It's dark!

The man kept glancing at the girl beside him who was scuffing at her pace. He knew Gina was behind the girl's misery but what could she have done to Mona? They finally reached the clinic and after explaining all he knew to the nurse, she informed him that Mona came by earlier but suddenly, she saw no sign of her.

Mr Ken stared at Mona but she didn't give any expression. She was feeling sick and hot.

After the explanation, Mr Ken told the lady to treat his student. The woman nodded and gave Mona some medication after asking if she had eaten but the girl hasn't and to avoid that look from Mr Ken she lied. He knew she lied but let it slide.

Mona was asleep when he left her in the clinic, she was buried under a blanket as she was sleeping.

Dusk had come when Mr Ken decide to leave for his house but after packing his bag, he decided to check the clinic to see if Mona was still there and when he reached the room. He went in and walked past some bed thinking she had left but then, his eyes fell on her ugly hair sprayed on the bed framing her brown-skin face. He sighed and turned around when he felt someone behind him. "I'll take her home, we live closer to each other." He told the nurse and after she nodded, she went to bring Mona out of her slumber.

The girl took her bag from her locker and dipped her uniforms in her bag. When she reached outside the building, she saw Ben waiting for her and she told Mr Ken, she'd go with Ben.

"Mona!" He called her before she got to the beech tree, he walked to her place. "You are okay, right? I can count on you only for tomorrow. I've spoken with the principal. He had accepted. Now it's up to you." He reminded her of their deal. "Trust me, I'll still give you a gift if you fulfil your part of the deal." He persuaded her more. Mona's eyes were swollen as she didn't have enough sleep. She lowered her head and nodded.

"Good." He smiled and turned to leave.

"Where are you going tomorrow?" She asked silently interested in knowing but not forcing it. He turned around and smiled at her.

"I'll tell you someday." He said and turned away from her. Mona stared at his figure for a while and wondered when the someday would be. She was still feeling sick but she knew that all she needed was Joseph's dishes and good sleep. She wanted that gift from Mr Ken as she knew he would gift her massively. So, she would have to attend school tomorrow.

She led her legs to her car and entered. "Hmm." Ben greeted her, staring at her through the rear-view mirror.

"He's my teacher, don't tease me. I'm not energized for that." She discarded his invitation.

"What happened?" He asked as he had started the car before she entered and when she did, he went the car into gear and drove away from the beech tree.

They were still on the school premises driving through the big field there, she spotted Mr Ken walking alone to the bus station. He had his thoughts.

She wondered where he was going tomorrow. She wished she had invited him to have a drive with her home but to her, it was somewhat disrespectful. The man was always sensitive about her behaviour and she didn't want him to discard the thought of giving her a gift so she didn't ask about giving him a lift home.

"Just. . .I was bullied today." What she couldn't share with some people, she shared with him. "Please don't tell mummy and daddy. They'll question me and might come to school to rage, so please don't." She pleaded.

"Alright, I won't. But you don't get bullied. Who did that to you?" He asked and turned in another direction with the steering wheel.

"You know Gina's strong crush on Derick right?"

"No, you tell me less these days." He replied.

Mona spent her time narrating. "And it was embarrassing."

"That was too harsh, how could she?" He was referring to the stained sanitary napkins she told him about.

"She can't be behind it."

"Have she called you since morning to ask why you weren't in class?" He asked, hitting her with the fact but she discarded it.

"Maybe, she didn't have any airtime on her phone."

"Always defending her friend." He shook his head. Their car was behind a bus. "Perhaps. . .she was behind it, I think I should face it."

"Exactly, now you are talking!"

Mona glanced at his keen reaction, she wasn't feeling sick anymore now that she remembered Gina. She didn't even call for not seeing her today. What about the text? Didn't she see that? Mona looked through the window to see her car approaching Daliy Hills.

Her car was parked behind the gate, she took her bags and went in while Ben drove to find a suitable place to park the car. Mona handed her clothes to her helpers including the boy's wear she had on.

She had dinner before her parents arrived and took a nap in the sitting room, she wanted to sleep with her parents tonight, if she sleeps in her room, she'd wake up at midnight to see she was alone in the dark and she wanted to avoid that.

When her parents arrived, they checked on her but didn't wake her up.

They had dinner and took her into her room to sleep but the moment she found out she was in her room, she jerked out of bed and saw her parents trying to sneak out of the room.

Mona ran to her mummy before she left, her daddy carried her in earlier. "Mummy, I can't sleep alone." She cried.

"But honey, you are Eighteen. You should learn to sleep by yourself now. You'll go to the University soon. And I can't be with you on campus." Her mummy tried to reason with her but Mona wasn't ready to understand.

"But I'm not yet in University, I don't want to sleep alone. . ." She stared at her almost dark room and shook her head as she hugged her mummy. ". . . it's too scary. There are witches, they keep running about." She had tears rolling down her cheeks.

Patricia stared at her husband for a signal but he sternly stared at her. "Honey. . ." She called her daughter's attention and pulled her away. "You sleep in your room sometimes and there were never witches, I just want you to learn to sleep alone. . .see no witches or wizards." She signalled for her to have a look at her room.

Mona felt betrayed as her parents left her in the room before closing the door. She recovered and wiped her tears before shaking her head. "No,"

When she decided to go after them but they had locked her in. "Mummy!" She tapped the door multiple times. "Daddy! Please don't leave me here, I'll die!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Mummy please, don't leave me. It's scary in here." She rubbed her cheek to the door and tried again.

"Mummy! Daddy! Open the door, it's scary." Her face was damn wet when she looked behind her to see figures that never existed. She screamed at the top of her lungs and tapped the door louder.

"Mummy, it's coming closer. It will kill me, mummy please!" Mona wailed the loudest way she could. When she realized her parents wouldn't listen, she ran to the switch and switched the lights on to see that the figure was her bag that was hung on its rack.

Breathing heavily, she wiped her tears and went to grab her books to read. Her body was shivering from her fear and anxiety. The book fell off her hand but she picked it up and went to sit on her couch to study. With her weak system that had been stressed throughout the day, she fell asleep on the chair and curled up hugging her books. The chair board made her feel not the air against her back.

A/N; Okay! I'm glad you are enjoying the book so far. Oh, this is the chapter 20 and chapters will soon be locked. Please keep voting! Thanks!