Chapter 23: Behind The Painting
[warning: unedited chapter ahead]
AFTER OUR CONVERSATION with Mike, I immediately went back to the crime scene in order to observe the dead body of my step-sister. The crowd went smaller and smaller until I was the only one left. My phone began to ring again but this time, it was a registered mobile number, Rayne Sayson.
"Rayne?" I said as soon as I answered the call.
"Where are you, Mich? Deanna and I had been searching for you all over the campus." Rayne almost raised her voice and Deanna tried to calm her down in the background.
"I'm still in the garden," I replied calmly, although I started to feel nervous being alone at this very hour. "Anyway, where are you and Deanna?"
"I'm sorry," she said, already in a calming tone. "I was just carried away as to what happened these past few days. We were so worried when we—"
The line went static until I could no longer hear Rayne's voice. I kept calling her name over and over again as I ran toward the dormitory. Luckily, I found her running in the garden with Deanna behind her. She heaved a sigh in relief upon seeing me in one piece, but such loving interaction didn't last long as soon as I told them the truth.
Maybe this was my way to unweight the guilt inside me. I had to tell someone else, aside from Mike, in order for me to stay sane. But I could see from Rayne's eyes that she didn't take the revelation so well.
Raybe took a step backward from time to time with her eyes wide open in shock. I could still remember the day when Deanna told me about the urban legend and Rayne didn't believe any of it. I could still remember how Rayne was so against the idea of making a damn wish on the night of the acquaintance party, even though she didn't believe such urban legend was true. Today, knowing that the person behind the death of four people was me, maybe she couldn't believe that her friend became an innocent like murderer.
Maybe Rayne needed time.
Maybe she would come around.
Well, that was my expectation. But when evening came, I found out that Rayne transferred to another room. I sat alone on my bed when Deanna came inside with a sad smile. She told me that she would make Rayne understand the situation, but Rayne just shut the door before Deanna.
I sarcastically laughed, "Everyone left me already, Deanna. Why don't you leave, too?"
"Mich," she called and sat on Rayne's empty bed. "I would never leave you. . . no matter what happened."
"Are you not disgusted by me?"
Deanna shook her head and held my shakey hands. "Remember that I was the one who open the topic about the urban legend, the revenge part, and pushing you to make that one wish. Nonetheless, I was at fault here, too."
"But I was the reason why Dawn, Candice, my mother, and Stesha died. I don't even know who will be Morgan's next target. I'm not praying that it would be you, but there's a possibility." I explained to her as I retrieved my hands.
"Never," she replied with such confidence.
"You would never know," I retorted back. "But still, I hope that I would be able to resolve this mess. I would offer my life to her as the fifth victim, if I must in order to save the both of you from any harm."
"Mich," Deanna called again my name. "I appreciate your bravery, but it would be nice that you're still here with us. Okay? We will get through this mess together. . . I promise you that."
I sadly smiled, "Thank you, Deanna."
Deanna didn't go home that night and stayed with me. I fell asleep as soon as my body made contact with the soft mattress. However, the peacefulness of my sleep got interrupted when Morgan appeared in my dreams again.
And this time, it was from a different timeline.
"Come on, Morgan." A woman named Samantha uttered as she paused for awhile and waited for her friend to catch up.
"My legs are tired," Morgan complained, but still continued walking until she reached where Samantha stood. "Can we rest for a bit?"
"Of course," Samantha giggled. "We're here already, anyway."
"Oh," the young woman uttered in silence as she looked around. "Indeed, our favorite spot. I didn't notice the surrounding earlier."
Morgan dropped all her things on the ground as so as the blank canvass. Samantha on the other hand, settled beside the well and stared at the water for no apparent reason.
"Well, I was wondering if you could be my muse today?"
Morgan nodded as she stood before her junior. "It would be my pleasure, Sam."
Samantha giggled as she clapped her hands. While she prepared all of her things at one corner, Morgan took off her black shoes and stood still as the wind blew her white dress. She smiled sweetly as soon as Samantha started to sketch her friend's face until the sun had set.
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