Brutal History, Great Mystery

12. We will leave this place today itself.

Alexa-

Early Morning but no chirping of birds can be heard. That is how it is here. The castle is away from everyone's sight and though the morning should be like what it is in fairytales. It is not. 

And if you guessed it right... I didn't sleep. And I just busied myself in understanding the patterns that the leaves of the tall trees here form. I saw the sunlight peeking through those patterns. I spent my time thinking about Desmond. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he didn't come to me last night. Never in all the years has he ever left me to handle any problem by myself. And last night he abandoned me when he knew I can't sleep alone. Just because I yelled at him? I do that every time! 

But now it's time to freshen up and wake him up! 

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I freshen up and wear one of the comfortable outfits that I have packed for the camping. I want answers to my questions and I need to know what that voice means...

I storm out of the room and to Desmond's room. The door is open but he is not in the room. 

'Where is he?' 

I come out and go to check Brett and Rhett's room. Yeah, they slept in one because both were scared. I barge in their room to find Rhett shaking Brett. 

"Oh, Good Morning!" Rhett says kicking his a*s getting off the bed.

"Good Morning. Umm... isn't Desmond here?" I ask.

"Nah, he must be with you, Aye! You didn't do something naughty, did you?" He asks while chuckling.

"Shut up, Rhett! We are friends!" I said before storming out of the room. 

'Where could he be?' 

I get out of the corridor, out of the area where all the rooms are, and come to one of the many living rooms. I see a leg hanging on the backrest of the couch and move forward to check who it is. Though I'm sure it's Desmond because I recognize him by his shoes. I come near the couch and find him sprawled on the couch. I grit my teeth and come around the couch. Noticing the jug full of water on the table, I pick it up and splash the water on his face. 

He gasps loudly sitting straight. His eyes are squinted and he looks confused. 

"Good Morning!" I yell at him before taking my place on the couch across him.

"Alexa!? Why the hell would you wake me up like that!?" He booms.

"Because you deserve it!" I yell back.

"What!? And... why am I even here?" He says noticing his surroundings.

"Whoa Whoa Whoa, don't tell me you don't know where you had slept last night! There are no drinks here, okay? Or did you drink all the bottles that you guys had stocked and brought here for the birthday night?" I ask him.

"What!? You drunk all of it!?" Brett enters the scene and I roll my eyes. Rhett following behind him.

"Seriously Desmond?" Rhett asks him.

"Shut up! I haven't drunk even a drop. And Alexa I really don't know how I got here." He says boiling my blood more.

"I was coming to your room..." But Brett cuts him off.

"And then they say, "We are just friends!" " Brett quotes mimicking my voice.

"Shut up Brett... And I was coming to your room but then I was met by Mr. Clifford and we had a talk and then... then... I don't remember anything that happened after that..." He says.

"You didn't come last night! I spent the night counting stars!" I yell at him.

"Whoopsies! Angry Girlfriend..." Brett sing-songs and I glare at him.

Moving my eyes back to Desmond, I find him with a frown on his face.

"Good Morning." A voice comes and it's Diego's voice. 

"Good Morning." I nod curtly and so do Brett and Rhett. But Desmond just ignores him.

"Something is wrong?" Diego asks and I remember last night when I literally kicked him out of his castle's room.

"No, nothing..." But I'm cut off by Desmond.

"I couldn't get to her room. Now she is mad because I didn't come to her room last night. I remember meeting you in the way and we shared a drink but it's strange that I don't remember anything after that." Desmond says and I glare at him. 

'Why is he making it sound like we are boyfriend and girlfriend?'

Diego looks at me and I see him clench his jaws before he turns his head from me. 

"Hmm... everyone, freshen up then." He says before moving out.

"What was that Desmond?" I ask him while folding my arms.

He looks at Rhett and Brett before saying, "Don't you think you should go and get freshen up?" 

"Yeah, whatever... Not like your fight is something new..." Brett says before both of them move out.

"Look, I'm really sorry Alexa. You know I wouldn't ever do that, right? But I think something was wrong with the drink?" Desmond says moving towards me.

"What do you mean to say? Are you saying that Diego mixed something in your drink?" I ask him sarcastically.

"It could be." He says and I give him a 'Are you serious?' look. 'Why would Diego do something like that?'

"Look, I don't like him being that close to you okay? That man is just being too damn interested in you." He says.

"Well, he came to my room last night too..." 

"What!?" Desmond cuts me off.

"Yeah, and he told me that you had told him about how I can't sleep alone and so he came to meet me. Then he offered to sleep with me on the same bed..."

"What the f**k!?" He exclaims.

"But when we laid down..."

"You agreed!?" He exclaimed.

"Yes! Now listen to me! I need to tell you this... Look, I don't know what is happening but I'm hearing voices. I forgot to tell you but when the first day I went with him for a little stroll... something weird happened. All the birds just crashed down on the ground and I got really frightened. But then, Diego shook me and when I opened my eyes, it was all normal. No trace of any bird at all. He said that I had hallucinated everything. Back when you guys had hidden behind the trees to scare me and then a little storm had come, I heard the voice and it said, 'I'll always be with you'. I thought I had imagined it all but I heard it again when Diego had come here. Then last night when I was sleeping beside him, someone again whispered in my ears. It alerted me to stay away from him. I looked all around me but I didn't find anyone. I am hearing this same man's voice again and I swear upon you, I'm not lying. I... I..." I stammer and feel Desmond's hands on my cheeks. He wipes the tears that have started streaming down my cheeks. The tears of pure fear.

"Shhh..." He shushes me and pulls me in a hug.

"You know I won't ever swear on you falsely, right?" I sob in his arms.

"Shh... Shh... Calm down. Are you sure you are not imagining?" He asks and I pull away from him instantly.

"I swear upon you, Desmond! I am not imagining things or telling lies." I tell him desperately. I only have hope from him that he would believe me.

"Okay, you don't need to stress, okay? We'll figure this out." He says cupping my cheeks.

"You think I'm lying, right?" I ask him in a low voice. 'Who would take me seriously? If one day someone comes and tells me that they have been hearing voices then I'd probably just laugh at them.'

"No, Alexa. I know you won't swear on me if this was just a prank. We will figure this out, okay? And we will leave this place today itself." He says and I know he believes me even when his logical mind says otherwise.

But I need to get away from here... as soon as possible.