THE RECORD: From Behind The Camera, He Keeps Watching
CHAPTER 20: D-1 (Part 4)

Shaftsbury, vermont

00.00 A.M

About an hour to Woodstock

____________________________

Clik.

Clik.

Clik.

I opened my eyes as soon as I heard the camera shutter sound from the seat beside me. Noah was there with a polaroid camera in his hand. Busy photographing rural scenery from behind the glass of the car.

I corrected the sitting position, making Noah turn his head.

“Izzy? Did I wake you?” asked the young man while storing the photo paper coming out of the camera into the bag.

I shook my head, “I didn't sleep. Just go ahead,”.

Instead of returning to take photos, Noah put his camera into a backpack and watched me for a moment with a doubtful expression. Staring at the cold young man deeply certainly made me nervous.

“That last night, are you sure you're okay?” he asked with his voice low.

I looked back, looking at him briefly.

Although I'm not sure, but I nodded my head to make him not think things through so that this conversation doesn't continue.

“Do not think too much.” I should have known that this young man could not be lied to. Maybe because he saw my face that was still dead, he knew that I was just bragging.

Wish I could do it, Noah. I'll erase all the memories last night so I can sleep even for a moment. But it can't go away just because I want it.

“Thank you for picking me up. I forgot not to say it last night,” my words while giving her an awkward smile.

Noah said nothing. Maybe he actually wanted to ask me a lot about last night. Just look, this young man kept opening his mouth in doubt. The sentence is already on the tip of the tongue but it seems like a sense of reluctance makes it urinate.

I chuckled small. I don't know, I didn't know that this cold young man had this side.

“Someone you want to ask?” my many.

Noah did not answer. He fixed his sitting position until his whole body was facing towards me. It was as if what he was about to say was a serious matter. His eyes wandered a little at the one of our friends who were still asleep. Making sure that they were still wandering around in dreamland before the young man concentrated his attention back on me.

“You must be surprised to see me so,”.

Noah lowered his gaze. “I'm worried.”

I blinked confused eyes. She worried?

“Eyeball ... why can they ... can it be?” he asked carefully as if he did not want to make me recall it.

I shook my head not knowing but still replied, “I saw something.”

Noah frowned. “Something the audience sees?”

I'm shaking. No. gabe. I didn't see the grandmothers.

“Then what did you see?”

What the hell am I looking at?

I bit my inner lip in doubt. Last night's memory was again played like an irregular roll film.

That time …

When the audience saw something behind me …

I slowly turned around. Mentally prepare me if I just see something creepy.

And it turned out …

There's nothing there.

Only the dark forest with the mist was descending.

Before I suddenly saw the silhouette of someone from a distance. A young man with a stature similar to Noah's. That guy just stood there. I almost cried when I saw him. A feeling of relief made my chest puff up quietly thinking about the fact that I was finally not alone. That's why I approached him.

However once my distance with the silhouette was only a few steps away …

Turns …

He's not Noah.

“I saw my mother,” I said explaining what I saw there at the time. Makes Noah frown even more.

“Your album?”

I nodded before returning to tell.

That night, I felt like I was within the boundary of consciousness between subconsciously finding my beloved woman suddenly confronting me. In the woods. Hundreds of kilometers from where Dr. Couper lives. My mother couldn't be here. I thought at the time.

“Mother?” 

—instead of calling him full haru. The mother's body in front of me looked healthier, fuller and fitter. His pale skin was no longer there. The pair of pretty irises that used to look at me blankly were now more lifeless.

And he smiled at me.

My tears fell by themselves. I was crying on the spot. I felt sad because I forgot when I saw my mother smile like she is today. Maybe after Harper's departure and that was seven years ago.

I miss.

I heard the voices of Isaac, Rose, Ethan and Delilah calling me frantically from the screen but my consciousness seemed to just vanish. I continued to step forward towards the mother who was widening her arms offering me a hug.

I was about to arrive in his arms before my body was violently jerked from the front. I felt like my life and consciousness were being thrown with no feeling from somewhere. My body is limp and someone is trying to straighten it.

As soon as I open my eyes …

Noah's panicked face that mentioned my name over and over again was what I first saw. Both hands are on my cheeks. He shook me occasionally hoping for my consciousness to return. 

“Izzy! The izzy! Aware!”

The high-level sound of the gift rang out in my hearing to make me realize and immediately felt both balls of my eyes turning 180 degrees back to the beginning. I rebelled away from Noah. With a feeling of fear and fear, my eyes combed around the forest like they were losing their way.

That figure …

It's not anywhere.

Without waiting any longer for me to adjust from the shock, Noah pulled me over quickly to leave immediately. Along the way the forest was not as dark as before. I don't know what makes it different.

Noah was silent throughout the trip and delivered in the parking lot, Rose had already stopped the live streaming while waiting for us with an expression I could not read. I'm too tired to think.

As soon as I got there, Ethan, Delilah and Isaac looked at us both with tense faces. As for Primrose, the girl with a cold expression approached us. He looked me right in the eye.

“Crawford, I appreciate all your efforts but next time don't go too far without my cue,” press the girl tightly while getting in the car without looking at Noah.

I, who was still unconscious, did not respond to anything. After what happened on live, Rose still thought that the ghost did not exist and what happened to me was sheer nonsense.

Max, who had just been a spectator, just raised his arm awkwardly towards me and Noah, introduced himself to us as if and got into the car.

“You all right?” ask Isaac.

“Let him rest first.” It was Noah who answered. Isaac said nothing more and gave us a way to get into the car.

“How can Rose consider this a setting? It's obvious we see the granny behind the tree together, isn't Babe?” I heard Ethan protest in a soft voice from behind me.

Delilah elbowed him until Ethan complained. “Be quiet. He's jealous,” scolds Delilah. And the next second we spoke nothing more. Max started the engine and the next minute we left.

Then here we are now, with only Noah and I awake. Max drives in silence while occasionally yawning. The others are sleeping.

Noah in front of me looked at me fixedly as I explained. The young man was struggling in his mind.

“Izzy–” Sentence swallowed in doubt. Her lips opened, then closed.

Before Noah found the courage to say what he was about to say, I preceded him.

“Noah, may I ask?”

The young man was silent for a moment before nodding.

I gulped, feeling doubtful. “Why are you suddenly being nice to me?”

You have never seen or even greeted me before. I connect in my heart.

These Primrose dwarves– ah no, I guess I should stop calling them Rose dwarves. The relationship of these five people is too close to just be an accomplice. Noah, this cold young man shifted his gaze and turned his sitting position back to his original position.

“Do you know something?”

I don't know what I mean by something either. I just feel like Noah's got something to do with me and this vesta hestia.

Noah just kept quiet. He hesitated to talk about something on the tip of his tongue. Before his defense came down, Isaac next to me woke up.

“Hey, you. There is still an hour drive to the destination, I suggest you better sleep to save energy,” Isaac said from his place without facing us.

Noah turned his head towards Isaac beside my left for a glance before sighing. “Isaac correct. We need a break. Sleep Izzy,” the young man said while commenting on a thin smile.

I had no choice but to obey and try not to think too much.

I forced my eyes to close and tried to fall deeply. Maybe because I was tired, drowsiness did not come to tease me for long.

In the slowly lost consciousness …

I felt someone cover my body with a blanket.

...***...

Author Note: Hello everyone, for those who like horror stories, I suggest you read the novel below yaa~ the story is very exciting to make you want to read on. While waiting for an update from me, do not forget to stop by ya~ 🥰