He spun around, but again, no one was there. His skin prickled with unease. He hurried back to his room and locked the door behind him. He sat on his bed, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "This is crazy," he muttered to himself. He needed to get out of the house. He needed to leave and pick up Matteo. Where were his aunt, uncle, and Meissy?
Gael grabbed his phone and dialed Matteo's number. Luckily, he had thought to get it earlier. It rang a few times before Matteo answered the call. But the first thing Gael heard was the sound of a forest and what sounded like a distant scream. "Hello, Matteo, are you there?"
"Yes," Matteo replied cheerfully from the other end. "Are you ready? I'm getting dressed, Gael."
Gael breathed a sigh of relief. "Me too. I'll just pick you up at your place. I still remember where your house is."
"No need to pick me up. I'll be there within two minutes, okay?"
"Got it. I’m waiting."
"Alright, I'll head out now. And Gael, it’s nice to have you back in our town. I’ve been looking forward to this moment. Welcome back!"
Hearing that, Gael stared at the wall as if lost in thought. Matteo’s tone had been cheerful, but there was an underlying coldness and sense of dread that unsettled him. He shook his head and went to put on his shoes. As he tied his laces, Gael couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The scream he thought he heard during the call echoed in his mind. "Was it just my imagination?" he wondered. He stood up, grabbed his jacket, and left his room.
He saw Meissy sitting on the living room sofa. She looked him up and down. "What’s up, Meissy?"
"You look so handsome, I regret telling all the single ladies here that you’re a playboy."
"Crazy."
"Where are you going?" Meissy asked.
"In town, with Matteo. It’s best friend's time." He smiled and moved towards the door.
"With who again?" she asked, shocked by what Gael had said.
"I said, Matteo. What’s wrong?" he asked in return.
"Oh, nothing. Keep safe!" she said, shaking her head.
Gael stepped outside and was immediately greeted by the chilly evening air. The lonely road had only one streetlamp to break the darkness. He looked down the road, half-expecting to see Matteo approaching, but there was no sign of him. The two minutes Matteo mentioned felt like an eternity.
As he waited, Gael’s thoughts drifted back to their conversation. Matteo’s cheerful tone contrasted sharply with the strange sounds in the background. "Why was there a forest sound?" he asked himself, feeling even more confused now. He knew where Matteo’s house was, and it was far from any forest. And that scream—had it been real?
Just as he was about to call Matteo again, he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up and saw a figure coming towards him. It was Matteo, but something about him seemed different. He moved with an eerie grace, and his eyes glinted strangely in the dim light.
"Matteo, you made it," Gael said, trying to sound casual despite his growing unease.
"Of course," Matteo replied, his voice smooth but carrying an unidentifiable edge. "Ready to go?"
"Ah Matteo, I heard something strange during our call earlier. It sounded like a forest and... a scream."
Matteo chuckled softly. "Really? There’s no forest near my house. You must have been hearing things, Gael."
Now that he was close to his best friend again, Gael observed him carefully. He realized it was indeed Matteo. It was just his own thoughts that had made him suspicious. Matteo’s laugh and smile, all the things he remembered fondly, were the same. "Why was I overthinking this?" he wondered, laughing quietly under his breath.
They used his cousin Roan’s motorcycle to go to town. Matteo was riding with him. As they sped through the dark streets, Gael felt Matteo’s skin brush against his own. It was icy cold, almost unnaturally so. "Why is he so cold?" Gael thought, shivering a little. But then again, the air around them was cold too, with the dense forest they were passing through adding to the chill.
The trees loomed tall on either side of the road, their branches intertwining to form a canopy that blocked out most of the moonlight. The darkness was almost palpable, and Gael could hear the rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig. He tightened his grip on the handlebars, trying to focus on the road ahead.
"Do you remember this place?" Matteo’s voice cut through the silence, startling Gael.
"Yeah, I do," Gael replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "We used to come here all the time. We even used to race here."
Matteo chuckled softly, but there was something unsettling about the sound. "It hasn’t changed much, has it?"
Gael didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he concentrated on the road, feeling the cold wind biting at his face. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Matteo's presence behind him felt heavier than usual, almost oppressive. Earlier, he had been sure that nothing had changed with Matteo.
"So, how have you been, really?" Gael asked, trying to sound casual while focusing on driving.
Matteo sighed. "I’ve been... different," he said slowly. "Things change, Gael. People change."
Gael laughed. "Yeah, I guess. But you’re still the same old Matteo, right?"
Matteo laughed too. "Maybe. Or maybe not."
Gael bit his lower lip. "You’ve been acting strange lately," he blurted out before he could stop himself. "Is everything okay?"
Matteo leaned closer—too close to Gael’s ears. "Everything is just as it should be," he said softly. "But you’ll see soon enough. All will be revealed."
He was confused by what Matteo said. "What to reveal?"
"Oh, Gael, you’ve been observing too much. Focus on driving; it’s difficult and we might have an accident."
He let out a deep sigh, acknowledging his concern but still feeling uneasy. The road stretched out ahead, and despite his best efforts to stay focused, his mind kept drifting. He accelerated the motorcycle, hoping to shake off the creeping sense of unease.
As he navigated the curves and bumps of the road, he couldn't help but glance around, half-expecting to see something out of the ordinary. The fleeting glimpse of a figure on the side of the road caught his eye, a shadowy shape that seemed almost too real to ignore. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and pressed on, determined to stay alert and keep the ride smooth.
"Matteo, did you see that figure on the side of the road?" Gael asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
Matteo looked puzzled. "What figure, Gael?"
"The one I thought I saw just a moment ago," Gael explained. "It was a shadowy shape, and it felt like it was watching us."
Matteo shook his head, a hint of concern crossing his face. "I didn't see anything like that. Are you sure you weren't just imagining it?"
Gael frowned, feeling a mix of frustration and unease. "I'm not sure. It felt so real. Maybe I’m just on edge, but it seemed like a real person or something."
Matteo glanced around, his expression thoughtful. "If it was just a shadow or a trick of the light, it could have been nothing. But if you keep feeling uneasy, we should be extra cautious. Maybe we should pull over and take a break."
Gael nodded, though his mind was still troubled by the image. He decided to follow Matteo's suggestion and pulled over to the side of the road. As they stopped and took a moment to relax, Gael continued to scan the surroundings, hoping for some explanation to ease his growing anxiety.