Kapitel 41: Nightmare or the real danger

★★★★

The same day when Bella reached home after dropping Noah off where he asked because his bike was there. In her house, no one was there. She locked the door behind her and walked up to the freeze. On the door, Bella saw her father's written words, "I'll be very busy, sweetheart. Your aunt went to the advocate. I've cooked food for you, but if you need anything else, order it or fry an egg. Love you."

Bella smiled and took out a soft drink and climbed the stairs. When her nose caught a whiff of rose from her room. Her steps hastened and her hand twisted the doorknob. Yes, it was coming from her room.

When she got in, the first thing she searched for was where the thing was. She did not know what sort of thing it was. However, she followed the smell to reach the thing.

Immediately, she noticed a red candle on her study table. The tip was burnt a little, meaning someone lit it before and the smell was coming from this candle. However, under the candle, there was a folded paper.

Bella took the paper under the candle and hoisted it, where she saw Aunt Merry's handwriting. Merry's handwriting was unique. They were bad as a kid's writing.

"Under your bed, I hid something. This is important to you. If you have any problems figuring it out, call or text me."

Bella went to her bed and raised the pillow, where she saw the medicines, white and small pills with no packets on them.

Bella was confused. She couldn't find out the reason why Merry gave her medicines?

Did she mention anything? No.

She sat on the bed and looked at the back of the medicine to discern what kind of drug it was. Immediately, she slapped her forehead and opened her mouth.

"It is contraceptive pills. What? Why?" Bella loudly said, standing up from the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair, thinking about the reason.

In the meantime, a thought hit her brain, and she remembered. Yes, her aunt knew she spent the night with a man. That's why she brought these pills for her.

"Damn, aunt Merry. I haven't slept with a man," Isabella cursed. In the morning, she didn't feel that her aunt was thinking something like this, or she would clarify it at that time.

"Thank God, father didn't see this or he will never forgive me." Isabella was relieved

She didn't know, in the future, her father would believe her or not, after seeing Merry's stunt.

She drank the juice and tossed the pills in her bag as she would throw them in the morning.

Later, she prepared her water to take a warm bath and also took the candle with her to create an environment. The smell of the candle was heaven. The fragrant was not too mild nor too strong.

She placed it near the tub and lit it, before plunging her body into the water.

She closed her eyes and relaxed her mind.

Slowly, a fog formulated from the candles and it covered the whole bathroom, but Bella couldn't see as her eyes were closed. She felt the cool sensation on her hand as they were out of that water, but she was unbothered.

Her head clouded, and the sleep took over her consciousness. In short, she fell asleep in the next second.

But within a few minutes, she opened her eyes like some sort of slow tune disturbed her sleep. However, she saw herself in the woods; dark, deep woods. Even the sunlight was nowhere to be seen.

On the other hand, she felt wet, and when she looked down at her body; she found herself in the tub, but the water had been replaced with red liquid.

Isabella hurried out of the tub, wearing a white dress that was smudged with the red liquid. Though she didn't have any clue what was happening to her. What was this place?

"Am I in a dream?" Isabella asked herself. Within, she was terrified. She couldn't help but look around fearfully.

She didn't want to move from where she was standing, and neither did she have a way out of this place. If it was a dream, she did not know how to wake herself up from a horrible dream.

Suddenly, she heard the same voice from the dense forest. Her body hair stood out while fear sucked her bone. Actually, her body went numb due to fear. She struggled to decide whether to look for that thing or wait for her dream to break.

After some time, she decided to follow that sound. At least she needed to try. Maybe this would be the way out of this situation.

When she was in the wet dress, her feet were bare. And the forest, where sunlight could not penetrate, had a slightly cooler climate. The closer she was to that voice, the less she breathed. She started having trouble breathing. Even her lips felt chapped.

After walking a short distance, rubbing her palms to warm herself, she saw a small hut made of leaves and branches. The sound of moaning was coming from that house.

She ran to that door and stopped. Bella roamed her eyes around, but there was nothing, not even a bird, she could see around these woods. She was anxious to knock on the door, and she did. At least she would know why she was here.

"Hello," Bella trembled voice called, as the weather near this hut was far rough. Instead of an answer, she heard the groaning sound, and it intensified.

She gulped her nervousness before pushing the door inside, as this was her last hope to finish everything.

As she stepped in, she saw a figure lying on the floor and curled up in a ball. But the thing that had terrified her was the figure that was shackled up by a thick chain.

"Hello! Are you alright? Do you need help?" Isabella asked, stepping ahead. She looked around the hut. There was not a single utensil; neither had an arrangement for preparing food, nor a warm blanket to survive in this weather.

She was in trouble, besides the fear was pinching her core. She did not know what she needed now. Although her intention was cleared to get out of this place, so needed to know what was in there.

Otherwise, there was no way she could leave this place. If it was a dream so there will have an end or certain things that could help her wake up.

On the other hand, she didn't think it was her dream, as she could feel everything around her was real. Her body was truly somewhere.

The figure was a woman in a black dress, but her body was so pale and thin that even a stick could be thicker than her body.

Bella squatted down by the body and place her hand slowly on the figure.

"Hello."

The figure instantly turned her body and grabbed Bella's throat. The face was rotten and had golden-brown eyes which were blazing at Bella.

"What are you..?" Bella's muffled voice could barely speak. Her pupil was enlarged and at the same time, her face became pale.

The figure smiled and tightened the grip. Bella was jerking her hand and legs but the grip on her throat was so powerful Bella didn't get a chance to stand up, while the figure clasped her throat with one hand.

"You are the reason I am here. And you will help me get out of this place," the rotten face spoke. Bella tried to get away but had found nothing to help herself. As a last resort, she used the chain which was around the figure's hand. Bella wrapped that on that figure's neck, which made the figure take back her hand as the chain had scorched her skin.

The figure screamed. That's when Bella fell back and a lot of water bubbles had come out of her mouth. Bella got her head out of the water and huffed violently for breath.

Bella didn't waste a second in the tub anymore and scurried out. She walked up to the mirror to inspect her neck. But she found nothing. She stared at her face in the mirror for a few seconds then left the bathroom, tugging the towel around as the atmosphere was fearing her. Everything felt real.

Bella called her dad just to hear his voice. Still, her fingers were trembling.

"Dad," Bella said.

"Yes, sweetheart," Bernard answered when Bella slumped back on the bed in relief.

"When will you come?" Bella asked.

"I'll be late today. Do you need anything?" Bernard asked.

"No, dad. Have fun," Bella said and smiled.

"I'll. Hahaha," Bernard laughed and hung up the call.

Isabella's feelings are complicated. She still felt a tingled sensation on her scalp. What would happen if she never woke up and died in the tub? Or was everything she felt was not just a dream?

Her phone vibrated in her hand as she got a message. It was an address that came from Casey.

After that, she put on her casual outfit and opened the laptop to complete the deal she had made with Alexandar.