Chapter 6

Jessica screams. So loud she can feel it in . She tries to run but Robert grabs her by the waist. The man throws her mercilessly against the tree trunk, creating impact Jessica's frail body almost can't contain.

It hurts. Her back hit the rough surface of the wood with so much force it knocks the air out of her lungs. She sees stars, feeling pulsating pain in her chest and in her head. Coughing hard, Jessica falls to the ground.

“Don't.” He stands over her, aiming the harsh light of the flashlight directly to her eyes. “You already ran from me on the elevator and on the plane. Don't run from me in this ing place.”

“Please...” Weakly, Jessica tries to beg. “Don't hurt me.”

“I never want to hurt you, Sica.” He kneels over her now, setting the flashlight on the ground then proceeds to caress her cheek with his cold hand. “I just want us to be together.”

“You see, I'm your number one.” He leans forward. “I don't ditch you for younger idols like most of the fans always do. I will never leave you alone in the dark like your boyfriend did. All I want is a little time together with you as a reward for being so supportive, so faithful.”

The proximity of his face to hers, the smell of his breath, Jessica feels so sick of it all she nearly vomits on the spot. She shut her eyes tight, throwing her head to the side just so there's more distance between them. His hands are on her hips though, dangerously moving to the fly of her jeans, making Jessica realizes that if she doesn't give a fight now this will end with a lifetime humiliation for her.

“Just give me a little taste of yourself, Sica. A little conversation, a little touch, a little kiss.” He dips his head to the crook of her neck. A sickening move that kicks Jessica's instinct in. She lifts her leg, effectively sends her knee to his crotch.

The man screams, rolling over to the side holding his crotch. Immediately getting up, Jessica grabs the flashlight and runs into the woods. She needs to get away from him, as far as possible.

Now that she has the source of light, Jessica can see better and run faster. She arrives at the towering cliff decides to climb uphill. If Yuri doesn't come to save her, she will be the one who comes to him.

Barely a few minutes climbing, Jessica already questions her decision. She can't find a path where the others have climbed before and have to go through dense shrubbery that entwines with huge roots and long vines. Her palms get chafed after holding onto too many thorny vines. Her feet blisters in her ruined shoes for the rocks are edgy and sharp all along the way. Yet she keeps on climbing, seeing a faint light up there that probably belongs to the hut where the other survivors are staying.

Halfway up, lungs feel like burning after all the effort, Jessica looks down. She can see light moving between the trees down there, a sign of Robert following her. She sighs, wiping her sweaty brows only to lose her footing on the ground and slips down the trail. Trying her best to contain her scream, Jessica forks the wet ground with one hand to stop herself from slipping further down. She knows she can risk losing the flashlight so she bites the small cylinder between teeth and crawls forward.

After what feels like hundred years of climbing, she gets to the hut. A small shack of wooden floor and dried palm leaves as it roofs stands on a flat elevation that leads to a cliff. There's no one there. Jessica can see the source of faint light she saw before, a nearly-died-down bonfire on the edge of the cliff. Wrappers of food bar scatter around it, marking the place where the other survivors used to huddle together.

Breaking down into sobs, Jessica kneels by the bonfire as she realizes her mistake. She should have stayed on the beach, waiting for Yuri and the others in a safe place. She shouldn't have let panic cloud her decision. She should have been smarter.

It takes Jessica quite a long moment to control herself. Wiping her tears, she gets to her feet and looks around. She can stay here forever. She has to get back down and find the others. Fast, not only because Robert might get here soon but also because the rescue ship will come and she can't afford being left behind.

After going around the elevation for a few minutes Jessica finds it, a much much easier way to get down to the woods. The path is steep and rocky but there are no roots, no shrubs, no vines that will slow her down. Jessica sighs, bracing herself to take the first step down.

"There you are." That voice, Jessica's heart nearly jumps out of . Robert suddenly jumps out from behind a huge tree, holding the emergency light up. Nimbly, the man climbs up toward Jessica, wearing a winning sneer. "I know you will climb up here for help."

"The other survivors, they are going down to the beach." Jessica steps back to the hut. "A rescue ship will come to save us and we need to be there too."

"I agree." He reaches Jessica's spot in no time, throwing the emergency light aside. "But let's have some fun first."

"Please. We have no time. A storm is coming." Hoping for the best, Jessica tries to reason with the man. "If we don't board the ship in time they will have to wait for the storm to stop before they can rescue us again. Yuri-"

"No!" He pushes Jessica with both hands, sending her flat on the porch of the hut. "Do not mention that bastard name again."

"Please." Shifting away, Jessica grabs the knife she tucks in the pocket of her pants. "We need to get back down as soon as possible. You don't want to be trapped on this island for another night, don't you?"

Jessica realizes her mistake the second she sees Robert grins wider. The man comes to her like a lion come for his prey. The emergency light on the ground illuminates his face, embodies his creepy personality even more.

"I don't mind trapped in this place forever." He rubs his hands together. "With you."

He pounces forward, grabbing Jessica by the legs. Without thinking, Jessica stabs his hand with the swiss knife. She pushes the small blade in with all her might, screaming as loud as the man who yells in pain.

She kicks him away, getting down from the porch and run to the path. But he moves faster, chasing after her then grab her from behind. He throws her to the ground, pinning her. She claws at his face and makes him yells once more.

"You !" He slaps her across the face, hard, vengeful.

Tasting blood in the corner of her lips, Jessica can also feel hot tears in the corner of her eyes. The sudden pain and the anger in the man's eyes frighten Jessica so much she loses her will to fight back.

"You hurt me!" He yells as he pins her down to the dirty ground. Strangling her with one hand. "After all I've done for you, you hurt me!"

"This." He shows his bloodied hand. The knife is still there, blood dripping slowly from where it's embedded in his flesh. "Is this what an idol supposed to give to a fan who stood in the rain for hours just to see her perform?"

"P... Please...." With her tears streaming, Jessica grabs the hand that obstructs her oxygen flow. But he's much stronger than her. His long fingers wrapped tightly around her neck. His weight feels like tons of lead on her stomach and her chest hurts so much.

"P... Please..." She tries to no avail. He chokes her harder, ignoring her cough for air.

Soon Jessica can't stand the burning in her lungs anymore. She shuts her eyes, letting go of him. Behind her closed eyelids, she sees stars and oddly thinks of the stars she saw when she walked on the beach with Yuri.

Yuri.

Yuri. Yuri.

His face lingers in her mind as she slowly succumbs into unconsciousness.

"Yuri." Calling his name once more, Jessica wishes she can touch him once more, hearing him talk to her again.

"Jessica!"

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