HELP ME

 ONE: VISION

 

She was walking in the middle of the forest, the moon was at its peak and the stars were twinkling brightly in the sky. On her left hand side; the forest was thick and it was thicker on her right side. The trees were very tall with broad leaves and long branches bending in different directions. She was humming to herself a sweet melody when she was disturbed by a soft and persistent sound coming from deep in the forest. It was the sound of someone sobbing bitterly.

She immediately stopped walking, stood upright and wondered to herself, “Who is sobbing in the forest this time of the night.”

Promptly, she made a sharp right turn into the thick forest. She began walking slowly and quietly like a soldier in a war about to attack his enemy.

The forest was deep; the trees shook from one direction to the other simultaneously. She was able to see where she was walking because of the spectacular light from the moon. She heard the owls hooting separately, the air blowing calmly and fireflies hovering over the roses and violets. The forest was like a different world with all these things happening, one after the other. In a way, it was peaceful and calm.  But in another way it was creepy and weird.  

She enjoyed the view of every natural feature of the forest even though it was dark and scary. She had a sweet smile on her round face. But, immediately the smile disappeared after she heard the sobbing. She continued walking slowly and quietly towards the sound, one foot after another. The sound grew louder and louder after every five steps she took.

She then suddenly stopped when she saw a guy hanging upside down from a medium sized tree. The guy was bruised badly. Blood was streaming out from his chest and dropping on the dry leaves and making a rain rhythm. His clothes were stained with mud and his hair was a mess. He was breathing heavily and sobbed painfully.

When her eyes scanned the guy's body and condition, she felt weak in the knees. Her eyes popped out. She closed her eyes tightly and opened them; she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Her pulse increased drastically.

She took few steps forward and asked doubtfully, “Raymond. Is that you?”

Raymond, the guy hanging upside down from the tree, gazed helplessly at her and replied slowly, “Charlotte, help me!” He was weak, his voice was low.

Charlotte asked, “Who hang you upside down?”

“Please, help me, Charlotte,” Raymond continued to plead. Tears began to row out from his terrified eyes and continued to use his little strength to plead, “Help me, Charlotte Please!”

While Raymond was still sobbing and pleading, there were loud and scary growls coming from a tree behind Raymond. The growls were very loud and scary. It sounded like a growl of a lion and again like a bear.

Charlotte was terrified, she froze in fear. No sooner had she walked timidly towards the tree Raymond was hanging from than a hideous hand grabbed Raymond’s leg and pulled him away from Charlotte’s site.

Charlotte hurried around the tree and looked up on the tree; she saw red glowing eyes staring at her. It was a hug hairy animal with sharp teeth, short claws and long eyes. It looked a human. Then immediately, it leaped from the current tree to another tree with Raymond on its back.

Charlotte was in tears, she called out “Raymond!”

Raymond was screaming and shouting, “Help me! Help me! Help me Charlotte!”

Then Charlotte flinched out from her sleep and sat upright. She was sweating and breathing heavily. Kimberley also woke up and jumped off from her bed and ran across the room to Charlotte's big bed.

Kimberley sat next to Charlotte’s bed quietly while looking at Charlotte.

“What is wrong Charlotte?” Kimberley inquired.

Charlotte hesitated to answer. She was disturbed by the dream she had earlier. She hesitated for a while, looking around the room. She turned swiftly to the left and right. Charlotte then spoke slowly, “I saw Raymond.”

Kimberley paused and sighed aloud. Looking at Charlotte with love, Kimberley said, “It has now been five days since we saw Raymond,” she paused and continued, “Where on earth did you see him?”

Charlotte rolled out of bed and walked to the window. The sun was shining very brightly. She saw the white clouds in the sky reflecting the sun's light and the birds flying in different directions as they chirped sweetly.

Charlotte then sat down on a rocking chair beside the window and explained to Kimberley:

“I had a dream. In my dream, I was walking in the forest, it was dark. But, because of the moon, I was able to see everything clearly every creature that moved.”

 

“I was humming to myself before I heard someone sobbing in the forest. I quickly made a right turn into the deep forest. The forest was indeed amazing.

“Then, again, I heard the sobbing I heard before I branched into the forest. I followed the sobbing quietly through the big and small trees.

“The sobbing grew louder and louder. After walking for about 5 minutes towards the direction of the sobbing, then I saw Raymond hanging from a tree, upside down. He was bruised badly. His clothes were stained, his hair was a mess.

“Well I had my doubts. I called out to ‘Raymond’ then he looked at me, helplessly. I was hurt after seeing him in that condition. I saw tears in his eyes. As I continued observing what was happening, he said to me, ‘Help me Charlotte!’

“I was in tears. He was suffering greatly. I walked to the tree, slowly; I heard loud growls coming from another tree behind him. The growls were getting louder and louder. Raymond continued crying to me, ‘Help me Charlotte!’ then an ugly hand reached out from behind him and grabbed Raymond’s leg and pulled him out of sight. I walked around the tree and I saw the eyes of some 

Creature, I can't explain its features, but they were weird. For example its eyes were glowing red.  It took Raymond and leaped with him from tree to tree.

“It was out of sight but I continued hearing Raymond screaming and then, there was total silence. That's the point I woke up.”

Kimberley gasped after she heard the narration.

She stood from the bed and walked over to Charlotte. She squatted in front of her and encouraged, “Charlotte, as you stated earlier, it was only a dream. Soon Raymond will be found and everything will be fine.”

No sooner had Kimberley finished encouraging Charlotte than they heard a car drive through the driveway. The engine stopped. Quickly, Charlotte and Kimberley looked out of the window. Their bedroom was upstairs on the second floor of the house. As the both of them gazed upon the car that just pulled over their driveway, out came three police officers in a black uniform. Two of which were men and the other one was a woman. They wore black coats and big black boots. The two male officers wore black hats; the woman however was not wearing a hat. She was in her natural short hair. Each of the officers had a pistol fixed in their big belts.

The police officers walked majestically towards the entrance door and knocked loudly.

Mrs. Robinson heard the loud knock on the door and yelled from the kitchen, “Just a minute!” She was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

Charlotte and Kimberley knew that the police officers had some information about Raymond’s disappearance because Mrs. Robinson visited the police department to inform them about Raymond's disappearance five days earlier.

Charlotte and Kimberley also knew that Mrs. Robinson wouldn’t update anyone in the house about Raymond because she didn't want anyone to be worried. The both of them were eager to know the news that the police officers brought without Mrs. Robinson knowing.

Charlotte and Kimberley quickly changed into their pretty backless dresses, they brushed their beautiful hair; Charlotte had long blond hair while Kimberley had black hair. Kimberley’s hair was not as long as Charlotte`s hair. They fixed their hair with hair-pins and walked out of the room.

