DIANE

The Cresent moon showed bright , a beautiful night . The nightingale cooed her song , soothing every being's soul that heard her sing. the stars shined in the cloudless clear sky , a perfect night for stargazing .

Only if everything were so perfect .

In a corner of a dark appartment in Cigar Hill lay a beautiful girl , Diane . Eyes closed , cheeks tear stained lips quivering . It was not her first heart break , but the worst of them all. Every cell in her body hated him , more than him the word , love . It had been a week already and yet she barely had done anything . EAT . . CRY . REPEAT.

Diane shivered . The reality of past danced in her dreams.

She was all dressed up to meet him , her Ian, she wore the black flowy bodycon dress he complimented that she looked hot in , with one last look in the mirror Diane entered through a door . It was a small room , a room she had never been to , and yet she felt it to be really familiar .It was Ian's room , something in her memory answered .How do I know this place?... her thoughts trailed when she felt some one approaching.

On hearing foot steps she turned around to be greeted by a warm smile ,Ian, something in her warned her about him. She couldn't point out what . And all her warlyness disappeared as he reached his hand out to pull her close into a sensual embrace.

Again something in her warned her , an uncomfortable feeling , this never had happened before.

"You are my type , even though marriage is not my thing"Ian grinned " You can take me nowhere close to my goal but she can"

"what are you saying ?who can?!" Diane blurred out.

”Diane is the key to it , kaggathalu , she is the sole key”

"ME??"

"Venessa my love , not you darling "

Diane's brows frowned in confusion. But the mirror on the wall showed her roommate Vanessa to be standing before Ian . She was not Diane but Vanessa??!

"Bye Love ..." Ian pointed a trigger at her " You must know , I am truly saddened by your departure... really"

. And he pulled the trigger.*bang*

She jolted awake from her dreams back to reality. Nothing comforted her. Her nightmare were more real than anything else. Betrayal ,murder and hatred , she had seen all shades of it in a week.

She even had written thesis on how much she hated Ian , only to realise that she nearly finished an entire diary on her ex. In the end she threw the book to the wall which she now stared at blankly.The android device blinked to life to display her mother calling . Her parents had called her many times over the week worried about her only to reach her voice mail.

She closed her eyes , blinking out another tear which flowed down her already stained cheek . She had been traumatized at what she saw .This break up was different. It was scary . The love of her life and the friend ship of her roommate deemed to be false. Her end of loyalty did not exist both ways.

Finally picking up her phone , hearing her mother sigh ,in a low cracked voice

"Hello , ma?"

"What's going on Diane? heard your room mate and Ian went missing ", It's was all over the campus gossip. Obvious that her mother an alumni of the same collage she studied in ,would have heard it by now.

"Mom...Ian shot her , I saw it"

"WHAT , WHO?" her mother gasped

"Vanessa... She .. uuh ... was with ... him ... they were..."

"Fighting?!"

"No , they were ... intimate"

"intimate??"

"They were ..."

"Making out??"

"More like mating" Diane sighed

"What ?? were you all not friends"

"apparently she didn't think so ,and now she is dead."

"so Ian shot her you say?"she gasped

"Yes"

"Yes?! how do you know?"

All the memories came rushing back

"About two weeks ago I found his rings in her laundry . It raised further suspicion when she excitedly dressed up for 'a date' ... not to mention she even borrowed my black dress " she chuckled "I followed her "

"You WHAT?!"her mom gasped

"Hear me out ,he lives accross the campus at the dorms not at his parents. I went there with full will to break their cheating behinds... only to witness a murder ... she seemed to be actually into him , and proposed marriage... with a ring... and he shot her"

"no reason , simply shot her??"

"no , he said something about me being worth more than her ... the lead to something ... like kagath... something"

"kaggathalu!!"

"how...how did you know?? ma..??"

"..."

"maa!!?"

"I ll talk to your college authorities about your transfer get packing . Immediately."

And the phone clicked to scilence.

She waited for everything to sink in.

Ma . Something seemed off. She knew something . Maybe everything?

She dragged out her suitcase , and started layering it with clothes throwing every piece of clothing she owned . It was more close to dumping rather than packing . Very uncivilized she noted but then she did not care. She checked the time on her phone , the first time in a whole week .

But something else caught her attention . 183 missed calls. As she skimmed through . She had exactly 99 missed calls from a number ,whose owner was now dead .

And the contact name read ****VENESSA**** .

DIANE HAD 99 MISSED CALLS FROM VENESSA.

DIANE

DIANE HAD 99 MISSED CALLS FROM VENESSA.

A cold sweat dropped down her neck. She couldn't believe what she saw . Venessa is dead ? Then how? the more she thought the more things were suspicious it seemed .

Suddenly there was a knock at the door making Diane nearly choking her heart out. Who was it ? Who could it be at this hour? she slowly crawled to look into the peep hole . The Security guard? Diane opened the door "Yes??"

"Madam , I tried reaching your appartment landline , no one picked , a cab driver is here asking for you"

"Ahh ..., yes tell him I ll be there".

The watchman nodded and took leave. She had not booked the cab , who was it? She immediately began typing on her phone

'Ma did you call cab?'

Her mother immediately replied . 'Yes , I have . Done packing?'

Diane sighed in relief , took her belongings and went downstairs . She informed the Security guard to redirect her mails to her house address . The cab driver looked like a middle aged tall man , in his white uniform had a flu mask and spectacles on and was vigorously coughing.Diane walked upto the car with her suitcase.

