03 | A Trouble?

03 | A Trouble?

I swallowed, looking at her eyes. My heart was beating torridly.

"Has anyone figured out why? Perhaps it was a wild creature that appeared in the dark alleys and killed them when no one was looking. Like some shrouded figure lurking in the shadows, waiting to devour you," I replied solemnly. She looked me in the eyes with seriousness, causing silence to reign in all four corners of the room.

After a few more seconds, I heard her hard laugh and pushed me gently like she found it ridiculous.

"Hey, hey! I was just kidding! Don't be serious!"

I looked at her in disbelief. "Hey!"

We both stopped when we heard the door outside open a few moments later. Lucy smiled and glanced at me.

"That's Sarah, I guess. See? I was just kidding aside!"

She stood up and walked out. I glanced at Bran before following her out of the room.

"Have they arrived yet?" I overheard an elderly lady ask.

"Yes, they are in their room."

I stopped in front of our room's door to look at the elderly woman. She appears to be rude and strict. Some of her hair strands are already white, and her skin is wrinkled, but she appears to be in good health for her age. She cast a serious look in my direction. I felt a tremor in my chest, but it didn't last long. She quickly averted her gaze and carried her purchases to the kitchen.

"Riss, I have to go now. Don't forget to lock your window when you sleep. There might be someone watching you sleep," she joked as I gave her a strained smile. She waved her hand for the last time before heading out the door.

I sighed and returned to our room. I sat on the bed and looked at my brother, who was watching me from his crib. I don't know if I was imagining or if Bran has changed since that night.

Bran has always been a crybaby in my eyes. He was easily irritated over small matters and cried whenever his mother was not present. But now he's always silent. He has never cried or smiled for a second. I assumed he was possessed or something like that. But then, maybe mommy's still keeping an eye on us. I truly believe that Mom has become our guardian angel. She is silently assisting me because she knows I can't handle him on my own. I'll be eighteen next month and know nothing about the world's reality.

I laid down on the bed, thinking about what would happen on my first day in this town.

LUCY RETURNED TO our apartment the next day and offered to take me on a tour around the town. I didn't want to go because I wanted to watch over Bran, but Sarah assured me she would look after my brother. I couldn't help but go with Lucy in the end.

When we got out of the building, I noticed a guy waving in our direction in the distance.

"Oh, he's already here!"

Lucy took my hand and drew nearer to the guy. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and black jeans.

"This is Riss, our new neighbor. Riss, this is Jadon, a childhood friend of mine. He'll be joining us today," Lucy introduced us to each other.

"Jadon."

"Riss."

He extended his hand right away for a handshake. Although I was still hesitant, I eventually accepted his hand. Now I can get a good look at his entire appearance. He has beautiful brown pigmented eyes that match his hair color, and a beige skin tone and is skinny. He's cute though.

He moved his face closer to mine.

"I was forced to come here, but now I am willing to tour the entire town with you-"

Lucy placed her hand on his face, attempting to take his face away from me.

"Don't even think about flirting with her!"

Jadon glared at her, and so did Lucy.

"So, where should we start?" Lucy asked after a few seconds.

"Are we gonna walk around the whole town?" Jadon asked in return.

"Yeah? Unless you brought your uncle's scruffy car," Lucy said reluctantly. Jadon gave her a friendly smile.

"I did." He pointed to an old car not far away, and we both dropped our jaws.

"Are you serious?!" Lucy burst out laughing. "Do you even have a driver's license?"

"I'm still underage. Unless you want us to be caught."

They looked at each other meaningfully. Now, I want to go back inside and spend my whole day sleeping or be with Bran.

Fortunately, Jadon is an excellent driver, as the car always comes to a complete stop in the middle of the road. I have a feeling that it will disintegrate at any moment.

We parked the car close to a park after an hour. It will take less than an hour if we just walk, though.

I was taken aback by the sheer number of people having a good time. Children were chasing each other on the lawn. Lovers and families enjoy each other's company, and some people enjoy their time alone or with their pets.

Something strange was going on inside of me for some reason. I can feel the joy and excitement inside of me. It is the first time I've been to a place like this with people who consider me a friend.

The entire day was enjoyable. We tried a lot of things that I had never done before. It was fun to hang out with them.

IT WAS NEARLY 5:00 PM when we decided to return home. We passed a basketball court where a group of guys were playing basketball on our way to the parking lot. The basketball court was surrounded by women, as the reason was obvious. The guys weren't wearing shirts, so everyone could see their model-like bodies and six-pack abs, which were hard-tanned and sleek. Their good looks were undeniable. It's no surprise that every girl in town was there.

"Don't look at them."

I glanced at Lucy when she held my hand as she pulled me closer to her, trying to walk away from the scene. Jadon trailed us, ostensibly avoiding them. I just followed her without asking anything. We were about to pass through the court when Lucy abruptly stopped.

I secretly gasped as I saw one of those guys in front of us. I looked at his friends. They also stopped playing and are now deviously grinning in our direction.

"Losers' scents are still stinking."