♡︎~Chapter 2~♡︎ CORA

She arrived home still in one piece. Her whole body wouldn't relax. Trembling hands and wobbling legs finally made it to the door. She hadn't even thought straight when her index finger pressed the door bell. Was it only five seconds she'd been standing outside, it seemed like minutes.

Waiting was a game she sucked at. The anxiety inside of her would multiply a thousand folds, and too much of worrying was not good for the heart.

It was then she realized that was her home, and she needed not to knock.

She pulled the door knob down to open the door and a mini mum was already waiting at the entrance. Her kid sister, Lily stood with arms akimbo. She had on her big blouse and jeans, her piercing ring looking very gold and very hers. "Isn't that mine--"

"Wow! You don't look too good, sis." She said scrunching her nose in irritation while helping her take off her hand bag. "Why were you even ringing the door bell? It's your house, dude."

Cora heard her mum's voice called from the kitchen. "Cora was the one at the door?"

Ignoring them both, she dragged her poor feet to the living room and fell on the couch. Her eyes stole a quick glance up to check the time.

7:08.

"What is wrong with you?" Lily asked, sitting next to her sister. She was 17, but one wouldn't believe. She shared the same tall, slender physique as her mom, so each time she stood beside her, she looked almost older. Cora wasn't short, but she wasn't tall either.

And she got stuck with the face people normally recognized as; "cute," whilst Lily was more matured with an 'Angelina Jolie's' high cheek bones and full lips. Her brown hair was let loose and Cora noticed them to had grown longer than hers.

"There was an accident on my way coming--"

Lily's loud gasp cut her off. "Mom! Cora almost died today."

"Shut up you moron." Cora shot her a cold gaze but she only ignored.

Her mom rushed down to the living room, her eyes heavily focused on her daughter's face for more explanation. Her high made ponytail let her resembled a 39 years old Arianna Grande.

"Oh it was nothing." She quickly announced, shrugging off the memory of the accident. She wasn't supposed to get her mom worried. She'd be fine once she got herself to rest properly.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked, her neatly shaped brows arched up in uncertainty. "Cos' you looked pretty worn out when you stumbled in--"

"Dude, I'm fine." She instantly cut her off and returned her gaze to her mom's. Cora could have sworn they were already teary. She stood firmly in her front, her eyes staring down at her. Cora instantly rose up to squeeze her mother's hand tight, her gaze never left her eyes. "I'm fine, mom. I promise."

Before she knew it, Lily had appeared before her, next to mom. "You sure?" She asked with a worried glare. "How did it happened?"

She took a moment to relive the scene—not so much a pleasant one. "The taxi man discovered a strange noise coming from the car, so he asked if he was permitted to check, I agreed and decided to step out of the car to stretch my legs. I was by the entrance of a restaurant, and so were two ladies both on red dresses. Out of the blue, a motorcycle ran mad and was heading straight towards us."

She remembered the way her heart had seized as she caught the glimpse of a figure on the bike, how they'd looked out of control. "Somehow, one of the ladies had managed to run off, but the other one and I seemed to had been frozen still. Well, the last thing I remembered was me falling straight on the ground, next to this other woman. To be honest," she thought for a while, wondering what magic must had happened that saved her. "I should have been dead, or maybe in the hospital by now. Yet, I made it out just fine with mere scratches." They still both stared, waiting for more explanation. "I really am fine. Here," She raised the sleeves of her left arm just before her elbow, and revealed to them a well treated wound... Well, they could only see a plaster concealing the scratches. "I got checked, and I'm fine now. Don't worry."

As soon as those comforting words escaped from her lips, they grew even more disturbed. Why don't people feel at ease when we tell them so?

They were both worried because of the nightmare her mom had overnight. She said she'd encountered a serious accident and nearly died. Her mom was a religious woman, and she respected her for that. But she never really believed full percent on a religion. Though she knew they had a divine being who created everyone. None of science claims about the dawn of humanity made much sense to her. Better to keep her faith on the belief that a powerful dude, one day somehow brought life to all creatures small and mighty.

So when she delivered the message of the dream, they all prayed to avert such fate. Besides, she did mentioned in the dream that her boss's fiance too would share the same misfortune. The only boss she'd had in the last four years was Kendall.

Dreams weren't real... Kendall was single as a monk.

✩★✩

BONUS SCENE—Same day

SOME TIME AROUND 6:43

✩★✩

The air was more chilling now that Cora's mind had been rested assured. Her arms were still intact.

The restaurant was a new zone to her as she'd never been inside before. The arrangement of the chairs and table were neatly placed in rows so there was enough space for privacy amongst customers. She was seated close the entrance because good people around her wanted to make sure she was properly checked.

The young lady on red was seated next to her, and it appeared she'd been more hurt than her. There was a deep cut just above her right brows, and her legs seemed to had been broken. Cora didn't remember how the accident had happened, and the young lady had been crying in pain, so asking just what had happened from her was almost senseless. Though now she was a bit more relaxed after being attended to. She strongly refused not to be taken to the hospital. "I have a very important meeting here," she'd said.

She was quiet on her seat, her face sculpted into a frown that wouldn't break. Her dark brown hair was styled into a straight bob, and Cora couldn't help but admire the young woman. She had on her a natural make up, and her earrings had only been a dotted one, yet she remained so beautiful. On the opposite side, Cora always felt that a woman's beauty depended fully on makeups; deep red matte lipstick, a strongly defined brows and false lashes. Then tons of jewelries, all of it.

She stared at the dazzling lady and caught her silently groan in pain. "Are you alright?" She asked with the most purest intentions. The lady gave no reply. "I just wanted to know if you're alright."

"Huh?" The woman's attention was finally bought.

"You didn't get me the first time, did you?" Cora's lips curved into a smile.

"Sorry, my mind was caught up on something else." She said, and glared brightly for a response.

"It's okay. I asked if you were alright... You kinda groaned in pain,"

"Oh, yea. It aches a little, that's all." The lady said.

"I understand. You should go to the hospital--"

"I'll be fine." She said firmly, almost in a tone that invited no further conversations.

"Right. I get you." A breeze of awkward silence whirled in, only filling Cora's ears with gentle murmurs of the crowd in the background.

"Thanks though." The lady muttered, almost like saying the word was close to difficult as saying a Chinese word. It sounded like a foreign language she wasn't used to saying.

"It's fine." Cora replied, carefully selecting her next choice of words. "I'm just glad you're alright."