15 Chapter 14

"Listen to me when I tell you this." Ace looked at me straight deadly into my eyes while gripping my arms tightly and I looked at him with widened frightened eyes. After we stargazed, he led me into a dark alley like the one where we found the porcelain mask shattered into pieces with lots of blood and a small note.

He trapped me against the dirty wall that's filled with graffiti art while he forced me to squat down so no one can see us, he said. I don't know what's even more terrifying, him or what he's going to say to me. I jumped when I looked at his side and saw a rat coming towards our feet but Ace didn't even break his eye contact with me so I stayed still even if the rat continues.

"Listen and look at me, Luna. We have to be careful." He breathes out while stopping to confirm if I was listening to him and I nodded at him, gesturing for him to continue. "Tomorrow at the amusement park you have to smile no matter what. You have to be happy no matter what and your eyes should light up so bright. No matter where you are, you hear me? No one can know that you know and notice a lot about them. Please, Luna, if you're going to put yourself in danger at least know the consequences. If you plan to find answers, you will find them at the amusement park. Everything is connected. From this place to the amusement park. You should never look suspicious, okay? They'll kill you. I cannot tell you anything more because they're everywhere, everyone's watching you, closely. Let's just smile and pretend."

I nodded frantically while breathing heavily. "E-everything?" I become so scared by the tone of his voice and by his words. What did he mean by everything is connected? Why is the amusement park being dragged into this mess?

"Everything, every single thing, and everyone." His eyes bore into me while his eyes are filled with seriousness and mine are filled with worry and petrified gaze. He's scaring me but he didn't mean to do that because I have to face the reality of what's going on around me.

I let out a heavy breath, almost panicking while I held my head with my shaky hands. "Come on, let's get you home. I'm so sorry, Lu." He smiles creepily and my breathing increased even more but I knew I had to copy him. I smiled while shaking my head to diminish my thoughts away.

He dragged me out of the alley and I accidentally stepped on the rat while it piercingly shrieked in pain and I jumped while I looked down on it and it slowly mutes. My eyes widened more and my vision becomes blurry, before I can even notice a drop of tear falls into my cheeks. I had killed it and the sight of the blood before me makes me muttered a sorry for the innocent rat while the scent of it quickly fills my nose, making my head hurt while my vision worsens. We continued walking but I am dragging my feet to make the blood go away while I still smiled quivery. I could just felt myself weighing more and more, becoming heavier, almost blacking out but I still dragged myself and forced myself to look okay.

I lift my head up and I could see the people around me, smiling widely while their eyes have a strange shine into them. "A-ace..." I gripped his hand, tightly in fear and he looks back at me while softly smiling. He stops walking and pulled me into his body while I desperately snuggled myself into his large body, inhaling his scent while I could feel my legs wobble. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me while I closed my eyes and prayed for all of this to stop or to at least lessen my worries and fear in finding answers and letting myself fall deeper and deeper into their hands and mess.

"Lu, I'm here..." He whispered and placed a kiss on the top of my head while he caressed my back.