第二章

"What will I tell father," Ema thought as she walked back to the reception.

She had been so rash that she accepted to go on a date with Nathan.

It was stupid but yes, she complied.

Seeing her father in such a foul mood at the reception made things a whole lot awful go her.

"Dad..." She made her presence known to him.

"Ema, why did you run off like that? Are you ok?" Mr Contreras demanded, examining he like he was sure she had been molested in his office.

The punk's lips was a devilish temptation and the sparks she felt when their body met was alarming, apart from that, Ema knew she was untainted.

"I'm fine Dad."

"So what did he tell you?"

"You got your job back."

She expected her father to be shocked or doubtful but instead, he was angry.

"What! How!"

"I don't understand you Dad, Didn't you want the job back?"

"Ema, I want you to tell me the truth and now, What did he do? Did he say anything?"

"No... I just accepted to go on a date with him."

Before Ema could react, her father latched at her arm and dragged her outside.

"Dad, you're hurting me!" Ema shrieked but he didn't as much care.

He continued dragging her until they reached the truck.

"Get in!" Mr Contreras commanded.

"No!" Ema retorted.

"Don't make me hit you!"

And just like that, her father had morphed into a monster. One her family had mysteriously become since she set foot in the city since she heard the name, Adriana.

"I don't understand you anymore. What is it that I'm doing wrong? I tried to help but it seems all you and mother want is to keep me under a lock and key."

"This is not the time to joke around Ema." Mr Contreras spat.

"I'm not going anywhere. I have a promise to keep." Ema voiced and turned away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mr Contreras demanded, holding Ema.

"Leave her." A Stern voice warned.

Mr Contreras turned to see Nathan, hands in his rich pocket and with his winning smile.

"Leave us! This is a family matter."

"But physical assault isn't." Nathan chipped in.

Mr Contreras let Ema go and she ran behind Nathan.

Nathan walked up to the old man and whispered into his ear,

"You pushed her away and the game hasn't even begun yet."

"Come back here Ema."

"No father." Ema maintained, "I am not a puppet and I can make my life choices. I am going on this dumb date and if you stop me father, then there is something you're not telling me."

"There you have it old man. She's with me."

***

Mrs. Contreras was busy with the house chores when a neighbor came to inform her that her husband wished to speak to her through his phone.

"Is anything wrong Honey?" Mrs Contreras asked, worried sick.

"It's Ema. That...man...he took Ema."

"What! Call the police!"

"You don't understand. Ema followed him...freely."

The camel's back broke.

Mrs Contreras dropped the phone in her hands getting a glare from the neighbor whose phone went shattering on the mud floor.

She followed Nathan freely? How?

Mrs. Contreras took refuge in the old creaking dining table and buried her face to think.

"How could this happen?"

"Because you failed as a parent for the second time."

Mrs. Contreras looked up to see Ema.

She was dressed in a wedding gown and covered in her own blood.

"What...are...you...doing...here?" She stammered.

The apparition cackled.

"I thought you forgot me. You got yourself a new daughter, now watch how you lose her!"

"Stop it, Ema! I don't want to lose her too."

"I died a day to my wedding mother, she's already married. Tick... Tock!"

"You're wrong!" Mrs Contreras yelled at the ghost and closed her eyes to stop the figure from haunting her.

"Who are you talking to?" The neighbor inquired.

He was still here.

"Give me your phone." Mrs. Contreras pleaded, ignoring the man's concern.

"Try not to damage it again." The man cautioned before handing it over.

"Hello Rodriguez, I need your help badly."

"What's it about now?"

"Ema...She's with Nathan."

He got the message because he instantly cut the call.

God, let him find them before it's too late, she hoped.

Little did she know what she had done.

***

"You look so pale. Are you afraid?" Nathan asked Ema as he pulled up his car in front of the mall he took her to when they first met.

"I'm not afraid and why are we here, you said we were going on a date."

"We are Adriana. But first, I have to dress you up."

Ema looked at her clothing, a blue top and black jeans.

It wasn't that bad for a date where she didn't intend to impress anyone.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Ema inquired.

"Let's just say I want you to look good."

He exited the car and nudged Ema to follow.

What was the use of resisting? The more she remained to herself, she would wallow in self-pity. She needed a painkiller and humoring Nathan was perfect.

"Ok."

 It was the mall she had visited the first day she visited the city with her father.

Just being there was unsettling. To think that her father was somewhere disappointed in her.

She needed to shake him off.

"Hello. You again." A dark-skinned woman acknowledged.

Ema remembered her. She was actually the woman that led her to Nathan, the one she had given the nickname bubbly to for her free-spirited nature.

"Yes, we'd like to buy a dress to crown the day we met which happens to be today by buying the clothes she bought on that day if you still remember them," Nathan stated.

"Of course I do." The lady assured, "It's not every day, I get rich customers."

"Ok. Just make sure it's just as perfect as that day."

"If you tip me." The lady winked and whisked Ema away.

"So you took this and I took this..." The manager handed to Ema a leopard skin jumpsuit and a blue gown before saying, "I don't remember the third clothing but try this."

The woman held up the blue mini gown that managed to look classy and seductive.

"That must be expensive," Ema noted.

"It is." The woman acknowledged, "Try it on."

Ema received the dress and went for the dressing room.

She slipped out of her tight jeans and top and tried the new one.

It fit like a glove and Ema gasped when she looked in the mirror.

"You look beautiful." A masculine voice said behind her and she turned to question Nathan but it wasn't Nathan.

"Who are you and what are you doing in the dressing room?" Ema demanded, scared of breathing.

"I know you're angry at father Adriana but he must have been busy." The teenager continued like he didn't hear what she had said earlier.

The teenager was tall for his looks and had trimmed hair, bleached, of course, he had chestnut eyeballs and a smile that seemed to be ingrained with him.

"What are you doing here?" Ema repeated.

"Why don't you want to remember Adriana? You know it's not your fault." The boy continued.

"I'll yell," Ema warned, finding it creepy that the boy wasn't answering her and that he continued to talk like she didn't even exist.

Was he even real?

Ema began to feel dizzy instantly and the figure in front of her began to distort.

Bright light by the window side that wasn't there before made her eyes burn. She watched a force push the boy into the light and heard the sound of glass shattering.

As the boy plummeted to the earth of her distorted reality, Ema yelled his name.

"Adrian!"