Like a Thief in the Night

August 1st

Thursday

11:30 pm

Amira's Pov

"Okay Lara, about time you spill the beans. Why are we in the middle of nowhere at this hour, instead of finding some stupid sugar daddy in a casino to save your freaking antique business before the bank dissolves it into a new property due to your family's huge debt?"

I complained to my eighteen-year old bestfriend whom I share apartment with and work for, despite not getting my monthly salary for about three months now. Good thing I always saved my extra money since I started helping her sell wide varieties of ancient and spooky stuff at the heart of the city, which I am currently using now to feed the both of us.

"You'll know once we get there." She replied with a wide grin on her honey and light tanned face. Something tells me I'm gonna regret accompanying her into the woods but I have no other choice because she's the one steering the wheel of her black pick up truck, which we tend to use when buying and delivering antique furniture.

"What do you mean once we get there? You've been driving for hours and not a thing in sight!" I might be overreacting about this but I couldn't help it.

I'm totally worried for her especially when the stern female bank manager gave her a warning to pay all her debts by the end of the month or else they'll have to forfeit the estate her parents have worked so hard for; to raise the both of us, ever since they took me in after I lost my parents in a house fire ten years ago.

Unfortunately, she also suffered the same fate two years prior, but with a car accident. And I still think she hasn't moved on even a little bit and she's just faking it. If she was, then chances are she's already dating some cool guy due to her exceptional personality and physical beauty.

Unlike me. Pale skinned, too tall and slender for a normal teenager, sporting a wavy, thick black hair that according to my late mom hasn't been cut since I was born and it's sticking around my thighs if I don't braid it.

It's quite weird that I don't really feel like trimming it despite the hardships I face every time I take a shower and how frequent the trips to buy a new shampoo bottle.

We're like opposites and every guy we've met always have been attracted to her. Not that I'm jealous of the attention. I actually prefer to be single, however, I can't brush the fact that I'd lose her in the future and be left alone.

"Lower your voice, or you'll wake the whole country with it." She giggled and turned the engine off. Then slide the car keys inside her skinny jean's frontal pocket. She zipped her black leather jacket shut and lead our way into a dark forest using only a long ranged flashlight.

"Seriously?" I immediately followed her and pulled my black cotton hood up to protect my nape from the chilly wind because my ripped jeans isn't helping much.

"Yep. Dead serious." Her plain white sneakers disturbed the dried leaves from an unpaved path full of ankle-high grasses and the small stones get crushed under her feet.

"What if we get into trouble and can't find our way out?" I slightly gasped at sound of breeze hitting the dried leaves and it felt like something dark and evil is approaching us.

"I have a working compass. At least."

"What the heck?"

"Just trust me okay? We're going treasure hunting." I frowned at her passiveness even though she most likely won't see it. I decided to let her guide me to whatever the hell she's planning to go to since it's her property anyway.

In approximately less than an hour, we finally arrived to a somewhat abandoned three story villa, with an old school fountain in the middle of the circular empty garden and curvy driveway.

The dirty white paint was ripping away and the musty smell coming from the interior alone; mold and mildew combined, made me crunch my nose in disgust.

"This place is giving me the creeps." I stated in a firm voice but my shivering lips betrayed me. Especially when the owl began hooting in a distance. Goosebumps formed all over my skin and my knees shook uncontrollably.

"Yeah me too." She casually said and it instantly triggered my nerves.

"Then what the hell are we even doing in a place like this? Ahh!!!" I screamed my heart out when I felt something poked my upper arm and the uproar caused the bats to panic under the full moon.

"Calm down okay? It's just a leaning branch." She sighed deeply and held my hands to face her. "Don't worry, we'll just gonna take anything valuable. No one's even living here."

To be continued…