DAYMARE 19: Get Involved, You’re Shunned

I shiver at the cold of the weather. It was three o'clock in the morning. I want to sleep, but my mind is pulling me awake. I just sat on the bed and wrapped myself in a blanket.

I'm weary, nervous, and scared.

Because of the murder attempt they made on me, I went down to the living area slowly.

I will call Sir Johace or Mr. Sergio on the phone. It’s been a long time since I had contact with them. They were busy because Mr. Sergio was handling another case while Sir Johace flew back to Metro City to discuss an agreement with the Gern family.

I can no longer hide the horror I feel.

It took a few minutes before someone answered.

"Hello?"

“S-Sir Johace? This is Lewin.”

“Lewin Truvel?” he yawned first. “It's past three in the morning. What do you need?"

"Can you promise me never to tell anyone about this?"

I felt his confusion at the other end of the line. "What do you mean?"

“Just please, promise me!"

A few seconds passed before I heard Sir Johace’s answer. He was probably surprised by it.

"What are you talking about? What’s the need for making me swear?"

“Believe me. You’re the only person I can tell this to.”

I don't want anyone else to be affected by my story, especially my family.

“Okay, fine. Do tell me.”

I took a deep breath first. "Lorean and Vance tried to kill me a while ago."

“Your two friends, Santia and Ronale?”

"Yes, Sir"

"Tell me more about it."

Evidence?... Ah, the thumbtacks!

“Lorean fed me dough balls with thumbtacks. By any chance, if I was too dumb not to realize, I could be dead by now."

Then I told the whole story.

“Do you have any evidence to back it all up?”

“I threw the dough balls in the trash. I couldn’t say that Vance was directly involved with Lorean because Lorean was the only one who delivered the food.”

“I can't accept that as a complaint yet. You don't have enough evidence that she is attempting to murder you.”

D*mn it!

I don't have enough evidence that the two of them were trying to kill me because it may have been an accident that there were thumbtacks that fell into the dough balls.

“Beware of Santia and Ronale. They have a grudge against Hestral, they might be coming after you. I’ll request a restraining order-”

The connection on the telephone was cut. I read it, but he’s unreachable!

I tried calling Mr. Sergio, but no one answered. No wonder, it’s because it’s too early to call them.

Mama! I should call her.

“Ma? It's me!"

“Lewin. Oh, how are you, son?”

“Ma! Come home, please!”

“What time is it? It’s still early. Don’t worry, we will be back tomorrow morning, okay?”

"My life is in danger. There are ghosts and someone’s trying to kill me!"

Even if I say just one more day, I can't do it anymore. I feel that when I leave the house tomorrow, something bad will happen to me.

"What are you talking about, son?"

“See, Winwin? That’s the effect of playing horror games." Vea spoke.

Mama must have set her phone to a loudspeaker.

If you only knew… I'm in hell right now.

“Vea, I’m not kidding! Go home-”

*thunder*

What I was going to say was cut short by strong thunder. I turned my attention back to the telephone.

“Hello? Vea? Ma? *toot ** toot ** toot*”

Lost connection. Ugh!

I tried calling Vea, Mama, and Sir Johace using both the telephone and my cellphone but I’m out of luck.

I went back to my room and tried to sleep. I approached the window to see that it was slightly open. I closed the sliding window when…

I can see a pair of eyes hiding under the tree.

I blinked multiple times. It appears and disappears from my sight, then the cycle repeats.

Ha-ha-ha! Right, that’s it. Just laugh it off, Lewin.

I hid under the blanket and covered my ears with the pillow.

***

Three hours later, I didn’t sleep.

I looked at the clock and it was 6:05 in the morning. I decided not to go to school today.

I went down to the kitchen. I opened the chocolate and ate it. I’m starving. I was about to throw away the chocolate wrapper when I saw the dough balls I had thrown away last night.

Lorean!

"See you at school tomorrow."

Her repeated voice is echoing in my brain.

I rushed out of the kitchen to get ready to enter.

***

"Lewin, are you okay?"

"You look pale, ah"

“Hey! Did you sleep haha!”

I sat in my chair and ignored my random classmates talking to me.

"Good morning!” Ah, that voice.

I already know who owns that voice. I glared at him while he seated.

“Whoa, slowly, bro. Are you okay?" Vance questioned me.

I stood. "Don't call me bro because you're a murderer!" I shouted at him and pointed at him.

Everyone was surprised.

"I-I do not understand you." He stuttered.

"Stop," Lorean interrupted the conversation and approached the two of us.

Her face looks confused.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked me.

I pointed at them both.

“You, you two! You bastards kill people! I considered you friends, and then that’s how you will repay me?!”

"Nobody understands what you’re saying," Lorean insults me.

“The dough balls you brought last night have thumbtacks in it! And I almost died because of that! What are you gonna do if I did, huh?!”

They looked at each other as if something was wrong with what I was saying. And they look clueless. Nice acting both of you. I commend you for that.

"We didn't put anything like that, Lewin. And we should talk about this outside." Vance denied. He also seemed embarrassed by how our classmates were staring at us.

“Why? Because you’re guilty of your wrongdoing? Why don’t we let our classmates know what you two are hiding?”

“Hiding what exactly? It was just an accident. We won’t do such a thing to you.” Lorean added.

“All four dough balls have thumbtacks hidden in the exact middle of the dough balls. You call that an accident?”

They couldn’t answer me. See? I cornered them.

“You think I was making things up?” I scoffed.

"Just calm down, Lewin." Vance is trying to calm me down.

How can I calm down when my life is at stake?!

"If you're insisting we did it, where's your evidence?" Lorean challenges me.