Shelly's heart pounded. She silently prayed, God, please… just this once, keep me safe.
Then she told herself firmly, There's only one way out, Shelly — be confident. Act like you belong here.
Taking a steady breath, she looked the boy straight in the eye.
"What were you doing in the forest?" she asked, her voice calm but sharp. "Why is there blood on your face and hands? Tell me honestly—did you kill someone?"
The boy's expression didn't change. "Why would I tell you that?"
Shelly didn't flinch. "Because if you tell me everything clearly, I can save you."
He gave her a suspicious glare. "Why would you even want to help me?"
"Because I don't want to hurt you," Shelly replied simply. She pulled a handkerchief from her bag and handed it to him. "Here. Wipe your hands and face properly."
For a moment, he just stared at her. But something in her tone made him take the cloth.
"You can trust me," Shelly said softly.
The boy's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Are your friends here too?" he asked after a pause.
"No," Shelly said. "I followed you alone. I just wanted to talk to you. I don't even know your name."
He hesitated, then said, "Denial. My name is Denial."
"Well, Denial," Shelly said, "let's go somewhere and sit down to talk. But first—you need to change your clothes."
Before he could protest, she took him to a small shop and bought him a new set of clothes.
"I'll pay you back," Denial said immediately.
"There's no need," Shelly replied. Then, with a curious smile, she asked, "By the way… what do you do?"
Denial's eyes darkened. He still couldn't bring himself to trust her.
"Alright," Shelly said, backing off. "When you're ready, you can tell me. No pressure."
She pulled out a pen and paper, quickly writing her number. Placing it in his hand, she said, "This is my phone number. If you ever feel like talking to me, just call."
And with that, she left.
Denial stood there quietly, watching her walk away.
Days passed. Shelly's work piled up, and she barely had time to talk to her friends, let alone think about the strange boy from the forest.
But Denial… he sat alone in a dark room, holding on to that single scrap of paper with her number. For the first time in years, he felt like maybe—just maybe—there was a little light in his life.
One afternoon, gathering all his courage, he dialed her number.
The call rang, but Shelly was too busy to answer.
A few minutes later, he tried again. This time, Shelly picked up.
"Hello?" she said.
Silence.
"Hello?" she repeated.
The line stayed quiet for several seconds—until a young male voice finally spoke.
"Hello… it's me. Denial."
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Continue....