It was only the shadows of the moon that were visible. Nothing else was in sight.
Gia swallowed hard, flickering her eyes three times and fixing them again on that same spot where she had seen that image, but it was still the mockery that was staring back at her. “There is no one there.” Martin stated the obvious, hesitating to make a call.
“No! I cannot be hallucinating. It was so real. He must be somewhere. I saw him!” Gia howled while everyone stood still, listening to her seemingly baseless worries.
‘She must be traumatized by what she went through.’ One voice spoke from behind them.
‘Yeah, I think she needs to be examined before she goes completely crazy.’ Another voice mocked.
‘I concur. I mean, she's seeing things that are not there.’
Gia listened to all of them make a mockery of her, her hand trembling in Martins. She was fuming with rage. And as if to make a fool out of her more, through another window, she saw a flash of the same image.
She shut her eyes, trying to prove the people right—that she was just imagining things. That her mind was playing tricks on her. A moment passed, and she peeled them, but the flash of that image was no longer a flash this time around. It was a pair of monstrous gray eyes staring right through her debilitated ones.
Her bones shook as the familiar, ugly face stared at her. “There he is.” She screeched, directing everyone’s eyes with her finger to the place where her tormentor stood. But before anyone could see what she was talking about, the figure had disappeared. The move was so swift.
The countless eyes in the room found Gia in shock and confusion. “Are you sure you are okay, miss? You see things that are not there.” One man approached.
She was not hallucinating!
She was not going insane!
She was just seeing things that were meant only for her eyes.
“Excuse me, miss.” Another male voice spoke, and a man in black attire made his way to where Gia and Martin were. The black color spewed more horror to Gia, and that was when she noticed that even three-quarters of the decorations were in black. All the chairs were black, the carpet on the floor, and even the glasses they were using were all black. Black! There was only one person obsessed with black. “You are disrupting the event. I am sorry, but the boss asked that you leave so that the event can go on peacefully.”
Oh, great, huh?
Gia fixed her suspicious eyes on the cold-faced man. “Your boss? Where is that so-called boss of yours? Tell him to come here and kick me out myself!” Gia fumed.
The man scoffed sarcastically. “You might be an icon to the world, but you don’t go around ordering people at their own palaces. Here, you are a mere invited guest. If the boss says that you should leave, then you have absolutely no right to object. Leave, or I will be forced to kick you out."
“I saw some scary men outside the window. Not just once, but three. How about you take care of that first before kicking me out, huh?” Gia snapped.
“We have a lot of security men outside. If there were something unusual, we would have been notified already. Your mind might be playing tricks on you, miss. Take my advice and have yourself checked.” They retorted in a sarcastic tone.
“Well, you are too confident, don’t you think?” Gia snapped again.
The man’s face was furrowed with anger. “Your point exactly?”
“Well, tell your boss that he is the biggest coward that this world has ever produced!” Gia fired back.
“You don’t…”
The man was charging at Gia, but Martin interjected, pushing Gia to his side and blocking the hand with his other hand. “We are leaving. No need for this.” Martin spoke calmly, browsing the man’s face, who was not even blinking.
Gia, full of intrigue, rage, and nervousness, trailed behind Martin as they moved through the throngs of people, her eyes darting around in search of the elusive shadow. The pulsating music and laughter seemed to fade into the background as her focus sharpened on the quest to uncover the source of her unease. Her urge was hissing in her nerves that the shadow was still roaming around.
Amidst the vibrant crowd, she glimpsed fleeting shapes that seemed to vanish as quickly as they appeared. Each time she turned her head, a sense of foreboding whispered through her, as if a dark presence lingered just beyond her sight.
Her heart raced with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Could it be mere paranoia or something more sinister? The shadowy figure seemed to hover at the edge of her vision, eluding her attempts to discern its identity.
A surge of panic gripped her chest as the thought crossed her mind—what if it was him? No! Actually, she was sure it was him! There was no way he could have mistook those ugly eyes that scared her to her bones. They gave her the same cold vibe they gave her the very first time she met them. It was undoubtedly him—Ejay!
Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she struggled to shake off the creeping fear. Memories of her tormentor's chilling whispers and haunting presence flooded her mind, threatening to overwhelm her.
The cold breeze welcomed her with sharp slaps as they tapped their feet outside. The place was crystal clear, except for the security men in uniform who were guarding the lodge and the other men who raised their thumbs up to indicate who they were.
She looked around for any trace of even his shadow, but she did not catch sight of anything. She felt a bitter lamb choking her.
It was him. And he had just slipped away. He was praying with her, driving her nuts and insane.
Gia fought to regain control of her emotions, reminding herself that she was safe in a crowded place surrounded by people. Yet, the shadowy figure continued to flicker at the periphery of her vision, an ominous reminder of her past ordeal and that the monster could have him anytime he wanted.
She wanted to howl her cries of frustration for the world to hear, but she had already been proven insane inside. They would still think she was mad.
Frustrated and desperate for a reprieve from the suffocating dread, Gia hurried toward the gala's exit, her pulse racing in tandem with her hastening steps. She yearned for the solace of fresh air, a sanctuary away from the haunting shadows that seemed to stalk her.