Not like Us

Chapter 2

Bella, who was just hiding outside, decided to run off the moment she saw her parents went home after sending her to the province. Her feet took her to a place where trees were very abundant. It was very cold, dark, and eerie. It was also windy. Her hair was all over the place. She was only wearing her ankle boots paired with leather jacket, a black sleeveless top underneath, and an above knee black denim skirt. Her legs were cold. She decided to continue walking under the guidance of the stars.

Owls started hooting and that sent chills to her spine. Rustling of leaves were also perceptible.

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“s**t,” Bella whispered under her breath. None of her friends were answering her. She tried to call her friend, Marcus, who had a crush on her.

Bella grunted. “ Thank you! You answered! ” Marcus, on the other line didn’t utter a word. “ Are you listening to me? I need you. Please bring me back there. ”

“ Bella… ” Marcus let out a heavy sigh. “ I can’t, Bella. I’m sorry. ” Marcus ended the call.

She groaned. “ Great. Where are your friends when you need them the most? ”

She gasped when she heard another rustling sound. “ Is anybody out there? ”

She looked around assessing the area. She used her phone’s flashlight to give light to the area. “I should have just hide under the car’s trunk,” she said to herself with resentful for not thinking straight earlier.

Bella brought out a cigarette and lit it. The cigarette made her calm as the menthol feeling travels from her mouth down to her throat. She puffed the smoke out. What would her parents expect from her here? How would this place can change her? This is bullshit, she thought to herself.

Bella saw a twig and picked it up. She had heard a growling from a distant. She assessed the area once again. She saw a shadow of a moving object that kept changing direction from her front, to her side, back and back to the front. “Quit playing!” She said while swaying the twig around her to protect herself, just in case. She swayed the twig toward her back when she heard a rustling sound behind her.

“ Stop. ”

She froze. A voice of a man. She slowly turned her way to face the owner of that voice. She cannot believe what she just saw. She stepped back away from him.

“ Who are you? ” she asked with a hint of being terrified. He didn't look like a human.

The man took a step forward. “ You shouldn’t be here, ” he coldly said.

Bella took another step away from him and that was the reason why she tripped. Luckily, there were a pillow of leaves where Bella fell into if not, she might have hurt herself. She pointed the twig towards the man. This time, she got to clearly distinguish the man's appearance. He was a tall man who was about five feet and eight inches tall. He was wearing a long white dress embellish with gold. He has a very fair skin, a silky long white hair, a nose and ears that were as pointy as a needle, and a lips that as pink as a cherry blossom. He was literally glowing.

Bella, at first, thought she was just dreaming. She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing however, the man was not there anymore. She looked around the area to see if there was a presence of a man but there was none. She quickly stands up and moved her soles and started running back to get out of the forest. She just followed the stars. It was fortunate of her getting out of there safe.

Bella knocked on her grandma's main door. It took her three times before her Nana opened the door.

" Where have you been? "

Nana eyed her from her head to toe. She looked like a mess. Bella was panting, catching her breath, and sweats were dripping. There were also leaves that were still clinging to her and she smells like a smoke.

" Went out to get some fresh air, Nana. "

" It was cold outside. Why are you sweating? " Nana asked worriedly.

" I did some running, Nana. " Bella sat unto the couch, still catching her breath. She leaned and closed her eyes. " Running helps me think, okay? " she added as an excuse. Her nana would definitely scold her if she says she was in the forest this late at night.

Her nana shook her head and went to the kitchen. " I have prepared your dinner earlier. Why didn't you touch it? "

Bella opened her eyes. She just realized that she had not eaten a food since this morning. Her stomach growled for the first time this day. Maybe what she saw on the forest was just her hallucination for being hungry and maybe the growling she heard earlier was just from her stomach.

Bella stood up and followed her Nana in the kitchen. " You did? "

It has been so long since Bella experienced eating home cooked food. Her mother always cooks at home but she always went outside to eat with friends. She doesn't want to be a burden or a package deal to her mother's new family.

" I told you earlier. You didn't hear me? "

Bella shook her head. She must have been in the forest that time. Luckily, her Nana didn't found out that she tried to run away. She really thought her friends could help her. They have cars. They could easily return Bella back to the city but it seems none of them were willing to help her.

Bella started eating. " Hmmm, this is so good, Nana " she said with an awe. She never really thought that the food here in the province would taste as good as the city or maybe even better.

" My little beauty, of course, I cooked it, " Nana proudly said. " Tomorrow, let's get you moving. I'll let you do some hardwork, " she added

Bella's forehead wrinkled. " What do you mean? "

" I'll bring you to the farm. " Nana announced smiling and kissed her forehead goodnight. " I wouldn't let you sulk all day. "

Bella grunted when her Nana was already upstair. Great, she thought sarcastically.