The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Micah's eyes were filled with disgust as he looked around the nightclub where his friends brought him. He just arrived from his flight from Chile. He would have extended his stay at the Andes Region for his year-long paid leave.

He was supposed to go there with his now ex-girlfriend, Bella, for their honeymoon, but since the wedding was cancelled, he decided to go on with it alone. She even told him that he's the only one who wanted a honeymoon and that she was just forced to say yes to marrying him because she did not want to humiliate him when he proposed to her in front of so many people.

He shook his head at that thought and drank the brandy served to him. One year had passed yet he could still clearly remember how she stood him up on their wedding day. It was supposed to be the fulfillment of his dream but she chose to elope with his best man. that snake!

"Why the gloomy face?" one of his friends, Arice, asked. He felt him shove his side with his elbow as he said, "'Come on buddy! It's your birthday."

He glared at him. "And I was supposed to still be in Chile until now."

"And what do you plan to do? Sulk your heart out alone in the mountains?" this time it was Cougar who spoke. "We are a better company for you on your birthday. Aren't you happy that you're back with your cool friends? Why, do you prefer talking to crickets than us? I'm hurt man!" he said exaggeratingly.

His face turned sour, "Yeah! You are supposed to be in your deathbed, remember? I was forced to go home because you're supposed to be gone soon. But you're as strong as a horse." He mumbled as he drank the brandy.

It was two days ago when his friends called him through his Blackberry, which had a satellite phone feature. He just finished his hike through the mountainous region of Andes, and experienced the Altiplano or high plateau. He liked places which are almost uninhabited, where all he can see is nothingness. He would seldom check on his friends and would post pictures in his social media account to let them know that he was still alive.

But he was nonplussed when Arice told him that Cougar had an incurable disease and only had a few days to live. He was so worried that he cancelled his tour and hurried back to the Philippines. His friends fetched him at the airport but instead of going to the hospital where Cougar is supposed to be, they brought him to the Fanta-C nightclub where Cougar waited with a mischievous glint in his eyes.