_CHAPTER ONE _

"Christopher, wait " Elena called out but he kept running along the grass stripes. She tried to catch up with him but he was fast. He suddenly stopped when he bumped into someone carrying a little basket filled with oranges. She fell down. So did the basket, making the oranges roll in different directions.

"Are you okay? " he asked but she didn't reply. Helping her up, he gathered the oranges together and put them in the basket.

"Am sorry for bumping into you, here you go " He gave her the basket. She took it and left without saying a word. He kept staring at her but was interrupted by Elena's voice.

"Strange girl isn't she? " Elly asked.

"yes but not as strange as sneaking in on someone " He replied.

"Hey, I tried calling for you but you didn't wait. Now my voice is gone. " she frowned.

"we should go home now before mum notice we are gone " he led the way and she followed obediently behind him.

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"Elly, where have you been? Your dress looks dirty " her mum said as she looked at her yellow gown with displease. Elly is Slim, pale skined with brown hair. At eleven, she is used to following Christopher every where he goes since he's the only one who gave her attention unlike her brothers.

"We went for a walk aunt " Christopher said and walked past her. At age fourteen, he's taller than his mates with a Slim figure, midnight black hair and pale blue eyes. She follows him with Elly beside her.

"You know your mom doesn't like you going out into the fields. You might get bitten by a snake or something worse. "

"I came back healthy and fine ." He sat down on the couch in the living room. Noticing the quietness in the ranch.

"Where is mom? " he asked.

"She went out with your father for something important. Oscar and Evan are upstairs playing video games ". Linda picked up the remote and turned on the tv. She looked at her nephew for a while and left.

The TV programme was boring. Christopher turned it off and went upstairs to join his cousins. They were both sitting on the floor in Oscar's room with game pads in their hands. Oscar being the noisy one is fourteen years. He has brown curly hair like his brother Evan who is twelve.

"Can I join you guys? " Christopher asked

"Sure " Oscar replied.

He sat down and picked up the game pad. He's not fond of games but he had to make an exemption if he wants to spend the rest of the day away from trouble.

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Christopher got out of bed. A look at the table clock showed it was midnight. He had been turning in bed, unable to sleep. He walked through the hallway past his parents bedroom. The whole place was quiet as all the staffs had gone to bed.

He walked down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. Turning the light switch on, the whole room lot up bright. He took a big jug and poured a glass of water for himself, gulping down the liquid in one drink.

The light in the kitchen flickered and went off. He dropped the cup and left the kitchen.

Back at the hallway, he noticed the lights were out too except the ones upstairs. He made his way towards the stairs and was about going to his room when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned but didn't find anything but the dark lonely hallway.

Ignoring it as it were his imagination, he was about taking a step forward when a cold wind blew past him. He turned around to find a lady who in white standing not too far away from him. Her hair was white, her eyes looked dark and soulless, her face and skin were pale like there's not a single drop of blood in her veins. She walked towards him.

He tried screaming but nothing came out but air. He panicked as his heart rate increased rapidly, he could hear his own heart beat like a drum in his ears. His legs were rooted to the ground unable to move. She stretched her hand to touch his face and he lost consciousness...