Chapter 6
When I woke up, it was already night, and all I could hear was the whistling wind. It was pitch black all around, and I couldn’t see anything. The ground felt cold and damp, with moss under my touch. All sorts of foul smells assaulted my nose. I called out for Kate but heard a different voice, not her reply.
“Awake?” A gruff voice spoke, and before I could defend myself, a pair of warm, large hands ripped off my clothes.
I screamed and struggled, but the man had no intention of stopping. He covered my mouth tightly, and soon, I was completely overpowered. He raped me. Pain spread throughout my body, a never-ending torment. I was in utter despair, tears streaming down my face in the darkness. I could feel my unborn child in my belly, crying out for help.
I mustered all my strength and kicked his penis hard.
I couldn’t see anything but heard his shriek of pain. Somehow, I found the doorknob, and as I pushed the door open, moonlight flooded in, revealing the man’s face scarred with a long knife wound, terrifying to behold.
Ignoring my torn clothes, I bolted from the dark room and into the dense forest, guided by the moonlight. I had to escape. I didn’t know how long I ran until a warm flow trickled down my thighs. The pain was too much, and I blacked out from the blood loss. When I woke up again, I was bound once more. Throughout the ordeal, there was no sign of Kate. I had a sinking feeling that no one was coming to save me.
In despair, I noticed the small room was empty, and my phone was in a corner within reach. It felt like a glimmer of hope.
I cautiously moved to the phone and called Claude, knowing he had the means to help me in Crestview Metropolis.
Trembling and scared of being found out, I called Claude, only to be met with his fury. “Claire, you have the nerve to call? How dare you? Kate’s missing because of you p>
Before I could respond, the line went dead. Claude truly hated me. Kate was missing, and he never considered I was missing, too. Whatever happened, it seemed I was always to blame.
Like any other morning, my spirit sat in the dining room, watching Claude and Kate enjoying breakfast together.
Before Kate returned, Claude and I used to have harmonious breakfasts, too, with him preparing my favorite pancakes. At that time, I believed he loved me.
But everything changed when Kate returned.
As I wallowed in self-pity, Claude received a call and stepped into the garden to answer.
“Mr. Hart, we’ve just found a woman’s finger with a ring on it. Could you come to identify it p>
I saw Claude stiffen, his grip tightening on the phone.
Claude said in a low voice, “Fine, I’ll be there p>
But as Claude was about to leave, Kate ran through me, excitedly showing him the phone. “Claude, Claire just called me, but she didn’t speak. Look, it’s Claire’s number.” Claude’s tense muscles relaxed a bit. “Did she say where she was p>
Kate shook her head.
Claude thought it over. “I’ll have someone trace the call p>
‘Who used my phone to call? I feel the finger with the ring is mine.’ I thought, ‘Is someone trying to delay the investigation to hide I was already dead? Can it be the real murderer p>
Soon, Kate said, “Claude, a friend
has traced the signal to Velvet Moon Pub. Maybe Claire’s there, out of signal, or accidentally dialed my number while having fun, so here was no sound p>
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Claude scoffed, “If she loves to party that much, let her enjoy herself. We don’t need to worry about her p>
As a spirit, I wanted to scream. ‘I am dead. How can I be partying? And what are the odds of another person with a severed finger and a mole just like mine p>
I felt it was my finger, but Claude
believed Kate. He was a lawyer, always emphasizing evidence, but with Kate, his belief was
unconditional without any proof. He didn’t want to investigate whether I was dead because he didn’t care about me.
Claude’s phone rang again.
It was his mother, Gabrielle. “Claude, have you found Claire? It’s my birthday the day after tomorrow, and I want to see her. Could you please make up with her and bring her back? Otherwise, I p>
I saw Claude pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation, but he agreed, “I know p>
After hanging up, he didn’t call me but told Kate, “Let’s check the nightclub later to see if she’s there p>
I laughed bitterly. ‘How can I be there? I am dead, among a pile of charred bodies p>