They tiptoed through the corridor and sat on the first stair that led to the living room. They sat quietly, looking through the bars of the stairs.

Suddenly, next to them sat a handsome guy, nice haircut, he was barefoot with quite big toes. It was because he was not wearing any shoes that he was not noticed by the girls until he sat down calmly next to them and spoke.

He asked curiously, “What are the big boys doing here?”

The ladies were startled by his loud voice. Kimberley produced a low squeak sound because of George. Wrinkles formed all over Charlotte's pretty face. She put her finger on her lip and whispered calmly, “Quiet George. We don't want Mrs. Robinson to know that we are here. If she knows that we are here, she will immediately send us to our rooms.”

Kimberley commented, “We think, perhaps, the officers have some information about Raymond.”

Just then, Mrs. Robinson hurried from the kitchen to the entrance door as quickly as she could.   

She slightly opened the door to see who was knocking loudly. When she saw that three officers were at the door, she quickly opened the door widely.

One of the two male officers was taller than the other, and he was dark in complexion. The short officer, however, was light in complexion and had a smile on his face. The kind of smile that would probably brighten anyone's day. The female officer was the same height as the short officer. She was light in complexion, beautiful and had short black hair.

The tall officer greeted, “Good Morning Madam!” his voice was deep and loud. He had his hands on his belt buckle.

Mrs. Robinson replied, “Morning officers.” She then stepped aside and motioned for them to enter, “Please come in.”

The officers entered the house slowly, one after the other. The female officer was in front, the short officer was in the middle and tall officer was behind them. They made their way to a cosy sofa and sat down. The two male officers removed their hats and hang them on their knees.

The short officer complimented, “What a nice place you have.” His voice was not loud or deep but it was very vivid.

Mrs. Robinson was flattered. She replied, “I try to keep it alive.”

It was true. Mrs. Robinson’s house was clean and sparkling. There were nice portraits of her and artistic paintings on the canvas which were nailed to the walls. The portraits and the paintings made the house look more beautiful than it already was. A fine chandelier was above them. Indeed her house was a modern one house.

The female officer pulled out a photograph of Raymond from her coat and laid it out on the table. The officer was in a hurry. She didn't want to waste any time admiring Mrs. Robinson's house.

When Mrs. Robinson saw the photo of Raymond, she felt very emotional. Tears filled up in her eyes that it was difficult for her to see the officers clearly.  Her vision was blurred by the tears in her eyes. She quickly pulled a handkerchief that was lying beside her on the sofa. She wiped her tears with it and blew her nose.

She then looked at the officers with great grief. The officers understood her condition. They felt very sorry for her. She was a widow, and she was going through tough times.

The officers had no option but to continue with what they had come to do, otherwise they were going to stay at Mrs. Robinson the whole day feeling sorry for her. So, the tall officer began, “Ma'am, five days ago you visited our department to inform us of a missing person. We got to work as soon as we received the instruction to search for him.

“Our team was out in the area looking high and low for Raymond. They were determined to find him. Earlier today our team called to inform us that they found Raymond in the forest. But, unfortunately, he's no longer with us.”

Mrs. Robinson couldn't hold herself after receiving the news. She cried persistently. The female officer stood up and walked to Mrs. Robinson to comfort her.

When Charlotte, George and Kimberley heard what the officers said, they were heart broken. It was hard for them to sit and watch Mrs. Robinson weeping from afar. Kimberley with tears in her eyes quietly stood up and walked back to her room and locked herself inside. Charlotte rested her head on George’s shoulder. Both of them said nothing to each other. They only sat there on the stair and watched helplessly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   TWO: TEARS

 

Mrs. Robinson was a widow; her husband passed away years back. After the death of her husband, she devoted her time and efforts into looking after orphans. She brought Raymond, George, Charlotte and Kimberley into her house when they were about thirteen years old.

Mrs. Robinson took care of them for seven years. They were students at a very special school that was sponsored by the well-wishers. They had completed their school and were waiting to go to college.

She had looked after them with plenty of love like she gave birth to them. Because of this, everyone in the house, including the neighbours loved and appreciated her. She was known as “Woman of Love.”

 

Later, after Mrs. Robinson calmed down. The officers decided that it was time for them to go.

Mrs. Robinson asked, “So, where is his body?”

“The body is with the detectives. They are studying the body to try and figure out what might have killed him,” replied the tall officer.

“Can I come with you? I deserve to see his copse for the last time at least.”

 “I`m afraid that`s not our department. The detectives will surely phone you anytime soon, just be patient.”

The short officer said, “We will be taking our leave now.” The officers marched outside the house.

Mrs. Robinson walked back to the kitchen. She was weeping quietly. She then wiped her tears and continued preparing breakfast. Her mind however, continued to think about Raymond, she wanted to see the body badly.

Moments later, breakfast was ready. Mrs. Robinson summoned Charlotte, Kimberly and George to come downstairs for breakfast but they refused by saying, “We are not hungry, maybe later.”

Mrs. Robinson didn’t eat as well; she had no appetite after the news. Her mind was on the phone. Minute after minute she kept checking her phone. Unfortunately, there was nothing; no text or missed calls. This made her very worried.

When it was lunch time, Mrs. Robinson prepared food for everyone in the house. She served the food in the dining room.

She assumed that no one knew anything about Raymond’s death. She tried to act natural so that no one would find out. But, little did she know that everyone in the house knew about Raymond`s death.

Meanwhile, Charlotte was in her room with Kimberley and George. They were sad, they did not speak to each other. Their hearts were still broken. Charlotte sat on the rocking chair, Kimberley sat on her bed and George sat on Charlotte’s bed.

Charlotte asked as she looked at a photograph of Raymond, “Do you know what hurts me the most?”

“What?” George replied.

“It was not the first time I dreamt that Raymond was calling me."

“What do you mean?” inquired George.

Charlotte then narrated the dream she had to George.

She continued, “Before I had that dream. I had a similar dream; that Raymond was calling me but this time, nothing pulled him away. It was like; he was still alive, waiting to be rescued...”

Just then Mrs. Robinson yelled, “Lunch time!” as she was walking up stairs.

When Charlotte heard her, she stood up promptly and instructed, “Mrs. Robinson doesn't know that we know about Raymond’s death. Let us keep it that way. We already refused to eat breakfast, hence it will be foolish for us to do the same with lunch. Everyone act natural.”

Kimberley wiped her tears and powdered her face. It would be difficult for anyone to know that she was weeping. They quickly brushed their hair because Mrs. Robinson was walking towards their door.

