Chapter 1 - Death

Chapter 1

I trotted along the grassy path towards our home. I walked fast, avoiding patches of mud and low branches of different trees, as to not ruin my dress.

Now I really wonder why my father has decided to build a house exactly on the middle of a forest.

The place was beautiful but it was hard to transverse, especially now that I'm wearing a dress and a high heel.

My friends were supposed to take me back home, but they're too drunk for me to trust them to bring me back safely. I sighed, my father is going kill me, my curfew is only at nine and its well past eleven. I cursed my friends for this, I was supposed to go home early but they won't let me.

I cursed again as I felt one branch scrape against my shoulder, I stopped and looked if it got my dress, I was careful not to ruin my dress for it was the one of my mother's possession and I treasured it. Seeing no damage I heave a sigh of relief.

I sighed again and continued my way, it was dark seeing there are no other houses within the vicinity and I'm in the middle of the forest.

I scrunched my eyes to see better of the path I'm walking to, I looked up in the sky and noted that it was a moonless night sans why it was darker than usual.

I picked up my pace, the night was silent, eerily silent and there was a sudden weight at the pit of my stomach.

There was something wrong, I can feel it, as if something bad is going to happen. I always have a good instinct so I sprinted when I saw the curb that led to the opening of the area of our house.

I ignored my aching feet and run faster, I rounded up the curb and exited the forest. Just a few feet away was a big mansion, my house exactly.

I panted trying to catch my breath, I looked up at our house and saw that all lights are out. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

That was weird, my dad always kept the lights on seeing as we are the only house in here, and he is supposed to be up waiting for me.

Suddenly my worry for him hiked up, I walked slowly toward the house dreading what I would find there. I was careful not to make a sound, knowing there might be someone else in the house besides him. I was in a defensive position, ready for any danger that may come.

I walked to the door and opened it quite slowly; I made sure I created the least noise as possible. My eyes roved to inside our dark house. My eyes adjusted to the dark and I held my breath trying to find my dad but found nothing out of the usual.

I walked quietly into our dark house and looked for my dad, and then I walked up our grand stairs thinking he might be on the second floor. I pursed my mouth and stop myself from calling him out, if I was right about somebody being inside our house I would risk letting him know my presence.

When I reached the top stairs I turned to the left and walked in the hallway, this is where my dad's office is. And it’s where I’ll likely find him. But to be sure I tried all rooms and began my search, careful not to make any noise. I scan the area and concentrated on any noise that was made.

The house was quiet, too quiet, and I feared that my heart beat can be heard a mile away as it thudded against my chest, but I was more worried about my father to worry about my own safety. I approached his office after checking all the other rooms, my hand was at the doorknob when I heard a cry from inside, I hurriedly flung open the door and I was stricken by the scene before me.

My dad was at the floor sprawled, he was holding his chest which has a dagger stabbed on it, I cried in horror.

"DAD!" I shouted, I was rooted from my spot, hot tears streamed down my face. His face shifted and it landed on me, he looked at me horrified, and with every bit of strength left in him he shouted.

"May, run" his voice hoarse. I wanted to do what he told me but I was still stricken and I felt like my feet were rooted on the floor.

I shifted my gaze from my dad, to the other person standing inside the room. My eyes met two cold blue eyes and there fear enveloped me, he was still calm despite the situation but gives off a deadly aura. I tried to identify his face but it was futile since he wore a mask so I can't see his face, only those dead eyes are visible.

Then suddenly he walked silently towards my father and yanked the dagger out of his chest, I watched fearfully as a pool of blood drenched my father's body, with one last breath he have, he spoke.

"Run" he choked out before his eyes lost its luster and became dull and lifeless.

Then the guy started his way to me holding the dagger drenched in blood. That's when my feet started moving and I quickly flung myself to the stairs, adrenaline rushing through my veins.

I ran down the stairs fighting off looking back at my father's murderer and focused on escaping. Alarm bells started going off on me as I feared for my own life.

I was holding the door trying to open it when a hand clasped itself on my hair and yanked at it painfully. I was thrown backwards with full force and skidded down the floor, the nearby desk stopping me.

