As soon as the video clip got over  on "Our clutched hands", I lowered the LCD display of my laptop to halt it in the state of sleep mode, for sometime, because my two friends Cindy and Adrian who has already sandwiched me on the sofa are rhythmically moving side by side, I flinched when suddenly the room filled with their humming tunes.Urgh! I know what's awaiting me next.

Does anyone have a vanishing cream because I urgently need to disappear.Well, you know they're many unusual things  people carry on doing like crossing fingers while lying, hanging that DO NOT DISTURB boards on their door knobs, I don't know who initiated stuff like that but if in future you encounter a girl walking around with a board hung along her neck saying Do not TEASE ..know that it's me.

Like a pendulum these two were still oscillating and then without warning I stood up and they both collided pretty badly banging their heads.

"OUCH!!! " both said in unison, " OW!!! Ow!! ow! oo....." Adrian continued to wail.

"That's why teasing is harmful, so better stay away from it." I said while crossing my arms.

Adrian and Cindy both rubbing their temples. " Hey! I'm already excited to work with you now, more than ever, I wonder where you got that acting skill of yours." Adrian said while nodding his head in consideration.

"How can you call that an Achievement Adrian, Dream big. Your wish should be to work with highly established and Oscar winner actresses."

"I'm actually dreaming big , It's YOU.."said Adrian pointing his finger at me ".. who are not dreaming high of becoming one of a kind.  I'm sure you'll be a rising star then I'll work with the most famous actress of this industry." said Adrian dramatically expanding his hands in air.

I just stood their still,  how can someone believe and see so much potential in me where I myself fail to notice it. Sometimes I feel so small in front of their warm welcoming and encouraging big hearts. I'm not saying this because he just complimented me but because he .......and Cindy obviously , both make me realize that in the world full of jealously, greed and miserliness , they are people who see goodness in others or if they don't find goodness in others , they give them theirs by spreading kindness.I'm so lucky to have them as my best friends.

"We'll do a Romedy Movie..What say?!" Adrian jumped in his place.

"Romedy? Huh!.."Cindy quoted "..Um, I don't know about the prefix of 'Ro-medy' but you sure can do the suffix of it perfectly, in fact you won't even need classes in that genre , because you're already a.."

"..a joker!."Adrian said completing Cindy's sentence.

"Bingo!" Cindy squealed.

"You think I can't do action, tragedy, drama?"said Adrian shifting in his place  to have a face-off with Cindy. In between I tried to intervene but it was all in vain .They continued to argue and the situation almost heated up between them. I released an exhausted sigh.

"Feeling left-out?!  Maybe you need a little company."A  familiar voice came from behind my back. I turned on my heels and my eyes widened on the image formed on my retina, a man flashing his 32 teeth grin wearing teal colored t-shirt with a pair of jeans, and inwardly, I appreciated him as his jeans wasn't ripped. I don't really prefer ripped jeans.

Gosh! This is not the time to get distracted I reminded myself.

"How did you enter into my house?" I almost shrieked. My gaze dropped on his hand which he lowered into his pocket,Gosh! I took a step back ,'coz last time he lowered his hand into his pocket to take out the ..Ring, I know that was a movie but still  he's unpredictable in real life too so...

He removed a set of keys and started jingling in front of me.

"You have a duplicate key to my house?" William just smiled and tossed his keys into my direction cupping my hands I swiftly caught it and inquired it disbelievingly.

"You always jump into wrong conclusions or bring your baseless assumptions into being."said William putting his hands inside his pocket again. "Those are my car keys and not a duplicate set to this apartment." He said while eyeing my apartment. 

Remember moments ago I was talking about people who make your day with kindness and are sweet as sugar whereas he on the other hand is balancing your sweetened life with his vinegary speech. I stared at him with annoyance. 

"I knocked at the door first, I'm not that ill-mannered , since it was ajar and a lot of noises consumed your place so I just walked in." said Will.

"Hey!" Cindy waved at him and he  waved back with much more enthusiasm, and I'm continiously giving him a look that says 'I'm still angry at you Mr.' then threw his keys in his direction which hit straight at his stomach and then he grabbed it in support with his body.

"I suppose you're good in Throwball game." said Will somehow managing to keep his hold on the keys.

"Oh! that makes sense now...." Adrian jumped, when Will gave him a quizzical look "She threw some stuff at me as well moments ago." Both nodded as if that was the missing piece of a puzzle, a solution to this whole chaos.

" By the way, what are you guys  doing?" asked Will.

"Adrian edited the scenes..."Cindy replied.

"That's great can I also join you three?"said Will making a cute expression and formed a sweet lip tied smile.