Mrs. Robinson knocked on the door.

“Come in!" Charlotte answered.

Mrs. Robinson opened the door slowly, first her face was hidden behind the door, then slowly she popped out her head and looked at Charlotte. Mrs. Robinson had a beautiful smile on her face.

“Lunch is served,” Mrs. Robinson began.

“Thank you. We will be right out.” Kimberley replied with a more beautiful smile. Dimples were visible as she smiled back at Mrs. Robinson.

They all walked out of the bedroom and pattered downstairs. They walked into the dining room and sat down on the chairs, respectively.

Mrs. Robinson passed the food to Charlotte. When Charlotte finished serving herself, she passed the food to Kimberley and Kimberley did the same until everyone had food on their plates.

Charlotte looked at Mrs. Robinson. Her face showed everything that she hoped to hide. She did some ridiculous mistakes; scooping soup with a spoon. It was clear that something was troubling her.

Mrs. Robinson said aloud when she was about to take a sip of the strawberry juice, “Tomorrow afternoon, prepare yourselves because you will be going to a very good friend of mine. She will look after you better than I have.”

Kimberley responded, “What do you mean?”

“It will be as I have said. As soon as you have finished eating, go to your rooms and pack for your trip tomorrow,” she continued.

“But why are we leaving?” asked Kimberley.

“You won't understand,” Mrs Robinson assumed.

Kimberley became angry and asked in anger, “Is it because Raymond passed away? Is that why you are sending us away?”

Mrs. Robinson paused. She put down the fork, looked at Kimberley and asked, “Who told you that?”

“Does it matter how I found out?” Kimberley rudely replied with a question.

Charlotte quickly said to Kimberley, “Quiet Kimberley.”

Kimberley stood up in anger and said, “No Charlotte! You know that I'm right. Why doesn't she tell us anything? Is it because we are orp...” Charlotte slapped Kimberly before she could finish her sentence.

Kimberley was hurt. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She sobbed quietly before pattering upstairs to her room and locked herself inside.

Charlotte then motioned everyone to continue eating. They ate their food quietly. Charlotte was also hurt by the way she reacted. She promised herself that she would go and apologise to Kimberley later.

 

  THREE: IT'S A PATTERN

 

 

It was dark and raining heavily outside the house. Magnificent lightning flashed across the dark sky. The thunder was so great that the ground shook. It was like an earthquake destroying an island. The air blew calmly as it shook the trees back and forward. Tiny droplets spattered on the living room window.

Charlotte and George were in the living room. Mrs. Robinson was in her bedroom. Kimberley was also in her room. Charlotte looked at the clock on the wall, it was about to struck nine o'clock. She got worried about Kimberley because of what happened earlier. She feared that Kimberley would sleep with her worries in her mind. Earlier she promised herself that she would apologize to Kimberley when she had a chance. It seemed as if a chance presented itself.

George looked Charlotte. He knew that she was thinking about Kimberley. She kept looking at the clock and at the stairs. She hopped that, perhaps Kimberley would come down. Kimberley did not have her supper. This made Charlotte more uncomfortable.

He asked Charlotte, “Should I go check on her?”

Charlotte wanting to go to Kimberley herself, she replied, “No. I will go.” She walked to the kitchen and put food on a plate and carried it up to Kimberley.

Charlotte thought that the door was still locked. She quietly turned the door handle, to her surprise, the door was not locked. She entered the room slowly and scanned the room with her eyes; looking for Kimberley.

Kimberley was sitting in front of the window and staring outside, watching the droplets that spattered on the window. The droplets produced a patterning rhythm. She loved the rhythm of the droplets that she was moving her body back and forth, slowly, while sited comfortably on the rocking chair.

When she heard footsteps behind her; She knew that it was Charlotte walking in her slowish way. She had her own way of walking if she was sneaking up on someone. She would take one step in front of her, wait, and take another step, wait and so on.

Kimberley said aloud without looking at Charlotte, “Raymond once told me, ‘You don't have to be scared of the rain, lighting or thunder. Because once they go away; out comes a beautiful day. Flowers will bloom, trees will appreciate, the rivers will be flooding, animals will have water to drink.’ He was right. That day when I walked outside with him; I was amazed by the rainbow I saw in the blue sky and animals were drinking water. From that day, whenever it is raining outside; I sit and watch the rain. I'm no longer scared of the rain, Charlotte; All because of Raymond.” Her voice was sweet and calm.

Charlotte stopped walking when heard her speak, she had a smile on her face. She commented, “I remember you used to hide under the blankets until the rains pass.” She chuckled.

She walked closer to Kimberley and apologised, “I'm truly sorry for what transpired earlier today,” she continued. “Mrs. Robinson is only going through a tough time right now. Let us only understand her and do what she says.”

Kimberley turned to Charlotte, “She told me that I wouldn't understand. And you are telling me to understand.”

Charlotte pulled out a chair from her bedside and sat next to Kimberley.

She handed Kimberley the food, “Here is some food. You haven't eaten your supper.” Kimberley got the food. It was noodles with beef and her favourite spices.

“She has a big responsibility. She looks after us. Right now she's weak. She probably needs time to heal,” Charlotte paused. She looked around the room as if she was looking for something.

She moved closer to Kimberley and questioned, “Are you aware that Raymond is not the only person to pass away in this house?” Kimberley stopped eating when she heard what Charlotte said. She was confused. She put aside the plate of food onto a table.

“What are you talking about?” Kimberley curiously asked. She was now paying much attention, wanting to know more. Her eyes popped out in eagerness. She looked straight in Charlotte's blue eyes.

“Before you were brought here; we were the three of us, me, George and Martin,” Charlotte began.

“Who's Martin?” Kimberley interrupted.

“Martin,” Charlotte continued “he was the second child to be brought to this house. He was just like you. Once you got to know him, you would quickly like him. He loved adventures. He loved reading plenty of books; we called him “book worm.”

“One day, he went missing, just like the way Raymond went missing. It was a difficult time. No one ate and no one slept. Mrs. Robinson called the officers and detectives so that they could help us find him. The officers and the detectives looked for him for two days. The officers and detectives did not rest either. Night and day, they searched for him.

“On the third day, he was found lifeless near a lake. They had found five large scars on his stomach. The kinds of scars made by an animal, but not just any animal.”

“A beast perhaps?” Kimberley suggested

“Yes. Perhaps a beast,” she agreed.

“His face was disfigured. Nothing much was left of him and so he was taken to the mortuary. Few days later, he was buried.”

