A MAZE OF GREED

After thinking for a while, Ruth finally decided to talk with Thea about her fear of someone following her. She couldn't do that before because she had only one thought on her mind- Mr Payne's health and the money she needed for his further treatment.

A day before, the physician came and checked his health status. He assured that Mr Payne's health was improving slowly, and now Ruth and Mrs Payne could heave a sigh of relief.

She felt a load had been lifted from her heart, and now she could talk with Thea.

"Thea…"

"Ruth…"

"I want to talk to you!" They both said in unison.

They both shared the same expressions on their faces- worry. Before any of them open their mouth, they heard a man grumbled in distaste.

"Yes, I also want to talk to you both. This is my shop, my workplace. And I don't pay you for talking. Move your hands with the thread and the needle or the door is that way!"

Mr Cooper's hard voice made Ruth cringed while Thea just rolled her eyes in annoyance. To not aggravate their employer, they shared a look that said- after the work.

The remaining day passed with both of the ladies worrying itched on their faces. They thought what the other woman had to say.

The evening came, and Thea and Ruth were the first ones to step outside the shop. They didn't wait to chat with their colleagues like they usually do. Taking hurried steps, the women knew where they would get some privacy to speak up their minds.

During the short walk, Ruth's hazel eyes kept darting in every direction restlessly. Though her stalker was chained in the dungeons of 'the great manor' for days, the fear lingered in her heart that she was still being watched.

They found a good spot and relaxed their bodies on the lush green grass of the public park where they liked to spend their time now and then.

"What is it?" They asked in unison after a minute.

"First you have to tell." Thea said.

"No, Thea-"

"Please Ruth."

After a pause, Ruth nodded her head. "Okay."

She took another moment to gather her thoughts then began, "Thea, for some days, someone is keeping a watch on me."

Thea kept staring at her dumbfoundedly, then burst out laughing. "Wh-what? Ruth… I know that you are one of the beautiful women in Vincardine, if not most. But this is too much! Who is following you? Your secret admirer?" And she again broke into fits of laughter.

Ruth's brows scrunched, her lips thinned in a straight line. She didn't like Thea's reaction, neither she had expected it. Unable to hide that she was upset with her best friend, Ruth turned her head away from her to look into the distance.

After some more minutes of laughing, Thea noticed the change in Ruth's mood. She sobered up. She studied Ruth for a long moment and realised how awry her reaction was. Ruth never lied, and she was not lying this time too.

"Ruth"

Ruth ignored Thea's call.

"Ruth, I am sorry! I shouldn't have acted like that. Please tell me your problem." Thea asked in a gentle voice, trying to show her sincerity.

Ruth sighed. She couldn't be mad at her friend any longer. And she was the only one to understand her problem.

"You will not laugh again, promise?"

"Cross my heart and hoped to die!" Thea nodded her head like a little girl.

That broke a small smile on Ruth's face. Shaking her head a little at her friend's antics, Ruth began again with a serious face.

"Thea, for past days, I feel like someone is watching me, keeping eye on my every move. Wherever I go- shop, market, church, everywhere. Their eyes burn holes on my body." She shuddered at the last sentence and shut her eyes for a moment to not let the disgust touch her skin.

"Have you seen who the person is? Is that a single person or are there more? Their face, height, image, or anything that could help us in finding them?"

Ruth shook her head. "I don't know any of that Thea. Every time I turn around to see who that is, I see no one. It's like that person is invisible. They can see me, but I can't. I can only feel their presence, but they can feel my fear. When I try to run in the lights to protect myself, they probably enjoy my fear through the dark.

The thought of stepping out of my home, makes my insides churned in fear. Every step I take on the roads of Vincardine accelerates my heartbeat. Initially, I tried to ignore it, but now I can't, Thea. It's torture! Sometimes… sometimes I think that I will go insane with this constant fear."

