It Won't Work!

When Ashley knew that work would have ended for the day, she went to the restaurant. Thankfully Cassandra wasn't around.

When she got in, Natalie had finished cleaning up and was ready to leave.

Both girls smiled when they took notice of each other then Natalie wrapped Ashley up in a warm embrace.

"I missed you." Natalie said after disengaging from the hug.

"I missed you too." Ashley smiled " If you're done, let's go get ice cream."

"Yaay!" Natalie said sounding like a little child who was so excited that he was going out with his mother to get ice cream and both of them laughed.

They put the closed sign, locked the door and then left the restaurant using the back door, locking it after.

Natalie took them to her favorite ice cream spot. They got two ice cream cones and walked away. Enjoying the evening breeze while licking their ice creams and chatting happily.

They got to an open field and sat down under a tree and continued their chat.

"Uhh I just can't get enough of this chocolate flavor." Ashley said.

"I know right? It's literally the best flavor ever." Natalie agreed.

They were quiet for a short moment before Natalie spoke up.

"Is anything disturbing you?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Did he come? I mean the person you talked about."

"No, in fact I slept peacefully last night. Which was strange."

Natalie raised a brow at her friend. If she slept peacefully shouldn't she be happy about it? But no, this lady was taking it as something strange.

"Why do you say that?" Natalie asked.

Ashley turned to face Natalie. "Because I've never had a peaceful night since these dreams started. It's like they've been haunting me. But surprisingly the times I slept in Sephirah and Damon's house I wasn't disturbed with bad dreams."

Natalie was thoughtful for a while. "What do you think could be the reason?"

"I have no idea."

"So where would you sleep this night?" Natalie asked and Ashley narrowed her eyes.

"In my house of course. Where else?" Ashley said and Natalie chuckled.

"You should come by to my house sometime." Natalie told her then paused as if realizing something. "How about we have a sleepover at my house on Saturday?" Natalie asked excitedly.

"Sure. That'd be fun." Ashley also said getting excited. She wanted to know what sleepovers were like and felt like. It would also be her first time in Natalie's house.

While the girls were still talking Ashley took notice of someone she knew was familiar. He sat on another relax chair in the open space.

When Ashley saw his face fully, she recognized him as the man that only she could see at their restaurant. She then tapped Natalie.

"Hey, can you see the man over there?" She gestured towards where he sat alone hoping that Natalie would see him this time.

"Yeah what about him?"

Ashley's eyes widened, "Really?! you can?"

"Yeah, what is wrong?" Natalie asked still not getting any hint.

"He's the same man you couldn't see at the window of our restaurant." Ashley explained and Natalie turned back to take a better look at the man.

"Are you sure?"

Ashley nodded.

"But why couldn't I see him before?" Natalie was confused. The man was just like every other human being.

"I'll be right back." Ashley said and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To him. I'll be back."

"Be careful Ash."

Ashley walked up to the man then stood right in front of him. He had his legs crossed and seemed to be sketching something on the book in his hand. When he noticed her, he looked up and closed the book in his hand.

"How may I help you miss?" He asked without showing if he recognized her.

"I'm sorry I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, about what?"

"Have we perhaps seen before?" Ashley asked sitting down beside him.

The man studied her. "I'm not sure. Do you think we have seen before?" He asked her back.

"Yes. I think I saw you once at Topbells restaurant."

He raised his eyebrows "Are you sure you did? Because I don't remember being there."

"But it was you I saw I remember. You don't have a look alike do you?" She looked at him wondering if he was lying or not.

"Who knows?" He shrugged "What if it was my lookalike you saw."

"Alright." She said with a smile. "Sorry for disturbing you. I'll leave now. By the way I'm Ashley." She said holding her hand out.

"Nice to meet you Ashley. I'm Zuka." he replied and collected her hand in a hand shake.

"Wow, I've never heard that kind of name before. You're foreign right?"

"Nice guess." He smiled at her. Ashley also found him handsome.

"Are you here alone?"

"No. My friend's over there." She pointed to where Natalie was seated. "I'll go back now." She said and stood up.

"Alright. Take care Ashley." He said and she gave him a nod before walking away.

"What did you two talk about?" Natalie asked when Ashley got back to her and sat down.

"I asked him if he was once at our restaurant and he said he wasn't. Could he be denying it or does he really have a lookalike?"

"Maybe you saw someone else Ash."

"No. It was him I saw, I'm serious."

"Alright you know what let's just forget about that. Don't let it bother you. Maybe it wasn't him also just like he said."

Maybe.

"I think we should head home now. We got another stressful day tomorrow." Natalie said.

"Yeah. I've been resting the whole day, you really have to go rest now." Ashley told her friend while Natalie only giggled.

Both girls went to the bus station and sat down to wait for one. They didn't get to wait for long, a bus arrived and they got in.

Natalie got off first and some other passengers got in.

A girl that also looked around Ashley's age got in and came to sit beside her. The girl greeted Ashley with a smile and Ashley smiled back at her then continued to look out the window.

"Excuse me." She tapped Ashley's arm and the latter turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Betty. I know I'm a total stranger but can I ask you for a favor."

Ashley looked at her confused. "What favor?" She asked.

"Please, could you just allow me to stay with you for the night? I'd really appreciate it."