The blow left me breathless but I struggled to stand up, he lounged his dagger at me and I barely dodged b y rolling out of his way.

He swung again but I was unfortunate this time as the dagger connected with my cheek slashing it. Blood poured down my cheek and it stung painfully.

Somehow angered, I grabbed onto his shirt and we both fell back down to the floor, I saw a bit of his chest and saw a tattoo of a heart with a snake on it but I paid it no mind.

After a few struggles I was able to throw him off me and then I stood up, took my heels off, then I threw them at him. With the distraction I sprinted out of the house and ran into the forest, ignoring the rocks that stabbed my feet but instead just focused on how I should escape.

I willed myself to go faster as I heard the front door slam, I run into the forest remembering every path that will lead me to the city. I was actually thankful that we were in the middle of the forest for I know the paths here like the back of my hand which is my advantage at the moment.

I took a sudden turn and run faster into a familiar path, it will take at least an hour for me to reach the town, unless I use some of the hidden path for shortcut. I also needed to lose the guy for me to escape.

As I reached the path I saw a blur for a second and I picked up my pace. I risked to look back and was glad that I did as I barely dodged a dagger thrown briskly at me. I was shocked for in such a short time he was already just barely 10 feet away from me.

I tried to run faster as I helplessly hoped that my adrenaline can back me up. But my biggest fears are realizing as I felt myself go slower and slower. I felt my heart thudded loudly against my chest at the thought of my perpetrator catching up at me.

I was panting and was really close to giving up but a mental picture of my father dying led me to continue. I can’t let him down when he clearly wanted me to live on, besides I need to live to seek the justice he needed.

A ray of hope shone down upon me when I saw a path which I've always used since I was a child. It will only take almost half an hour for me to reach the town if I used it, and the opening was small and was hidden away.

With every ounce of strength I have left in me, I outrun the murderer. I slid my body pass the narrow entrance, stood up then took off. A light feeling passed through me when I looked back and saw no one following but I still didn’t let my guard down and kept running.

I ignored the pain from the branches and rocks that stabbed into me as I ran away. I used remaining adrenaline rush I have to its fullest, knowing that I was near the town.

I burst out of the trees and rolled into the road, a scream of joy escaped my lips when I saw a patrol car near where I was. I ran towards it and I waved my hands frantically, they saw me and quickly headed my way.

The car stopped in front of me, and then two cops went out of the car. A gasp left their lips as they took a look on me.

"Hey are you alright? What happened?" one of the cop asked me. I shook my head at them, my throat felt dry from all the running I just did.

"Help me please" I croaked out, as hot tears started to brim at my eyes. They looked at each other before the obviously older cop sighed. "Okay, let's go to the station and tell us what happened" he said and they escorted me towards the patrol car.

They placed me on the back of their car as they rode away. When my body started to relax, I finally felt the pain and exhaustion of what just happened a moment ago. And most of all, my mind finally understood what happened. My father was dead, and someone was after me. As I thought about that, a few silent tears fell from my eyes.

We finally reached the station and the cops escorted me inside. Once inside, the cops talked to someone before they put me in a room and I waited there patiently. After a while, a female officer entered the room, handed me a cup of coffee and a coat, she smiled at me encouragingly, a minute later I spoke.

"Please help me, someone killed my father and is trying to kill me" I cried and the officer soothed me, patting my back and saying encouraging words but it didn’t get to me, I just sobbed and I was a complete mess.

"It's alright darling, we'll help, tell me what happened" she said trying to calm me down, when I’m finally calm enough to talk, I told what I saw.

"I was walking home from a party when I felt dread on the pit of my stomach. I hurried my walk then I saw our house but it was dark and I got worried. I entered the house, got up the stairs and into our hallway. Then I heard a cry coming from his office. I opened it and then I saw..." I stopped and cried again, the officer patted my back as she tried to console me.

"... He was at the floor, a dagger at his chest and a man was beside him, he told me to run then the guy chased me. I was able to escape then I saw your patrol car" I continued and sobbed, I still can’t take any of it.

"It's alright sweety, we'll catch him" she said and I just cried.

"Everything's not alright, my father's dead" I croaked out. She just gave me a sad smile then she sighed.

