“So this is what it’s gonna be like living with you three?” I tease, a smile playing on my lips.
Cain emerges from the bath, his toned frame glistening with water droplets. He grabs a soft, fluffy towel and holds it up for me, a gentlemanly gesture that makes me blush a little.
Mike finishes urinating and adjusts his clothing before washing his hands thoroughly. As he finishes up, Cain rolls his eyes at him. I stand up in the bathtub, the warm water cascading down my body as Cain wraps the towel around me, providing a comforting embrace.
As we make our way down the road towards my house, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for my humble abode. Finally, we reach our destination and pull up outside my house.
Suddenly, my eyes catch sight of a box sitting at the front door. “Looks like I’ve had a delivery,” I exclaim, feeling a bit curious.
“Stay in the car,” Cain orders, his voice stern and unwavering.
His sudden demand takes me aback. “Wait, what’s going on?” I ask, my heart racing with anticipation.
Mike, Nate, and Cain leave the Jeep and walk to the house without a word. Cain picks up the box and opens the lid, revealing its contents. Nate’s face falls and the three of them turn around to look at me. I can’t help but feel a sense of dread as I watch them from the car.
I open the car door and jump out, my curiosity getting the best of me. Mike runs up to me and stops me from getting closer to the box. “What’s going on?” I demand, my heart pounding in my chest.
Cain draws closer and he opens the lid. I feel a knot forming in my stomach. Inside the box, I can see a single eyeball staring back at me, surrounded by a dark, murky fluid. Seeing it makes me feel queasy and I can’t help but heave a little. Alongside the eyeball, there’s a crumpled piece of paper, which I can only assume contains some sinister message.
Nate places his hand on my back and calmly says, “Go back in the car. We will deal with this, baby.” I shrug him off.
“Is that a real...eyeball?” My voice trails off, barely above a whisper.
“No, it looks like a sheep’s eye. Whoever sent it is just trying to scare you,” Mike states.
I can barely bring myself to ask the next question. I turn to Cain, trying to read his expression, and ask him directly, “What does the note say, Cain?”
His voice is barely audible as he mumbles, “An eye for an eye.”
“I have a feeling it’s from Archie.”
They all exchange glances that convey more than they let on. Sensing that something is amiss, Mike suggests we head inside the house. Confused and anxious, I follow them as we approach the door. Unlocking it, I step into my humble abode, feeling like it had been ages since I last set foot in it.
Cain gestures for me to sit on one of the chairs at the table. As I settle down into the seat, my mind races with questions about what is happening and why everyone seems to be acting so strange.
Cain begins to divulge a series of shocking revelations to me. He starts by explaining how I am listed on a particular website and how my fate lies in the hands of potential buyers. He reveals that Dan, who was initially in charge of the order, couldn’t complete it, and now Archie has taken over. The weight of his words leaves me speechless and utterly petrified. I feel lost and helpless, unsure of what my future holds.
Cain tells me that there are specific videos of me that are being sought after, whether it be footage of me alive or deceased. As I try to process this horrifying information, tears begin to well up in my eyes. I explained that Archie mentioned that I owed him something and that he believed in the concept of an eye for an eye. How his words left me feeling uneasy.
“We can’t even go to the police,” I cry.
At that moment, Mike leans down to my level, his voice reassuring as he says, “We are going to keep you safe–”
However, before he can finish his sentence, Cain’s urgent interruption cuts him off mid-sentence, “We’re all going away. We are gonna get away from here. We just need to find somewhere to stay.”
Suddenly, an idea strikes my mind. I know somewhere we can stay, just a two-hour drive from our current location. Without wasting time, I take my phone from my pocket and dial a number to make the necessary arrangements. I put the phone on the table and put it on the loudspeaker.
“Hello,” a quiet, elderly voice says.
“Nan, it's me…Tessie.”
“Oh, Tessie, dear. Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Nan, I need your help.”
“Is everything ok, dear? Are you in trouble?”
“No. I just need to get away. Can I stay at yours, please?”
“Of course you can…”
“Is it ok if I bring my… uh…boyfriend and two of his friends?”
I look at the trio, their eyes meeting in an unspoken moment of curiosity. Mike gestures towards Nate with a subtle hand movement and silently mouths the word boyfriend. Nate, in turn, responds with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.
“Of course you can, dear. Did you want to stay in the main house with me or the guesthouse?”
“Can we stay in the guesthouse, please, Nan?”
“I will get Amara to clean it and put fresh bedding down.”
“I can’t thank you enough. We will be there tonight.”
“Ok, dear. Safe journey. I will see you later.”
“Bye, Nan.”
