The sun had faded and the sky above the Millerton hotels gray with clouds creating what I would always call art, with another few clicks in my phone I smile at my sheer talent with pictures but my smile grows distant when I steady my gaze back at the sky.

I have always wanted the opportunity to look at the sky quietly on a hill feeling the massage of cool breeze brush against my face and maybe going for a dip in the ocean every hour. But my last minute decision of signing up for this stupid game had eventually landed me in the middle of a town where everybody stared.

“What are you doing out here?” his deep voice grows behind me. Did I forget to mention that Tony’s voice is a definition of heart tripping deep? I control my breath before tilting to face him briefly I hope he found time to cover up at least

 
“A lot on my mind” I reply just as my gaze met his. disappointed, I heave a deep sigh turning back away from him, he walks up by my left, strolling closer until his spicy bergamot fragrance clog my nostrils with his natural scent fusing with it in magnificent combination and just like that I might just be sniffing none stop

“Boy problem?” He asks and I almost jerk

I couldn’t not notice the sarcastic grin on his face, frowning a little, I tsk. Jeffery was never the type to leave me wallowing in thoughts after an argument – he was always the first to apologize. I can swear he worshipped me. Whatever happened with him and that junior I hope he is blowing me off online.

The thought of returning to school and find a thousand messages from him apologizing and asking for a second chance. I wouldn’t say yes but I need that closure – I chuckle shyly then facing him with a straight face and trying not to sound like the sad rejected girl he might think I am,

“I wish –we broke up yesterday” I reply

His eyes widens as he gaze at me in wonder, that look that I would interpret for a rhetorical question, something about my decision to come here being rooted from a place of pain. But what he doesn’t understand is that everybody have something to heal from including his flower named boss.

“Let me guess, he cheated” he teases
I hit him with my shoulder with a chuckle “OK mister, nice try – why would you think that?”

He squeezed his face, humming while he thought “Women are more likely to make rash decisions after a breakup if it’s the man that cheated”

I am ready to protest that fact, one thing I won't admit is that Jeffery did his number on me or that the break up is somehow affecting me, even though he still dropped in my thoughts every now and then and that image with the Junior still make me sigh. But deciding to embark in a fun reality game show is way not a rash decision “This decision is not so rash now is it?” I persist further, trying to believe it myself

In reply, he gestured his hands towards the village, a prominent print of sarcasm on his chiseled face and his full eyebrows cringed lightly. He might be right because everybody seemed to have locked themselves inside their houses, the lights within tearing through their windows into the dark night, with the hotel on the hill I could perfectly see the little hut-like houses of the village members.

Satisfied with making his point, he goes further “We are in the middle of nowhere and are playing this stupid game of shadows and all we know is that we saw an ad. I have my doubts about this place”

“Someone has an opinion” I tease but it falls flat as he doesn’t flinch “you are here aren’t you?” I ask further and he smirks, lowering his head and lifting it back up with a light grin

 
he licks his lips and faced me “I came here as Rose’s assistant – pretty much because she offered to pay me double this month or give me the price money should we win” he defended. not a good excuse though but –

"price money?” I half-yell with my eyes wide open, I did read the tale but I don’t remember seeing digits with the dollar sign before it – I would not miss such a thing. though I personally prefer Euros.

In seconds I realize I was still gaping at him, silently regretting letting those words out, I slowly tilt my head back to the dark night with a nervous giggle. This had just proven that my coming here was a repulsive decision. I couldn’t miss the look on his face, even with my side eyes, his raised eyebrows and half smile holding back the 'I told you so’ threatening to burst from his lips

“Yes, the sum of a million dollars goes to whoever discovers the mystery of the shadows” The female voice drags my attention behind us and I turn around almost immediately

It's only been a few hours I arrived and in so many ways than one I am given reasons to regret not properly preparing for this –properly preparing was doing my hair, getting a manicure and probably waxing, even my loose curls was starting to feel like dreads and my eyes hang empty without the extra flare of artificial lashes.