Ashley raised a brow. "Why?"

"My dad got so angry with me and sent me out of his house. Now I have nowhere to go."

Then why take a bus when you have nowhere to go?

"What did you do to make your dad send you away?" Ashley asked looking at her skeptically.

"I'm so embarrassed to talk about it." She said looking down.

"When you took the bus where did you have in mind to go to?" Ashley asked which made the girl look up.

"I... I had thought I would be able to beg somebody to allow me spend the night with them."

Ashley looked at her not so convinced and she looked back at Ashley with pleading eyes.

There were times when she had also needed help like this and people didn't care. Should she do the same or should she care?

No, it wasn't the best choice to repay evil with evil.

"Alright, you can come with me."

"Really?" her eyes widened. "Thank you so much."

Ashley didn't say anything else and neither did Betty. When the bus got to the next stop, Ashley stood up to leave and Betty followed her. They walked into the street and Betty followed silently behind Ashley.

Soon they were at Ashley's apartment.

"This is where I stay." Ashley said when they got inside and Betty looked around.

"It's really small." She said. "I'll go wash up real quick. I'm coming." Betty nodded and watched her leave to the bathroom.

She didn't spend too long. When she came out Betty was sitting on the chair and smiled upon seeing her.

"You can use the mattress, I'll just manage the mat." Ashley told her bringing out a small mat.

"Oh no. I won't inconvenience you. Let me use the mat instead."

Ashley smiled. "It's fine." She said and laid the mat then sat on it.

Betty got up reluctantly and went to the mattress on the floor and sat on it too.

"Did you have something to eat already?"

"Yes I did." Betty answered and Ashley nodded.

"I didn't mean to inconvenience anyone today." She tried to start a conversation.

"It's alright. But what could you have done to make your dad do such a thing?" Ashley wondered.

She wondered why a father would be so cruel. The girl looked down at her hands.

"It's a long story. My dad is also one that gets angry easily. His anger is terrible. I'm glad he just sent me out and didn't whip me."

"Whip you?" Ashley was surprised.

Betty smiled. "He has this very long whip he uses on us at home."

"Aren't you too old for whips?"

The girl didn't reply.

"You'll face him tommorow." Ashley said.

"Yeah, hopefully he would have calmed down by then."

Hopefully.

"Goodnight." Ashley said after minutes of silence.

She laid down with her back facing Betty. She wasn't so comfortable having her in the house and she couldn't sleep. Yet.

She knew this feeling. It came when she wasn't safe. The girl can't probably hurt her. She didn't seem dangerous.

"I'm not sure about that." Ashley heard her speak.

"Huh?" She turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

Betty smirked. "You're such a kind soul, aren't you?"

This time Ashley sat up. What suddenly came over the sad sober girl that was just sitting here?

"Is anything wrong?" Ashley asked looking confused.

"Yeah. Cause you're not having a good night sleep." She said and her eyes got darker.

Did she know of her nightmares or was she promising her a no goodnight sleep?

"What's come over you?" Ashley asked but became dumbfounded because it was now a man she was seeing in her house.

"What the... Who are you?" She asked in horror as she crawled backwards.

The man gave her an evil smile. "You want to know my name or what I am?"

"Pls don't hurt me." She begged instead.

"Oh young lady. I'm not gonna hurt you." He said pouting like a child.

"Then why are you here? What are you? And why did you have to deceive me?"

"You really want to know?" He replied her question with another question.

Yes she wanted to know. What was all this?

"Can't I just have a good sleep in my house?" She muttered to herself as a tear dropped from her eye.

"Please let me wake up from this nightmare." She cried.

"This is not a dream young lady. Or should I pinch you?" He said coming closer.

"Don't come close," she shouted and instinctively put her hand out to stop him, also moving back and colliding with the chair behind her.

She groaned in pain.

The man walked closer again. "You can't run away." He said leaning in.

Ashley closed her eyes tightly. Scared of what he might do to her. She was too terrified and she prayed silently for help.

While waiting for the man to maybe hit her or pinch her or pull her hair and drag her up, she heard a sound like something crashing against a wall or was it a door? She opened her eyes and found her door broken. The man had crashed with the door and was on the ground.

How come?

She saw him get up. But someone else stormed out of the house angrily and grabbed him my the neck.

"How dare you?"

Ashley's eyes widened. Damon! What was he doing here?

"How dare you try to hurt her?" Damon asked in an angry tone, slowly lifting the man from the ground.

"I... I didn't... mean to," he stammered because of the hand choking him on his neck.

"Do you really think hurting her is going to work this time?" Damon asked.

This time?

The man held Damon's hand, choking and looking like he was going to die soon. Was she going to witness someone die today?

Good Lord! She didn't want to!

"I'll make it clear. It. Won't. Work!" Damon said angrily squeezing the life out of him. If she didn't do something, the man won't make it.

"Damon!" Ashley called and he froze again.

"Don't kill him please." Ashley said but after she made her sentence, her head began to hurt.

She began to see vivid images of a heart being ripped out. She saw a man dropping dead to the ground. Then she saw Damon's face.

"Arrrrgghhh!" She screamed, holding her head. Then all she saw after her scream was a sea of darkness in which she was drowning.

Damon dropped the man who began coughing and rushed to her.