Chapter 9- One Night Away

Lanie's POV:

That secret passage we set foot in was not that long and it’s look like a tunnel. The lane we tread was so strait and wild grasses were towering us thus, my foot dangled from it. I couldn’t count how many times I nearly scourge myself to the ground only if Yshmael is not a provident companion, he helped me all through out.

“Are you planning to rupture my bones?” He retorted when I tripped over again and plunged at his ample back.

“I’m sorry,” the only thing I’ve said before I keep my distance from him. I also want to blame the landscape of this tunnel. It seems like we set up in a completely flat surface inclining at the highest peek of the ground while we are keeping our pace.

I think it’s fivefold or more that I almost hug the man’s ample and masculine back. Sky-scraping grasses is not the only thing the tunnel had, it also had wild roots of a tree wherein I am clueless how did they infiltrate the area.

Just like earlier, he just gave me a stare. But what I didn’t expect, is the next thing he did!

“Wait...” I forced to removed his hands to mine but he grabbed it tightly.

“You’re an accident prone, Maelanie. I don’t want to get myself involve.”

I was dumbfounded for a couple of seconds when he called me using my complete name. He just shook his head, grabbed my hands and pulled to continue to walk.

I went on silence the whole time we are taking our way out of the tunnel-like passage.

“We’re here,” Yshmael releases my hand from his grip and went to the side of the tunnel’s threshold.

Wondering, I give light his area using my flashlight. He is searching something under a pile of hay and some I-don’t-know-what-kind-of-plants are those.

He hauled a motorbike out of that area and bring back the hay and unknown plants to where did he get it.

I look at him with a furrowed forehead when he went up in his motorbike.

I couldn’t imagine that this exemplary student of Saint Agustine has a rebellious side. I said in my mind while slightly shaking my head.

He looked at me after he started the engine of his motorbike. “What happens here, stays here. Tomorrow, make sure that you haven’t seen or heard anything. Do what you need to do and I’ll mind my own.” He said before leaving.

I winced at his rudeness.

“Shucks.” I embraced myself after observing my what surrounds me.

It is so dark and I couldn’t see even just a single light!

I can feel the cold breeze touching my skin, embracing my whole body. But despite of cold that gives shiver to me, I manage to fumbled the small flashlight I had and lighted my surroundings.

“That handsome asshole!” I grunted after realizing where am I.

I am at the middle of the rice fields! I can see nothing but rice plants! The only thing I can see beyond me is the way back to Saint Augustine.

And I don’t know either in what part of Hespheria this place can be found. I am already at the verge of inducing myself to get back.

It doesn’t matter if I get caught and receive some punishment.

But on second thought, “Hays, I am already here.”

I started to walk even if I don’t have any idea where this roadway is leading me. The light coming from the flashlight that I am holding right now is not really that helpful because it seems like a christmas light, turning on and turning off at the moment.

My eyes widened when I saw a light coming from the opposite side of where I am currently standing.

I immediately hide myself beyond a slender tree beside this narrow road.

I snuggled close to the slender tree when that thing where the light is coming from stopped in front of me.

“Hey, Ms. Accident prone.”

I look at the owner’s familiar voice. I saw Yshmael with his motorbike where the light came from. I was so scared to forget that this man had a motorbike.

It seems I want to cry when I saw him. Maybe he had this unlikely attitude but he returned for me. However, this prince of darkness also have a little conscience.

He come closer to me while having this furrowed forehead. “You okay?” He asked while eyeing at me.

With a trembling lips, I nod as a response. He come closer and without any hesitation, he touch my lower lips.

“Hey!” I smack him with the back of my hand.

He just laughed and then take off his jacket. He placed it on my shoulder and he hopped in his motorbike.

“Come on,” he extended his arms to reach me and tilted his head. “Do you know that usually at this time in a place in provinces, something strange creature shows up? How about the movie, Jeeper’s Creepers?” He said after seeing that I am not moving.

I immediately grab his hand and hop in his motorbike!

“Hold on tight. You might fall” he said while grinning, he even winked at me!

I just shook my head slighty and place my hands on his waist for support.

Yshmael drove his motorbike in a high-speed. And I can feel the breeze smashing on my face.

I tried not to hug his ample back and it is inevitable not to sniff his scent, a combination of sweat and a natural scent of a man. It’s like a scent of an environment every morning, fresh and dewy.

Shucks! What am I even thinking? I bite my lips in annoyance. I shouldn’t compliment this guy!

The place we are at is so dark and the motorbike’s headlamp is the only reason why do we have light here. It illuminated the area we are passing through.

