Clockwise or Counter

"Who are you?" she managed to ask after that gruesome sight. Mevious casually sat down on her sofa and watched her as she put her clothes on. He didn't say a word but gave her a deadly stare--- a warning. "Shut up or I'll shut you up! Just like Richard." The message was clear. With her eyes puffy from crying, she took a glimpse of her poor boyfriend bathing in his own blood.

"Yep! She's with me. Clean the mess and I will take care of the rest," Mevious told whoever he was talking to on the phone. "Don't worry. She ain't stupid. Hmmm... well, a spare grave has been dug just in case." He chuckled malevolently. Her stomach churned when he winked at her. The carnal attraction she was feeling for him was gone, all that's left was fear and disgust.

Ana shivered as she listened to his words. Then she jolted when he suddenly spoke to her. "Tell your friends that you're going on holiday with your boyfriend tomorrow in the Bahamas. Don't do anything funny. I know who they are. I know who your mother is and where she is right now. Their lives are in your hands," he ordered. The intensity of his command was apparent in his voice. It was so threatening and Ana found herself doing everything as instructed.

It's already 4 am and the first ray of the sun began to peek through the snow-capped terrain. It was a magical sight that Ana couldn't help but smirk at the irony of the situation, the hopeful dawn, and her hapless life. After calling her mother, she dialed one of her friends' phone number.

"Damn it, Ana! It's too early to chat! What the fuck do you want?" her friend groggily scolded.

"Hey, yeah... sorry to wake you up. I just want to tell you that things came up. And... I decided to go on holiday to the Bahamas."

"What?! How long?"

"Well, I'm not sure... a week, a month. Don't bother. I already called mom."

"Who will you go with? Is it Richard?"

"Richard? Well, ... Uhm, yeah. He came last night and... and we decided to travel. You know, we haven't been on holiday for the past years, just the two of us."

"Alright! Enjoy then, bitch!"

"Thanks," Ana said, trying to fight back the tears brimming in her eyes. Before she even choked in tears, she ended the call.

"Good girl," Mevious said, looking so pleased with her obedience. "Now, pack your things up, Delta is waiting. She is very sensitive, so don't keep her waiting in the cold."

"I... I can't just leave Richard here," Ana whimpered.

"Why not?"

"At least give him a proper burial, please. This is beyond cruelty."

"Really? Cruelty?!"

"Why are you doing this to me? You are so evil!"

"Oh, c'mon! I don't have time for your bullshit. Hurry up!" Ana was defiant. She didn't move then she went to Richard and tried to close his eyes. "You wish to lie beside him then, do you?"

Ana glared at Mevious. "Fine! If you wanna kill me, do it now! I have no reason to live anyway."

"So brave! I like how you suddenly snapped. I could imagine how far can that rage go. Would it be enough to kill someone?"

"You're evil! No! You're the devil himself! How could you do that to Richard? how could you stab him to death?"

"Just like how you're planning to kill me. Am I right? Kill me in my sleep, stabbing me multiple times before cutting my throat open, and drain the blood out of me. Right?! Then... what's next, burn my body after mutilating it. Isn't that grotesque? Now, who's the devil? We are just the same. Either I die or you die."

Ana froze. Her eyes rounded in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she just heard. "W- what?" She pressed her lips together to stop it from trembling. "So, it's true. God help me!" she thought.

"Y-you're... prince," she gulped, "Prince Liam?"

Mevious grinned wickedly and gave her the coldest stare she had ever seen. "Surprised? Are you wondering how I knew about your malicious plot against me? Huh?! As much as I wanna tell you the story, time is not in your favor. So, hurry up, before I change my mind and let you join your beloved Richard rot in this cabin. And no one would ever know," he growled. Every word he spoke seemed to have conjured the demons. His face turned grim. His eyes flared.

She acted with her mind, thinking of her mom and her friends, feeling sorry for Richard who now turned pale after bleeding to death. Without turning back, she followed him outside where three men wearing masks waited. They exchanged a tacit agreement before Mevious pulled her arm and pushed her in the passenger's seat. She moaned in pain but she didn't complain.

"God help me!" Ana prayed as they drove uphill.

"Mevious," he answered to someone calling him on his phone. Connecting the Bluetooth with his phone aided him to drive while calling. He laughed. "Are you sure? Let them see it. Anyway, this woman will turn into a fugitive for murdering her boyfriend."

Ana harshly turned to Mevious who was casually talking as if she wasn't there. She panicked. Then her panic turned to rage.

"No! How could you?" Ana screamed as she punched him. He didn't even try to dodge her attack nor did he stop calling which frustrated her more. All she could do was cry. She screamed. She punched the dashboard in front of her.

"Oh, Richard!" she cried. After a few curbs, they arrived at the plateau near the summit. There was Delta, a white mini plane owned by Mevious. She groaned when his iron hand gripped her arm, yanked her out of the car, and dragged her to the chopper.

"Is she fueled?" Mevious shouted to his co-pilot who nodded. "Alright, I will send you the coordinates after we reached our destination."

"Got it," the pilot said before leaving them.

"Buckle up! We're flying to the Solomon Islands."