacity to deal with him, I continue to walk forward.

Don't go crazy; don't go crazy—it's just a peck on the lips. Nothing big—don't go crazy—

"Stop." But, it looks like what I've been telling myself hasn't reached my mind yet. I halted and glanced back at Lennox.

3rd Person's POV

Beaming, feeling on top of the world as he finally kissed Alice in the flesh—after trying so hard to suppress himself from going further that moment. He continues to follow her behind, with the thought running wild in mind—Oh, Alice—don't you feel exhilarated after that kiss? Am I the only one getting crazy? Ah, what do I do? You're just here showing you back—oh, Alice…those lips.

I'll make sure to taste it again…again and again.

Lennox thought to himself, smiling licking his lips as he looks maniacally at Alice's back. Like a beast, eyeing its prey, waiting for the right time to pounce on it and devour it whole.

"Alice! Hey, wait up." Lennox said as they go more in-depth the alley, between the closed walls.

Then, a moment passed, Alice paused and glanced back at Lennox. Lennox then, who was trying to catch up with her, halts. Not because Alice says so, but because of the flustered face and glaring eyes Alice has.

"I'm letting you go from kissing me because I couldn't afford to waste more time. So, Lennox. If you don't have plans today but to bug me all you want, then I'm serving you a silver platter." Yet, contrary to her flustered red, warm burning cheeks, her voice sends cold chills on him.

Despite feeling hyped up inside, he controls himself hard to not let Alice see his genuine reaction. Because seeing how fierce and cold, she makes him fall harder for her. The more Alice draws a line and builds a wall, the more he'll do anything possible to breakthrough.

"I'll let you follow me, just do me a favor and shut the hell up. Don't spout nonsense until I say so, do you understand?" With that dismissal, Lennox knew he just falls deeper.

Couldn't hide the feeling anymore, he beams with a smile, radiating his happiness from within that disgust Alice. Anyway, she didn't give any reaction and turn his head ahead.

"Yes, ma'am." Lennox obediently exclaims.

Have I gone senile that I let a wolf follow me alone here? This is utterly frustrating.

I'll make sure to study Dove's remaining poem, just if it contains things to deal with this damn sh*t. She thought, gritting her teeth behind her calm and bold demeanor she's putting up with not until she saw the house's rear gate.

The rusty old metal gate creaks, with veins and plants hanging on its own, making it obvious that the house has been abandoned long before. Nonetheless, Alice continues to approach it, looking everywhere until she spots the familiar rock that's being buried underneath weeds and wild plants.

I was planning on moving this stone and pass through the hole we made, but it seems it would be impossible now.

Alice thought, examining the overgrown weeds. Looking up to the house's second floor, she could tell at first glance.

"Something had already happened." She mumbled, looking at her aunt's room opened window as the wind flutters its curtain.

"Aunty..." She uttered, looking at the eerie house with fear in its eyes, while Lennox, on the other hand, just stares dead at it.

Should I tell her? He thought, examining the area, glancing back at Alice's worried face.