THE UNKNOWN WORLD

Liam reached for her hand, she was looking at him, he rubbed her hand until it was red. "You should always wear gloves, it will be winter soon" He smiled, looking at her hand. She was looking at him. "I said I am leaving, I am travelling out of the country, forever" She added the last word threateningly. "No you can't, the FBI is looking everywhere for you, escaping now is a bad idea" He said, now looking up at her. "I can, Agent McKenzie works for us, I just need to get away from here, Liam, before I run mad" She said, then smiled. "You mustn't let Xander know, he will try to stop me and possibly convince me to stay, and I want nothing to do with him" She removed his hand from her's. "It had to be done, Liam, I couldn't help it, I need to find real happiness" "There is no real happiness when you are a bloody assassin, Rebecca" He almost cried out. "But I am not anymore, I quited last month, remember?" "You know this better than I that there is no quitting this, besides Xander wouldn't let you go, not for anything in this world" "That is why he must not know until I am gone" "This is a huge mistake, I suggest you lie low for now instead of trying to travel out" "Enough Liam, are you my friend or my foe?" Rebecca pulled off her heels beside her bed and tied her hair into a knot, she walked to her bathroom door and looked into the mirror behind it, posing to accentuate the curves of her waist, she kissed her shoulder and rubbed her neck warmly. Everything was perfect now and she loved it. She sighed, just last month, she had finished her last assignment, assassinating a political leader for a top client and she had called it quits, life was too short and she was young, she wanted a new start. It shouldn't have come to this but it did, the killing, the bloodshed, it was all fruitless, she was working nonstop and getting no joy out of it. She sat down on a loveseat and propped the throw pillows up so she could relax her back while she read her book. It was an old book, had taken it from a house where she had gone to find a target. She had heard that reading before bedtime relaxes the mind and she was hoping for that. The book was old, very old in fact, the title was boldly written "THE UNKNOWN WORLD" It wasn't really weird, she furrowed her brows. She wasn't a fan of reading but she wanted to read this book, it looked like a thrilling, fantasy novel. As she opened the book, she felt a chill run down her spine and it wasn't winter yet, the words on the first page was: "Hello reader, are you ready?" She tried to turn the next page but it was stiff, like it was glued together,she grinned to herself. "The writer of this book is a funny one" She grinned. "Of course, I am ready" Without assistance from her, the book turned to the next page, and there were no words,she let the book fall off her hands as she stood on the love seat. She cast a suspicious look at the book on the floor, the window panes banged themselves and she turned to them, startled, the book opened another page and she stared at it in horror. What was this she had brought home. She watched light shone out of the book, so bright that it could blind anyone. The light directing to her,her heart was beating out of her chest. "Player 20, are you ready to begin your journey into the unknown world?" A computerized female voice spoke out of the book. "No" She furrowed her brows and shrugged her shoulders, speaking with little difficulty,trying to shrug off fear. "What kind of character would you like?" She confidently came down from the love seat. "I said I am not participating in any journey" She replied agitatedly. "I am very certain I heard you earlier today at 2:15 pm, telling Liam that you wanted a fresh start" "Wait, are you stalking me?, and what if I said that to Liam, I didn't mean I wanted to partake in any weird journey with a talking book" "We respond to your needs and desires, Rebecca, and right now you need this journey" "Get out of my house!!" Rebecca shouted out in frustration. It was crazy that she was talking to a book. "I can't go away, Rebecca, I have come to stay" "But I don't want you in my house, can't you just go away" "No, I am here to stay" "What can I do for you to go" "Nothing, player 20" When the light in the book turned off, she took the book and put it in an old, unused briefcase, she would have to get rid of it tomorrow. But that night she could hardly sleep, for fear that it would take her away, hardly was she scared of anything, but today, she was scared of a book, a mere book. Early the next morning, she didn't even have breakfast, she took the case and drove out of the house, she headed straight to a bridge that was along the way home. She took the case from the back seat and came out of the car, she meant to throw the book along with the case but instead, she brought out the book. It was still the same as yesterday,old, very old. It didn't look glued together like yesterday so she opened the first page out of curiosity and saw a different writing again. "Goodbye, Player 20" The book fell off her hands and landed into the river, It floated and she ran down the bridge to get it, standing by the river bank, she used a stick to get it out of the water, and then she held it and cleaned it with her cloth, it wasn't wet, didn't look like it fell into the river. She held unto it like a lost treasure. She drove back home in a more better mood, less agitated and more relaxed, as she drove closer to the house, she saw two cars packed in a hurried manner Infront of the house, she packed her car where no-one will notice easily, took the book and quietly alighted from the car. She quietly sneaked towards the back of the house, going through the hedge. She saw men in black in the house through the window, masks on and rifles in hand, there were looking to kill her. "She is not in the house" One said. "Look for her, she hasn't gone far" She leaned on the wall, her gun was in the house and her phone was in the car, she had been to relaxed, thinking no one was going to find her. She looked at the book, rising and falling, following the rhythm of her beating heart, as it lay on her chest. How could she have forgotten her escape plan. She opened it quickly. "Hey book woman, is that proposal still on?, you know... that thing you were talking to me about yesterday" The book was silent. "Are you there, I really need your help, ASAP" A man came out of the house. "Surrender yourself,Becca, we have got you surrounded" Another said. She stared nonplussed, refusing to surrender, so they pointed their rifles at her. "Don't be stubborn, Rebecca and surrender" Agent McKenzie said. He was an old FBI agent she knew, they had been partners, until now that he was pointing a gun at her, he was now an enemy like the rest of them. The light in the book came on again but she didn't see it, all she saw was McKenzie pointing a gun at her and she refusing to surrender. A man fired and it went straight to her right shoulder. "I want her alive!" McKenzie shouted, but then another one fired, she knew that sound, it had been with her for 13 years of her life. She was leaning on the wall, coughing out blood and the men were coming to her, she saw herself fall. It was the end.