Chapter Three. Next time.

A while ago...

Alicia had been still sobbing hysterically on the floor of her grandmother's bedroom as she stared into space seemingly lost to the outer space world. She had been there in that same spot a long while now but she did not seem to notice. Time seemed to have stood still for her as everything in her world crumbled. She sat still not daring to move that she failed to hear the slightest creak in their front door...

"Alicia?"Her name was called but she did not seem to be hearing anything. She just sat still and seemed to be deeply contemplating on something in her mind that had not long ago become a fog of many wild imaginations

"Alicia?"now the voice sounded louder and clearer and it seemed to be coming from her bedroom side of the house.

"Alicia, where are you child?" It sounded a bit panicked now and this time,it did get to her and she slowly turning her head,but she still couldn't bring herself to stand up.

" Alicia.Oh heavens, you are safe! why didn't you answer my call and why are you sitting down there like that?" now the voice was scolding. " where are your sandals? why are you...oh my goodness!! Alicia, child have you been crying? What happened to you?"

"Grandma" Alicia faintly manged to call out. "Grandma" she repeated as she reached out her hand to touch the person in front of her and make sure it wasn't a ghost. "G-Grandma!!!" she wailed once again and her confused grandmother held her tight as she cried uttering soothing words to try and stop her wailing.

"shhh. okay stop now, it's alright. stop now and don't cry anymore, okay?" she said softly and Alicia nodded like an obedient little girl."okay now let's go downstairs and get you something for breakfast"she added standing up as she did when Alicia pulled at her hand making her look down at her again with eyes filled with concern.

" Grandma, where did you go?" she asked and when her grandma just looked at her with a confused expression, Alicia explained to her grandmother as much as she could.

" Grandma, the bell. T-the bell sounded and I..I came to see you but you were not here. You.. your door was unlocked.. and you.. your bed.." Alicia trailed off as she fought back the urge to break down once again." your bed was unmade. I thought...I thought that...I thought that the monster..had taken you in the night and that's why the bell rang" She finished between sobs and her grandmother once again hugged her.

"Shhhh. am here now. The monster didn't take me so,stop crying now." She added and once again, Alicia nodded.

Once Alicia stopped crying,her grandmother had explained to her that she had heard a commotion outside and decided to check it out. Once she was outside, she had found out that a group of young men from the village had tried to come up with a plan to penetrate the gumiho's hills in search of treasure that was rumored to be in the hills in plenty.

They had been caught and masacred by the ruthless gumiho and now their bodies lay at the small border of their village and the gumiho's hills some of them headless while others seemed to have lost their organs either the heart or the kidney or the likes of those. Their entire bodies turned pitch black by the gumiho's merciless claws and today they would be burried instantly. Alicia shuddered at the revelation and lost her appetite for the food which her grandmother had laid out for her to eat for breakfast before they could join the gathering and her grandmother gave her a sympathetic look.

" You must eat now child,we might have a long day ahead". She added as she sat down in her own chair.

"Grandma"she called out making her grandmother take her attention from the food on the table and look up at her again.

"Yes, dear?" she answered but what Alicia said next made her halt in her movements, bemused by her granddaughter.

"Next time you go out, make sure to wake me up so I may escort you outside.Its not safe for you go outside like that alone before daybreak" she cautioned and her grandmother stared at her with amusement. It seemed she was holding back a smile. " am serious grandma. you..."

"Okay. okay Alicia,I will make sure to inform you first next time. But hopefully, the good Lord will be with us and there won't be a next time" she said as she chuckled inspite of herself." Okay now, hurry up and eat fast. It's almost time for the gathering and it would be rude to the deceased if we arrived late" she added and Alicia complied.

Once breakfast was done, Alicia headed out to the gathering with her grandmother. she never let go of her grandmother's hand for even a split second as though she was afraid she might disappear into thin air the moment she did. Once they were done offering their condolences to each and everyone of the deceased's relatives, Alicia and her grandmother had gone to have a last look at the deceased's bodies.

Alicia was horrified. It was much uglier and terrifying than her grandmother had described to her. The skin that was once pale was now not only pitch black but also torn and looked devastated. Alicia was devastated herself. She tried to distract herself but she couldn't find anywhere else to focus her eyes. She kept wondering with her eyes around her surroundings until her wandering mind just thought it had caught a glimpse of pale blue up in the trees.

Curious, Alicia looked up again and once she saw him,her entire being froze. Her eyes locked up to his and she couldn't look away.. she had never seen anything as beautiful and breath taking as him. And his eyes,.. they felt hypnotising...

He was simply a sight to behold but before long after that, she felt the world around her begin to spin and her legs felt as though they had turned into jelly. Her vision became a blur as she faintly heard her grandmother's voice screaming for help before everything around her turned to darkness... as she could faintly feel her grandmother's weak arms trying to catch her from falling