CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: WHAT'S IN THERE?

WHAT'S IN THERE?

I didn't listen to her, Laylah. If I had, I wouldn't have been in this mess. I play chess, a game I had to learn to survive, in my head. Ascertaining the right path to follow.

"J'ignorais." I let out a deep breath. It's been a long since I had a thought in my mother tongue. I glance at her again. Laying cold on the couch. "I should result to burning, shouldn't I?"

'Psychopath.' I say out loud while throwing the cereal bowl in her direction. It reaches her forehead, I suppose. I didn't move an inch from where I sat. I face the table again sitting upright. Chest raised. I've seen Siphoned do it a lot of times when she doesn't want to be read. Probably I can steal from her tricks but I doubt it's working for me.

I've picked up Siphoned's traits against my will. But then again I had wanted to kill her and I can only do that if I think like here, like a crazy weird psychopath.

The left side of my head aches. Headache's brewing a coffee there. I touch that part unconsciously and it clicked, The Husseins.

I thought it'd be right to go for Laylah's parents. The flash might be there. I haven't met with them before neither have they met with me. I get up from the chair to take my phone from the floor. "This stupidly annoying gorilla glass."

I scroll through till I found it, their contact. I want to give them a call. To dial their number but a thought came to my mind to go check Siphoned's car. I let go of the phone. As it fell to the ground, I pass through the back door even though the front door was a shorter exit. I reach the car and it wasn't locked.

I open the driver's door while my hair danced in the breeze. 'The forecast didn't say it was going to rain.' I sat in the seat I sat in before when we first arrived here. When my face was still bleeding. I hoped to give her a better design on her face. I look back cos I had to think like Siphoned.

"Where would be the best place for me to hide anything?" I close my eyes as I transfer from one mind to another. I open it abruptly. I get out of the car but I didn't close the door. I survey the chair in which drivers should sit. I trail my fingers through the seat till I find a weird covering on the leather.

I pull it off and there it is the flash. Siphoned sure is something, isn't she? Pretense all over. Why did she then pretend she didn't know what I was asking for? Why did she go through all this trouble when she already had life and death in her palm? Not that I want to seem atheist. I pray to the Lord Almighty.

I get out of the car and reach for the entrance. This time I took the front door. I get to the room looking for my laptop. Which brand would be best? I finally pick one that suits my taste more like Siphoned's and Feline's tastes --a purple one.

I get to the sitting room sitting on the floor close to where she lay on the couch. I open up the laptop through the operating system. I put in the flash and read what came up. I haven't read the contents itself. I just heard about it from all their mouths --make sure to get the flash. It sounded more like --' Do get the precious pearl.'

I click on the button which read "What you'd be seeing now would be only for some respective eyes, are you sure you want to proceed?"

The screen at that moment seems like a mirror. I see the fear that had overtaken my white face. I look at Siphoned she is still innocently dead. "Guess I have no choice."

I click on it.

Nothing play for a minute. I set a timer to countdown and a camera in case this was my last moment.

The screen turn black then ash before a video began to play with cryptic writings.

'And a very long time ago, time became non-existent. Before all was born. Before earth cracked open. Life was decided upon. And it came to be. Years past. Centuries too and a being came to be. One who sought peace. One who wore love, all good things, name them. But an organization had set out to eradicate them. To let evil prevail and thus they go by the name The Top, cryptic...'

There was a long pause. I thought the laptop broke. I battle my intention of getting something to warm my throat. So I didn't. I win. It continues.

'... la génération de la humain known to them as the Legend will be the end of them because in the name of righteousness they defile justice. The dreamer amongst them, the one who speeds, will be forever tormented along their generations seeing the birth of the Legend in their dreams. And they, the Top, will try to kill her but will they succeed? It depends on the Legend whether they try to live or to die. It's a dice. Twenty-four years is the time frame for every generation to birth one that would be the end of The Top. And they will be eradicated for a very long time before another decides to hold close to evil. The path is clear. For all must be one and none can work alone. Their hands will be their end. '

And that is it, the video came to an end and burnt the Laptop. A brand I cherish. I let go of it immediately and it fell to the floor. One sentence stuck to my head --and their hands shall be their end.

"What was that?" I thought it was a secret to some kind of chest or vault but nay, cryptic codes. Why did they treat it like it's their child then? They put their life on this cos this was to be the first on the list --the flash but they said Siphoned was on the top of it so technically the flash is next.

Is this content going to be my death? Reading their past, present, and future? I let both my knees touch the sides of my head. I put my hands on the sides of my head too. The headache has gone around and it's burning like wildfire.

"Word count. Deep breath." I repeat those words in my mind. I need to calm down. I need to think. Laylah is still on the run. What did they want with her?

I know why Siphoned killed my brother, she's not well. But with Laylah is it cos of the library incident? Cos she was caught taking what wasn't meant to be touched? Cos this was it, the cause of her kidnap. I look at the flash that got destroyed with the laptop. All because of this Laylah is being hunted. Why does she always get into trouble?

'Huh' the headache was still there hiding in the dark and I am still hungry. The walls of my stomach ate at each other. I couldn't bear it in again. I just let go and fall to the ground. I fall unconscious, asleep.

WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?