9 CHAPTER 9

"Lucy, you have to call me before going home. It's not safe for you to go home alone.", said mom.

She is busy driving but she is constantly reminding me on what to do.

She parked in front of the gate. And to tell you, I'm not late today, I am a half hour early instead. My mom Kelly's really influential. I slept in her room last night and she woke me up too early. Not to mention I was exhausted tolerating the noises upstairs.

"I'll fetch you later sweetie."

"Thanks mom."

"Don't go home alone."

"Yes mom.", I said and kissed her on her cheeks before going out of the car.

As soon as I stepped my foot outside, I saw Josh's back and he's already on his way inside the school gate.

"Josh!", I shouted and he looked back.

Mom has gone off. Josh went back and met me halfway.

"Good morning. How's your sleep?", he ruined my hair.

"It's always disturbed, nothing's new.", I said disappointed.

"I remembered last time you're in my house, you slept tight. Why not sleep there again?"

"No way! Mom's having nightmares. I can't let her sleep alone."

"Hey, I was thinking. You always have nightmares, now your mom. You keep hearing things, you're seeing things. Don't you think that house is possessed?"

He suddenly opened the topic. We were walking down the hallway and no one's really here than the both of us. I was about to tell him stop scaring me but then I remembered what just happened yesterday.

"Josh, I don't think so. I had a conversation with the person who's inside that room. He is real. He's begging me to let him out."

"Wait, you talked to who's inside?"

"Yes, he's a man with a deep voice. Maybe because he's stuck in the room and his voice's echoing. He told me he's going to let me know about himself but I have to let him out first."

"So you opened the door for him?"

"No, mom screamed at the top of her lungs. She was having bad dreams."

"Why don't you directly ask your mom about who's inside?"

"I don't know but mom seems to be so done with her life. She's drunk yesterday and I saw her ex's letter for her."

"Does that mean she...", I cut her words.

"She hasn't moved on yet. The letter was written six years ago and still, she kept it and she cried over it."

"That's sad. Your mom looks strong and independent."

"I'm thinking the same. I'm so worried about her that I exerted a lot of efforts taking care of her."

"Lucy, it'll be alright. One day, everything will change. By that time, you are not going to suffer anymore."

"Thanks for the enlightenment. I'll go inside my room now. See you around."

I stopped in front of our room's door and let him pass by. He even waved me good bye and he smiled sweetly.

As soon as I stepped inside the room, the light blue box in my desk caught my attention. From sticky notes to box? Is the one pranking me serious?

Every step I make has echoes. There's no one inside the room than me. Every move that I make causes loud sound surrounding the place. The goose bumps are here again, the fast beating of my heart, the slowest moves I make as I am reaching the box.

It has a dark blue ribbon on top of it. Its colors are attractive. I can't wait to open it up, a part of me is excited. But a part of me is also hesitant at the same time.

I picked it up and started pulling the other end of the ribbon, untying it slowly. I put the ribbon on my desk as well as its lid.

I saw nothing but pictures. The guy in these pictures is familiar. The guy is always present in the pictures. The first picture was him and a woman about 20's. The second pic was a picture of him, the woman and a child. Looking through these photos, I can see that time has forgotten these. Still visible but they look pretty old, its edges are already fading.

On the lower left of the first picture, there was something written on it. "A.D", it says.

"A.D? I've seen it somewhere.", and to that I am sure.

My eyes widened as yesterday's memories consumed me. The letter on mom Kelly's room it is also from a certain A.D. And the guy from the pictures in her room really looks like the guy in these pictures. So who put this on my table and where were these pictures from? Who is this guy?

I dug down the box and saw a paper from the very bottom of it. I pulled it and saw there were some notes and a number written on it.

"Alexander Dawson?"

Is that what A.D represents? Alexander Dawson? I have the same surname before I was adopted by mom Kelly. Are we relatives? Does this man know me?

I then threw the box when a cold hand touched my shoulder.

"Lucy! I was calling you three times!"

I saw Rain as I look back. She bent down and picked the box and the pictures that were scattered on the floor.

"Lucy, whose pictures are these?", she asked.

"I don't Rain. That box was placed here in my table."

"So your creepy stalker stepped further from sticky notes to box? And what's with these pictures?"

"You know what Rain? I think it's all interlinked. From the first note, the ACCESS DENIED thing from that note, these pictures and mom Kelly's ex."

"Wait, your mom's ex? How in the world is he involved here?"

"The access denied has the initials of A.D. The name of this person is Alexander Dawson which is also an A.D. and this guy in this picture is mom Kelly's ex. I confirmed it when I saw their pictures together, and he even gave a letter for mom Kelly. And before the papers of my adoption were signed, I used to be a Dawson."

"Okay Sherlock. That's a cute version, you got there. But you've ignored the second note you received from your creepy stalker.", Rain said with brows raised against me.

"I forgot about something?"

"Yes, remember when this door right shut? The note you received that afternoon says, 'Your father's still alive'. Are you thinking the same as I do?"

"What? I don't understand."

"What if this is from your dad? What if this guy right here in this picture is your dad? That makes sense for you were once a Dawson and he is. What if he's doing this for you to know he's alive?"

"No that's impossible Rain. My dad died when I was fourteen. And his name isn't Alexander."

"Okay, you're believing the other clues but you don't believe to that one. Lucy, you just can't ignore that. That was sent to you on purpose. That note wasn't posted on your desk by mistake."

She is searching in the pictures, maybe to look for some clues and I sat down for I don't really know what to think. My rational thinking is slowly fading. I am so confused. I don't know how to accept Rain's opinion about what's going on.

I looked at Rain and saw her looking straight at the paper she's holding where the name and the number was written.

"What are you doing?", I asked her after seeing her taking her phone from her bag.

"We should dial this number."

"What? No!"

"Lucy, this is a clue. We have to make sure we use all the clue."

"No stop it Rain. Calling my stalker if that's his number is dangerous."

"It's ringing.", she exclaimed.

"Rain just stop it already."

"What if this is really your dad? What if he's really alive?"

"No Rain, I was there when that killer burned him alive."

"But you haven't seen his body. You're blind at that time. What if there's no one inside that urn?"

Tears automatically fell down my face. I don't know this topic will hurt me so bad. I am used to feeling the anger inside me because of what happened to my father that night. Over the years, my heart went numb and I promised myself I am going to punish the person who killed my father. For those years, I haven't cried for it is anger who's above my head but right now, pain is consuming all the hatred I have towards that person.

"Lucy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing the past."

Rain fell on her knees in front of me and hugged me. I hugged her back and whined like a baby. My fists are clenched, not really knowing where should I dispose this kind of pain. I feel like I am slowly ripping off into pieces, my heart hurts.

"Lucy, I don't think this person is just pulling a prank on you. It's clear that whoever this person is, he or she knows who you are. You need to know who this person is. You have to be strong. This isn't just the truth that'll slap you.", her brown eyes are glued on me while she was saying those words.

"It hurts me still. My heart's so heavy.", I said thumping my chest for a lot of times.

"Lucy I'm here, I am by your side. I will never leave you until we get to know this mystery."

I nodded and she wiped away my tears. She touched my right hand and locked it with her left. She returned the box to me, with its ribbon sealed. I collected myself so scared someone, aside Rain might see me crying. I'm not used to crying in public but this time, it's different. The pain is on another level and I just can't help myself but to surrender in this misery.