Ruth's eyes moistened, and she held her head in between her hands. Thea was shocked to see her state. She had no idea what Ruth was going through, for she had her problem to occupy her mind. She felt bad for her friend. But more than that, she cursed herself for not knowing that her friend was suffering through a problem.

'I need to pay more attention to the people around me.' She made a mental note for herself.

Thea's eyes scanned the surroundings to see anything suspicious. But she didn't know what she was looking for.

"Ruth, do you… do you feel their eyes on you right now?" She asked slowly.

Ruth looked up at her then at her surroundings. "I-I don't know." A tear rolled down her eye.

Thea let her gather her thoughts while her mind drew various possibilities, but none of them seemed right.

"Ruth, do you have any name on your mind? A man who have fought with you or have you rejected someone's feelings?"

Ruth narrowed her eyes at Thea. "How do you know that it must be a man?"

"Of course, it must be man or men. Women do not follow other women secretly. If they have something to say to another woman, then they just march to them and say that on the face or taunt them with a condemning look.

And with a beauty like you, I am sure it must be a man or men." Thea said as if she just had stated the law of regulation of the universe.

Ruth rolled her eyes at her. But then she said the thought that was eating her mind for some time. "I… I actually have a name on my mind." She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Really? Who is that?" Thea asked curiously.

Ruth hesitated for a moment but then sighed. "Edwin O'Dell."

Thea didn't react, only blinked- once, twice, thrice. And slowly, Ruth's words registered in her mind and the realisation dawned upon her.

Now that she put the name to the unknown face, everything started making sense.

"Ruth, if you are right then... I don't even want to imagine what would happen!" Thea exclaimed in alarm.

"Thea, now you are scaring me!"

"You should be scared Ruth! You should be!"

Ruth's face fall, morphing into fear and worry. Thea also got engrossed in her thoughts.

"I think I should talk with Rees about this."

Ruth was surprised at her suggestion. "You... you will?"

Thea sighed sadly. "Only if I could meet him."

"What does that mean?" Ruth was puzzled.

'Has something happened between them again?' She wondered.

"We haven't met for the last six days." Thea's voice was full of sadness and worry. But Ruth didn't understand the reason behind it.

"Thea, he must be busy with his duty. Have you checked with his parents?"

"I did, Ruth. You must be thinking that I am acting like a selfish lover who wants her fiancee for herself all the time. But trust me it is not like that.

If he couldn't meet then he informs me that beforehand. I went to his house but his parents also don't know anything about his whereabouts. They only received a message from him that he is safe and will come home after a few days." Thea explained.

Thinking for a moment, Ruth chalked out another possibility.

"He might be out of Vincardine because of some urgent work that he didn't get a time to inform you?!"

Thea shook her head and turned to look at Ruth. Her eyes were full of desperation. "No, Ruth. You are not getting it! Rees is in 'the great manor'. The messenger told that to his parents. I just don't understand what could be the reason that he has to stay in there.

It's like he has disappeared in thin air without any clue. Ruth...." Taking her hand in hers, Thea continued, "I have this bad feeling in my chest. What if Rees is in some problem? What if he is hurt?" Tears huddled in her round eyes.

"Thea, you are overthinking it. He will come back soon, trust me. How can he get hurt in 'the great manor'. He is not on a battlefield, so stop worrying."

Thea was about to open her mouth and tell Ruth about Edwin's attack on Rees. Only she knew how terrified she was to see those claw marks on Rees's throat. But she pulled the reigns of her tongue before she broke Rees's promise.

Thea couldn't share the secret of his identity- the truth that he was a werewolf to anyone.

Even if she had told Ruth that now, her best friend would have rolled on the floor laughing hysterically, screaming that Thea had gone mad with those folklores.

Shutting her eyes tightly, Thea inhaled deeply. Discussing this with Ruth had not helped her at all. And now, she needed to think about something else.

"Thea look!" Her eyes snapped open wide after hearing Ruth's loud voice.