Shadows Of Red

CHAPTER 8: Paralyze

CHAPTER 8: Paralyze

“Hey, Nat.”

Waking up from a daze, I snapped my head towards Rina’s direction.

She was holding up a paper as she approached me inside an empty room where I was staying during my free hours for the last three days since I couldn’t go to the gazebo.

Not that I’m following what Calum has told me a few days ago, it’s just that I also feel the need to stop going there. It just seems... unsafe now. But still, I’d like to go back to that place. I love that place. Just not now, most especially after everything that has happened.

Beaming, Rina sat in front of me and held the paper in front of my face, blocking her grinning face from me.

“What’s that for?” I asked, still a bit occupied about practically everything.

That night outside the bar was a blur of moments that’s vaguely vivid (if that even makes sense) inside my head. I just can’t seem to remember as much details as I thought I should, but I can still almost see the actual sight of that girl slumped and shaking right in front of me.

Not like what I did the first time, I made a run towards the girl in that same dark alley where I saw Helena. She was just thrashing around, her eyes already rolling back as she was starting to lose consciousness.

Despite myself shaking in shock and fear at the moment, my initiative took over as I immediately called for help. I called an ambulance and the police that thankfully was fast to get to the place.

They asked me some questions and I told them everything that I saw, even the guy I saw that night. But when the police asked me who I thought that guy might be, I couldn’t seem to open my mouth to answer.

A few minutes of silence, the police assisted me towards my apartment as they thought I was still in shock of the incident. The very first incident that may have stopped another disappearance that might have added up to the present cases.

Thinking about it, I couldn’t seem to think the same way. There were no previous statements like mine to back up that hunch, but I felt it. It was almost the same feeling I felt when I saw Helena Vergara and that dark figure. That tall and dark figure that stood in the middle of the shadows.

Calum Price. I don’t know why I was so reluctant at telling the police about him.

It’s just that the figure I saw felt... heavy. Like how I felt with the figure I saw with Helena. And it literally just vanished. Disappeared in a matter of seconds, which was once again unnatural.

But, with seeing Calum making out with that girl on the dance floor just a few minutes before that incident happened, and with the on-going mystery surrounding him and his presence, I couldn’t help linking it to him.

I feel like I knew it was him, but I just couldn’t actually say it verbally. It just feels... final, if I say that. And I don’t even know why I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want to pin-point anything towards him, even when I think I should.

“There will be a college party this Friday. We should go.” Rina’s voice cut me off of my thoughts once again.

That made me really look at the paper in front of my face. It was actually an invitation. My brows raised. They have an actual invitation card for a college Friday party?

“So, you’re coming? That’s your off at work, right? You’re coming? You’re coming,” Rina said, answering her own question. But when I looked at her grey-green eyes, she was still expectantly looking at me.

“Come on, it’s just here in the university compound. Everyone is going. So, we should come too,” she persuaded, almost pouting.

I sighed. Sleeping is always a better choice for me compared to this. I’m just really not a party person.

“Please? It’s going to be my first time. Can you come with me?” I raised my brows again at her statement. Her first time?

Rina chuckled, seeing my reaction. She adjusted her pitch black hair on her ear. “Well, I’ve been in wild parties, but all of those were with my cousins. And this,” She pointed at the invitation enthusiastically,

“Is going to be different, for sure! I can’t wait to see how hu—“ She suddenly paused, her gorgeous eyes slightly widening as if catching herself from something.

“See how you...?” I pressed, getting curious at the way she’s reacting right now. Then, she suddenly clapped a hand and chuckled, which made me frown.

“See how you guys in here do it,” she said, bringing that smile back.

“You know, it’s going to be my first time here in West Vanders. And so I want to see how you, guys, roll it,” she finished with a chuckle.

I scratched my neck at a sudden thought inside my mind. “I’ve never been to their parties, too,” I said, just feeling like I should tell her. I just don’t want to make her assume that I am some expert and would make her enjoy that night, because to be completely honest, I think I would only be a nuisance or even bore her out of her mind.

For sure, she must have been to numerous parties before, while me—I don’t even remember when was the last time I had that sort of fun.

Well, actually, never.

It has been always just me, in my room. Working, going to school and sometimes hanging with Jordan. Read books, too. And that’s it. And as if I can actually go to a party where Amanda and her gang basically rule. I want to pass to that drama and keep myself rested instead.

“Oh, that’s fine.” She shrugged, then suddenly clapped her hands again. “Isn’t that great, then? We will both have our first times in there!” She exclaimed, looking genuinely exhilarated at the thought. That made me smile a little.

