Tryst

For a moment, Jean was in a stupor. He wasn't sure about what was actually behind him. The heart in his chest raced as he struggled to muster the remaining curouge to stand his ground.

Since he knew very well that in the state that he was still in, he could be susceptible to almost any form of danger, he didn't expect to save himself incase things go south.

With a gasp, Jean quickly turned back in order to see what was behind him. The moment his eyes caught what was behind him, he sighed out of relief.

Standing right behind him, was Casper, who stood with a raised chin as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The moment he noticed Jean's tensed state, an amused look formed on his face as he lowered his gaze and studied the guy.

"You seem startled, aren't you?"

Casper asked in a hush tone.

This made Jean to immediately scan the surroundings for any potential danger before answering.

"Of course I am not."

Jean answered with a smirk.

Ruffling his short, dishevelled, raven hair, Casper grinned.

"I understand that is your awful condition that is making you this paranoid."

As soon as Jean heard this, he glowered at Casper. If looks could kill, then Casper could have been dead ten times already.

Just as he was about to object, Casper's second statement livened his mood.

"Else what could a mere forest make a person that was able to escape from the hands of kidnappers dreadful? A dreadful mind cannot reason out during the times of danger."

At this point, Jean couldn't help but smile with the corners of his mouth. A moment later, his expression turned serious.

"Where were you when I came for our Tryst?"

Lingering for a moment, Casper tilted his head to the side.

"I was right here."

Blinking severally, Jean gaped.

"So, in some other words you are trying to tell me that you are a spirit?"

"Why?"

"Because that is the only way of explaining your statement."

With an awkward laugh, Casper took a step closer to where Jean was standing.

"I can't be a spirit. Of course I am human."

Casper answered jokingly.

"Okay, then go ahead and explain how you were here and I wasn't seeing you?"

Scratching his short beards, Casper turned back and stared at the tree standing approximately two meters from where they were standing. This act prompted Jean to stare in the same direction.

Without looking, Casper answered.

"I was on top of the tree enjoying the vicinity when I noticed you coming this way."

Turning to face Jean who seemed stunned, Casper continued.

"I was about to ask you why you were out since you were supposed to be resting, but decided to keep quiet after noticing how angry you were. I wanted to know what you were up to."

Suddenly, Jean frowned.

'So this rascal has been too bored in this forest for I don't know how long only to end up toying with me?'

"What did you think I was up to?"

Jean asked in a tone laced with anger.

"I didn't know and that's why I waited to see. After all, I expected you to spot me on the tree."

Casper explained in a mocking tone.

This piqued Jean's mood and therefore, his face turned red. Jean was about to say that he saw him but since he found the discussion useless, he decided to go straight to what brought him there.

"I wanted to borrow your cellphone so that I could talk to my mom."

Instead of responding to Jean, Casper guided Jean to the fire place and sat on the stones.

When they were fully seated, Casper glanced at Jean with a questioning look.

"I must say, you have a good relation with your mom."

Casper complimented.

With a nod, Jean let out a mischievous smile.

"Thanks for the compliment."

In the next moment, Jean's expression turned serious.

'Why can't he just lend me his cellphone right away. I am getting impatient, now.'

Jean mused as he averted Casper's gaze to conceal his frustrations.

As if understanding his situation, Casper got to his feet before gazing back at Jean.

"I will be back in a Jiffy."

With that, Casper left for the house.

The moment Jean saw the guy enter the house in the distance, he didn't need a hunch to realize that he had gone to tend to his needs. And that was; bringing him the cellphone that he requested for.

For a moment, Jean was giddy with happiness. He was avid to talk to his mom in order to vent her worries about his safety and whereabouts.

'At least there's some hopes of me making it home in case I succeed talking to mom.'

Just as he was jubilating about the chance that lied ahead of him, another thought crept in his mind.

'What if he happens to be one of the kidnappers?'

This thought alone Jeopardised his safety. Although Casper could seem to be harmless, he still held to the thought that he could turn out be a grenade that was only waiting for its perfect time to explode.

When he related this possibility with the mind game that he used against the kidnappers, he found it hard to doubt this possibility.

'There could be some chances that he is also playing my game.'

Although he was ready to use Casper's cellphone, he was determined to make sure that Casper couldn't find his mother's contact by deleting the call history, immediately he would be done talking to her.

But still, this couldn't guarantee his safety. At this point, he was wishing to recover quickly so that he could fend for himself.

Just as he was still contemplating on the matter, he saw Casper walk out of the house with a cellphone in his left hand.

The moment Jean noticed this, he didn't know whether to lough or cry.

Two minutes later, Casper had arrived where Jean was seated.

"Here is the cellphone. It is dead, but I think it can help you if you charge it."

The moment Jean heard this statement, he immediately glanced at the cellphone in Casper's hands. The moment he caught a clear view of it, he was dazed on the spot.

The cellphone that Casper had brought to him, was the same cellphone that he took from Marr's body.

"This is my cellphone! I was about to ask you where I can charge it but that was only after talking to my mom with your cellphone."

For a moment Casper was stunned as a wave of realization hit him.

'So, this was his cellphone? No wonder I picked it closer to where he found him.'

"Now I understand. I had picked this cellphone some moments before I spotted you outside of the forest. I had thought that it was someone else that dropped it. That was even the reason to why I have not told you about it since you regained your consciousness."

At first. Jean wanted to say that he obtained the cellphone from someone, since he anticipated this answer raising a lot of questions, he decided to claim that it was his.

"Since the cellphone that you brought is mine, where is your own cellphone that you promised to lend me?"

Jean asked in serious tone.

With a smirk, Casper lingered.

"Why would I need a cellphone in such a place?"

Casper stated nonchalantly.

With a confused look, Jean stared at Casper.

"What do you mean?"

"In simple terms, what I am trying to tell you is that I don't have a cellphone."

Suddenly, Jean gaped.

"Then which cellphone did you promise to lend me?"

Jean asked with a hint of exasperation.

Pointing at the cellphone in his hands, Casper snorted.

"This was the cellphone."

In an instance, Jean felt his hopes of returning to his home shatter before his eyes. Although he could hope to find another cellphone from the neighbouring, but since the surroundings didn't give a hunch of people living around, he didn't expect a better outcome anytime soon.

There still could be some arguments that he could charge the cellphone and use instead, but this was an easier way of jeopardising his safety in case the cellphone was tracked.

So, the only remaining option was finding another cellphone, if he was to communicate with his mom.

Just as he was still in his reverie Casper resounded.

"Even if the cellphone was able to power on, it could still be useless to you as long as you are in these territories."

With the mention of the term 'territories' Jean almost flinched since the word sounded familiar to him.

He remembered Rey - the kidnapper mentioning the word to him.

After a moment of contemplation, Jean was able to gather enough courage to question Casper on the matter.

"Why is that so?"

"The reason is very simple. This place is under special protection and no wireless technology can function within this area. That's why I told you that; as long as you are in this area, you don't need to worry about anything."

Jean could have doubted Casper's words right away, but when he saw the sincerity in his eyes, he was forced to believe him.

For a moment, he felt like the conversation that his mom had warned him against divulging its information was about to repeat itself in a completely different location and with a different person.

For a moment, Jean was split between inquiring for further information and ignoring the matter as if nothing had happened.

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