The Temptress: Tempting the Devil’s son

~~ABOUT TWO HOURS AGO~~

Riri was seated on her reading table, studying when Jackie walked into her room grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey, Riri!” She giggled.

“Hey.” She cast her a confused glance.

“What’s with the smile? You look like you’ve just been kissed by your crush!” She winked.

Colour flooded her cheeks when said that. “What? No. That’s not it!” She half yelled.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Then what is it?” Riri rolled her eyes.

“It’s a surprise! I wanna take you to some place, get dressed!” She squealed.

She furrowed her brows at her. “Some place? It’s 6:00pm. It’s almost late and you know I don’t do late nights.”

She pursed her lips, grimacing slightly. “Come on, it’s some place really special to me. We would be back before you know it!”

“Jackie,” she drawled.

“Please!” She blinked her eyes repeatedly, pouting her lips as she did that.

“Okay, fine! I’ll go change.”

“No, it’s fine. What you’re wearing is just perfect!” She said scanning her outfit from head to toe. She was wearing a denim bum short and a button up shirt.

“Hmm, I guess it’s okay. I’d better tuck in, it gives it a chic look,” she suggested.

“Yeah, totally, it would look stunning that way!”

“Okay!” She tucked in after which she picked out her flats. She was about to put them on when Jackie suggested, “It’s best if you wore a pair of boots or canvas.”

She paused. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

“You will know when get there. Hurry up slow poke and put on some canvas!”

*****

Sauntering into the sitting room, they met Riri’s dad and mom giggling as they watched a television series.

“Mom, dad.”

“Yes?”

“Where are you two going?” Nate drawled, scanning their outfits.

“I’m taking Riri out!” She answered with a smile.

“Where exactly?” Donnie arched her brows in surprise.

“It’s a surprise! I can’t tell you guys cause Riri is here and that means my surprise will be ruined!” She told causing Riri to roll her eyes.

“Oh.” Dionne mouthed.

“We’ll be back before you know it!” She assured.

“If you say so but be back before 10pm sharp.”

“Okay, dad. Thanks!” Jackie pecked his cheeks before dragging Riri out of the sitting room.

“You know it’s weird to see these two getting along.” Dionne noted.

“I know right. Seems like Jackie has changed.” Nate smiled. “That’s what we’ve always wanted right?”

“I don’t know, baby but I have a bad feeling about this.”

“You worry too much. Nothing will happen to Riri,” he assured, squeezing her palm gently.

“I hope you’re right.” She mumbled, placing her head on his shoulders.

******

“Here, take this.” She gave her a blindfold once she’d started the car.

“What’s this for?” She asked in confusion.

“A blindfold, dummy, so you don’t see where I’m taking you.”

“This is creepy.” She was a bit hesitant.

“Just trust me, you’re going to love it!”

“Okay. Hope you know what you’re doing.” She tied the blindfold on her eyes.

“Trust me, sweetie, I do,” she smirked.

They had been driving for more than thirty minutes now and Riri was starting to get bored as well as scared. Where could she be taking me to? She just couldn’t shake off the foreboding feeling that ran through her nerves.

“Are we there yet?” She asked for the umpteenth time. She was starting to get car sick. Her stomach was a mess. She felt like throwing up.

“Almost there.” She answered like she has been doing for the past fifteen minutes.

“When exactly are we getting there?”

“Pretty soon!”

She waited another two minutes and when she couldn’t take it anymore, she ripped away the blindfold.

“I told you to be patient!” Jackie frowned, killing the engine.

“Why exactly are we here?” She was mystified. They were just outside a big forest.

“You’ll see. You ask too many questions. It’s supposed to be a surprise, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.” She growled, getting bored of her numerous questions.

“You don’t plan on killing me and burying me here, do you?” She questioned, feeling apprehensive. Anything could happen!

“Why go through this stress when I can kill you in your sleep?” she smirked, scaring her even more.

“I’m just kidding! Even though we weren’t friends in past, it wouldn’t dare to think about killing you. I know it would take some time to gain your trust completely but..”

“I trust you. It’s just I find it a little creepy you brought me here!”

