1 Prolouge

"Brother, please don't do this."

"I don't want to die brother"

"I promise to take care of you and your family for as long as I live."

"Please! Give me one more chance." begged the young mother in the rain but her pleads fell on the deaf ears of her brother. Before she could utter any other words, six inches of black cold steel was stabbed into her. Terror stricken, her shaky hands gripped it's ivory handle. Her pitch black eyes conveyed a despairing chill. What was usually filled strength now showed weakness. Then a tear rolled down her cheeks. There was something solemn swimming in her eyes, sharpening the sad eyes with hatred.

"You shouldn't have disappeared. You ran from your duties and made us suffer so why would I save you when I could destroy you and take what I want" he chuckled.

Her inky pools looked up to her brother and grinned sisterly. Ignoring the pain in her abdomen, she staggered towards him in her bloodied tailored shirt. In his ears she whispered, "Every day for the thief and one day for the owner. The young clover is coming for her revenge."

Earlier that day, it was bright and hot. The road was an endless river of tarmac touched

by the hand of time and bathed under a brutal relentless sun. A mother and daughter walked home not minding the heat bathed of the brutal relentless sun. The girl's uniform swayed to the tunes of the winds as she tried to chat elegantly like her mother. However, it was like telling fire not to burn. Her shining black irises were alight and every of her muscles itched to skip, to jump, to dance. She chattered endlessly with her head bobbing around in excitement.

Her mother was a ruthless business woman who always seemed detached and preoccupied. She walked proudly in her white blazer and black pants. Houses like soldiers at the road sides, approached the duo yet, the two walked hand in hand unafraid as their rich chocolate skin glowed in the sun.

Soon they arrived at the t-junction and continued their journey towards the west. This road that was usually crammed with street vendors, drug pushers and customers who haggle over every last dime, was eerily quiet and desolate. The young mother proceeded warily and held her daughter closer.

The little girl,however, misunderstood the gesture and snuggled deeper into the arms of her mother when all of a sudden she was thrown onto her mother's shoulders like a bag of rice and her face was covered with the white blazer. The young mother strained her ears for any sounds, eyes taking in every detail. The predators watched them from the darkness and laid low when they noticed the young mother's alertness however they were too late as the woman took flight and started a mad race, leaving only the little girl unaware of the foreboding doom.

"Mom, why are we running?"

"Mom my popsicle fell, can I get a new one?" the little girl asked pleadingly.

"Mom can I remove the jacket? It's too hot."

However, before her dainty little fingers could touch the jacket, she heard a cold

murderous voice say "Remove the jacket and I can guarantee your life will be hotter than this weather."

Scared of her mother's tone she retreated. "Listen! I will drop you at the estate. Give your father a call and go and get help but don't come back here for any reason. Stay in your grandma's cottage."

Her mother's loud breathing and sound of running footsteps echoed in her ears. The

torturous race of ten minutes left the young mother gasping for breath. Exhausted, her

mother let her off at the shed in front of the estate's gigantic gate with the blazers on her head. The little girl was about to go look for help when she was stopped. Her mom said in a soft tone, "All these are for you my beautiful clover."

"You are the rarest of all kinds. Trust no one"

"Remember my lessons and don't disappoint me."

Her mother planted a kiss on her forehead and looked deep into her eyes before changing directions, moving towards the shops opposite the shed.

Her mother's words sent shivers down her spine. Without looking back at her mother she

darted into the estate in search of help, leaving the fallen white blazer in the dirt.

The skies darkened and thunders roared. In the huge monotone living room, clover held

the landline in her hands and repeatedly called her father but she ended up leaving a voicemail. She had called the ambulance first but she was taken as a joke and told there was no fuel. Pacing around in the living room she thought of an excuse to return to the gate when she heard the rain.

With an umbrella in hand she dashed towards the estate's gate. The feeling of nervousness overwhelmed her, she knew how cold and strict her mother was. But all that vanished the moment she heard her mother's sorrowful sobs. Her heartbeats increased and the hairs on her nape and arms stood on end. Goosebumps intensified with the smell of something in the air. A knife had been stabbed in her mother's stomach. In front of her mother stood a bald man in tattered black clothing, there was an undeniable semblance between the two. His eyes were filled with malice as he watched the little girl's mother. She felt a certain tightness in her heart. She was furious that her mother was reduced to such a state and on the other she felt fear, if her powerful mentor was broken down how much more could she do. So like a coward she hid in the shades and watched. Her mom walked towards the man, mumbled and smirked before crumbling down.