"SURE!" Ad and Cindy shouted 

Will walked along the table, sat beside Adrian then pulled my hand to sit beside him. Four in one straight sofa which is not so long, we all adjusted after Adrian opened the laptop from standby and the screen displayed the clutched hand scene. My cheeks were on fire when I realized that in a similar way he was currently holding my hand. The first thing I wanted to do was shut the laptop again..gladly Will inched forward and closed the page and happily clicked on something else ,I tilted my head and  wondered on which scene he's so excited about.

"I didn't expect you to edit the last scene of our movie so quickly."said Will and played the video.

"I'm not watching that scene."I said to the deaf ears. I looked at Cindy my only hope but her eyes were glued to the screen.

"Traitors" I said under my breathe and joined them to watch the last scene.

«« The last scene»»

Lacey

I opened my eyes, the pain in my head was still throbbing, I tasted some powered thing like sand in my mouth. On exhaling, the dust particles rotated in air.My left shoulder was sore and my whole body ached.

"William, ...hey Argus"I chanted his name while rising up. Then I opened my eyes and saw that I'm surrounded by sand left in a desert. The land was covered in sand and rocky stones.The sight in front of me only fried me in fear.
I tried to recall the events that occurred pressing my forehead and closed my eyes.

The siren of a police car echoed in my ears, we were running ,more like William was dragging me, on reaching an open ground we looked around it was just a dead end, the cars approached and they weren't cops. A loud sound of chopper shrilled in our  ears. I smiled at the sight of an helicopter.. they came to our rescue, but when William tightened his grip I realized that chopper is not on our rescue. A rope ladder hanging loose and one after the other couple of men with masks moved down and before we could formulate our escape, they pulled down black bags over our heads.

**

I got back my sight when they yanked off the bag and after my pupils got adjusted to the light, I became conscious of the surrounding. We were on a high rocky cleft my hands were handcuffed. I turned around when someone was yelling so hard.

"This is last time I'm asking you , Where's the Microchip?"yelled a man , wearing full black suit, he was medium weight not like a muscular wrestler type of physique, he moved a little and the man with whom he was yelling at came to view, William aka Argus , when Argus shook his head , the man threw a punch on his face. 

I moved forward but a recessive force pulled me back, I was tied to a huge rock. Argus kept on refusing to answer and each time on refusal he got hit by that man. Tears welled in my eyes because  I know , how hard that man hit him it will be ineffective on Argus, he won't let out the truth in front of the wrong men.

"NOOOO!."  I squealed when the man grabbed Argus by his collars and extended his body at the edge of the cleft. Argus looked at me and that's when we silently communicated, my eyes begged him to not hurt himself enough and to find other alternative against that idiotic man, in response he smiled, which only increased my pain and fear of losing him, his smile was a message for me to brace myself and to remain patient. Seeing our moment as a distraction that man raised his leg to hit Argus again but he lowered himself then kicked the man's other leg sending him on the ground, Argus's hand were also cuffed , the man spring back strongly with a sudden jump forward, but Argus targeted the nose by hitting him with his head and lastly he kicked in his thigh which made the man drop backward and down the cleft. The other men surrounding me ran towards Argus , I tried to stop one or two of them by extending my leg on their way. Five or six members circled Argus but another set of men passed by my side but thankfully those were our agency members who hurried and the brawl started. 

"Do you have that microchip with you?" Jericho asked while freeing me from the rock." ..and who's that man with you?" I couldn't answer him , I just wanted to free myself and run towards Argus. When I was finally released I made my way into the turmoil, in pairs they were all separated and in the center was Argus who swung his cuffed hands at the short light weight man, who immediately fell on the ground. Argus ascended his gaze from that lying man and looked at me, they was no one in between us, I was so relieved to see him stand in good condition.  Something on the ground caught my eyes, a hand creeping his way from the edge of the cleft, my insides got the hint what was was happening  but the signaling inside my body was not that rapid,  the hand grasped Argus's leg.

That man was rising , he didn't fall , he hung there at the cleft, my voice refused to come out, I sprinted in his way but a sudden pull cause Argus to diverge from a standing position to a slanting backward position.

"ARG...!" I stretched out my hand to reach him but was met with the dust spread out in air.

************

Did you like this Chapter? 

I agree it might need some editing but I'm publishing it because I can't delay this chapter any longer.

*evil grin* I know and I hope so  this chapter is going to keep you hanging.

Another chapter will be back soon .... till then 

..............Happy Reading........

And don't forget to leave your comments and click on that tiny star if you liked the chapter.

Bye,  

Anneyong (korean),  

Au revoir(french) , 

addio(italian).