5 CHAPTER FOUR

     I was discharged from the hospital at the early hours of the day, when we got home it was already morning.

" I have to start preparing for work--- I can't afford to be late at my first day of promotion." Dad said.

"Jonathan what about the kids?" Mom asked.

"Obviously Junior can't show up at school like that and am running late, so I guess you should take Isabel to school and explain to the principal that Junior's sick and can't make it!." He exclaimed and walked upstairs.

"Yeah sure" mom sighed, "come on pumpkin go get dressed or you gonna be late."

After a while Bell come downstairs with dad following her trail, mom was already preparing breakfast and I was helping prepare the dinning table. Mom made pancakes with Orange fruit juice and began serving.

"Where's dad?--- I heard him come down." I asked her.

"He left in a hurry."

"He didn't even have breakfast."

"He took some few pancakes and left."

"Come on cupcake eat up or else you would run late." She added, gesturing to Bell with her hand.

                               *********

After breakfast mom took Bell to school and I couldn't muster the courage to sit at home alone. After what happened the day before, who could?.

I decided to go for a walk before mom would be back so I went round the house to see the surrounding, I passed by the window of one of the staff rooms and I swear I saw someone from my peripheral vision standing against the window watching me, I felt  fear sipping through my bones but turned towards the window to see who it was. Of course I knew what it was, I just have to look, but nobody was there and I could still feel am being watched.

I kicked the feeling aside and walked towards the back of the house. An orchard of some sort came to view, the trees were leaveless and most were fruitless except for some apple trees.

A faint voice caught my attention and I turned towards the sound, it was coming from the orchard, before I could think of it my feet were already walking toward the sound. Half way through the woods I could hear clearly, it was someone singing, the sweet voice kept drawing me even closer and from the background there was a splashing sound like something was being thrown into water, 'but how comes? There isn't a river for another 4miles or so from here!'. I got to the edge of the orchard and I saw a girl—She had strawberry blonde hair, pale skin almost white, large doe eyes and she sat on a log 3 feet from a lake.

Lake??

A lake???

But how? I went through the map of the area before we moved here and there was nothing like a lake anywhere around, but here I am looking at one.

I moved towards the girl, but she quickly looked up at me sensing my presence and her eyes opened even more wide.

Maybe at the sight of my bandaged shoulder, am not really sure.

"Hi"

"Hi", She replied trying to mask her surprise.

"Can I?" I asked pointing at the empty space beside her on the log.

She just nodded and moved a bit to give me more space to sit.

"That was a nice song".

"Thanks".

"I'm Jonathan by the way".

"Julie", She replied and gave a nervous smile

"I would have Shaked you if my arm was not in a bad shape", I said.

"Don't worry, it's Okay!", She exclaimed.

"We just moved here yesterday", I said.  "Do you live around here?".

"Yes, in the mansion here", she said pointing to the direction of our home.

'She couldn't mean our mansion' , I thought as fear started to crawl down my spine but I quickly shoved the feeling down the pit of my stomach. 'Probably she is referring to the house across the street!..... Yes she probably does'.

"That's nice", I said thoughtfully.

"How did you... find this place?".

"I heard you singing and followed the sound of your voice".

"Oh", was all she said.

We were silent for sometime before I asked the question that had been bugging me.

"I don't understand how there's a lake here, but the map doesn't show any?"

"Yes, my father had the channel made just to make the river flow through. He thought it was a good idea to have a lake at his backyard, and it was easier to water the orchard".

I was kind of confused about what she just said.

"Your da---

"How did you get injured?". She asked, cutting me off and pointing to my arm.

"Oh!..... I was attacked".

"By who?".

"Mmmm...". I was thinking of what to say when I heard my mom calling my name.

'Phew!!! Perfect timing mom', I thought as I got up.

"That's my mom..... Gatta go before she gets worried".

"Sure".

"So, we'll be seeing anytime soon?. I asked.

"Maybe".

"Great, see you soon then". I said, then hurried back home tracing the route I came through.

***********

"Where have you been?", Mom questioned as I came to the front door.

"By the lake", I replied.

"You got me worried like hell!".

"Sorry..... I couldn't stay alone in the house so I thought I should take a walk".

"Okay come inside".

                                            ****************************

It's really funny how the human mind works, It seems to forget some things when its preoccupied. Deciding to take a bath I went upstairs to my room, stripped and got into the shower, turned on the nob allowing water to pour down my tensed body in streams, I reached for the body wash and sponge when I realized the water was both looking and feeling strange. I looked closer to see that the water was not actually water anymore but was BLOOD. I begin to panic, trying to make my way out of the shower but I stepped on something slippery and fell to the cold floor of the bathroom pulling the shower curtains with me. I hit my head on the tiles and blacked-out.

                                        ===========================

Hello Ghosts lovers,

My apologize  for not updating early, but here it is.

I finally updated.

Hope you enjoy.

Don't forget to hit that shiny star at the bottom and try to leave a comment. Thanks.

Yours Humble,

Prince Abdul 🤴

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