Charlotte paused for a while and continued, “Before Martin passed away, just like Raymond, I saw him calling for me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything. I only heard loud growls that were very terrifying. I woke up from my dream. Later that morning, just like today, I received the news about his...death.”

“What!” Kimberley was shocked. She inquired, “So you had visions?”

“I don't know what to call them,” responded Charlotte, “So you see. I actually think it will be best that we do as she says.”

A knock was heard at their bedroom door.

“Come in," Charlotte answered.

George walked in with two mug cups in his hands and asked, “Do any of you ladies want a cup of coffee?”

“Yes. I do. After that story, I don't think I'll be able to sleep,” replied Kimberley.

George walked over to Kimberley and handed her the coffee. He turned to Charlotte and asked , “What about you, madam?”

“Where is Mrs. Robinson?” Charlotte asked while getting the cup of coffee from him.

“She is sleeping. She told me earlier that she was tired,” responded George. He also pulled out a chair and sat.

They all had a cup of coffee in their hand, sipping from it and telling each other jokes. They were having a great time that they forgot that it was raining outside. George made them laugh with his crazy jokes.

It was getting late. The rain had stopped pouring and the wind calmed down. It was a cool a night.

Charlotte was still up while Kimberley slept on her shoulder. George had gone to his room. He began packing, ready for their trip. They still didn't know where they were going or who they will meet.

Charlotte stood up slowly, supporting Kimberley’s head; she then placed a pillow on the arm of the chair and made Kimberley sleep on it.

She removed two suit cases from the walk-in-closet. One was hers and the other one was for Kimberley. She got the clothes and folded them before packing them in the suitcases.

After she finished packing the clothes, she changed into her night dress and walked downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she was walking back to her bedroom, she heard Mrs. Robinson crying quietly in her bedroom.

Charlotte was puzzled, “Isn't she supposed to be sleeping?” she thought to herself.

She walked closer and opened the door quietly. She asked, “Are you alright?”

“What are you doing here?” she asked Charlotte while wiping her tears.

“I heard you crying.”

“Have you finished packing?” Mrs. Robinson inquired.

“If we go, who will look after you?” Charlotte insisted.

“I should have sent you to my friend from the beginning. There, you would have been safe. This is a dangerous place now. You have seen how your friends have gone to the other side of the world. I wish that none of you go there.”

Mrs. Robinson stood up and walked to her closet. Charlotte watched Mrs. Robinson walk like a tired woman forcing herself to get something important. From a peculiar drawer, Mrs. Robinson pulled out a wooden box. The box was 5 cm high and 7 cm long. It was made of pure wood. It had a bright white colour in its four corners. On the middle of the box was a small silver lock.

Mrs. Robinson walked with it in her hands to a sofa, holding it like a tray. She motioned for Charlotte to walk closer. She hesitated for a while and then moved willingly across the room to where Mrs. Robinson was sitting while holding the wooden box.

Charlotte sat down next to her and asked curiously, “What is that?”

Mrs. Robinson smiled and replied, “Your freedom. My freedom. Our freedom. Everyone’s freedom.”

“I beg your pardon,” insisted Mrs. Charlotte.

“Do you like stories?” Mrs. Robinson strangely asked Charlotte.

“Yes I do,” she replied quickly.

“Once upon a time,” Mrs. Robinson began, looking in Charlotte’s sparkling blue eyes, “There were two friends. Those friends were very strong together. No one could separate them. But fate had something installed for them.

“One day, the other friend took something valuable from the other friend which made them separate. But, that friend that was hurt said to the other, ‘I will take away everything valuable from you until you become dust.'

“It happened that the hurt friend took everything valuable from the other friend, one after the other.

“I know you won't understand now but, you will be able to understand when the time is right.”

Mrs. Robinson continued slowly, “I'm giving this wooden box to you because of your character. Only open it when you need it the most.” Mrs. Robinson smiled slowly.

“And the key?” Charlotte asked curiously.

“You have the key,” Mrs. Robinson said gladly.

Charlotte was confused. She knew that she had no key that could open anything. She got the box and walked out of the bedroom and walked into her bedroom.

 

 

 

 

 FOUR: READY

 

 

Charlotte was sleeping in her room on her big bed, the lights were dim, the ceiling fan was turned on because it was a hot night. The air from the fan was cool. Kimberley was also in her bed sleeping peacefully. George was in his bedroom. It was next to Charlotte and Kimberley’s room. In George’s room there was no ceiling fan, so the window was open to let in the cool air. He was sleeping comfortably with the air blowing calmly.

 When Charlotte was deep in her sleep, she had a dream similar to the one she had about Raymond. This time, she dreamt that she was running towards a tall tree as fast as she could. She was running like someone had grabbed something from her and ran up the tree. When she reached to the tree, she was panting heavily. She was very tired from all the running and jumping in the forest.

She looked up the tree and saw Kimberley hanging helplessly from the tree. Kimberly was in bad shape, she couldn't move. With the little energy left in her, she called, “Help me, Charlotte!”

Charlotte opened her eyes and woke up from her dream. She took two deep breaths and got out of bed. On the table beside the bed was a cup of water. She got cup and drunk the water like a thirsty animal.

 It was morning, the sun was shining over the horizon. The windows in Charlotte and Kimberley’s room were opened slightly. The white curtains however were widely opened to let in the morning light. 

Charlotte walked over to Kimberley and woke her up, “Rise and shine!”

Kimberley opened her slightly big brown eyes and looked at Charlotte. Her eyes popped out. She realised that she had forgotten to pack her clothes in her suitcase. She said aloud, “I forgot to pack last night.”

“That's why you have me. I look after you. Don't worry, I packed everything you will need on our holiday,” replied Charlotte while smiling.

Kimberley hugged Charlotte tightly and questioned, “What will I do without you?”

“Alright. We have no time to waste. Let us clean the house,” Charlotte replied.

Charlotte and Kimberly cleaned the house and did all the chores, George helped by moving the sofas.

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Robinson was woken up by the long awaited phone call from the detectives. She was asked to visit them immediately.

She quickly rolled out of bed and took a shower, dressed up neatly and rushed out without telling anyone in the house.

She used a taxi that drove her to her destination. When she arrived at the headquarters, she promptly got out of the taxi, forgetting her change. She ran passed the receptionist and bumped into some men.

Finally she entered the office. Two men dressed in fine suits were looking outside the window. The first one was Bob: tall and fat. The other one was Jacob: Short and muscular.

The room was quite big with plenty of books on the shelves. A long table was in the middle of the room with chairs scattered.

The men turned around slowly.

Bob began, “We are glad you could make it here under short notice.”

“Tell me what I`m to hear,” she responded.

