Chapter Four. I don't think so

Alicia woke up to the uncomfortable feeling of the sun's rays caressing her face through her bedroom window. She slowly opened her eyes and patiently let them adjust to the light in her room. Slowly,she lifted her feet and landed them on the carpeted floor and she slid into her sandles as she groggily stood up. She then dashed to the bathroom and once she was done there, she returned to her bedroom to make her bed only to be surprised by the sight of her grandmother patiently seated on her bed seemingly waiting for her. Yes, her grandma. But why did she suddenly have to come to her room very early in the morning? Alicia let her eyes wander around and to her farther surprise, there was a tray of food on her bedside table! 'What is the special occasion today?' she thought to herself. 'Why would grandma suddenly bring me breakfast in bed? am not sick, am I?'

" Good morning" Her grandmother greeted with a sweet smile bringing Alicia back to the present.

" Good morning grandma" She answered, embarrassed at her own show of bad manners as her grandmother greeted her first instead of it being the other way around.

"How are you feeling now?" Her grandmother added with a concerned gaze and Alicia snapped. ' feeling? what had happened to her?'

" Are you alright?" her grandmother asked breaking her rivalry once again.

"come here. Sit down. yes that is it. Yesterday you had worried me a lot. What exactly happened to you? the doctor said..."

Alicia lost track of her grandmother's Lamentations as her memories from yesterday started flowing back into her mind and her grip on her grandmother's hand subconciously tightened making her stop in her explanations and stare at her with both confusion and concern. Yes, she had looked for her grandmother and she had come back home later alive and kicking and they had gone to the gathering... Alicia's grip on her grandmother's fragile hand tightened as she gripped her even more,her eyes widening at the memory of those dreadful and horrorfull sights. But then, she had seen someone,up in the trees...!! was that even possible? or were it just her imaginations? But he was so...so real and... he was so breathtakingly beautiful!! She had never seen anything as beautiful as him. Not even in a painting!! Those lights!! He had lights that were glowing around him!! Everything she had seen around him was simply fascinating!! was he even real? He was so beautiful to be true if that was even good enough to describe what he was. He was...'

"Alicia? Child,are you alright?"

her grandmother asked softly and only then Alicia realized her ungodly grip on her grandmother's poor old hand and she gasped. Her grandmother didn't seem in a lot of pain though,it was because Alicia did not realize it but she had subconciously loosened up on her not so human grip on her grandma's hand slowly not so long ago. To her grandmother, she had seemed to be in a dreamy mood? was she actually dreaming as she stood here with her? That would be really cunning of her,huh?

"What happened?" Her grandmother asked but this time with a smile that spoke volumes. A smile that was as though meant to tell Alicia that her grandmother understood something that she only could figure out.

"Stop it grandma" Alicia complained not realizing that her skin had actually turned a pale pink and her grandmother couldn't help from chuckling anymore.

" What should I stop now, child? Huh? I didn't do anything here." Her grandmother complained and Alicia immediately gently sent her out of her room promising to join her soon for breakfast.

Alicia quickly tidied up her room not feeling sick in the least bit and headed downstairs with the tray of food that her grandmother had brought her earlier. She warned up the food that had now become cold and had breakfast with her grandmother who kept throwing her a knowing glance now and then with a smile that she couldn't hide anymore. Once breakfast was done, Alicia got ready to escort her grandmother to the village market where she ran her pot selling business.

" Are you sure you are alright now child? the doctor said you should rest" her grandmother kept saying and Alicia also kept reminding her that she was perfectly fine and she even had to pass by Maya's house to talk to her about the art ideas that her grandmother had suggested herself and her grandmother could only agree as she thought that that would reduce on Alicia's time at home alone since she was unwell. The duo then set out for the market and once Alicia helped her grandmother comfortably settle down for the day, she said goodbye and headed on her way back home where by she would pass by Maya's house to talk to her about her painting that was promising to get nowhere

.....

Once Alicia reached Maya's house, she was welcomed warmly as always and she went straight to Maya's room so she can see her friend. Maya was the village Chief's daughter and her family lived quite well off despite being in the village. Despite having such a huge fortune and being an only child on whom her father dotted so much,Maya was a good person and Alicia liked and appreciated her for that. Maya was standing in front of a mirror as long as her own frame when Alicia knocked and entered her room. She was as always very beautiful...' but not as beautiful as that man in the trees' Alicia suddenly gasped at her own wild mind.

" What is it? Are you okay?" Maya asked with concern as she handed her a glass of water and Alicia gulped it down not only because she was thirsty but also to erase Maya's suspicions over anything that might come to her explorative mind.

"Am fine." she clarified once the glass was empty and to her relief,Maya seemed satisfied with just that.

"so, how are you doing now? You fainted out of the blue yesterday, you know? What had happened to you? You are not that weak so I suspect something might have been wrong." she finished and Alicia's mind was now in chaos. How could she explain to her friend? If she told her all of it she might think she had gone crazy, right? And Alicia didn't want that to happen.

"Alicia?" Maya called out. " what are you thinking? you look... confused? what is the problem?" Maya could only ask not so sure of herself either.

"It's nothing... its just the memories from yesterday. They are actually...haunting" She answered which wasn't a complete lie. Those pictures still haunted her mind. She just couldn't get them out of her head and Maya looked at her sympathetically as she hugged her soothingly.

"You poor thing. you shouldn't have looked knowing your own weak spots you know? but don't worry,am here with you, okay?" Maya told her friend and Alicia instantly felt comforted and her racing mind calmed.

" Let's go talk in the back yard" Maya suggested and Alicia just nodded and they both headed out.

"I wonder what the gumiho looks like to have killed all those strong men mercilessly like that." Maya said and Alicia seemed to have fallen into her own world of thoughts.

"Hey?" Maya called out once again. Alicia did not seem to be listening.

"Are you listening? what do you think?" Maya continued and Alicia suddenly sighed.

"I don't know.." she said in a tired voice and Maya's concern was instantly piqued.

" Alicia,are you actually doing alright? Are you sure you don't want to rest?" she asked many times but Alicia's answer remained firm and same, continuously saying she was alright till Maya dropped the matter.

" He must have long nails to have torn into flesh like that!! and also he must have long teeth that sucks blood,black eyes and veins. Maybe even a complicated body with multiple heads and hands and a hairy body like that of an animal, and..."

Alicia was suddenly smiling dreamily and Maya stopped her Lamentations in curiosity.

"What is it, Alicia? Why are you smiling?"she asked and Alicia looked at her, very serious in an instant.

" I don't think so" she simply replied and Maya almost screamed

"You don't!! but you were smiling just no.."

" I don't think he is anything like what you imagine, Maya" she said cutting her off and Maya's mouth hang open both from being cut off midsentence and utter surprise.

"You.." she eventually found her voice but not the words to say." you have seen him?" she finally said with realization and her eyes circled wide.

" I don't know" Alicia answered honestly sighing again and Maya felt lost for a moment. No one ever saw the gumiho and lived, and her friend had!!

....