A Mind Unraveling
Kelly woke up with a severe headache, her mind skipped from one thought to another, with fragments of thoughts refusing to settle into a clear picture
She blinked her eyes at the morning light, trying to piece together her last clear memory.
The tea..the journal..Rowel's warning. All sticking to her brain
Her chest tightened.
She reached for the journal, flipping to the last pages. Staring at what she saw, only to freeze!.
The words were gone.
Kelly screamed "What!!! How could this happen??
The written warnings, the ones in her own handwriting had... vanished.
Her breath had a sudden pause. Had she imagined them?
No. She knew what she saw.
Something was happening to her mind.
And Rowel was behind it.
The door was slightly open, and Rowel walked in, dressed in a thick black coat, displaying control
"Good morning," he greeted, watching her at a close range
Kelly swallowed hard and hid her panic before she could respond, "Morning."
His gaze caught the sight of the tea... It was untouchable still on the table
Looking at them had a mischievous smile and said
"You didn't drink it."
Kelly paused for a while. He knew.
Rowel stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "You think I'm drugging you."
He wasn't asking.
Kelly forced herself to meet his gaze. "Are you?"
His smirk didn't stumble. "If I were, you wouldn't remember asking that question."
Her stomach twisted. Was he confirming it?
Or just playing mind games?
Rowel sighed, brushing his fingers through her hair—a cruel genuine affection
"You're making this harder than it needs to be, Kelly."
In her mind "This? What is 'this'?"
Rowel turned his head, moving closer, studying her. Then he said something that made her blood run cold.
"You weren't supposed to remember this much.
Facts of the Matter
The Hidden Truth was far from Kelly but she was urged and eager to realize them and free herself from Rowel's bondage
Later that night, after Rowel left, Kelly desperately searched her room.
If he had erased her journal's messages, maybe there was something else she might have hidden from herself.
She tore through drawers, under the bed, and the closet. She kept on searching everywhere until her fingers brushed against something cold.
A tiny silver key.
Her heart skipped staring at the key... A key to what??
With her heart pounding seriously, she checked her nightstand, the vanity, the bookshelf—until her gaze landed on a locked drawer in her desk.
Hands shaking, she slid the key in. It fit.
The lock clicked open.
Inside was another journal.
But this one wasn't hers.
It belonged to Rowel.
Kelly realized that the journal felt like a Dangerous Revelation
Kelly flipped through the pages, her blood turning to ice.
It wasn't a journal. It was a log...
Of her..!
Dates and changes in behavior. Gaps in memory.
Rowel had been keeping track of every time she forgot something.
She turned to the most recent entry.
"February 12th – She found the first journal. Memory is intact. Will adjust accordingly."
He knew.
He had been watching her fall apart in real time and letting it happen.
Kelly's vision blurred as she read further.
Then, at the bottom of the page, she found a name.
Vincent DeLuca.
A single line was written beneath it.
"Eliminate if necessary."
A sharp knock at the door made her jolt.
"Kelly." but it wasn't Rowel, it didn't sound like his. It was distinct
A different voice..a voice she didn't recognize. But who could it be? she thought but on a second hand was eager to find out who
Who's at the door!? Kelly screamed
The Unknown
A Stranger at the Door got Kelly so scared that she had to tighten her grip around Rowel's logbook as she stared at the door
The knock came again. More urgent this time.
"Kelly, open up."
Her breath seized
The voice was deep, unfamiliar.. yet strangely urgent.
Vincent DeLuca?
Was it the man Rowel had written about? The one he marked for elimination? Whoa, she couldn't even think properly at this point as clutters of thoughts filtered her mind
Kelly hesitated. If Rowel found out she was speaking to someone he didn't authorize, she'd be in even more danger. That would be another issue, so she has to act carefully
But if this person had come looking for her… they might have answers...answers she urgently needed to understand what exactly is ongoing in her life at the moment
Slowly, she tiptoed toward the door, with fear she asked
"Who are you?" she whispered.
A pause. Then—
"Someone who can help you remember."
At that point, her mind was running wild.
He knew.
Whoever he was—he knew what was happening to her.
But before she could decide, footsteps echoed down the hall. Someone was coming, who else would it be if not Rowel?
Kelly's stomach dropped. Rowel..!
Panic set in. If he caught her near the door, he'd know.
She rushed back to the bed, shoving the logbook under her pillow just as the door unlocked from the outside.
The handle turned.
The door creaked open.
And Rowel stepped in
A Game of Lies!
Rowel's gaze swept closely through the room, searching. Everything seemed suspicious to him but he acted dumb
Kelly forced herself to sit still, keeping a straight face her hands squeezing themselves under the covers
"Couldn't sleep again?" he asked smoothly.
She shook her head. "Just thinking."
He nodded, stepping closer. Too close.
Then his gaze faces the door lingering there.
Kelly's heartbeat pounded in her ears.
Had he heard the knock? At this point, her heart raced
Rowel turned back to her, his expression unreadable.
"You know, Kelly," he murmured, "I don't like secrets."
Her fingers into the sheets. Acting all calm
Neither do I, she wanted to say.
But she forced a smile instead. "I don't have any."
Rowel's lips were amused by her attempt to deceive him.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. His touch was gentle but tainted with something else.
Control.
"You should get some rest," he said "You're safe here."
Kelly's mind. Safe??
The word twisted inside her, bitter and hollow.
Because she knew now she was anything but.
Rowel stayed for a moment longer before finally stepping back.
"I'll see you in the morning."
He turned toward the door.
But just before leaving, he paused.
His head turned slightly as if listening.
Then, without another word, he stepped out and locked the door behind him.
Kelly released a heavy breath and managed to relax
He knew something was off..he definitely knew but pretending at the same time. Could it be??
But he didn't say it.
Which meant… he was waiting.
For her to probably make a mistake..and fall into his trap.
Kelly knew she had a risk to take and she was willing to just to get to the root of the problem on the ground
Kelly sat frozen and still, staring at the door.
The stranger..whoever he was—was still out there.
And if he was telling the truth…
He might be her only chance at escaping before she forgot everything again.
But how could she reach him without Rowel knowing? Everything was just jacked up in her head
Then, out of the corner of her eye—movement.
A shadow moved outside the room and a small slip of paper slid into the room.
Kelly's pulse skyrocketed.
She moved forward quickly, snatching it up.
Three words were written in bold, hurried strokes.
"Don't drink anything."
Her blood ran cold.
Whoever this person was—they knew exactly what Rowel was doing to her.
And that meant one thing.
She wasn't crazy or insane Rowel was drugging her.
And now, she wasn't the only one who knew.