Pushing the suspicious Damien out of the way, Rhy made a little squat and embraced Anna before releasing her to go back to Carla who would have just preferred to be knocked out and made unconscious.
"Carla?" Damien's voice was deep and scary, he made to move towards Carla but Rhy's outstretched hand stopped him.
Anna, who was now in Carla's tensed arms, turned back to look at Damien and Damien's eyes widened when he saw her facial features.
Rhy, who now looked up at the ceiling with his upper teeth biting his lower lip, scratched his hair in frustration before walking in completely and taking Damien by surprise by pushing him out and locking the door immediately.
"You shouldn't have allowed him in." Rhy turned to look at Carla whose grip on Anna had tightened.
"How was I supposed to know he was coming in?" She sounded tearful and when Damien started banging on the door, she shut her eyes and held her breath.
"He won't come in." Rhy walked towards the couch and sat down like he owned the place, not taking his eyes off Carl's face.
The banging ceased when a neighbor yelled an insult at Damien and Carla finally released a breath of relief.
Setting Anna on the floor, she walked towards the opposite couch to have her sit. "I have to go back to work tomorrow, Rhy." She told him, her eyes on his face but he just gave a nonchalant shrug and resumed chewing his gum with his left leg tapping the floor.
"How is she?" He directed his gaze towards Anna's direction for a bit and Carla held her head in her hands.
"She is … I don't know, she keeps mumbling in her sleep. Last night I woke up to see her heading for the door." Carla gave an exasperated sigh.
"I see." Rhy leaned further on the backrest.
"Who are you, really? I am confused, I don't understand what exactly is going on and why I am in the middle of all this…"
"Anna?" Rhy cut Carla off without casting as much as a glance at her.
"Uncle Rhy." Anna smiled and when he beckoned her to come, she skipped towards him.
"Who is that uncle that left just now?" She asked when she was in his arms.
"Someone you shouldn't know." Rhy smiled but Anna just blinked at him.
"Mummy says you have been having strange dreams." He told her but she just pouted at him before shaking her head.
"Good. Go have a change of clothes and come back for a snack, okay?" He ruffled her head and tried to give a smile which came off as a smirk instead and she nodded before running off into the bedroom.
"Spill." Rhy wasn't smiling this time, his gaze was intense.
Carla looked away, all the time wondering how she got to trust a complete stranger to the extent of allowing him into her house and her life, ignoring the fact that he isn't a human.
"She has been asking about her dad more than ever."
"Really?" Rhy asked back with a sardonic smile that made her feel uneasy.
She blinked and found Rhy bending over her, his eyes now light red looking into hers with his minty breath fanning her face.
"I can read your mind if you want, Carla." It was a threat and she knew she wouldn't find it funny.
"Anna would soon be out and…"
"I can stall her for a bit." Rhy had his thumb running over her lips and her breath caught itself in her throat.
"Take your finger…" Came her breathy protest but he stuck his thumb into her lips instead and his eyes got hoody when her hot lips wrapped around them.
"Now, you were saying?" He asked, took out his thumb from her lips and sucked on it, watching her dewy eyes focus on his lips.
"I…" She swallowed and tried to give him space.
"You?" He licked the side of his lips before placing his hand on her neck.
"A flash of a strange memory that I don't think belongs to me." She said in a hurry and he paused before sitting down beside her.
"Tell me about it." He had his hand over her shoulder.
"I heard the name … that name you called me two days ago." She avoided meeting his intense red eyes.
"And?" He pressed.
"I saw fire."
"Fire?" From the side of her eyes, she could tell he was frowning and he was frowning really hard, his hand withdrew itself from her shoulder.
"Yes, fire."
"It could have been a fire you had experienced from years ago." He shifted.
"No, it felt strange, it felt real and a few people walked past, they were dressed in…"
"Don't try to remember." He cut her short in an abrupt way that made her look at him before looking away.
"Look at me."
"No." She had a bad feeling about looking at him.
"Carla." He pressed, pressing the side of his body against hers, making her disoriented.
"You would do the same thing you did last time." She told him and made to stand but he held her and drew her back and her face landed on his crotch.
"Do you really want it so bad, huh?" There was laughter in his voice and she hurriedly sat upright before glaring at him.
"You have to try not to remember anything." He held her face, his eyes were pleading.
"I won't wipe your memory off again, it doesn't work for you anyways. But you have to try not to force yourself into thinking about all these." He pressed and she shook her head.
"Then tell me what is going on." She pressed for an answer.
"All these things… They are driving me crazy." She waved her hand around and watched him let go of her with a tired sigh and placed his head on the backrest.
"You shouldn't have met with him, you shouldn't have had a child and most importantly, you shouldn't have been anywhere close to the forest." He said with closed eyes.
"What do you mean?" Carla could feel her ear ringing as she took in his words.
"What I mean is that you should try to live your life like nothing happened. Don't push your luck Carla." He opened his eyes and they were back to being black.
"I have to go." He stood and under her watchful eyes, he placed a lips on her forehead in a wet kiss before morphing into nothing, like he was never there.
Carla let herself go weak while she stared at the ceiling. Her life was suddenly spiraling out of her control and it felt like she was living in a dream.
"When would I wake up?"
"Mummy!" To this yelp, Carla was on her feet instantly and running inside to attend to her daughter.