Chapter 5
Abigail's POV
Today is one of the longest days I
have ever experienced.
After I finished serving the men their
food, those three wise, good-looking men, my mind hasn't been at peace. It's
like something inside me keeps whispering, Run away. Leave and never come back.
But I keep telling myself to ignore it.
Still, I can't stop thinking about
those eyes… those cold, dark eyes. Ever since I saw them, I've felt like
something invisible has wrapped itself around me, like he owned the air I
breathed. The way he kept his gaze locked on me, like I was prey… something to
sacrifice. Or maybe devour.
My shift finally ended. I headed to
the dressing room to change out of my uniform and into the jeans and white
shirt I wore when I came. I grabbed my backpack and left, my feet dragging with
each step.
I needed to cool my head from
everything that happened today. From everything I saw… and felt. I just needed
to forget. Especially those eyes.
I've heard stories back in Nigeria, witches,
wizards. But we only see them in Nollywood movies. I've never actually seen one
in real life. But what I saw today… it looked too real to be fiction.
If I keep thinking about it, I'll go
crazy. So, I tried to focus on something else.
Maybe I should think of Ethan.
But I wasn't supposed to think of him
either.
The restaurant I worked at today was
inside a tall, multi-story building that also had a motel. I've never really
bothered counting the floors. All I knew was that it felt too high for someone
like me to belong in.
The bus stop was about two kilometers
away. On days like this, when I'm drained, I usually sit at the stop for thirty
minutes before even considering boarding a bus.
Today felt like one of those days.
I walked slowly, like I was counting
every step, my mind far away from the sounds of traffic and music blaring from
nearby stores. I was scrolling through WhatsApp statuses, trying to distract
myself, lost in my screen.
And then I bumped into something, hard.
Assuming it was a pole, I didn't even
look up. I just turned slightly and kept walking.
Then…
A tap on my shoulder.
I froze.
My phone lowered from my face as I
slowly raised my head.
My mind went blank.
I turned to see who, or what, had
touched me.
"I'm sorry, Lu…"
Darkness.
☆☆☆
"Luna? You are no Luna. You are nothing but a weak
African human," a woman sneered.
She wore a blood-red dress, short and sharp like her
words. Her eyes were crinkled in disgust, her lips curled in amusement.
"Please…" My voice broke as I sobbed. "I didn't mean to
offend you. I'll disappear. I won't ever come near you again." My lips
trembled.
"Please," I whispered again, my knees weak, tears
already blurring everything in front of me.
"Why don't you call him to come save you?" a male voice
echoed from behind her. His laughter filled the room, thick and mocking.
"He calls himself King Alpha," the man continued,
standing up from behind the woman, "but he cannot protect his Queen Luna."
He walked toward me slowly, and just as his hand
reached out to touch me,
Crash!
A door shattered open behind him. He turned swiftly. So did I.
And there… there it was.
A familiar creature. Not a dog exactly, but not
entirely something else either.
Something in me knew it. Recognized it.
And for reasons I didn't understand, relief washed over
me like a calming wave.
☆☆☆
My eyes blinked open.
But the morning sun was too bright,
forcing them shut again.
My bed feels so comfortable today… and
so wide, I thought.
When I managed to open my eyes fully,
instead of seeing my roommate in her usual blue nightwear, I was greeted by a
massive, unfamiliar bedroom.
The room felt expensive, too
expensive.
It had a rich, dark color scheme, browns,
beiges, and grays. The bed I was lying on was king-sized, dressed in white
linen. The ceiling above me had a circular design that radiated outward in neat
lines. The massive window offered a breathtaking view of the city skyline.
My entire room back home could fit
twice inside this room, even with the two armchairs, the brown cushioned sofa,
and the coffee table.
Here I was, counting space in a room I
didn't recognize.
How did I get here?
The only memory from last night was me
saying, "I'm sorry, Lu…"
The rest? Gone.
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
Who brought me here?
Why?
Was I kidnapped?
If this was a kidnapping, why wasn't I
in a dungeon? Why was I in an elegant hotel room?
From the movies and stories I've
heard, kidnapped girls get locked in basement cages. They're tied to chairs.
Sometimes beaten.
But me?
I wasn't tied. I wasn't hurt. I wasn't
even touched.
And maybe that was what scared me the
most.
Maybe they need me untouched.
The thoughts kept flooding my mind,
crashing one after the other with no answers to hold on to.
I stood up and tiptoed to the window
to see if escaping was even an option.
But the moment I looked out, I gasped.
It felt like I was on the hundredth
floor.
If I fell from here, even my shadow
wouldn't survive.
I stepped away from the window and
went straight to the door.
Locked.
I tried again—nothing.
Defeated, I paced the room, searching
for my phone. But it was nowhere to be found.
I was still standing in place,
thinking of my next move, when the door creaked open.
I panicked.
I hurried to the bed, jumped in, and
wrapped myself in the blanket. With eyes shut and breath held, I pretended to
be asleep.
I heard footsteps. Someone walked in
and placed something down.
Moments later, I heard the door close
again.
I slowly opened one eye, scanning the
room to make sure I was alone.
No one.
Relief started to spread, until my
eyes landed on someone.
Someone sitting on the couch.
Staring right at me.
His eyes were calm, steady… piercing.
Like he was listening to my heartbeat. Like he could read the fear behind my
silence.
"They say if eyes could kill…" I
thought.
But his?
"If eyes could save."
Because right now, that's what I
needed. Saving.
Who was he?
A savior?
Or my abductor?
I didn't know which to believe. But I
knew one thing, he was one of the men from yesterday.
He didn't look dangerous. But then
again, people never look like what they are.
I was just about to speak when he beat
me to it.
"Won't you eat your food?" he asked,
still looking down at his phone. "It's past noon. Humans should be hungry by
now."
Humans.
So… he wasn't one?
He's not a savior, I whispered to
myself.
He's one of them.
Them?
I don't even know who they are.
He glanced up at me like he heard what
I said.
I stared at him, he was dressed
casually, nothing unusual. If I wasn't currently being held against my will, I
might've even told him he was so damn good-looking.
My eyes trailed to where he had
gestured. There, on a side table, was a plate of jollof rice.
My favorite food.
How did they know?
Maybe they Googled me.
I was still torn between hunger and
fear when the door suddenly swung open.
The loud sound jolted me.
I pushed off the bed with panic and
stood on my feet.
Every fiber of my being screamed:
Run.