The house was filled with chaos and happiness upon the return of Amara's cousin brother, who had just arrived from abroad. Aunt Siya and Uncle Jackson were overjoyed to see their firstborn and favorite child back home. Maria and Aira were practically dancing with excitement for their only brother's return.Amara didn’t have any memories of Alex, as she had been far away with her parents.But she was happy to have her cousin brother back. She hoped he would treat her the same way her uncle and aunt do.
"Amara, sweetheart, can you come here and help me with this arrangement? Alex loves red roses.Let’s decorate the house with them," Aunt called out from the living room.
Amara slowly made her way back to the living room, gently guiding herself along the wall. Aunt Siya handed her a basket of flowers to decorate the room. As Amara’s slender fingers brushed against the petals, a bright smile formed on her face. Her expression softened, mirroring the delicate petals. Her fingers glided along the flowers as she held them, with the help of Maria and Aira. Carefully, she tucked the flowers into the vase, creating a beautiful arrangement.
With every flower she tucked into the vase, a bright smile spread across her face.
Once she finished arranging the flowers, Maria and Aira dragged her out, eager to go shopping. Amara had promised them she would join them, and now it was time to fulfill that promise.
Amara walked out with them, and the fresh air kissed her face and hair, making her shine brightly under the sunlight.
As they made their way into the shopping mall, Aira and Maria became overwhelmed by the excitement of shopping and forgot Amara was still with them. She stumbled, trying to walk ahead, feeling lost and left behind.
She called out for them, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"Aira... Maria... Are you there?"
As she managed to grip the edge of the wall, Amara stumbled forward, uneasiness creeping into her heart. With each step, the struggle to walk grew more difficult, and her anxiety tightened around her chest.
She felt herself bump into something, her small hands reaching out and sprawling across the hard surface. An uneasiness settled in her chest as her fingers brushed against what felt like rough, jagged rocks.
Her hands continued to search for a grip on the surface, and as they touched something soft yet solid, she realized with a start it wasn’t a rock or a wall. It was something more, something alive. A human?
The moment she realized it wasn’t a rock or wall, she withdrew her hands abruptly, causing herself to stumble backward. Just as she was about to collapse to the floor, strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.
"Are you blind? Can't you see where you’re stumbling, little girl?" a deep, authoritative voice filled her ears, making her freeze.
"Aah, I'm... I'm sorry... I’m... actually... blind..." she choked out the words, her voice trembling. She tried to pull away but had no idea where to go or how to move further.
The strong arms slowly loosened around her waist, but then tightened around her wrist, pulling her along. She had no choice but to follow, the man dragging her somewhere she couldn’t see. A sudden shiver ran down her spine as she felt the stranger's bare hands on her skin, the contact sending an unsettling chill through her.
She felt herself being dragged until her foot stumbled upon a hard surface, which she realized felt like the edge of a sofa.
"Sit, here," she heard the authoritative voice, even closer this time, so close that it felt like he was whispering directly into her ear.
Amara found herself obeying the stranger's words, sitting silently as she heard his footsteps move away. It wasn’t until the sound of his steps faded that she realized he had left her there, alone.
After some time, Aira and Maria rushed to Amara.
"Amara, where did you go? We searched everywhere for you! The manager came to us and told us you were here... Are you okay, Amara? We're really so sorry."
The worry was evident in their voices as Amara nodded absently, still shaken by the strange encounter.
Amara’s voice trembled as she spoke, her hands still feeling the lingering heat from the stranger's touch. The memory of the burning sensation remained with her, unsettling and vivid.”I'm…i.. Was…uhhh lost…”
Aira and Maria nodded, understanding Amara's unspoken words. Aira gently took Amara's hand and led her to the women's section of the store. They picked out dresses for themselves and bought beautiful ones for Amara, even though she insisted she didn’t need them.
One by one, they made Amara try on the dresses. Each one looked stunning on her, the fabric flowing gracefully and the colors complementing her perfectly, making her appear even more beautiful and magnificent than before.
But throughout the entire process, Amara couldn't shake the feeling of a sharp gaze on her from somewhere. It was intense, making her heart race faster and faster, as if someone was watching her closely, calculating every move she made.
After choosing some dresses, Amara and her cousins made their way out of the store. Yet, Amara couldn't shake the uneasiness that clung to her. The feeling of being watched lingered, gnawing at her, making her skin crawl as she glanced around, but saw nothing. The sensation was too real to ignore.Even on the way home in the taxi, the uneasiness still crept into Amara, the sensation of being watched never leaving her. It was as if someone was following her, and though she couldn't see them, the feeling was too real to ignore.
She cleared her throat, gripping Aira’s hand tightly.
"Aira, I... I think someone is behind us. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm being watched by someone... Maybe it's just my overthinking, but..." Her voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding her words.
"There’s no one behind you, Amara. You’re just overthinking. We’re almost home... You don’t need to worry, everything is fine," Aira reassured her, squeezing her hand. "But please, don’t tell Mom about these feelings. You know how she is... She’ll worry unnecessarily and probably won’t let us go out next time."Aira says calmly
Amara nodded her head, trying to reassure herself, though the unsettling feeling still clung to her. Despite Aira’s words, she couldn’t shake the sense of being watched, and it lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.
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..........To Be Continued............
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