Four masked men emerged from the shadows and moved towards the young mother in mockery.

In a haste she ran, braving the rain to knock on neighbors' doors. She pounded on their

Doors but no one answered despite the fact that she could hear their hushed voices. A few houses later a burly man opened his door and yelled angrily "Stop making so much noise!" but for the little girl it was hope. She immediately ran towards him while stuttering

"Please ...Please help my mother"

"Are you trying to get us killed for helping you" he bellowed

"Your family has so much money yet you cannot save yourselves from your fate" his wife mocked from the window

Seeing that the man was going to shut the door, she lunged on him and clutched his thigh

desperately. "My mom has helped you greatly. Just help us this one please." she sobbed. "I can give money, name your-" before she could complete her sentence, she stripped off his thigh and thrown out. The door slammed shut. The impact of the fall sent an excruciating pain radiating from her bottom up her spine. Tears suddenly sprung out of her eyes as the feeling of being aggrieved swamped her. Thinking of how her mother was suffering a worse fate than her, she clenched her fist , wiped her tears and scurried towards the next door.

"Help" she yowled with her voice mingling with the sound of the rain and roaring

thunder. She thumped the doors with all her might but all she got in return were red palms. She fell on her knees and looked up to the sky, allowing the rain to wash her tear stained face. The elegance she used to carry was long forgotten. She looked gaunt and her puffy hair drowned in rain lacked its previous luster. Steeling her mind she arose and scampered to the gate.

She took slow but steady steps as she walked towards the body laying limply in the

middle of the road. Seeing her mother she broke down in horror. Her mother had been butchered like meat and her heart stolen away. There in replacement of her heart was a dead five leaved clover. Emotions she never knew before rushed into her and tears rolled out as she knelt beside her mother and cradled her. And at that moment she remembered a story her father told her.

Her father cleared his throat like an old man, "A long time ago there lived two rich

princesses. Everyone loved and adored them. One the day the bigger princess went out with the king and came back in tears. Her sister, the little princess asked 'Sister, what can I do to make you happy?' The older princess stared hard at her sister before telling her 'We are both the lucky clovers of this town. Our hearts and luck must be sacrificed and in return the town gets riches, fame and wealth' Playing along with her sister she asked

'What do we clovers get in return.'

'We either die or get plagued with misfortunes' the older princess replied.

'Stop your jokes, Dad will not be happy to hear that' the little princess warned and

turned her back on her older sister. The next day, the older princess disappeared. Everybody seemed to know where she went except the young princess. So the younger princess asked her dearest father and he said 'Your sister was sent to learn the cultures of another land so that she can bring glory to the land' the younger princess believed her father's words and waited patiently for her sister's return." Clover's father paused and reached for the cup of water at the night stand.

After drinking he continued, "She waited every year until her sixteenth birthday. That day she overheard the king and queen talking;

The king said 'The time is ripe for our little girl to give her heart.'

'Aren't you people greedy, they eat up my oldest not they want my youngest' the queen wept sorrowfully

'It is the tradition and she must give up her heart' the king silenced the queen. Hearing

this the young princess ran and ran and ran as fast as her legs could carry her until she made it out of the kingdom. She wandered aimlessly for days before she met a young charming prince. The young princess narrated her story to the compassionate prince. The prince put her on his horse and took her to safety. Now, no one can touch the little clover or her lucky heart" he finished his story but when he looked down at his little girl, her face was filled with question marks. Dotingly he rubbed her head and kissed her good night

The sight he saw terrified him. His wife laid motionlessly in his daughter's arms. His little girl held her mother tightly like she wanted to merge their bodies as she sang softly and her little finger played with a bloodied dead clover. His eyes were clouded in tears and his mind, guilt when he saw the hollow hole. His wife's heart had been stolen. He called himself the man of the house yet he was absent when his family needed him the most.

"Clover" he croaked amid tears but the girl looked onwards.

"Clover" he shook her from her reverie. Dead eyes filled with hostility stared at him

before they slowly became lifeless and cold. At that moment, he realized his daughter was long gone and this unfortunate luck will forever plague his clover.