Conundrums

"And then the day came,

when the risk

to remain tight

in a bud

was more painful

than the risk

it took

to blossom." Della was reciting the poem laying on her bed.

Della worked with the Lenda Department of Law Enforcement. She was often called for investigating the impenetrable conundrums. She was a woman of 23 years old.

RING RING RING RING Della's phone was ringing. She walked to the living room to pick her phone up.

"Good morning Officer."

"Morning Della. You are obliged to come to the office right away to solve yet another mission that no one else could solve. This is the end of your interlude."

"I'm on my way, Sir."

She took a shower as fast as she could and skipped her breakfast. She grabbed her bag and put her dark dress on and left the house.

Her father yelled " Darling, Where are you leaving without eating your morning meal?"

"Father, My duty is waiting for me. I can't sit here and have breakfast peacefully can I? See you later, Dad!"

She sprint down the stairs and put her sunglasses on. She sat in her IROC and went to her office.

"Come in, Della. We have been waiting for you for the past hour. Where have you been?"

"Let's just say I'm not a morning person." She chuckled.

They talked for a while and Sir Forsyth's face turned unusual and stressed.

"What's wrong, sir?" Asked Della.

" The Onti Clocko's case has started bugging me again." Said Sir Forsyth with a frown on his face.

" But, Didn't we close the case few years ago?" Asked Della.

" No, It's suspected that it has been haunted again. People residing near it have started shifting their homes. This is bad for Lenda. We think that everyone might leave the country because of this."

"I'll take this case up, Sir. Trust me I will not disappoint you. I'm your student."Said Della.

A while later, Della started collecting all the information about the abandoned house ( The Onti Clocko) and bought several push pins for her to put up the information based on the Onti Cocko on her red board.

"Hmm, This information is not enough for me. These are all the basic. I need to know who comes to this place often."

She went to visit the people who lived here for many eternities. Then, she decided to visit Mrs.Isabelle who was the only person who lived near The Onti Cocko for more than 70 years. She now lives in her hometown.

Isabelle was her father's colleague.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Who is it?" Asked Mrs. Isabelle with a tired voice.

" It's Della here Mrs. Isabelle. I am an investigating officer"

Isabelle got up from her couch and opened the door.

'Come in. Have a seat darling. Let me bring you a cup of coffee.'

'No no, It's alright ma'am.' Said Della

'I insist.' Mrs. Isabelle said.

Meanwhile, Della looked around the house. She saw a picture of Isabelle along with her colleagues. Her father was there in the picture. It was hung in the hall.

" Now tell me darling, what are you here for?"

"Well, I'm investigating the abandoned house aka The Onti Clocko. Since, you are very close to my father, I decided that I'd ask you about the abandoned house."

"Ooh. You picked an interesting case to work on.. I appreciate it". Isabelle answered with a delightful smile.

"Thank you, Could you now tell me how many years this house has been abandoned and who lived in it?"

"Yes. When I was a child, I used to go to the abandoned house and I played in the grass. After a few years, the house turned completely dark. Until that, it was known as the light house that gives light to the country. The garden was empty. No herbs or bushes were observed anymore. Then, It started,"

"What...started!?"

"The spirit inside the house killed everybody who went inside it. So we all stopped going inside it." said Isabelle

"Y'all really believed in spirits?

"We had to my child, We had to." Said Isabelle

"Thank you so much for your assistance ma'am. I"m taking my leave now. " Said Della.

Della was recalling all of the things that Isabelle told her and tried to find a clue. But she didn't have any clue about the situation.

"Now, I have no other option but to go there and see for myself."