"Whatever." Cassy told Inara.
"Inny, you didn't need to come," Zee told Inara.
"I called you. You didn't take my calls. I had no choice." Inara responded.
"That's because I was already on my way. My car won't start so I had to use the bike."
"Okay. No problem."
"How did you leave the house? Was Lemuel there?
"No. He is out with friends. He said one of his business partners is getting married and has enlisted him as one of the groomsmen. They are having a meeting."
"Okay, that's cool," Zee said.
"I hate to spoil your friendship party, but I've got a game to play and interesting pictures to reveal if I don't get to play," Cassy announced.
"Zee, she's a terrible person. But we have to help her." Said Inara. "How? We don't know anything." "We don't have to. I have an idea already. As a staunch church girl. As a bonafide daughter of a Reverend." She gave Cassy a pointed look. "As the silly daughter of a Preacher, I have an idea we can try." "I'm sorry I called you a silly daughter of a Preacher." Cassy apologized. "No problem," Inara responded and faced Zee. "Let's find matches and fuel or something." "Why?" Zee asked. "We are going to burn the book," Inara said and led the way inside the shed. They followed behind her and searched for a lighter. Cassy worked hard, searching too. At that moment they were worki
ONE MONTH LATER By evening in the Ray Mansion, Zee stood at the diner table, watching the Rays eat a meal of fried rice and turkey. "Well?" She asked because she had made the food herself. Michael gave her a smile which she returned, somewhat nervously, because she was waiting for the verdict of everyone concerning her cooking. She was confident that she had done well, but she still needed comments. During her catering classes, she had learned that the customer was always right. To her, it was a debatable point, but in that regard, she planned to pick her battles so she would stand a better chance of winning. "The food is perfect as always." Said Michael, giving her a wink. "You always say that." She said shyly, blushing at his open flirting before everyone. "Thanks." She still managed to mumble. The others at the t
Contact the guy who took your virginity and beg him to marry you. Seated on an armchair at the balcony of her bedroom, with the stars, gracing the night sky over her middle-class neighborhood in the city of San Jonas, Zee’s cobalt eyes surrounded by heavy dark eye shadow seemed to have doubled in size, her mouth agape as she took in the strange SMS. Only, the SMS had no sender. The words were in black typeface font over a white background. With her heart slamming against her chest, she tentatively tapped her black painted short-nailed forefinger on the back button on her phone, trying to dismiss the message. It did not budge. Her tapping became rapid. Still, the message remained. Instead, the words began to transform into a drippy handwritten bloodshot font. Another set of words appeared beneath the first. They were in the same bloody handwritten font and read- THE LAST DARE WILL NO LONGER WAIT in capitalized alphabets. A ga
LEMUEL AND INARA moaned in ecstasy as they climaxed in each other’s arms in their bedroom. As they caught their breaths, Lemuel rolled off her and they both chuckled as their toddler, Caleb started crying from the bed’s built-in crib. “Aww, he’s so jealous,” Lemuel commented jokingly as he gently combed his fingers through her ruffled hair. Her eyes were heavy-lidded from the aftermath of their lovemaking but she was smiling. “Jealous indeed.” She drawled and they both lifted themselves to look down at Caleb. He stopped crying and stuck his thumb inside his mouth. Then he went back to sleep as he sucked on it. “We have to do something about that thumb.” Said, Lemuel. “You are not putting anything bitter on my son’s thumb.” “You mean my son?” “Our son.” She said and he gently tweaked her cheek. “That was on a lighter note but
Confusion marked Zee's brow. “What?” she asked. “Remember when I accused you of sending me a text with the words you just accused me of saying to you?” “Yeah,” Zee confirmed. She sounded thoughtful now. “I never saw the message again and that was how I knew it was my last warning.” Zee sighed resignedly. “I didn’t say the words, Zee. That was your last nightmare.” “I know that now,” Zee admitted. Her voice was solemn. “I’m sorry.” “Me too. Do the needful. I’ll be waiting for feedback.” “Okay.”
Zee wondered where he was staying in town. “Where are you staying in town?” she asked, her intention, to pick a spot close to his area. She hoped it was quite far from her home so that she would take some time, organizing her mind as she went.“Eagle Hotel.”Zee knew the place. The Eagle hotel was close to Inara’s family house and it was where Cassy and her friends had set her up with the bridal shower, getting her in trouble with Lemuel. Zee could not stand those bullies. She hoped she would never have to cross paths with any of them again.“The Eagle hotel is fine if you ask me.”“Great. We will meet at the restaurant, then. See you tomorrow. Is 2:00 pm okay with you?”“Yes, it is.”“Bye, Zee.”“Bye.”Zee ended the call. She should feel much calmer now that she had started the game but she did not. She was feeling all tensed up. She fell back on the bed. Then she took a deep breath and concentr
Zee decided to be honest about her feelings. “I’m glad too.” She responded. “But concerning the rebellious look, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You do, Elizabeth. And just so you know, if I was responsible for you, you will definitely dread the thought of me finding you in this persona.” Zee found herself speechless and frozen for a second. In that moment, he held her back from him, breaking up the embrace. Then his lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk. “Sit down, Zee. I do not bite. But you already know that.” He sat down and watched her recover from the earlier shock of his words. “Persona?” she asked wonderingly as she sat down. “Are you saying that I’m not real?” He did not respond immediately. Instead, he was staring intensely into her eyes. It reminded her of how he had looked at her when he was deflowering her, his manhood, piercing her, making her a woman. She couldn’t stand any sort of pain, so she had cried b
She was frozen in shock as he spoke. “I don’t know why you keep doing this but the fake image you keep presenting is completely unnecessary. The reason I was on your neck in school was that I knew you needed the pressure. If I had not been a kind of a thorn in your flesh, you would have been sloppy with your classes and finally end up a dropout. That probably is something you will eventually regret. Then who would you blame? Your parents? Sure, but in the end, everyone is responsible for what they turn out to become based on the choices they make.” “Please stop…” “I have not finished talking.” He interrupted coarsely and she fell silent but her heart was vibrating with tension and denial as he continued. “It is clear that somehow, all you want is attenti