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Hazel heads pit of her toom, her brows furrowed in thought. Why does she feel like Ella disconnected the call just because she heard her say Vincenzo's name?
Why on earth is everything getting strange by the passing minute?
And why does he promise to explain this to her later? Does that mean everything that's happening is happening?
"Zel!"
Annie ran down the stairs and did a little spin to show off her outfit. She had on a pair of jeans, a turtle neck top and a knitted cardigan over.
"You do know your stuff uh?" Hazel beamed with a smile
"I love your outfit too and the sneakers are amazing! Where did you get them?" Annie asked in complete awe.
"From a departmental store?" Hazel puzzled
Where else would you get your clothes and shoes? Annie asks the weirdest of questions or was she being too much by finding her question weird?
"Dad never lets me go out. He makes me order my clothes one and have them delivered to the doorstep." Annie offered a sad look on her face.
How much of her childhood did she spend indoors? Hazel wondered. She doubts if Annie had ever had a friend except for her dad and her tutor but that doesn't count as friendship does it?
She's yet to experience the outside world.
"I'm so glad he wanted you to take me to the park!" Annie cheered
"So am I. And I'll make sure he permits us to go anywhere we want. I promise " Hazel smiled
"You're the best" Annie hugged her tight.
"Miss Hazel?" The driver called
"Mister Adam!" Annie called
"Miss Annie, nice to see you again." He replied
In Hazel's honest option, this man is way too young to be a driver but apparently, he was their driver.
Stranger things are happening.
"I'll be escorting you to the park today, I suppose you are ready?" He asked with eager eyes.
"Yes, we are!" Anni shrieks in excitement
"Okay then, let's go"
They head towards the front porch where the car was parked. A guard held the door open for her, gave her a gentle bow of his head and shut the door gently behind her.
Hazel concluded on one thing from the strange things that have been going on in the house. It's either she is experiencing the first stage of madness or she confronts Vincenzo for answers if Ella doesn't give her a call today.
***************
The amusement park was really fun. Hazel forgot all about her problems after seeing how excited Annie was. She would stop going from one side to another, barely giving herself space to take it all in.
Hazel took as many pictures as she could to show it all to Vincenzo when they get back home. Adam was right by her side all through, not leaving her for a second.
Vincenzo's orders for sure.
This only made Hazel wonder what she was to Vincenzo. A mistress or a one-night stand that he simply can't have enough of?
She knew there was more to the story than she knew and tonight is going to be the end of it all for sure.
Hazel glanced at her phone, no calls from Ella.
Something is up and she's going to fund our what! She's done with the suspense and the drama.
Annie hurried towards her, he'd red hair gracing the wind with its luscious colour.
"That was amazing!!! I want ice cream. Its right over there!" Annie hurried to a truck
"Annie, stop running please!" Hazel said catching up with her with Adam right behind.
"Miss Annie, you'll have to slow down. You could get missing in the crowd" Adam cautioned with a smile
"Okay, I won't run off again. I promise" she smiled
They waited in line in front of the ice cream truck. Hazel shows Annie the pictures she took of her during the ride. Finally, it was their turn to order ice cream. Hazel almost gasped in fright as she sights the ice cream seller.
An old man that looked too much like a sage than an ice cream seller.
"Are you okay?" Annie asked in worry.
"I'm good. You can go ahead and make your order" Hazel smiled
"Yay" Annie made her order
Hazel glanced at the old man again, he wasn't old anymore. He looked more like a middle-aged man, well groomed and trimmed.
Goodness, is she hallucinating again?
She glanced at the man and once again, she saw a meanie-looking sage.
He hands Annie her ice cream but what Hazel could see on the cone was a pack that was a day that k sticky liquid.
She looks away and then again at the ice cream.
Strawberry and vanilla….
Annie took a lick of her ice cream….
"Won't you make an order young miss?" The man asked
Hazel glanced at him and once more, she saw a sage.
"No, thank you"
She paid for the ice cream and pulls herself and Annie out of the line.
Annie scrawled in irritation.
"What is it?" Hazel asked in worry
"It tastes…really awful. Like charcoal" she muttered
Hazel glanced down at the cone and indeed she saw charcoal, in a slimy liquid form….
She wasn't hallucinating!
Annie said it herself, that it tastes like charcoal!
Hazel tosses the ice cream in the sand and Adam covered it up in the sand.
Right before their very eyes, the Cone turned into a huge dark crystal.
Adam cursed underneath his breath.
"Did…did that just…." Hazel asked slowly.
Is she really mad?
Or did she just sees that?
"Miss Annie, how much of that did you take?" Adam asked in worry
Why was he worried? That means this is for real right? He saw the crystal too. Heck, he covered the whole thing with sand!
"A tiny bit" Annie replied
"Have this" Adam hands her a bottle of water from a crystal-shaped bottle. Hazel could swear the whole thing was shiny and that Annie lits up with a blue light when she swallowed.
Hazel stood there, mortified, shocked and confused. She had no idea where her reality started and where her imagination continued!
"Hey!" The man from the ice cream truck called, his face furrowed in anger.
"Let's leave now Miss Annie" Adam offered and Annie nods
"Hey! How dare you toss my ice cream in the sand?" He asked as he finally got to them.
"It tasted awful" Annie explained
"You don't have to speak to him, Miss Annie. Let's take our leave" Adam offered
"Come on, I'll get you another ice cream that tastes better" the man/sage offered.
He grabs Annie's arm and in reflex, Hazel slaps his hands off her.
She pulled Annie behind protectively.
She had no idea what she was doing but she couldn't trust this one cream man.
"Hey!" The man snapped
Adam moved closer, casting a meanie glare at the ice cream guy.
"You imbecile!" The man turns into a sage this time. Before her very own eyes!
He transformed into a sage!
Hazel gasped in shock as her grip around Annie tightened, her body shaking in fear and uncertainty.
"Go to the car" Adam ordered
He pulled out a sword that looked something similar to something you would only find in star wars.
Shiny and glowing….
Oh goodness, did she just see that? Is this happening? Did she just see that?
"Hazel, come on!!" Annie pulled her towards the car in fright.
Annie pulled the door open, leaving Hazel paralysed on her feet, star8ng in pure shock.
"Come on!!" Annie pulled Hazel on and shut the door and turned on the locks.
"What…what is going on?" Hazel asked in a panic
"Adam will be here any minute from now," Annie asked
In a matter of minutes, Adam joins them and drives off immediately. He glanced at the rear mirror and sighed in relief as though he'd lost the person running after them.
"Are you okay Miss Hazel? And Anna?" he asked in worry
"We're okay" Annie assured
"Can someone explain what is going on?" Hazel asked in a panic.
"Please remain calm Miss Hazel. We will get home soon" Adam promised
Hazel's vision is blurry as she fiddled with her inhaler….
If she could reach the purse, and pull her inhaler out…just one puff is enough….
Before she could get to it, she passed out, her purse slips from her hand to the space between her and Annie….
The last thing she heard was Annie yelling her name and Adam speaking to someone over the phone.
Here yes opened slowly to see Vincenzo yelling at Adam who was kneeling on the floor.
Her eyes went shut again.
The next time she opened her eyes, she saw Vincenzo holding her face and calling her name frantically…
And the image of Annie crying beside her while her back laid back on the bed.
Her eyes went shut and all she could hear seem to come from a distance.
//We need to get Tetra down here as soon as possible//
Hazel zoomed out completely.