The detective arranged 6 black and white photographs of Raymond at the scene of his death – the forest, on the big table. The photographs showed that Raymond had hug scars all over his body.

As soon as Mrs. Robinson saw the photos she gasped aloud and burst into tears. It took a while for her to finally calm down. She still had tears rolling down her cheeks; she wiped them with her hand. She then looked away.

“As you can see Mrs. Robinson, Raymond was probably attacked by a bear because these scars are quite big.”

 “So you are telling me that a bear killed Raymond?”

“For as far as we are concerned, Yes he was,” Bob replied.

“How?” she demanded.

Bob replied promptly, “As for now, we cannot tell how, but we have information that bears are really rampant in the forest.”

Mrs. Robinson retorted, “Last time you told me that a jaguar killed Martin. You also said that Jaguars were rampant. You keep on coming up with crazy stories to cover up what really happened.”

Bob coughed and informed, “Our teams are working tirelessly to figure out what really killed Raymond. We believe that we are getting close to the answer.”

“Are you going to wait until all my children are killed to find the answer?” Mrs. Robinson asked angrily.

The detectives looked at each other worryingly but did not say anything. They looked back at Mrs. Robinson and noticed tears in her eyes.

“Firstly,” Bob began, “We have to find out why your children are the ones been attacked by I don't know what. Once we do that then we will find a way to stop it. The kinds of cases we deal with are complex cases, but yours is very complex. Therefore, we require more time.”

Mrs. Robinson retorted, “There is your problem. You want something that I can't give you, you want time. If you won't do anything about it, then I'll do something to protect my children.”

Jacob spoke, “Please madam, try to understand that your case is not quite clear.”

Mrs. Robinson replied, “What is not clear about me telling your foolish department that my son went out at night few days ago and did not return home? Even a 6 year old child can understand that simple language. But yet a bunch of grown men cannot understand a simple case. I wasted my time and energy talking to you both.”

She continued, “I was told by the officers that you have Raymond`s copse.”

“Yes,” replied Bob. “That is true.”

“I demand to see it!” she exclaimed.

“Not today madam. It is still under study and we cannot let anyone see it, especially you. Just these photos made you to act like this, imagine if you see the corpse.”

Mrs. Robinson wiped her tears and pleaded with the detectives, but they did not give in.

Mrs. Robinson got angry and stormed out of the office. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE: TIME TO GO

  

Back at home; Charlotte, Kimberley and George were waiting for the arrival of both Mrs. Robinson and her friend. They had cleaned the house and parked everything that they would need at different times. They were all in Charlotte’s bedroom, smartly dressed for the journey. They were eager to leave but yet again they felt sorry for Mrs. Robinson because she would be alone during the difficult time. It was hard for them to accept that she will be fine without anyone in the house; without anyone to talk to, or without anyone to laugh with, or anyone to complain to about life. She was going to be alone.

George made the others busy by telling them his funny stories and jokes.

While George was still entertaining them with his fiction stories, a car pulled up in the drive way. It made quite a noise before engine stopped. The noise of the engine was like a lawnmower and a power generator was on at the same time.

It made George to look outside the window. He then declared, “That’s probably our ticket out of here.”

They all walked out of the room and pattered downstairs. Walked to the entrance door, George was in front of them. He opened the door slowly. When he saw Mrs. Robinson getting out of the car, he opened the door widely. They walked outside to welcome her.

A man dressed as a driver also got out of the car. He wore a black suite, brow shoes with sun glasses. The driver walked towards them and requested, “Are these my passengers?”

Mrs. Robinson agreed, “You are right. They are your passengers.”

The driver removed his sun glasses with his left hand; he extended his right hand to greet them, “Salutations. I'm Joshua. I'll be your driver for this trip. You can call me Jo.”

George also extended his hand. They shook hands. It was a very firm grip. It was like of business partners hand shake.

Charlotte asked Mrs. Robinson, “ Where are you coming from?”

Mrs. Robinson grinned and replied, “I went to free my head. I met up with Joshua on the way here. As he said, he`s the one driving you to the place I promised you.”

Kimberley was puzzled. She inquired looking at Mrs. Robinson weirdly, “Didn't you say that it would be a she?”

Mrs. Robinson agreed, “Yes. I said it would be a she. But, I didn't say she's the one picking you up. She sent a driver to pick you up.”

Kimberley nodded and scoffed, “Are we using that car?” Pointing at the car that parked in their driveway. She pointed at the car in disgust.

Joshua protested, “It appears to be old. But, it's very mighty.” He looked at the car with great affection.

Kimberley walked slowly around the car observing its features.

The car was indeed jalopy. The paint was feint; the rims of the car had rust. Large cracks were running through the windscreen. One headlight was broken. A silver sheet covered the hole on the broken headlight. Copper wires were tide to both sides of the side mirrors; to attach them to the car so that they do not fall.

Charlotte laughed with an inside voice. George however asked aloud, “Are you sure this car can handle us and our luggage? It doesn't look to be stable.”

Joshua replied with a laugh, “Of course it is. Bring your stuff.”

“Alright,” George slowly answered before going inside.

Mrs. Robinson walked over to were Charlotte was standing.

She assured, “I have bought everything you will need. It's in the boot.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte responded gladly.

“Did you pack everything?” Mrs. Robinson asked.

“Yes. I did pack everything,” Charlotte insisted.

George brought the suitcases outside while the driver was putting them in the car. When the suitcases were put in the car, the driver announced, “Let us harry inside the car. This journey will take approximately 7 hours. If we want to make it before morning, let us start off now!”

Charlotte, Kimberley and George said their farewell and entered the car. The driver ignited the engine, it made quite a racket before driving away.

Mrs. Robinson was waving at the car. When the car was out of sight, she walked inside the house. She sat on the sofa and wept. She was thinking to herself, “I had no other option. This is the only way they will be safe.”

She was in a mess. Her eyes were darkened because of the make-up that was slowly wearing out because she was crying. Her hair was scruffy. She was looking like an insane person. Someone would conclude that Mrs. Robinson was mad after seeing her in that current state.

If someone who knew Mrs. Robinson was to ask why she was in that condition, and Mrs. Robinson was to reply, “Because I have sent away my children.” That person would ask curiously, “But why did you send them away if you knew that you wouldn't control yourself?”

Mrs. Robinson was on the floor. She sat down looking at the clock on the wall and chanted, “They'll be safe.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIX: PARANORMAL FOREST

 

The route that Joshua used had its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of the route was that it was a shortcut. They would be home before morning. The disadvantage was the route branched through the forest. It was not just any forest; it was a forest that the local people believed to contain awful and peculiar things. They believed that it was a forest full of supernatural things. The local people termed the forest as “paranormal forest.”

