Chapter 7

Malisa barged into Chris' room and slammed the door behind her. She found Chris playing video games. She snatched the controller out of his hands and dropped it on the bed, attaining a puzzled frown from Chris.

Malisa: You need to leave?

Chris: [He plunged his hands into his pockets] Meaning?

Malisa: Sonia is beginning to mistrust you? You need to go away.

Chris: She already does. I'm not gonna leave like I did anything wrong.

Malisa: You are my friend Chris and I know your history. How you mess with people to get what you want. But she's my sister. You can't do that to her.

Chris: What are you talking about? Are you saying I'm the one working with Brain?

Malisa: As much as I want to believe you, something in me says you have a hand in this mess.

Chris: Something in you is wrong! [Pinching his nose bridge] I will never do a thing like that to Sonia. You know how I feel for her. Your main focus should be Brain. George too couldn't have written that letter if he can go to an extent to save Sonia from Brain.

Malisa: Save Sonia? What are you saying?

Chris: Why are you asking? Didn't you ask him to drive to our school so he could get Sonia before Brain gets to her?

Malisa: [Confused] No I didn't.

Chris: Then how did he know? I think you should focus on him too.

Malisa: Tell me, why are you suddenly interested in Sonia?

Chris: [Chuckles] Oh! So, that's the reason you think I'm trying to get what I want? Well, I have played around so much, that I finally want to commit. I'm 22 and Sonia is the perfect girl.

Malisa: She's only turning 18. She's a kid bro.

Chris: That's what you think. Look, If you are here to ask me to leave. You are wasting your time. The least you can do is ask me how we are gonna find the real traitor that is working with Brain. And find the mystery behind the book he is asking for.

Malisa: Thank you, Chris.

Chris: Don't mention it.

                                 ***

Surina: [Loading her bags behind her uncle's pick-up truck and sat in the passenger seat] Where are you taking me?

Thug: [Buckling his seatbelt 'cause he wanted to appear real] Somewhere safe.

Surina: I have always been safe in Aunt K's house. This is the second time I've been forced out of my comfort zone.

Thug: [Pausing before starting the car] You don't know anything.

Surina felt it was pointless arguing with her grumpy uncle. She rolled the window open and felt the chilly air, brushing over her cheeks. Thug drove to Ondangwa, where he thought Surina would find safety.

Thug: [Pulling in the driveway] We are here. Take your things inside before it starts pouring. Get yourself whichever room you want. I haven't been around for a while. So I expect you to dust the house. If I don't return in the next four hours. Go to the nearest shop and buy food for yourself. Stay away from people. Your life is at stake.

Surina: How am I going to be safe alone in a big house? Why did you accept to take care of me if you were gonna be away most of the time?

Thug: You ask too many questions. If you listen to me, you'll be safe. If your father comes to know you've been hurt in any way, he'll set my grave on fire.

Surina: [Grinning as she provoked him] I thought I was the only one that feared the dead.

Thug: I wish you knew.

Surina pulled out her bags and placed them on the porch. She unlocked the door and felt a strange warm breeze across her face.

Surina: 'This house creeps me out.' [She muttered to herself]

She walked up to Thug's truck to ask for the money she was going to use but Thug was nowhere to be found. It was like he vanished into thin air.

Surina: 'But, I thought he'll be taking his car along. Well, it's just you and me, Surina Shikongo.'

She dragged her bags into the house. It felt like it's been ages ever since anyone had lived there. She strolled, scanning the dusty interior view, before fixing her eyes on a large strange portrait on the wall, a picture of an old man. He had odd features. His beard was white as snow and he had blue eyes, 'strange for a black man'. He had a key dangling from his neck, it was slightly swinging. It was like she had seen the picture somewhere, but couldn't make out where she had seen it.

She walked down the hallway and slightly pushed open one of the wooden doors. She chose a simple room, with creaky wooden floors covered in white rugs. She walked in and a quiet warm breeze travelled between her and the wooden door as goosebumps sprang over her arms. She felt familiar with her surrounding. Like she had been there before.

She pulled one of the bags from the ground and swung it up on the bed. She marched to the closet and tried wrenching it open. But it was locked she remembered where she had seen the exact key, that could unlock the closet, 'the picture of the old man'. She returned to the living room in hopes of taking the key but it was gone. It disappeared. But she could have sworn she saw it around the old man's neck, earlier. She looked around searching for it. It might have fallen on the ground but to no avail. She looked through the huge window, distracted as she's mesmerized by the beautiful view of the sunset. She gave up and made her way back to her room, hoping to find a few wardrobes that weren't locked.

She tried opening other cabinets but they were all locked. She gave a despairing little shrug and walked up to her bed and lay down, practically gazing at anything that came in sight. She gaped at the key that was inserted in the keyhole. It moved sideways like it was being blown by the wind. She sat up and slowly walked to the door peeping outside her room to see if Thug had returned and had probably placed the key into the keyhole, which was quite impossible 'cause she would have seen him.

She walked up to the closet, held the key and poised over it as she tried to twist it to the left but it didn't move. Indicating the cabinet was unlocked. Surina didn't believe in magic or sorcery but she believed ghosts and anything related to the underworld exists. She held onto the linen door terrified before slowly pulling it open and... There it was. A flicker of golden light shone across its white leather cover, as she lifted it.

She gently opened the book revealing the first page as she beheld bold letters. 'The missing dagger', she read.