Mansion in the Forest

Just Call Her Name

The Japanese woman wearing the traditional kimono that people in Japan rarely wear because they were more in western clothing. Her hair tied in a circular and a big hairpin holding it firmly, paired with a wooden slippers called Geta, her hands inside the sleeves of her kimono, holding that creepy smile on her lips that Lexi know it was dangerous smile.

"Lex, who is that?" Jazen asked next to her.

"She's Sakura." Lexi replied, tilting her head a bit so Jazen would hear her.

"Oh." It was the only word Jazen could conjure up, too shaken by the creepy smile Sakura is giving to Lexi.

"I see that you're safe along with the other participants." Sakura said, her voice was calm but every time she opened her mouth, Lexi knew it was dangerous.

"Yeah." Lexi replied, doesn't even have a plan to go down.

"So where's my sister?" Sakura asked, her eyes looking around at the tree but she couldn't see her sister so she shifted back her gaze to Lexi.

"She's here with us."

"Great, now give her to me and I will help all of you to escap—."

"How did you arrive too fast? I just sent you a message?" Lexi cuts her off. She's not a fool to believe Sakura instantly. She knew, everyone knew, that once they surrendered Herlie to her. That will be their big mistake because the Japanese woman has a plan of executing everyone once she gets Herlie.

Sakura chuckled, she already knows what Lexi is up to, but she's not letting the teenagers control her just because they have her sister.

"I was just around, Lex. And I saw everything."

"Yeah and you didn't even help us?"

"Why would I? If I do that, then you will have nothing. And since you guys killed everyone in my mansion, then I'm going to give you the prize."

Lexi chuckled dryly while her hand moved behind her, signalling Jisu to hide the kid. "As you should. We finished the task and I found your added favour, so I guess, I will have more prize than anyone here above."

"Of course Lexi Myers, you will have more prize than them for finding my sister." Sakura smiled, but it gets creepier with each smile she's giving her.

"Good, so we have to see the money first before I give you the kid."

"It's in your bank account already."

"Wait, how about us? We don't have bank accounts." Denver confusedly looked at Sakura.

The Japanese woman looked down, hiding her scowling face because the teenagers are taking too much time and she's not even planning to give them money but they are too smart to fool.

"You will have it after I get my sister."

"Nah uh. We want to see the money first before you get Herlie." Iris demanded while looking for a way to escape since Sakura's men were armed and they have no choice but to find another way out.

"So Herlie is her name, what a beautiful name." Sakura awed but that was just for two seconds and back to herself again. "You guys are too demanding, ey?" Sakura chuckled throatily and looked up again. "We can talk it out on our way out of this forest, but first, I want to see Herlie."

"Show us the money, then we'll show her." Lexi negotiates with the Japanese woman, making sure that she's not gonna make a move yet, since she hasn't seen her sister.

"Lexi.." Sakura mumbled low on her throat, then she giggled, her giggles turned into a loud obnoxious laughter. "You guys are so amazing." She said between her laughter.

"Thank you but we're serious." Lexi replied mockingly, then she took a quick glance behind the tree to see if there was someone in there.

"It's clear." Jazen whispered to her but Sakura saw Lexi turned back so she motioned her hand to tell her men to go around the tree.

"I'm not going to let them go behind the tree if I were you." Lexi warned her. Sakura held her hand in the air to stop her men as she stopped laughing and glowering at Lexi.

"What are you planning, Myers?" She almost growled.

"You think we're a fool? We know that once you get Herlie, you'll kill us all!"

Sakura clapped her hands slowly while shaking her head amusedly. "Smart, so f*****g smart."

"That was the most basic logic in this kind of situation." Chantelle snorted and they all laughed, which made Sakura more upset as Lexi already made her refuse to show her sister.

"Okay that's enough." Sakura said, pulling her hands out from her kimono's sleeves, revealing a gun in her hand, but she didn't point it to Lexi or to anyone at the top of the tree, she just let it down on her side. "Since you know about my plan, how about giving me my sister and let's stop this nonsense negotiation."