A lot of things used to happen in that forest; people would get lost and never be found. Strange sounds were heard. The sounds were a mixture of human and animals. It was like a human was howling; again it was like a wolf was howling. These strange things used to happen during the night.

Joshua was the only one who knew about the stories that the forest had. But as for him, he did not believe in any of the stories. He believed that it was only a myth. He was calm, nothing was troubling him.

Soon, the car was driving in the middle of the forest. The one headlight of the car was shining at full beam. It was very dark and spooky. When anyone looked outside the window, they could see tall trees. The moon was out and was at its peak in the dark sky. It was beautiful, though it was dark; the moonlight provided enough light for someone to see.

George was sitting in front with Joshua. Charlotte and Kimberley sat behind.

George looked at Joshua and asked, “How did you let this car become scrap?”

Joshua smiled, he replied, “This car is older than me.”

“What do you mean?” George insisted curiously.

Joshua explained, “This car was my great, great grandfather's car. Before he passed away, he gave it to my great grandfather. And my great grandfather gave it to my father. And now, it was given to me by my father.”

George continued, “So it's travelling through generations?”

Joshua agreed, “You can say that again.”

“So,” George began to mock, “Are you going to pass it to your son?”

“I have a daughter,” Joshua corrected. “And, I don't think she would like it. This car has served its purpose.”

George laughed, “That's what I thought.”

George and Joshua kept talking and laughing. Kimberley was taking a nap. Charlotte however, was wide awake and listening to the conversation between the two. But something was wrong with her. She kept having strange feelings. The kind of feeling like something or someone was following them. The kind of feeling that they were not safe.

“Joshua, please drive a little faster,” Charlotte suggested.

Joshua replied, “I’m afraid this is the fastest that this car can go. But don't worry we will reach our destination soon.” The car was driving at 40 Km/h.

Charlotte was not at peace. She kept having strange feelings. She decided to open the window. Something caught her attention as she looked out the window. She saw something on the branch of a tree. It was squatting and looking at them. It had red glowing eyes. Its face was not clear because it was afar. Suddenly, it closed its eyes and Charlotte could not see it anymore. She was terrified.

She turned to Joshua and spoke, “I think I saw something on the branch. It’s quite scary. Please hurry up.” Her heart was pounding slightly.

George encouraged, “Charlotte, there are two men here. Don't worry, if at all we are attacked, we men will protect you.”

Charlotte groaned, “Men?” She sat quietly and looked ahead.

After driving for two minutes on the road they stopped when they saw a huge figure standing ten meters in front of them. It was very huge and hairy. Its eyes were glowing red, just like the red eyes Charlotte saw. It stood upright like a man. It had a long tail wagging left and right vigorously. It had long pointy tusks. It stood looking at the car then it growled. The growl was so loud that the ground shook and the birds flew away from their nests.

George yelled, “Start the car! Start the car!”

Joshua tried igniting the engine. But, unfortunately, the car did not start. It only produced a squeaking sound and later shut down.

Joshua announced, “The car won't start!”

Kimberley woke up only find themselves stuck in the middle of the forest and seeing the huge creature in front of them, she started screaming. Charlotte then put her hand on Kimberley’s mouth hoping she would keep quiet. But Kimberley couldn't keep quiet. She kept murmuring.

The creature turned and began walking towards the forest like a man. It was out of sight.

George asked while panting, “Is it gone?”

“I don't know! We have to get out of ...” Just before Joshua could finish his sentence, the creature landed on the roof of the car. The toenails of the creature were sharp they made holes on the roof.

The car was not strong enough to hold the weight of the creature. The roof was breaking and almost collapsing. It was a bad experience. They thought they would die because when they faced up, the roof was coming down.

Joshua exclaimed, “Everyone out of the car!”

Everyone was out of the car with difficult in opening the doors. Without knowing what was happening, or who to follow, they ran in different directions screaming in different tones. Charlotte ran in the east direction, Kimberley in the west, George in the South and Joshua in the North.

Had they not gotten out of the car in time, they would have surely been crushed. The car was in a very bad shape. The car lay flat on the road like an elephant had trampled on it.

 The creature was still on top of the car. When it saw that everyone had scattered and ran in different directions; it jumped off the car and ran swiftly in the west direction, towards Kimberley. It ran quickly on four legs while it continued to growl loudly.

Kimberley was running as fast as she could. She heard that the growls were coming from behind her. She decided to take a glance at where she came from.

When she turned; she saw the creature running on four legs, quickly it ran towards a tree, climbed the tree and leaped from tree to tree. Its eyes continued glowing red. And its growls continued to shake the ground.

Kimberley was very scared as she saw it coming behind her faster than she was panting and screaming. The distance between her and the creature kept decreasing and decreasing until it caught her. She screamed on top of her voice.

Meanwhile, Charlotte continued running in the east direction. When she heard Kimberley scream on top of her voice; she turned and ran in the west direction. This was the direction she came from.

Charlotte was slowly losing energy. She was panting heavily. She began slowing down because she had a sharp pain in the stomach. The pain was so sharp that it interfered with the normal functioning of her body. Several minutes later after struggling to keep running, she finally lost all the energy she had in her, she collapsed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEVEN: SHE'S HANGING

 

When Charlotte fell, she hit her head on a branch that was lying on the ground. She couldn't feel the pain because she was not conscious. Had she been conscious at that point, she would have been in great pain.

“Wake up Charlotte,” a voice called her. She was still down.

After the voice persisted, Charlotte flinched into consciousness quickly. She panted persistently as she looked around swiftly with her eyes.

“Calm down. It's me,” George said calmly.

Charlotte looked up. It was morning. The sun was out shining over them while the birds were chirping in the big green trees. The air blew calmly. The flowers were blooming; bees hovered over the beautiful flowers of different colours. Red, Blue, White and Yellow. The view of the forest was spectacular.

“Did you find Kimberley?” George inquired with a frown face.

“No,” Charlotte replied while massaging her head. She was still in pain.

“What about Joshua?” George continued.

“I did not find anyone. Do you know why?” Charlotte asked bitterly.

“No,” he responded.

“It's because I collapsed last night,” she said in a shameful tone.

“Tell me, do you think they are still alive?” George asked.

“I don't know about Joshua. But, Kimberley is still alive? “She assured.

“What do you mean?” George asked in surprise.

“I saw her in my dream. Just like the one I had when Raymond was missing. She’s in this forest. We must hurry and find her because tonight she might be....” Charlotte then paused.

George was confused. He asked curiously, “Where exactly is she?”

“I don't know. But I'm sure she's deep in the forest,” Charlotte answered.

