Axel

"What? No! I can't be here!" Natalia said pacing here and there in her bedroom.

"But why?" Mary asked in concern.

"Because it's not my party. It's my fault. I shouldn't have come here early." She said rubbing her temples while placing herself on the big bed in the center of the room.

Today is Christmas. So this client has arranged for a big party where every businessman guest will be arriving.

The client has planned this as an engagement party as well.

But Natalia was bewildered.

She hates crowds.

But what she doesn't understand was the fact that why this man asked for different planners for his engagement and wedding.

But it's not some thought worth thinking about.

She was planning to escape until this party ends.

"Ok! I will be going to the nearby park or library!" Natalia sighed in frustration before wearing her sweater and taking a set of books.

When Natalia paced toward the stairs, her eyes widened on seeing such a large crowd of people like some swarm of bees.

'How rich is this man?' was the thought Natalia ponders over now.

She was relieved that she can escape this crowd without any unnecessary attention.

And she exactly wants that.

She was descending the stairs when something delicious and an indescribable scent blew across the wind.

She sniffled that as much as she can.

She hasn't smelt this scent anywhere in her memory but it felt familiar.

'What is it?' she found herself looking here and there to find the source.

It was like she was starving for this scent.

Like she has been waiting for years for this smell.

Natalia was surprised by how much she felt attracted to this scent

It's a strong wintergreen mint, the kind that makes your face cold and numb. Like when you drink cold water with minty gum.

It makes her insides tingle as she has been in a euphoric state of drugs.

Her heart begged her to find that scent.

Her feet were automatically guided in a particular direction where the scent was making her dizzy from an overdose.

But her mind felt something different altogether.

Like it was like stopping her, restricting her from moving further.

She felt that her own body was against each other.

She was growing confused and becoming numb by growing minute.

Out of nowhere, a young lady approached her with some confusion written on her face.

"Did you see Axel anywhere?" She said searching here and there before running to another woman who called her urgently.

'Axel'

Axel...…..

Axel

Suddenly her mind became blank before flashing some couple hugging each other.

The flashes then moved to where that couple was laughing their heart out, tightly holding each other's hands.

The faces were not clear, but that felt like her heart was torn apart.

'Axel! AXEL! Stop! Stop tickling!'

A laughing sound similar to hers was heard inside her mind.

'Axel! Where are you?'

'Axel! Shut up. Will you?'

'AXEL! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!'

A soul-piercing, blood-freezing scream echoed throughout her mind.

Her heart clenched with unbearable pain.

Natalia placed a hand over her chest in an attempt to calm herself down.

Minute by minute, she felt that scent was becoming closer and increasing rapidly.

She felt whatever it is, was nearing her.

She doesn't know why she panicked at that.

It was like her soul made her run away there.

From that scent...

She does not have her own consciousness to think clearly.

She chose to trust her instinct.

By the time, she came out of that house.

She was numb to her surroundings and sweating profusely in extreme pain.

She was running where the scent can be lost without any trace.

She stood in front of that house, panting hard.

"Axel!"

She said that aloud to feel a wave of happiness, sorrow, pain, and nostalgia hit her all at once.

Unknowingly, a sad smile lit up her face without any reason.