Chapter 6: Chapter 6

"How long have I been asleep?"

I stood up from my dining chair at the Douglas restaurant. Because the deep coma had come on so suddenly, my body hadn't fully adapted, so I closed my eyes and massaged my temples with my hands. My neck is very sore right now as a result of lying with my head down on the table for so long.

Wait...!

I dashed to the restroom, then opened my shirt collar for better visibility. My eyes widened in surprise as I noticed the crimson red mark on my left neck's skin. My fingers trembled as they lightly touched the spot, the tiny throbbing reminding me of the last horrible memory I had before passing out in Eliot Dominic's arms.

Does that mean I'm still alive?

I ruffled my hair after taking a deep breath. Yes, everything is a reality, not a dream. It was because of my stupid curiosity that I had to suffer the consequences...

That feeling of impending death? But what made him forgive me?

The phone in my jeans pocket suddenly vibrated while I was deep in thought. I took out my phone and checked it; Aunt Anna was calling from home. Oh my goodness! I'm not sure how I'm supposed to explain it to Aunt Anna now that the clock has struck one o'clock in the morning!

I didn't want to be kept waiting any longer, so I pressed the call button right away. Her voice on the other end of the line sounded like a two-tone high:

"Sean, where have you gone?! Why didn't you answer my phone call?"

I dared to open my mouth after swallowing my saliva to present:

"I am really sorry, auntie. I was too tired to think, so I just forgot it. I'm sorry, my bad; I will be go home now so you can go to sleep!"

She gave me a few more instructions before hanging up. I quickly closed the door and rode the iron horse straight to my aunt's house, stuffing the machine in my pocket. When we arrived, the lights were turned off and the space was quiet. I carefully parked the car in a back corner of the house, then secretly opened the back door to enter. I moved slowly in the middle of the dark wooden floor corridor to avoid disturbing the other members' sleep

. I sighed and shut the door as I entered the bedroom. Tired, I collapsed on the bed, the softness of the freshly laundered sheets relaxing my mind like a guitar string. When I closed my eyes, however, the image of poor schoolgirl Grace lying coldly on the ground near the dump flashed back to me.

Oh right! Why did I forget to stir it?!

I grabbed the phone from the nightstand and dialed 113 to contact the police. It didn't take long for the other end of the line to pick up, so I took a deep breath and immediately reported the incident I witnessed a few hours ago to them. When I was finished, I hung up the phone and awaited the results with bated breath. The police feedback arrived about fifteen minutes later, but it was not positive. They taunted me enough through the screen that I was an idle scammer looking for stories to destroy adults. The police disconnected before I could explain. Befuddled, I placed the phone, which was about to be turned off, on the nightstand, and my mind became extremely confused. Dozens of questions poured in at once, making my brain want to burst.

Nothing...?

Was it all in my head? Not at all! Because I have witnessed everything with my own eyes....

Or did he hide the body in case I called the cops? And will I become a target for him to completely eliminate the next morning?

I buried my face in the pillow, desperately biting my lower lip, unsure how to act...

Oh, forget about life! I'm going to sleep!!

I thought about it, fingered my phone alarm, and fell asleep until the next morning. However, the image of Eliot's bloody mouth haunted my dreams and kept me awake all night. I fell asleep briefly in the early morning.

I awoke at half past eight the next morning with two pale dark circles under my eyes. The dull gaze is imprinted with fatigue, reflecting the poor quality of sleep. When I went downstairs and down the corridor, my aunt and uncle stopped me and asked. Aunt Anna's concern was palpable, and I simply smiled and told her that I was fine as long as I ate enough of the breakfast she had prepared. She made me a beef noodle soup with a full glass of fruit juice because she didn't want to see her nephew's pale face. After that, I finished all of my meals and then left the house with Zack, carrying my backpack.

Zack is feeling lazy today, so he wants to ride in the back of my car while I drive him to school. It appears to be convenient for transportation because our two schools are on the same road. I arrived at Zack's middle school after about five minutes on my bike, and he waved goodbye before joining his waiting circle of friends:

"Bye, Sean!!!"

"Have a good time studying!"