George helped Charlotte up. The both of them walked back to the car and collected some of the important things. They got a bag, bottle water and some snacks.

George complained, “I told you that this car is too old. But you wouldn't listen to me. Now we are stuck here. We don't even know where we are, or where we are going. It's either we will die with hunger, because these snacks will finish some or, that beast will kill us!”

Charlotte began to make fun of George. She said, “George, aren't you the one who said, ‘Charlotte, there are two men here. Don't worry, if at all we are attacked, we men will protect you,’ tell me, what happened those men?”

George was full of guilt. He looked into Charlotte’s eyes timidly and responded, “As you can see, Charlotte. I'm here. I have no idea where the other man is. Besides, that was a beast, a creature for crying out loud. I couldn't possibly fight it.” He continued, “You should be glad that I'm here. Not condemn me.”

Charlotte replied, “I'm not condemning you. I'm only repeating what you said the previous night.” Charlotte laughed.

The both of them branched into the forest. They were walking in the east direction where Kimberley ran the previous night.

The forest was thick. Different kinds of tree species. The tall ones and the short ones. The light from the sun penetrated the tall trees, and because of that, they were able to see. But, in some other parts of the forest, the light wasn't as powerful because the trees were too close to each other and the leaves were too big. In those areas, they struggled to find their way.

They walked for hours and hours but did not find any signs that would lead them to Kimberley. They were getting tired of walking. Their legs were hurting, sharp pains in the stomach and painful cramps in the joints. Time was running out. They hoped to find Kimberley before night fell upon them but they could hardly walk. They decided that they take a quick rest under the tree so that they could build up some energy to continue looking for Kimberley.

“The rest should not take more than 30 minutes,” declared Charlotte.

They sat down under a very tall tree. Charlotte unzipped her bag and pulled out bottled water. They drank the water like thirsty animals. Drinking and gulping.

George asked Charlotte while he was lying down, “Let's say we find Kimberley. How do we go back to the road?”

“We go back the same way we came,” she replied.

“But the forest is thick. And it's getting thicker. I can hardly see what is five meters away from me,” he claimed.

“We'll worry about that later. First we find Kimberley, and then we'll know what's next.”

After 30 minutes, they stood up and continued looking for Kimberley. The forest was getting thicker and thicker. It was evening and they could hardly see where they were going.

“What do you think is the time?” George asked.

“I can't tell,” she replied. It was getting darker and darker after every step that they took. And soon, it was dark.

Charlotte reached into her bag and pulled out a flashlight. She switched it on. The flashlight made a big difference.

They searched for Kimberley for hours but didn't find her. George began to have doubts, whether Kimberley was still alive. There were no signs, big or small that would give them faith to continue looking. He was worried. He did not tell Charlotte because she would have scolded him. He kept it to himself.

 Again, they decided to take a quick rest under another tree because they had been walking for four hours without rest.

Charlotte was so tired that she fell asleep under the tree. The air blew calmly. Cricket chirped and owls hooted. Some animals such as wolves were howling. Again, it sounded as if a human was howling. It was creepy and scary.

As Charlotte was sleeping, she had a dream. In her dream, she saw Kimberley hanging from a tall tree. She was badly bruised. She couldn't move or talk. She then saw the creature from afar walking towards Kimberley, ready to take her life.

Charlotte woke up quickly from her dream. She woke George and said announced, “Kimberley was on top of us! She's hanging from a tree! We have to hurry. The creature will attack her!”

They started running back to the tree were they had stopped earlier. Charlotte was in front with the flashlight; George was behind her with the bag. They ran as fast as they could.

Because they were running, it took them less than three hours to reach the tree.

When Charlotte pointed the flashlight up to the branches; she saw Kimberley unconscious while hanging from the branch upside down.

Charlotte gasped. George quickly began to climb the tree. He pulled Kimberley and put her on his back and he climbed down the tree.

Charlotte felt sorry for her. Kimberley had scars all over her face. She reached into her bag and got a blanket and covered Kimberley.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EIGHT: THE LAST RUN

 

George carried Kimberley; Charlotte got the bag and the flashlight. This time, the two of them walked side by side. They hadn't walked far enough for them to conclude that they were safe. It was because they were still under the territory of the creature. When Charlotte pointed the flashlight to the trees; she saw scratches.

Just then, they heard a loud growl. It came from behind them. The growl was very loud like the creature was right behind them. They stopped walking and turned around slowly. Up in a tree on a long branch; they saw white glowing eyes. The eyes were very big and scary. The creature jumped from the branch it was standing to another branch and another branch until it landed on the ground about five meters away from Charlotte and George.

They were frightened. They began walking slowly backwards while their eyes where focused on the eyes of the creature.

Charlotte pointed the flashlight in the creature’s glowing eyes. She did this unintentionally. The creature, however, disliked what Charlotte did. It growled and leaped up majestically onto a branch. Like a frog.

“Run!” Charlotte yelled.

Charlotte ran in front of George while George ran behind Charlotte with Kimberley on her back.

Kimberley was now conscious because of Charlotte’s yelling. Although she was conscious; she was too hurt for her to run on her own. She had scars on both her legs. She was bleeding and she was in pain.

The creature was following them, not on the ground, but by jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.

Charlotte and George ran as fast as they possibly could but, the creature was faster than them.

The creature jumped from the tree onto the ground. It was now running on four legs behind Charlotte and George. It was getting closer and closer.

 In a blink of an eye, the creature raised its paw and sliced George’s leg with its sharp claws. He fell down and bumped his head on Charlotte’s leg. By doing this; Charlotte also fell down. She rolled towards a big rock and bumped her head slightly.

George was on the ground bleeding, Kimberley was also on the ground bleeding and Charlotte was beside a rock. Her forehead was cut slightly were blood was streaming out. The creature walked to Kimberley and dragged her away while her leg was in its mouth, like a wolf carrying its cubs. It walked on four legs as it continued to growl. Kimberley was in pain because her leg was in the mouth of the creature. She looked at Charlotte and yelled on top of her voice, “Help me! Help Me!”

Charlotte opened her eyes. She saw Kimberley being dragged away by the creature whilst screaming and shouting. Charlotte was hurt; she had tears in her eyes.

She said to herself, “I'm not going to let you die on my watch, Kimberley.”

Charlotte began crawling towards her bag. On reaching her bag and searching for any kind of tool; out fell a wooden box. She looked at it carefully.

Charlotte had a flashback on what Mrs. Robinson said to her:

“I'm giving this wooden box to you because of your character. Only open it when you need it the most.”

“Your freedom. My freedom. Our freedom. Everyone’s freedom.” The flashback ended.