“We’d better go inside, the surprise is inside the forest not here!” She threw a torch at her.

“You will need this.”

“Okay.” They both got out of the car and began treading into the almost dark forest with Jackie taking the lead.

They had been walking for almost five minutes and Riri was starting to get exhausted. She tried to calm her wild thoughts and assure herself that nothing was gonna happen but that seemed impossible.

“Are we there yet?”

“Almost. Hurry up lazybones!” She teased. Seconds later, they arrived at a big lake.

“You’re planning on drowning me in a lake?” Her mind was already going bonkers.

“Yes. Makes it harder for them to find your body.” The scared look on her face told her she got her yet again.

“Relax! I’m just kidding! This used to be my favorite place in the world and my mom’s. My mom and I would always camp here during the lantern festival. We would always light up lanterns and place them on the water making this place look beautiful and magical. This place was so much more lively, now it looks so…” She paused taking in a deep breath.

“So what?” Riri whispered.

“… dead. I never realized how much I missed this place. I couldn’t bring myself to come here since her demise, it brings a lot of memories.” She sobbed. “I miss her so much. She was my everything. Sometimes, I wonder why she had to die so horribly. I should never have let her leave the house that day.”

“It must have been hard for you… coming here.” She mumbled feeling sorry for her.

“Yes, it was but I’m happy now, happy that we’ve made up and happy to show this place to you. I hope she’s proud of me.”

“She is Jackie! Your mother was a good woman and I’m sure she’s proud of you! For turning a new leaf, abandoning your previous lifestyle, it takes courage and determination.”

She sighed. “How did you do it?” She rasped.

“Do what?”

“Put up with me for so long.”

“I guess I just stopped caring. Your words hurt at first but as soon as I became confident about myself, it didn’t matter anymore. I just stopped caring about what the outside world thought about me but about what I thought of myself.” She smiled.

“Every day, I would look at myself in the mirror and say to myself, ‘You’re beautiful, Riri. You’re intelligent, smart and you don’t care about what others say to you. Their words can’t put you down!’. And everyday, I would walk out of my room feeling confident and ready to take on the world!”

“That was really brave of you. I’m sorry for putting you through all that.” She apologized yet again.

“It’s alright! It’s in the past now! What matters is that we are cool now,” she shrugged.

“I guess you’re right! So in honor of my beloved mother…” She brought out a water lantern from a shopping bag.

“I miss you mom. I hope you’re happy in heaven.” She said, kissing the lantern. She then asked Riri to help her light it up before placing it gently on the water.

They were both seated on a rock as they watched the lantern float away slowly.

Jackie soon rose to her feet and mumbled, “I need to empty my bladder. I’ll just go over there. Stay put and don’t leave this spot. This forest is really big and it would take forever to find you if you got missing.”

“Okay, mom” she rolled her eyes. “Go do your thing, it’s not like I’m a baby. I won’t just wander off.”

“Okay.”

Minutes later, Jackie walked out of the forest entrance with a devilish grin. Mission accomplished! She’s so gullible. What was she thinking? That she really changed?

She hated the fact that she had to play the good girl just to get close enough to stab her in the back.

“Did it work?” Miranda asked, getting out of the passenger’s seat.

She had been hiding in the trunk of the car through out the ride. They didn’t want anything ruining their plans.

“Worked like a charm. She’s still in there,” she smirked.

“Told you it’d work! It’s almost 7pm and the beast never fails to show up at 7pm sharp. Too bad her beauty is about to go to ruins as she would be ripped to pieces. You would barely recognize her body when they find her by morning.”

“Are you sure it would show?” She asked, worried. She really wanted to get her off her back. Once and for all.

“Yes, this forest has been haunted for almost six months now. Nobody enters into it once it’s 7pm. Anyone who does never lives to tell the tale. Even the squad of policeman that were sent to catch the beast all wound up dead. We better leave here, I don’t want to be around when it comes.”

“I almost feel so sorry for her. Rest in peace, Riri!”

“More like rest in pieces!” She let out a wicked laugh.

…..

Oh no, my Riri. Please guys comment on this story.