"So did you see his face?" she asked when I finally stopped crying, I shook my head at the question.

"I only saw his eyes" I answered, I shivered in fear as I recalled those lifeless eyes as they looked at me. It was… it was devoid of any emotion.

"We will search your house for clues, some cops are already on their way to your house" she told me. I just nodded my head.

"We'll do everything we can, for the meantime stay here" she tried reassured me but I just remain silent.

"Do you have any more relatives that we can call?" she asked me and I shook my head, there was no one except my father's best friend whom I thought to as my uncle."Wait there is, he's my father's best friend" I told her. She nodded and took a pad and pen and handed it to me

I took the paper and pen from her and I wrote down my father’s friend’s number, when I was done, I handed it to her. She said that she will call him before she left. I waited at the station patiently. When the female officer told me that Uncle Simon said he'll come for me.

As I waited for him, I reached for my necklace. It was given to me by my father just this morning, when I told him that I'm going to a party. Dad said it was his gift for me, and that I should always wore it and never lose it. I held on it tightly as I cried.

I looked at it once more, it was beautiful. It was a gold necklace with intricate design and a silver cross as its pendant.

The pendant was the most beautiful piece of the necklace, it looked like a puzzle with its design and I ran a finger to it, as I remembered my dad. Fresh waves of tears escaped my eyes as memories of him flooded my mind.

After hours of waiting, the door of the room I was in, opened and a man entered the room.

He had wild black hair and grey piercing eyes, his face looked worried as his vision landed on me. I stood from my chair and approached him, hugging him when I finally reached him.

"Uncle Simon" I cried on his shoulders while he ran a hand to my back.

"Don't cry May, you can't let your father saw you like this. Be brave" he told me gently, he looked me in the eyes and I nodded. "Good girl" he said then he wiped away my tears. He led me to a chair and we chatted.

"The cops told me what happened. I'm sorry for what happened to you and your father, he was a good man" he said and I nodded my head, sadness apparent in my face as I remembered my father again.

"But I think I know why he's killed" he suddenly said and I looked up to him, my eyes held question and curiosity.

"Why? Why is he killed please tell me" I begged and he sighed.

"Remember your father has a new invention, he's making right now?" he asked me and I nodded, my father was an inventor and he's good at it.

"Well that thing can be of good use to the people, if used right, but it can also help people earn tons of money, so greedy men wanted it, that's why they killed your father. He won't give it for such purposes and you know it" he explained and I nodded.

"Why? What is it?" I asked, curious as to what it is.

"As I heard, it was a chip that will help our computer system better, he created it mostly for hospitals so it can up the notch of medical services, but it can also be used to hack the government not just here but everywhere" he said, my eyes show wonder and admiration. Wow to think that my father made such a thing.

"Do you think they have taken it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I don't think so, he wouldn't have chased you if he did" he pointed out.

"He must've chased me because I saw him" I countered.

"No, he would've fled, there's no need to waste time, you didn't saw his face so you can't find him" he replied back and I nodded in understanding. A second of silence passed until I broke it.

"What do you think will happen next?" I asked him, I'm both clueless and helpless right now.

"I think he'll pursue you, so you're in grave danger" he said grimly.

"But why?" I asked horrified.

"He must have thought that you will know where it is, seeing as you're the only family member left" he said a grim expression going through his face.

"What should I do?" I asked him desperate, and then I saw determination flashed through his eyes as he looked at me.

"You will come with me, I'll protect you, I have thought of a way to conceal your identity" he said and I looked at him shocked.

"And what would that be?" I asked, intrigued, the grave atmosphere suddenly lifted up because of what he said.

"You'll know later, after the burial of your father" he said, a coy smile plastered on his face.

--

My father was buried after a week; the cops couldn't find any trace as to who did this to him making me fell into another despair.

What scared me the most, however, was the letter that they found. It confirmed the theory of Uncle Simon that they'll be after me, and they even know my name.

I was currently sitting in a train, we're going to Uncle Simon's house and he said he'll tell me how he's going to conceal my identity, I wonder what it is.

In a few hours I didn't know that everything in my life would change because of Uncle Simon's crazy idea.

Author's Note

It's self edited so if you see an error here please feel free to point it out.