BEAST

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

When Adrianna arrived at the backdoor emergency exit of the gymnasium, she sent Steffie a message. Her phone setting is vibrate in silent mode. Steffie will know if she has a new message.

Got nws 4 u. C me bckdoor gym.

Adrianna read the message again then sent it. Then she called leaving a few rings. Just in case Steffie missed the message alert.

She stared at the stars in the skies while waiting for Steffie's reply.

Adrianna remembered she asked permission from her parents to be here for the opening ceremony of the Basketball League.

Her papa, as an avid fan of basketball sports, agreed easily. He just asked her to send him a message once the ceremony is over.

Recalling her papa's words, a warm smile slowly appeared on Adrianna's lips. Her face brightened.

Her papa will fetch her home.

She will have to send her papa a message to fetch her at Steffie's house instead.

PEEP. PEEP.

Adrianna looked at her cellphone and read Steffie's reply.

On my way.

Not for long, Steffie's wary face peered from inside the rusty metal backdoor.

Adrianna laughed softly.

This girl is sometimes childish.

Was she afraid the murderous ghoul Freddy Krueger tricked her into coming out?

"Steffie."

When Steffie came out, Adrianna frowned.

She can hear the loud thumping of Steffie's heart. It's blasting her ears like a roar of a lion.

Adrianna's brows knitted as she tilted her head at the side.

She can feel her teeth aching again.

When Steffie came closer, all Adrianna could focus on is the allure of her neck. Particularly, the thrumming beat of her pulse.

She wants to move her sight away from Steffie's neck. But she is irresistibly drawn to its pulse.

She can distinctly hear the rushing giggles of Steffie's blood gliding in her veins.

Rubbing the heel of her palm on her mouth, she swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly went dry. Her mouth felt like sandpaper.

Steffie's pulse is like a carrot dangling in front of her. Tantalizing her.

Adrianna groaned as she forcefully strip away her sight from Steffie's neck.

She raised her head and closed her eyes tight as she took successive rapid breaths to calm herself.

"Adi!" The oblivious Steffie skipped in front of Adrianna and habitually hooked her arm around Adrianna's.

"Adi, are you uncomfortable?"

Adrianna just shook her head.

If she doesn't give a damn about Steffie's feelings, she would have long tossed Steffie's arm away.

She feels suffocated.

"Let's go home, Steffie. I feel...stifled."

Adrianna thanked God when Steffie unfurled her arm away from hers.

Steffie rubbed her chest instead.

"My mother feels strangled when there is a crowd of people. She said there is a tightness in her chest that's making it hard to breathe. Do you feel the same way?" Steffie asked anxiously.

Adrianna nodded silently.

Steffie doubled her efforts in rubbing Adrianna's chest.

The corner of Adrianna's lips curled up. She took Steffie's hand away from her chest.

"Steffie my chest will be flatten like an airport runway if you continue to rub it hard like that."

"Can you breathe easily now?"

"Much better. Thank you." Adrianna darted her eyes away from Steffie. Lest she will be enchanted again by her throbbing pulse.

Thinking there might still be some disturbance at the front entrance of the gymnasium, Adrianna thought it would be wise to take another route home.

She doesn't want Steffie to see Mark in his pathetic state. Who knows if Steffie would fall fast under Mark's devious ways.

"Let's take a detour?"

Steffie looked at the darkness beyond the trees. Then she looked at the moon.

She rubbed her arms roughly as she glanced at Adrianna with a forced smile and a pale face.

"Do you think its safe?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there might be, you know..some monsters lurking in the dark." Steffie whispered.

Adriana smirked.

"We have been taking the trail much earlier than we know how to blow our snoot! What is there to be afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of the phantom White Lady." Steffie said. Her voice quiet and quivering.

"We have been hunting these specters since we know how to run. But we have never seen a hair nor shadow of these evil spirits."

"But they exists nevertheless!"

"These Spaniard geezers already died more than 300 years ago. They are already enjoying their retirement! Now if there are idle ones who would like to come out and play spooky, let's not be polite and just run for our lives."

"But I doubt this soldiers would be so impolite as to scare gentle bred ladies like us." Adrianna joked as she took Steffie's stiff and cold hands.

"Adi, don't joke! One of our classmates, Leni, even saw a White Lady floating at the top of a Frangipani tree!"

"But that eye witness still lived to tell the tale."

"Adi...."

"Let's treat this as an adventure. A test of courage."

"Adi, I'm scared!"

"Let's talk about something to divert your attention."

Adrianna pulled Steffie towards the forest trail that would directly bring them towards the village entrance.

"My attention will never be diverted! Just thinking about meeting White Ladies and headless priests...my soul wants to fly away!"

Adrianna softly laughed.

The moment they stepped into the forest trail, Steffie wrapped her arms around Adrianna's waist.

"Steffie, how can I move? Let go."

"Adi, do we have to do this?" Steffie can already feel her knees shaking. She wants to wail and cry.

"Yep. So you have something to boast to your future grandkids."

"I'm still far way from that timeline."

"Time flies fast. Before you know it, you will be sitting on your rocking chair with white hair and wrinkles."

"Adi, let's still play together even if we loose all our teeth."

"With all our brittle bones and faulty eyesight? Who will pick us up when we fall together?"

Adrianna laughed.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the light from the gymnasium slowly faded and the forest became a world of endless darkness.

A darkness so intimidating that even the moon dare not trespass.

A darkness so dangerous that it feels like a foe is lurking in the shadows. Waiting for them with a chainsaw.

"Adi, do you think the evil spirits will come scare us?"

Adrianna laughed softly as she took her cellphone and opened the flashlight option.

The forest is deathly silent and still.

A silence so deafening that Steffie wants to run back to the gymnasium for safety.

She glared at Adrianna. Her eyes swimming with tears.

She is so overwhelmed with the feeling that the jaws of hell is just close. Its out there waiting for her to step on their trap. One small mistake and she will never get out from this forest alive. Ever.

But Adrianna just looked at Steffie with a slight smile.

"It's okay, Steffie. We will make through this."

"I can already feel my soul wanting to fly away from my body!"

As they continued to go deeper into the endless darkness, all they can hear is the thumping of their hearts, their shallow breathing and the rustle of their clothes.

Whenever they take a step, they would hear the loud scrunch, scrunch of dry leaves under their feet ---echoing into the darkness.

Then the whistle of winds would come and rustle their clothes and give them goosebumps.

AWOOOOO...

Both Adrianna and Steffie jumped in fright.

When the wind next came, it carried a rank and pungent smell mixed with a tinge of sickening sweet perfume.

An eerie smell that reminds them of rotting flesh and corpses.

Then came the spine chilling sound of cracking bones and chomping.

SCRUNCH

SCRUNCH

Adrianna and Steffie simultaneously looked at the direction where the sound came from.

With wide and terrified eyes, what they saw held them spellbound and paralyzed with fear.

They saw a human on all fours with golden eyes and sharp canines. His eyes has a demonic light that burns with madness.

Steffie gasp in horror!

Right before their eyes looks like a beastly creature from the caves of hell.