Chapter 14: The Creature

Kathleen stretched her arm inside her purse and dragged her phone up to the table. It took twelve hours for her brain to digest everything Theresa said at the morning; it's almost sunset. Christian's name suddenly flashed on the screen.

"Aren't you gonna answer the call? That person might have something very important to say."

Kathleen turned right to see Christian beaming. He had his phone pressed against his right ear, waiting for her to answer his call. "I'm sorry, I was just about to," she smiled, forcing herself not to sound sullen.

Christian's expression softens as he walked towards her, slipping his phone inside his pocket. "And you might not," he sat to where Tomoya was a while ago, eyes roaming. "I was hoping I'd catch Samantha's friends here; I think I came too late."

"They had left not too long before you arrived; what brings you here?"

Christian's brows cocked. "Uhm, to chill? Home's a bit suffocating, don't you think? Besides, I'll be checking the stocks..."

Kathleen cut him off. "No, I don't think so."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

For an instant, Christian's fear showed through, thus, lifting the whole beat-around-the-bush confrontation out of the realm of demons or heaven-knows-what. One of the new staffs came over, placing two cups of coffees on the table and left, which took Christian a bit of surprise. "You were expecting someone?" He asked.

Kathleen let her breath out in a short, thin whistle. Her lips pressed against each other, fingers drawing random patterns on the screen of her phone, as she was staring up at him with such unswerving claim.

"Scott wasn't the one who told you about Theresa."

Apparently, with the fact that Christian already had the idea that Kathleen would confront him unaided, it had come as no great shock to him.

"Yes, he wasn't and since we're already here, I want you to be completely honest with me and I'll do the same."

Kathleen heaved a sigh of frustration and almost bounded to her feet. "I thought I told you to stay out of this case?!"

"You did; I didn't listen," Christian sounded authoritative. "However, if you'd agree to my terms then maybe I will."

Kathleen suck her bottom lip. "Fine! Let's hear them."

"Great! I only have two; listen carefully."

"Go on."

"First, I want my girlfriend back," his eyes drew down Kathleen's hands. He placed a hand on top of hers and carefully squeezed it. "And second," his lips trembled when he met his girlfriend's misting eyes. She knew he only wanted to save their relationship, but she couldn't just let him get involved most especially when everything gets more and more complicated.

"A-And second, I want you to stop chasing after S-Samantha," he paused to loosen his strained breaths. "I want you to let the cops handle everything. I want you to be safe. I want you to stay with me. Can you do that? Can you choose me?"

Although Kathleen's eyes spoke multiple emotions, she remained silent. He believes she'll choose him, but he somehow doubted that. Her silence might already be an answer, but it was still a question deserves answering.

Kathleen's shoulders finally dropped, indicating verbal response which tensed Christian's muscles. After a moment, when the quietude had extended to uncomfortable breadth, she said, "I want to know why."

"You can answer it with only a yes or a no."

"I thought you said we should be completely honest with each other?"

Christian opened his mouth to start a feud, closed it, opened it again, and only ended groaning. Kathleen watched his expressions changed and forced a smile. Over the years of them being together, she had grown exceptional at reading her boyfriend, at picking up even the most intricate distinction that mirrored his submerged thoughts.

"Well?" Kathleen returned the smile.

"I think it would be better if we continue the conversation at home," Christian scratched his forehead and reached to the cup of coffee he assumed to be his. "If you don't mind, BABE," he emphasized. "Perhaps, you're not forgetting about me when you're hanging out with those Japanese men, ah?"

Kathleen glared at him. "We've been working on with the case; ain't no reason to take that against me," she reached to the remaining cup on the table and took a sip. The coffee's bitter taste travelled through the back of her throat which almost made her gag. "Goodness me! This is not my blend," her face flushed, glaring at the staff who served them the coffee.

"Don't make it a big deal. Here," Christian took her cup and handed her his. "That's caramel, your favorite. I believe this is Samantha's. That one's new," he pooched his lips, pointing the new girl who's standing near the cashier.

"Samantha's very specific with her coffee blend and this isn't it."

After finishing, they decided to leave the place. The sun's no longer with them. Kathleen tossed the car key and Christian caught it in one hand. He was smiling when he got into the car first to open the door for her.

"Did I give you any signs that I might not agree with your terms?" Kathleen asked the moment Christian stepped on the gas.

"No."

"That was fast," she chuckled, leaned her head against the windshield, and looked at him.

"There are things that we can't tell each other, I'm aware of that, but I want you to trust me still," Christian had his eyes on the road, but he could hear the smile in Kathleen's sighs.

"Of course I trust you, but if you want me to turn Samantha's case over to the cops, I'm sorry, but I have to say no."

"We agreed we'd talk about this at home, yeah?"

"Well," she took a deep breath. "Perhaps, I did," her lips formed a thin line implying frustration. She's certain it would be a dilemma if Christian asked her to choose between him and Samantha. Keeping both wouldn't be an option. She's dealing with demons; she could work with demons. It's compelling that in the latter, all the horrors and murders would signify everything.

As a matter of fact, their relationship would likely be least of her problem once she came face to face with the personification of Samantha's curse whether their plan succeeds or not.

She was almost to get lost in her own thoughts when Christian suddenly slammed his foot against the brake. The car dangled from one side of the road to the other and the steering wheel kept twisting and turning, giving him a hard time to regain control as his attention has been shifted to Kathleen who didn't have her seatbelt on.

Holy heck! I can't just die here. She thought and twisted the steering wheel towards the grassy side of the road, luckily, they stopped in time before they could hit the tree that's been standing only inches afar. Relief allowed their hearts to beat steadily again.

"HOLY MOTHER OF TITANS!" Christian gasped through trembling voice as he checked on Kathleen who's already kneeling down the mat underneath the broken footrest.

He shove it away and held her up back on her seat.

"WHAT. WAS. THAT. ALL. ABOUT?!" Her glares were unsteady. "YOU ALMOST GET US KILLED!"

Suddenly, Christian's throat dried, eyes pinned on the shadow outside the cracked windshield peering on Kathleen. He recognized the figure.

It's...