She got the box and started looking for the key inside the bag. Unfortunately, there was no key of any kind. She was helpless. She didn't know what to do. It was like everything she cared was slowly falling apart.

When it seemed as if all hope was lost; she recalled Mrs. Robinson’s words. “You have the key.”

She began to wonder to herself what key Mrs. Robinson was talking about. Just then, she remembered that she always has a hair pin in her hair. She removed it. Tried opening the box with the pin. The box was tough to open but Charlotte was determined to open it.

Finally, as if the hair pin was designed for the lock. She opened it. Inside of the box was a dagger. Its blades were sharp. So sharp that Charlotte was cut after touching them. The handle of the dagger was brown in colour.

Charlotte got the dagger from the box and stood up though she was in great pain. She walked while limping towards the creature with the dagger in her right hand.

When the creature sensed that someone was walking towards it; it turned swiftly and left Kimberley's leg. It then began to run on its four legs in the direction of Charlotte. Its eyes turned red, it growled persistently and ran swiftly past the trees. It was running as if someone had taken its cub. It was very angry. Angrier than before.

Charlotte saw the creature’s red eyes and stood firm. She watched as it ran and jumped over the rocks with all its might. She held the dagger firmly and began running in its direction. She began having flashbacks of her friends who died because of it. She thought of how Martin and Raymond were killed. She thought of how Kimberley and George were hurt.

She ran as fast as she could, she no longer felt the pain in her legs or her stomach.

The creature jumped with all its might. Charlotte stopped running and dodged the creature. At this point; she was very swift in her acts. She was very determined to end the creature’s life. When she dodged the creature; it fell down; it was about to get up on its feet when Charlotte saw a chance to stab it; she ran towards it and stabbed it continuously in the stomach. It was in great pain; it growled loudly. It raised its paw in anger and scratched Charlotte’s face. Although she was in pain; she did not stop stabbing it. Scratching her only made her to stab it in even more in different parts of its body.

Charlotte had stabbed the creature many times that it was slowly losing its energy. Then suddenly, the creature transformed into Mrs. Robinson.

Charlotte moved away quickly and said, “Mrs. Robinson!”

Mrs. Robinson with a dagger in her stomach replied slowly, “My brave girl. You have finally freed me from this prison.”

“What!” Charlotte exclaimed.

Mrs. Robinson was having trouble talking because she was slowly dying. She asked with her smile on her face, “Do you like stories?”

Charlotte moved closer to Mrs. Robinson, there were tears in both their eyes.

“Yes I do,” replied Charlotte in tears.

“Once upon a time, there were two sisters. Me and Rebecca. We were very strong together. No one could separate us. But fate had something installed for us.

“One day, I accidentally took something valuable from her which made us to separate. I accidentally killed her only son. We were in the forest with my husband and her son, Timothy. He was only ten years old. We had taken him with us because he loved coming in the forest. I accidentally shot him as I was aiming for an impala. He ran in front of the gun.

“Rebecca was so hurt that she cursed me. She said, ‘I will take away everything valuable from you until you become dust. I will turn you into a hideous creature that will take away everyone, just like the way you took away my son. This I promise you!'

“I thought she was joking. Until one day, my curse killed my husband. It also killed Rebecca. It then killed Martin and also killed Raymond. It was going to kill Kimberley and then George and then, you. I had to do something; I decided to send you away so that my curse doesn't reach you.

“But again, I figured that it was not going to be possible. So I had given you the dagger so that you can free me, free Kimberley, free the others and free yourself by the only way possible. By killing me.

“The curse was only to be broken by those who are dear to me. And you came along. Thank you Charlotte. Thank you for helping me.” Then Mrs. Robinson passed away. Charlotte was in tears.

Charlotte stood up and began to burry Mrs. Robinson under tree branches, one after the other, until her body was no longer visible.

She bowed down and said softly, “May your soul rest in peace.”

She quickly walked limping to Kimberley to check on her. Kimberley was still in pain. She couldn't walk because her leg was wounded badly.

Charlotte then rushed to George. She shook him until he woke up.

He looked up and asked, “I'm I dead?”

“No," replied Charlotte.

George's entire body was in pain. From his toes to the head. His stomach wounds were bleeding. With difficulty, he got up. Walked to Kimberley and carried her. They began walking back to the car slowly and carefully.

At this point, George saw Charlotte face. He asked, “Did the creature do that to you?”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Where is it?” George asked Charlotte curiously.

“It's dead,” Charlotte replied.

After walking for few minutes, they heard voices and saw flashlights in front of them.

Charlotte yelled, “Help us! Over here!”

The flashlights were getting closer and closer to them. There were about fifteen people with flashlights running towards Charlotte, Kimberley and George.

When they got closer, Charlotte was surprised to see the one who was leading the people. It was the driver Joshua. He had a gun and a flashlight. His clothes were not of that of a civilian, but of that of a soldier going to war. He wore big black boots on his feet.

“Are you alright?” Joshua asked them.

“Get Kimberley she's bleeding,” George instructed.

Joshua got Kimberley and carried her.

“There is an ambulance at the road. You will all be given first aid shortly,” Joshua spoke. “Where is the monster?” he asked.

“It is dead,” George replied.

“What? It's dead? Who killed it? “ Joshua inquired curiously.

“Charlotte killed it,” George replied gladly.

Joshua was shocked. He looked at Charlotte and asked, “You killed it?”

“Yes I did,” she answered bravely.

“Are you sure it's dead?” Joshua persisted.

“By the way,” Charlotte looked in Joshua’s eyes, “Where were you?”

Joshua hesitated to answer. He had a shy expression on his face.

“To get backup. As you can see; I have come with backup.”

George scoffed, “And you had to wear a uniform like you are fighting an army of soldiers?”

“That was a beast. It was equal to five thousand men. And I had no weapon to fight it,” Joshua defended himself.

Kimberley and Charlotte laughed.

George continued to tease Joshua, “Charlotte was not wearing any special uniform but she managed to kill the most dangerous creature that I have ever seen. Just look at her face,” George pointed at Charlotte’s scar. “She has something to show for her braveness, And you Mr. Driver, you just had to run for a day to who knows where and get an army uniform, and come back later only to find that the battle is over.”

They all laughed.

Charlotte then spoke, “We are very grateful that you came back. And that you are still alive.” She had a sweet smile on her face.

“I'm only doing my job. I was asked to deliver you to your destination by Mrs. Robinson.”

Charlotte had a sweet smile on her face and said, “She's a very caring woman.” She then said in her heart, “Continue resting in peace Mrs. Robinson.”

 

 

END!