"How about let us go down and leave this place so no one would get hurt?" Lexi said back, holding Sakura's burning gaze at her.

"You really think I would do that?" Sakura asked mockingly.

"Then you leave us no choice." Lexi shrugged her shoulders and she looked back to Jisu and nodded her head.

"Say something, Herlie." Jisu whispered to the kid.

"What am I going to say?" Herlie asked back, whispering as well. As if she knows what's going on and decided to help the teenagers with whatever their plans.

"Just call her name."

"What's her name?" Herlie asked again. If they weren't in that kind of situation, they would all laugh at Herlie's innocent and naive face.

"Just say, Sakura, help me." Jisu instructed her and nodded her head to urge the kid to yell that name.

"Sakura, help me!" Herlie said then she looked back to Jisu, as if asking if she did it perfectly. Jisu gave her a thumb's up and a proud smile.

Sakura's eyes widened upon hearing her sister's voice for the first time, she didn't know what to feel regarding that experience. Herlie was still a baby when Uncle Sam took her and Sakura didn't have the chance to see her.

"Give me back my sister, Lexi if you want to live!" Sakura finally snapped out, pointing her gun at Lexi, who didn't even bat an eyelash and just smirked at her.

Jisu saw that so she turned to the kid. "Listen to me Herlie, I want you to play along with me okay? I will pretend that I'm going to hurt you and I want you to cry for help."

"But why? Aren't those people willing to help us?" Herlie asked.

"They're not gonna help us kid, they are going to kill us and you are the only person who could save us all, so please." Siena told the kid, almost begging.

Herlie stared at Jisu for a few seconds, then she nodded her head eagerly. "Okay then."

"Good." Jisu smiled and ruffled the kid's hair. "Lex, we're all good." She signaled her friend.

Lexi heard Jisu so she decided to start their plan. "If you shoot me, your sister will die, Sakura." She said to the Japanese woman, who's eager to pull the trigger of her gun but she's holding back herself since she still hasn't seen her sister.

"Don't make me do this Lexi." Sakura warned, not having the game that Lexi wants to play.

"Okay then, shoot me and you'll have your dead sister." Lexi said challengingly. She looked tough, but her heart was pounding hard inside her chest, scared that Sakura might really shoot her.

Trevor and Jazen fisted Lexi's shirt on both of her sides just in case Sakura shot her, they will pull her back as quickly as they could.

"Show me my sister!" Sakura shouted.

Lexi turned her head to Jisu and nodded her head.

"It's time, Herlie." Jisu said and Blake handed her his dagger and she pointed the tip of the blade to Herlie's neck, who felt a fear but she knew that it was just an act but still couldn't help but be scared. Her tears flowed down automatically but she started her act.

"Please, d-don't kill me." She cried.

Sakura followed where the voice was coming from and her eyes widened when she saw a dagger pointed at the kid's neck. She turned her eyes back to Lexi as she snarled. Her monster side started to show off.

"Don't you dare to hurt her, Lexi. I won't promise that you're all gonna leave this forest alive." She threatened through her gritted teeth, but that's exactly what Lexi wanted to see in her because she knew that her plan was working.

"If you want to save her, then tell your men to not shoot us because one wrong move, you'll lose your sister forever." Lexi said.

"Fine." Sakura sighed in defeat. Then she motioned her hand and her men dropped their guns on the ground.

Lexi nodded to everyone and they all started to go down but just before they could reach the ground, gunshots echoed. Lexi looked back and saw that there were men running towards their direction while firing their guns, killing Sakura's men.

"Damn it!" Lexi cursed loudly and she climbed back up to where she was hiding earlier while Sakura's men formed a circle to protect their queen and dragged her out while some of her men were firing back at the NSA.

"My sister!" Sakura shouted and she wanted to go back but her men didn't let her as the shooting continued, while the teenagers hid again behind the lush leaves.

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