"Ma'am can you *cough* please keep it beside *cough* yourself in the back seat ? the trunk is *cough* a Little filled " the driver explained.

"Sure."

Diane got inside the car , placed the suitcase next to herself and adjusted her luggages , while the driver buckled up coughing and revived the engine. Diane suppressed the urge to ask the sick driver if he was okay.

She was still debating within when they reached the main road ,her phone vibrated distracting her . It was her mother.

'*The driver just called me , he is 15 minutes away . '

What?Then who is the one driving?

Diane looked up into the rearview mirror ,just to be greeted by the vehicle driver staring back at her . She noticed something else ,he was not coughing anymore , the more she looked at him, the more she confirmed who it was . Ian!!

"Peekaboo , Dianella Caerulea ."he threw away his mask , wig and spectacles.

"Why are you her..." . she wispered.

"I missed you too Diane . Do you know how worried I was? " he looked concerned , how good an actor he was; Diane shivered.

She slowly speed dialed her mother and started talking loudly.

"Hi Ian , wooow what... a surprise I must say " . She tried to sound as calm as possible.

"Don't worry love , I just wanted to drop my girlfriend off to the airport"

"How did you know I was heading..."

"The Authorities are rushing your transfer files over night , right now , news spreads fast love faster than me or you".

Walls have ears , Diane shivered in terror.

"...!"

"So where is my beloved running off to without telling me" , He pouted at the rear mirror looking at her.

"...".

Ian abruptly speeded the car looking at the rear view mirror.

"Oh looks like we have company " he grinned sweetly.

Diane too looked behind to see a black SUV speeding towards them. Who is it?

"I know you were having an affair with Venessa , question is Ian why kill her , what is kaggathalu??" there I finally blurred out addressing the elephant in the room. He stared at me emotionless .

"Everyone does mistakes , let's talk and get over it . Come on be brave and face it not run away . I know you were room mates and all , trust me she was the one who was into me . Moreover I just shot her , she did the dieing . I am no killer when she died herself". he chuckled , speeding further.

Diane's internally screamed, Psychopath!!

The SUV speeded up too , It made Ian more anxious , but unexpectedly crashed into the side of the car , forcing the car to crash into a street lamp. Ian swore loudly before hitting the steering wheel. Diane had little time to acknowledge what was happening hitting her nose to the seat in front.

Diane felt something warm over her lips, blood? , her eyes went blurry , she could vaguely see Ian slumped over the wheel. She heard the door near her open . A tall muscular black figure stood there .

who are you? she thought .

DIANE.

WHO ARE YOU ? she thought.

Diane was partially conscious every second she could feel her concious ness slowly drift away. She tried focusing her eyes to get a clear look at the black overall dressed figure .Her eyelids drooped heavier by the minute.

Is that a man? a savior?

or

Am I dead? Is he an Angel?

or

Is he a grimm reaper? They dress in black don't they ?

Diane's wild thoughts were interrupted by a husky voice , the voice of the man (Angel or Grimm reaper yet undecided ).

"Hello, Yes She is safe lover-boi " the silhouette spoke on phone " I am now your errand boy? eh? do you want me to acknowledge you as my master ? sometimes you really make me regret knowing you"

lover-boy? master?

"The brat seems to have some serious damage though, the speeding cut he took crashed the car into a tree trunk .He is a murderer and a psychopath , can we not save him? I know you are as tempted as I am , just say it , I ll happily follow." .

Is he talking about Ian ?

"the owner of the car , the cab driver's dead body is stuffed in the trunk"

the cab driver ? he is dead ? Ian ...? killed him??

"Yes , yes , she is safe , unconscious at the moment but safe. I ll make sure she is always safe . you have my word lover boi. Now if you permit , we can proceed with first aid." The voice chuckled.

Hu

Two strong hands reached into the car and dragged me out of the vehicle. I was being carried by muscular arms , my head was spining at no particular axis . I leaned in into his shoulder for support. The wind was howling sending chills inturn raising goosebumps along my arm. He drew me close making me almost snuggle into the nook of his neck . He smelled good , it was very calming. I wanted to know, what is his cologne? ...

Wait a minute ... is he...is he kidnapping me ? who is he working for? who was master? who was lover-boy??

"It's finally a pleasure to meet you , Miss.Dianella Caerulea ...." the voice laughed

He knows my name??! But what was the tone? mocking??

"I believe debts should be repayed so I ll take this as my payment for saving you Miss Amethyst . "He cooed. Diane could almost see him smile .

He knows my real name!?

The stranger took the Dragon fly necklace she was wearing. She tried protesting, the necklace was very important having abundant sentimental value. But her body betrayed her , all she could do was squirm a little.

"Miss .Amethyst ... you sure are as intoxicating as your name says ... It feels weired to introduce myself in this circumstance ... My name is... "

What is it? your name?? Diane screamed but her body betrayed her into a slumber of unconsciousness.

Darkness engulfed her in an embrace. Her questions were left unanswered. She wanted to thank him . But also know about him , Mr.stranger.

WHO WAS THE VOICE ? WHAT WAS HIS NAME? HOW DID HE KNOW THAT HER NAME WAS NOT DIANELLA BUT AMETHYST? WHY DID HE SAVE HER? HOW DID HE KNOW SHE WAS IN TROUBLE? WHO DID HEl WORK FOR?

WHERE IS HE TAKING HER??