Her beaming red hair distracts me from the tank top and ripped skinny jeans she wore. I nod as her red lipstick smeared lips tear apart in a dazzling grin, she stood two inches from us. Alas! Tony was checking her out too 'whore’ I snort in a mumble

“did I interrupt something?” she asks. She had stopped in her tracks looking from me to Tony and flipping her hair to the back of her ears, her two legs apart in a pose that screamed confidence. Getting no reply she continues “you didn't know about the price money?”

Still no reply. She smirks and closes in on us obviously ignoring the disgust in my face that I couldn’t hide and the sharp grin in Anthony's – he is even rubbing his chin. Imagine the mofo

a loud piercing high pitched voice of what seemed like a child grow in the atmosphere interrupting the awkward environment and drifting our heads towards the Village, the loud squeak getting even louder that we could almost feel the terror in his voice spilling into the silent dark night.

Looking out, far into the woods is a little flicker of light, possibly from a camp fire emitting vapors of red light into the trees but yet the woods lay still except the hurricane-like wind some feet from the fire.

The yells shrill through the wind towards us another time, dispersing the echoes throughout the village and without thinking, without hesitation, I tilt swiftly from the veranda glad I wasn’t too daze by the need to help and jumped over, that was the voice of a child and that person is afraid of something and I need to help that child. The slim firm hand of the pink haired girl tugs at my upper arm, she pulls harder when I try to move and grips harder when I insist on breaking free

“it's not safe out there, we don’t know anything yet” she says calmly

Now what the hell? She throwing orders too? I look at Tony who shrugs still not uttered a word since this lady appeared, here I was – thinking we actually were connecting. I roll my eyes jerking my arm from her now loose grip, if I manage to squeeze my prodigious pride a little, I would admit that she was right and I did act too carelessly given that the boy could not have been in real danger. Could he?

“This is part of the game, right?” the words jump right out of my thoughts and just like me, they don’t seem sure with the shrug they both gave in reply. Lifting my left brow I steadied my gaze on the red haired girl making her repose her stance, tugging her hair behind her ears like it was dangling in her face

“I think so” she blurts, looking to Tony who nods with her. His eyes had the worried look in them and I swear he wants to go out there too. The boy’s screams grow shallow and at a stage we could only hear breaking squeaks. Tapping my left black leather pams on the tiles of the veranda and biting my thumb nail, I shut my eyes and then open them looking at the two and grinding my teeth.

The shouting stops, the icky silence and slowing wiggling sound of the cool breezed dispersed the terror his voice had stirred in the village. I don’t know if I should be relieved or sorry, I listen hard and it’s just quietness. The lights still shine from the houses like nothing happened.

But something tings me –nobody had moved to the aid of the voice, am I taking this game way more serious than it should be? I scoffs in disbelief now turning to look at Tony and the pink haired girl – wishing I would smack the 'oh my God, are you ok?’ look from their faces but instead I nod blankly almost smiling at my display

“what if we were meant to go to the boy's aid?” I argue almost stammering

“we don’t know the rules yet” Tony said looking from the girl to me

“how are we supposed to access that?” I remember vividly that the story said the shadows took someone every night and we are supposed to save the village. That is pretty much the rule if they’d ask me. And saving a village starts with stopping the spiritual kidnap which also meant we would have gone for the child’s aid and I am not crazy for trying to do so. There goes my pride blooming again

“there were no rules on the site and I don’t see any coordinator, they pretty much left us here” Tony’s lids tear wider apart and his gaze rests on me, I am pretty sure he realizes why we would have gone – anyway spilled milk

“we need a plan, but first, I didn’t really get your name” I stretch out my right hand for a shake which she accepts but slips her hands from my fingers almost immediately after declaring “Thelma Anderson”

We both grin brightly at each other long enough for me to notice that she used a dry cloth to wipe her make up from the dragged crush of foundation on her chin – pretty lame for someone with the I am better than you vibe

“I am Bella, this is Tony – and we will have a meeting by 8am in my room, I need everybody there. Tony, please let Rose know” I say in finality
The proud bright smile on my face made Thelma’s full lips squeeze a little. But she forces them into a forced smile – so loving the efforts she is putting. Bow down to the queen bitch