This place could be a deafening silence if only there’s no sound of cars rushing down the road. But it seems nothing to Yshmael, he looks familiar with the scenario and is used to it.

I am sure that this is not his first and second time that he went out of the academy secretly. For what reason? I don’t know and I don’t have any idea. The doubt I had before about him gets back when I remember the reason why I sneaked out of the academy.

The secret behind the peaceful and rich town of Hespheria.

“Ouch!” I hold him as tight as I can when the motorbike suddenly jumped up because of potholes.

I heard him hissed. After then, I felt that he slows down his speed.

Yshmael keep his direction straight. Looking at our surrounding, I can say we did approach a forest. Tall and big trees replaced the ricefields in my sight.

I think it is also about twenty minutes of travel inside the forest before we get our way out and reached the cemented part of the road. But it doesn’t have any changes, still dark and silent that seems lifeless.

“Is this still part of Hespheria?” I asked in an over modulated voice, nearly shouting.

He nod as a response before speeding up again his motorbike.

I unbelievably scan the surrounding. It has a narrow way that doesn’t have even just a single light. I am shocked to know that there is something like this being part of a rich town of Hespheria, seems isolated and forgotten.

It took minutes before Yshmael change his direction to right.

We did reached the high way and it is far different from what I saw earlier in the ricefields and in the forest. The road is illuminated by numbers of streetlights. Noisy and alive!

We passed over that area and later on, I saw the small arc of Hemisphere Village.

Yshmael stop the engine of his motorbike in a somewhat hidden place before ushering me down his vehicle.

“This is the nearest gate of the village that not everyone knows. This is in the end border of the village after all,” he explained as he held my hand.

We run as we cross over the guard house with a sleeping guard.

Yshmael realeses my hand, took his phone out of his pocket. I saw him creased his forehead after seeing his phone, maybe there’s something in what he read in his phone.

“Tsk. I think I will have nothing for today,” he whispered.

“Huh?”

He just raised his eyebrow and take his phone back in his pocket. “Go to where you intend to go here so we could get back to Saint Augustine.”

I forced a smile. How can I do that? I didn't even know where our mansion is!

He heaved a sigh. “I didn’t expect that even in decision making you are still clumsy.” He said before taking his steps away from me.

I follow him with a fast pace and about to bug him to help me when I saw the old mansion of Inocencio.

“Ah yeah, I remember. Our house is located at the end part of this village.” I mumbled while slightly scratching my head.

He just look at me and lead the way towards our gate.

I run to follow him in front of the huge door of our mansion. I laid my right hand to the scanner thus opening the door.

I didn’t bother to switch on the light, it might wakes up our maids.

It seems I don’t need to tell him and explain about that since he looks like used to this kind of situation.

We went to the second floor quitely and we headed straight to my room.

I immediately open the lampshade and walk towards my vault.

“You don’t have someone to accompany you here?” He asked and sat on my bed.

“Only two maids but they are only here every weekdays,” I replied and get my old laptop. I put it in a bag and look after my old tablet.

“Don’t tell me that you only sneaked out just because of those antique things?” He asked. I didn’t even felt that he is already walking towards my direction, giving sullen looks at the things that I am holding.

I just gave back that sullen looks to him and fix my things.

We exchanges looks when we heard a car’s blaring horn. In a while, I heard the gate opened.

I haven’t move immediately. Yshmael recovered first and quickly switch off the lampshade.

He grab me and we hide in my built in cabinet.

I can feel my heart beating fast because of feeling tense. But when I gazed at Yshmael and saw that he is intently staring at me, that feeling seems multiplied by two.

The space of my closet for the two of us is not enough, we are cramped inside. And if only I am not holding the case of my laptop in front of me, I am sure that both front of our body are touching.

But I can’t help to feel his masculine body.

I heard that the door of my room has been opened and the light was switched on giving light to the whole place.

Later on, a guy enters my room and places a few paper bags on top of my bed. He also come out after a couple of seconds.

We let minutes to pass and stand still inside the closet.

“Don’t tell me you let guys come here?” He asked.

I winced at his idea. Even if I don’t want to, I wan’t to get rid the doubt he had in my personality.

“Jerk!” I said as I gave him a deadly look.

His eyebrows met. He take a step and come closer to me. I also take a step backward until I feel the wall touching my back

“What did you say?” He asked. I can feel his breath on my nose and I don’t like the spark I am seeing in his eyes

“That’s my brother, asshole!” I said in annoyance and went outside the closet.

❤