The Boy Next DOOR.

Speeding down the expressway was Kelvin, driving with reckless abandon, torn between his desire to sever ties with Dave, a relationship barely begun and unacknowledged, yet unwilling to let the fragile connection between them dissolve so abruptly.

He vowed to protect Dave at all costs, adamant that as long as he drew breath, no harm would befall him. Not even the lord of witches or the mightiest of gods could lay a finger on him, for Kelvin would never permit it.

"Dave, where are you?" He muttered to himself, scanning the surroundings as he drove, the clock ticking away mercilessly until it struck eleven. Damn!

Only an hour to midnight, and Dave is still out there.

Parking his car by the roadside, he leaped out and embarked on a search, scanning his surroundings with a sense of urgency.

After what felt like an eternity of searching, there were still no signs of Dave in sight.

"Dave, please, just think of me. Your thoughts alone could guide me to where you are. Just think about me, Dave. Call my name in your heart please," Kelvin prayed fervently, speaking as if Dave could hear every word.

Two hours ago.

Dave could be seen driving his car when suddenly his tires ran over some nails strewn across the road, either deliberately placed there or left by accident.

"Holy crap! What the fuck is this?!" He exclaimed as his car veered off the road, careening into the forest beside the roadside and disappearing from view.

He desperately tried to regain control, but the car refused to obey, hurtling forward until it collided with a towering tree, finally coming to a stop.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Don't tell me I'm going to die tonight!" he yelled in panic as his car careened towards the tree, the impact causing the windshield to crack and the car's bonnet to spring open.

"Cough, cough," he spluttered as smoke from the damaged car filled the air, invading his lungs with each breath.

"Ah! Cough! What the hell just happened?" he gasped, addressing no one in particular as he struggled to extricate himself from the wreckage of the car.

Thankfully, the scratches he had weren't too severe; he had merely bumped his head on the car's steering wheel, resulting in a cut that started bleeding instantly.

"Ah, my head! Why does this kind of shit have to happen to me at this time of day?" he lamented as he finally managed to extricate himself from the car.

He gingerly touched his head and winced in pain as the cut stung him sharply.

Checking his tires, he discovered that all four of them were already flat, eliciting another frustrated hiss from him.

"Like seriously! Of all times, this kind of shit has to happen to me right now!" he exclaimed angrily. "Where am I going to get help now? Arghhhh, this is so annoying," he lamented, frustration evident in his voice.

Bringing out his phone, he dialed Rihanna's number, but it wasn't reachable. He tried every number of people who could potentially help him in that moment, but they all yielded the same result.

Opening WhatsApp, he quickly recorded a voice note for Rihanna, praying she would see it promptly. But as soon as he sent the message, his phone displayed something on the screen.

"Phone shutting down in 9.. 8.. 7.. 6.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.." And just like that, his phone powered off, leaving him feeling utterly helpless.

"Ah? No! No! Please don't die, please don't die!" he begged desperately, but his phone betrayed him, succumbing to its fate.

He hadn't realized his phone was low on battery. Luck was certainly not on his side tonight, and when he heard thunder striking again, he felt a surge of frustration and despair, almost bringing him to tears.

"Of all days, why did the rain choose to fall today?!" he asked himself pitifully, feeling the weight of misfortune pressing down on him.

He glanced around, surrounded by nothing but trees and bushes. Though there were pathways winding through the bushes and tall trees, but he couldn't bring himself to walk down them. The events from nine years ago still haunted him, filling him with an overwhelming sense of fear and dread.

Putting his phone in his pocket, he turned to head back to his car when he heard the rustling of bushes and the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

Back to kelvin.

Kelvin attempted to call Dave, but his phone indicated that Dave's phone was switched off.

"Holy crap! Why is it switched off?" Kelvin exclaimed in frustration. He climbed back into his car, started the engine, and drove off, his mind racing with worry and uncertainty.

Driving at full speed as before, he propelled his car beneath the roaring thunder, its movements synchronized with the flashes of lightning that illuminated the sky with each strike..

Spotting something on the road from a distance, he slowed down his car to get a better view. As the thunder struck again, the silver nails on the ground became visible to him. If not for his keen sense and sharp vision, he might have missed them entirely.

Parking his car on the side of the road, he stepped out and surveyed the surroundings. A sinking feeling in his gut told him that those nails were deliberately placed there to cause harm, and his mind immediately went to Dave as the potential target.

"Dave! Dave, are you here?" he shouted, his voice echoing into the empty surroundings as he scanned the area, but there was no sign of Dave.

Dashing into the forest by the roadside, he called Dave's name repeatedly, but all he received in return was silence.

"Where the hell are you, Dave?" Kelvin asked aloud, his voice carrying through the forest, hoping for any response. After a few minutes of walking, raindrops began to fall, adding to the urgency of the situation.

The rain poured down heavily, soaking Kelvin's clothes in an instant, adding to the discomfort of the situation.

"Really?! Must you rain today?" Kelvin exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice as he looked up at the sky, feeling the weight of the downpour.

Moving forward, he continued to walk, relying on his keen sense to guide him. He noticed some car tracks on the ground and carefully traced them. After searching for some time, he finally found Dave's car parked in front of a massive tree trunk.

Kelvin couldn't explain why, but a deadly smile crept onto his face when he saw Dave's car and its condition.

Its tires were punctured, windows cracked, and the bonnet opened, yet Dave was nowhere to be seen.

The situation seemed dire, as if some people were about to meet their fate today, Kelvin thought grimly.