Chapter 18 Harmless Mistake (1/2)
They gathered around the lake swimming to their heart's content, this time the lake seems peaceful. The brother and sister duo were busy splashing water unto each other, while Matthew bombarded them with a water gun.
Jess' stop swimming early and sit comfortably on one of the shades of the tree, watching her friends enjoying the crystal clear waters of the lake. It's entertaining to watch them from afar. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Matthew getting out of the water and slowly approaching her, she sighed. She prefers that he would distance himself from her so that Adam won't feel jealous anymore.
”Hey Jess,” Matthew said, he sat beside her.
”Hi Matt,” she replied.
”I saw you last night,” he got a serious looked on his face.
Jess' eyes widened in horror. Oh my God! Her face drained of color, her mind jumps to a negative conclusion right away. Did he saw her sneaked out from the mansion and did a steamy romp with Adam last night? What she and Adam did is not for everyone to see, it's meant to be a private affair. She felt horrified! She can't look into his eyes directly because of shame.
”What e-exactly did y-you see-?” she stammered. She's expecting the worst already. Her brain was already scanning for hundreds of different alibis that she can think of.
”I saw you sneaked out of the house last night...I followed you,” he paused.
She sat frozen in place...she can't even utter a single word...dreading what comes next from his mouth.
Matthew continue his talking. ”The next scene took my breath away. It's beautiful beyond imagination, we found ourselves on the seaside, the beach looks majestic, and we walk hand in hand under the starry-starry night. We were so in love in my dreams, I desperately wanted it to come true. It's the only thing I been thinking all day long.” He uttered those heartfelt words in a dreamlike trance as if he is suspended in time lost into his own fantasy world.
She exploded in laughter after he finished talking, total relief washed over her. Her worry turns into amazement. ”Oh, God...Matt...you're so funny!” she gives him her brightest smile.
He looked at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. ”At least you become mine in my dreams,” he said softly.
Jess' smile never left her face. She finds his romantic outburst very funny and sweet.
”Don't worry Matt, tomorrow when you go home, you will soon forget about me,” she reassures him.
”You are my first crush and my first love. It will be hard to forget you,” he said sadly, then shrugged his shoulders.
She rolled her eyes. Then she remembers how jealous obsess Adam is. He might be already watching them right now from afar and she does not want to provoke him again. She stood up quickly. ”Let's go back swimming, Matt!”
She walks towards the lake, he follows her and they dived into the water at the same time.
Ivy splashes water on Jess' face, after getting no response from her she finally stops. ”I think the lady of the lake is sleeping,” she joked.
Jess smiled at her friend. ”She only appears at night...”
”R-Really? Did you see her?” Ivy looked at Jess with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in her eyes.
She laughed at her friends' silly question. ”Ivy, the lady of the lake is not true. Your mother invented her as a prank only...”
Ivy's heart still filled with uneasiness. ”I honestly think that your house is hunted-Jess. I sometimes feel that there is something out there lurking in the dark. I can't ignore that feeling...”
Jess look at her friend in silence. One more reason why you should not stay longer in my house or else you will discover something frightening, she thought to herself. Then she splashes water on Ivy's face to distract her friend from her darkening thoughts. ”Race with me to the other side, Ivy!” She swam away from her and she saw her following her wake.
<<<~~~~~>>>
The dinner feast is consist of stir fry beef with onions, browned butter honey garlic salmon, and creamy asparagus pasta. The kids love it! Nana Aida looked at the children in front of her with maternal love, deep inside, her heart yearns for Adam to be with them, but that is impossible to happen. They talked and joked a bit after eating, then Nana decided it's time for them to prepare for bed.
”Okay children, time to prepare for bed,” she finally said.
The boys retreated to their room, while the girls helped Nana in cleaning the dining table and washing with the dishes.
After the chores were done. Jess went upstairs and leave Ivy to chat with her mom. She wants to check Adam on the other side of the hallway, he was being silent the whole day. But she dared not take the risk afraid that Ivy will come upstairs anytime soon and will see her with him. It's something she can't afford to happen. So, she just continues walking towards her room.
She opened her laptop and pushed the power button on, checked her emails and browse the web, looking for something to do.
Then all of a sudden, a terrifying scream broke the stillness of the night. It's Ivy! Alarmed, Jess sprinted out from her room and try to locate the scream in the hallway, she found her friend huddled in the corner of the hallway near Adam's room, body trembling, visibly shaken. Her face looks like that of someone who just saw a ghost. ”Ivy- what is it?” she asked urgently.
”Jess, I saw a dark figure hovering outside the window!” Ivy pointed her shaking fingers in the direction of the window.
Then they heard another scream, this time coming from the boys' rooms downstairs.
Damn! What the fuck is going on? Adam really went too far this time, Jess gritted her teeth in anger. She is furious now. She pretended to look outside the window to investigate, she found nothing. ”There is no one outside the window, Ivy.”
”B-But I saw that black figure! I can't be mistaken!” Ivy insisted with a firmer voice.
She sighed. ”Come on Ivy. Let's go downstairs. Let's find out what happened to the boys...”
When they arrived downstairs in the boys' room, Nana Aida was already there talking with the visibly shaken boys.
”What exactly did you see, Nathan?” Ivy asked her brother.
”It's Naruto!” Nathan replied quickly.
”No, it's Vegeta!” Matthew interjected.
Ivy glared at them. ”Stop this nonsense now! Tell me what you just saw!”
Nathan cleared the lump on his throat. ”H-He is hovering in the air...looks like Batman to me, his wearing d-dark clothes and he also wears a black face mask and a hood covering his head. Can't see his face clearly...”
”....he hovers outside the window but disappears quickly after he realizes that we are staring at him with our mouths open,” Matthew added.
Ivy looks satisfied with their answer because they coincide with what she just saw outside the window upstairs. Which means, that black figure is real! ”H-He is real! I saw him too!” she exclaimed to the boys' faces.
While Jess and Nana Aida looked at each other in silent comprehension. It's Adam!