“So, you’re coming?” Rina asked again. She wiggled her brows and her red lips stretched out in a gorgeous smile. “It’ll be so fun!”

I sighed and caressed my neck again. I was actually just planning to sleep the day off and take a rest. Have time for myself after doing every work I needed to accomplish. So, basically I don’t have plans at going out.

“I guess,” I just answered, feeling like I at least should so something else that would divert my attention to another thing. Because I’m pretty sure my mind won’t let me rest at that day, too. I will be thinking over and over about what has been happening for the last couple of weeks.

“Yey! So, I’ll see you, then.” I nodded. Rina’s smile suddenly became smaller. Looking at me thoughtfully, she said, “It will also be a great way to take your mind away from that. But I’m telling you again, Nat: you did great.”

I stared at her grey-green eyes and despite hearing and feeling the sincerity of her words, I couldn’t help seeing... something else.

That same hunger to appease her curiosity is written all over her eyes again.

When the news broke out about Katrina Cuevo, which was the girl who was rescued that night at the alley, I became the girl who was able to see the actual crime from happening. I became the ‘witness’ that the police has long been waiting for.

Because of it, I got unnecessary attention, which I was avoiding. Not because I was still being the awkward person that I am, but for being reminded of that scene again and again. And I don’t want it. I don’t want to be reminded that I could have done the same thing to Helena that could have led to something that might have prevented Stacey from disappearing as well.

Standing up, I looked at Rina as she stood from her seat as well. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.”

She waved her hand at me and I did the same. “Bye. I’ll see you later.” I nodded and she took off.

When Rina went out of the room, I saw people looking at her with that same adoration I’ve seen in their eyes since the first day she came. I stared at her walking figure as that radiating aura that made people back away from her, came back.

It’s been almost two weeks, but up to this day, I still think about the mystery of Rina Price-Sanders. There’s this ironic subtlety I feel about her. I feel like she’s keeping something from me. And with all the people (a question not from my insecurities) why would she want to hang with me?

I sighed, shaking my head at the thought.

I decided to walk out of the empty room and decided to go back to the place where I have been spending my vacant hours for the last three days.

I rode a bus after a few minutes of walking from the university. Not a few minutes later, I was already getting out of the bus to the town’s hospital.

Despite already having a witness in the crime scene, my testimony was barely a help for the cases to lead on to something. But one thing sparks hope for the town’s people, most especially for those families who lost their loved ones: It is Katrina’s testament.

With her, safe, after what happened, the mysterious disappearances could finally be solved. A word about who might have done that thing to her is all that it takes for this pending mystery to take a huge leap towards its conclusion. That is finding the culprit to locate where the other seven is and to stop these abductions from happening.

But remembering that very thing I saw that Halloween night: the cold and dark eyes that sent shivers to my spine, I couldn’t help thinking whether we needed to wait for Katrina to wake up, or whether I tell them myself first, just to be done and over with.

Because no matter how I twist everything in my mind to make some logical explanation about what happened to Katrina, just so I wouldn’t be looking like a lunatic, that figure resembled that cold and dark presence I felt at that Halloween night. And with the figures I’ve been seeing inside the bar prior to the incident, I can no longer deny its connection with each other.

Walking towards the room I knew where Katrina was, I didn’t bother asking the person in the desk. I just went straight to the door and got in, but I stopped when I saw a nurse and a doctor talking inside of the room.

“Is something wrong?” I asked when the doctor’s attention went to me.

That’s when I saw that a police officer was actually inside with them and that a few more tubes were now on Katrina. A beeping sound in her room was echoing throughout the walls, too.

“Are you a family of Miss Cuevo?” The doctor asked as I approached them.

I shook my head. Glancing at the officer, he started talking to the doctor.

“The victim doesn’t have any familial connections in town. She came from a different town and just came in West Vanders.”

The doctor adjusted his glasses as he sighed.

“I’m afraid we have to do further examinations on her,” he started saying. I frowned as he paused. Is anything wrong?

“The patient is not responding to anything. She’s paralyzed, and we couldn’t figure out what caused it.”

I immediately made my way towards Katrina’s bed where two nurses covered her figure from me.

“Excuse me,” I said before pushing them slightly to the side. Feeling my heart beat accelerate on my chest, thoughts came pouring down on my mind again.

No. She needs to wake up. I need to know if I was seeing the right thing that night. I need her testament to back my words up once I tell the authorities about that creature I think that I saw. She needs to wake up to help me. To help the town solve this case.

But the world must really be playing hide and seek with me, because the moment my eyes landed on her, Katrina’s wide-opened eyes welcomed me and crashed every plan I had in mind.