My mind suddenly went blank. I couldn't say or do anything. Hell, I couldn't even think of anything. They say that the brain never stops working, then why is it that whenever you face the most difficult or perilous situation of your life, your brain leaves your side?

Where does it run away and hide itself when we need it the most?

The strength from my body was dissipating at the speed of light, making my body slump against the ground. Tears threatened to fall but I still couldn't find the strength or the courage to get up.

I thought everything was lost.

Just then, I felt someone clasping onto my shoulders and trying to lift me up while he threw a volley of questions of his own.

"Ms. Shreya? Please stand up and tell me what did you hear on the phone. This is not the time to sit here and mourn your loss, you can still save her. Please, be alert at this time and don't give up like this. We need to find that person no matter what."

His words were like a soothing balm that you apply to a burning wound. He helped me regain my composure as I now directed my grief and ire on that murderer, who was still trying to mess with me and my best friend. I aggressively wiped the tears from my eyes and turned to face the officer.

"Officer, I need your help. Huma has been attacked in the hotel garden and we are only ten minutes away. Can we go in your vehicle?"

"Yes of course. Let's go this way, my jeep is parked over there."

He complied with me immediately, running over to where his jeep was and opening the door for me before getting in the right side of the car and turning on the ignition.

Even though the distance between the hotel and the police station was very less, it seemed a great idea for the officer to speed up and go over the limit. It would have felt awfully terrifying to ride in such a speedy manner, considering that they were on a hill station, where almost all roads sandwiched between hills on both sides.

But since I was preoccupied, I became numb to my surroundings. In that moment, it didn't matter if I was going to be thrown off a cliff or return to the hotel safely.

The short ride went without either of us saying a single word. As soon as we reached the entrance of the hotel, I jumped out of the jeep and ran straight towards the back garden. The murderer was probably still there doing, God knows what, to Huma.

Officer Akshay kept shouting at me from behind to take it slowly and go along with him, but I couldn't care less. I sprinted towards the garden calling out Huma's name like a mad woman. But, there was no answer.

"HUMA!!!"

I called out again, getting desperate as I ran all over the place, frantically turning my head from left to right, hoping that I would find her somewhere.

The garden was nothing short of an unending puzzle. It had numerous turns and pathways, and they all led to one another. It was designed in such a confusing way that someone who entered for the first time would never be able to get out on his own. When I started walking on one path, it led me to the second, which led me to the third, and then I was lost too.

The trees in here were really tall, and wide. Their foliage formed a canopy of sorts in the sky, preventing most of the sunlight to enter the garden. The innermost areas of the garden were the darkest, as the sky over there was almost completely covered up. As I entered that part of the garden, it started to feel more like a forest to me. It was dark, and extremely cold, and reminded me of last night.

I kept looking around for Huma and calling her name, hoping to find her.....           and myself too.

Just then, in the pin drop silence, I heard the rustling of leaves. I stilled almost immediately. Upon listening to it more intently, I concluded that the sound was coming from over my head. There was someone, or something in the trees.

I hope it isn't a wild animal. It shouldn't make sense to have a wild animal in here, but after seeing all sorts of bizarre things happen in this hotel, I wouldn't be surprised anymore.

I tried to be brave and looked upwards in the trees, hoping to find something that would lead me to where I want to go. Apparently, I shouldn't have been too inquisitive, as it never brings good results. I mean, if last night wasn't a good enough example, today too, I just had to drop all my priorities to look for something in the trees thinking I'll find some sort of a treasure.

But I was proved wrong. Again.

As I looked up, my eyes met a pair of piercing green eyes through the dense foliage. A creature situated right in the middle of the canopy of leaves? It was perfectly camouflaged, due to which I couldn't see its body, but I started feeling really nervous by staring in its eyes. Those eyes were dangerous, and told me that it could do really menacing things to me.

I think, the longer I stared at it, the more intimidated it felt. I wasn't in my right mind to figure out what kind of animal it was, otherwise I wouldn't have ever taken the next step. I decided to break off our staring contest by moving two steps backwards and looking ahead of me, but my actions were misunderstood by the animal who clearly took it as a warning of impending danger and pounced on me first, trying to overpower me.

It was then that I realized that it was a cat, jet black in colour. The psychology of everyone in the cat family was easy - if you look at them, you're challenging them; if you take a few steps back, you are preparing to pounce on them and kill them. And my stupid ass did all of those things.

I didn't even have time to process what was going on when I saw a huge lump of black come onto me, sending me crashing to the ground. It had come straight for my face and scratched it badly with its deadly claws. But it still wasn't done. The cat landed on the other side and prepared to attack me once again.

It flew straight for my face again, but I was now prepared. I caught it in my arms right as it was about to claw at my face or possibly bite me too, but just because cats are smaller than lions in size, doesn't mean they are any less ferocious. It mewed loudly and its mouth was open fully, showcasing its fatal teeth that can rip off the flesh of any man. I threw it away with full force and broke into a sprint, only having the option to run in the forward direction.

I thought I was all alone, but in that moment, I had completely forgotten about a particular man who had been following me after listening to my shouts across the garden, and was in the vicinity. I had absolutely no idea that he had heard someone struggling in the leaves a few meters ahead, and was coming to help me.

All I knew right now, was that I still hadn't found my best friend, or whether she was still in this garden or not; I had inadvertently gotten myself into a lot of trouble and danger since the cat didn't seem to give up; and that I would not leave this murderer alone or let him get away with what he did to the victim and us, and I will make him pay no matter what.

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