I smiled brightly as I cycled straight to Ocean Lullaby High School. The blue school appeared in front of my eyes in less than three minutes. I carefully edged past the students to the parking lot near the school's entrance, squeezing the brakes to slow down. A hand suddenly hit my spine as I was attempting to lock the car. I immediately raised my head to the right, startled. Ah! Elizabeth it turned out to be! I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh my goodness, it's giving me goosebumps! Hello and good morning...."

"Sorry!"

Beth laughs, as if teasing me is the best way to start the day. But, unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to make her laugh today. I walked away with dull dark eyes, my hand firmly on the handle of my overstuffed backpack. Beth discovered her friend's current state while walking alongside me:

"Sean, did you get enough sleep? You seem so tired!"

"Yeah, I'm having trouble sleeping..."

Beth pulls on my sleeve:

"Do you want some iced coffee?"

I replied with a shake of my head:

"No way...my body isn't strong enough to handle caffeine right now. By the way, isn't the first period chemistry?"

"Yeah! Miss Joline is Dan's substitute teacher, according to what I've heard. Haizz, I enjoy chemistry, but it does not enjoy me. Chemistry and I don't belong together! It's a hopeless love..."

"Haha...."

We continued to talk in the midst of the crowds on the school grounds. A slim figure dashed past me. A shiver ran down my spine as I recognized the familiar face of the victim I had seen in the murder case the night before.

What the hell is going on, after all?

"Eliot!!!"

Elizabeth lightly pointed to the girl running towards the luxurious black Rolls Royce approaching the car park on the left side. Beth looked at me and said:

"That's Grace."

She is still alive….

Grace Gloucester, dressed in a body-hugging pastel pink gown, is right in front of my eyes right now. No one knew, so Beth and I approached the car to satisfy our curiosity. Grace was slightly on tiptoe, looking excited, though I couldn't see the expression on her oval face.

Eliot stepped out of the car, where he was sitting in the passenger seat. He was still displaying his usual calm demeanor. The platinum hair was slightly tangled, concealing the high forehead but not taking away Eliot's handsome and mysterious appearance. I'm not sure if it's because of a lack of sleep, but my porcelain white skin looks strangely pink today....

That's right, perhaps it's because he's been fed human blood...

I bit my lower lip, trying to keep my rising disgust at bay, when I realized I was one of the factors contributing to his "freshness." Grace, on the other hand, still hugged Eliot's waist tightly, her voice soft and tender:

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I'd like to talk to you for a while longer!"

Eliot patted his girlfriend's head and replied politely:

"I took you home because I noticed you were tired. Are you all right now?"

"Never been better!"

"Great. Then I feel relieved."

"I love last night."

Grace stood on tiptoe, kissed Eliot's lips lightly, and waved goodbye before departing with another close friend who was waiting in the distance. That act of Grace caused me to doubt myself. Was everything that happened that night a trick of the light? Is it all because of my nightmares? But... How is that even possible? With the urgo bandage on, I reached out and gently touched the area of my neck. From yesterday to this morning, that blinding red-pink bite was still there. All of the events are also very real, so I remain convinced that I am completely sane.

Why would she treat the person who bit her neck in that manner? Grace, did you lose your memory...? But the main issue here is why do I remember everything? Or did Eliot intend for me to forget? Oh, it's insane!

I turned to leave with Beth, exhausted. Stepping into the long blue corridor with two rows of lemon-colored cabinets on either side, I lazily opened my closet door and neatly stuffed the heavy piles of books into the closet, bringing only what I needed. the first lesson Beth, who was standing next to me, kept talking:

"I'm curious how many girlfriends he has."

Who knows. I think only ghosts know…

But there is one fact that almost all of us and the students at this school are aware of: Eliot was a legendary lady killer before moving here with his family. That's why his forest is likely to stretch for tens of kilometers... I honestly can't imagine...

"I'm not sure..."

Beth began to daydream after I replied honestly:

"He's extremely well-liked. He's just right! I wish I could have gone on a date with Eliot once. It will be awesome!"

I can only force a consoling smile as Elizabeth opens the "talking about pink age" column with the "new slide."

Oh, Beth, if she knew the true face of that monster prince, she will pick up her skirt and flee in every direction!

I clicked my tongue, staring at Eliot as if I'd seen everything:

"It isn't perfect..."

Beth, hands on her hips:

"What exactly do you mean?"

"But never mind, let's go! The bell has rung."