Page 70 of Venomous Desires

I clawed at the floor, trying to drag myself closer, but it was like moving through thick, suffocating fog. My body wouldn’t respond; my muscles were weak and uncooperative. I cried out, a pitiful sound that barely echoed in the small space.

Please, I thought again, someone help me. I was so scared.

The next few hours were just a blur of faces and echoes of voices. Darkness seemed my only friend and my companion as Islipped into it, hoping when I woke up, it’d be my mother’s arms around me, except for the snake coiled around me.

?

Morning came, and I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Sleep had eluded me all night.

The events of the previous evening played on a loop in my mind, and the fear gnawed at me relentlessly.

The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting an eerie glow over the room. But the warmth was far away from me.

I sat up slowly, feeling exhausted.

Alina wasn’t in the dorm. I hadn’t seen her since she called the guards into the bathroom. After that, everything blurred. I remembered her changing me into something warm, but not much else.

My bag sat beside the bed. The only things I could take were already inside it. My phone lit up—taxi on the way.

I’d booked it hours ago. I just needed to leave. I couldn’t stay here anymore.

There was commotion downstairs; I didn’t want to know what was happening. Everyone must be traumatized.

I got to my feet, legs unsteady, and grabbed my bag. I walked down the stairs, and the voices grew louder. I reached the bottom stair and paused, my hand tightening on my bag as every pair of eyes looked at me.

Their voices turned hushed, and I felt their judgmental eyes on me. My heart raced, and I took a deep breath.

Just a few more steps and I’d be free. But then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, my heart sinking, to find a police officer looking down at me.

“Miss,” he called out in a soft voice, “we need to talk.”

My throat tightened, and I struggled to find my voice. The eyes on me were making my skin crawl, and I nodded, realising Ihad to give my statement.

“Of course,” I stammered, glancing nervously at the door.

The officer nodded and guided me outside, away from the prying eyes of the students. As we walked, I couldn’t help but glance back at the place where I was last night crawling and screaming.

I took a deep breath.

We stopped near the police cars, and he turned around to face me. I swallowed hard.

“Miss,” he began in English with a thick accent, “we need to talk about last night. You understand how serious this is, don’t you?”

I nodded, though my heart was pounding. “Yes, I understand.”

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Good. Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”

I hesitated, trying to piece together my thoughts. “I... I found the… head in the box, and I screamed. That’s all.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that really all, Miss, Rosewood? You seem awfully shaken for someone who just found a body. Maybe there’s more to the story?”

My stomach twisted. For a moment, I contemplated telling him I was being stalked, but then I had no proof. I shook my head. “No, that’s all.”

He leaned back against the car, crossing his arms. “Funny thing is, some of the students mentioned seeing you with the victim earlier. Care to explain that?”

My eyes widened as I struggled to find the correct words. “I wasn’t. I barely knew him.”