THE HEIR OF BLACKTHORN

CHAPTER 3

3. CHANGE

I could hear the drops of water hitting the ground as the smell of earth hit me. I could hear the hawks hawking, the trees moving with the wind. I could also hear frogs making noise all around. I hated it.....ughh.

I don't think I like how this morning is starting. Did it rain?? It was sooo sunny yesterday, and btw, we were not in the season for rain yet.

I asked myself from where I lay on the bed. Today was starting off weirdly. I just felt like staying in the position I was in without moving. My bed just needed me right now.....or maybe uh, I needed it, but of course, we just need each other.

My fantasy of staying in bed was dismissed immediately before I would start dwelling on it.

I groggily opened my eyes. For like a few seconds, I was trying to remember how I slept off yesterday, and uh, I remember now.

Flashback to yesterday

I remembered after I chased Barb out of the room, Mum called me that she had a meeting with Dad's client. Apparently, Dad wasn't around, so she had to be there to represent him.

After she left, Barb and I played a game of Ludo, which I let her win after she begged me that she didn't want to lose.

She went to sleep as I went ahead to make jollof rice, so she wouldn't have to be hungry when she woke up and Mum wouldn't have to be hungry when she was back.

As I was done making it, Barb wasn't awake yet, and I wasn't hungry either, so I went to my room to finish up my assignments on physiology.

Yh, I was studying Nursing in College, a very hard course at that, but I guess that was what I wanted.

When I was done with the assignments, I stared at the house across the lawn, directly at the window facing me. It seemed to me like someone was there, just staring back at me too.

Buh, that couldn't be possible because Mum asked the housing agents, and they said the place was only cleared in the morning, the time we went for jogging, and it would be locked up till tomorrow morning when the new owners might want to bring in their properties.

A shiver ran down my spine as the figure or presence I felt was behind the curtains seemed to have disappeared.

I immediately closed my window, but my eyes caught....the huge fence gate that I suppose to be for entry into the house was locked hard.

Then could it be that I was starting to hallucinate, or my physiology assignment had messed with my brain?

When I went downstairs, Barb was awake already, so I just dished food for the both of us.

When we were through, we made popcorn for movies together, then we settled down for our all-time favorite show, VAMPIRE DIARIES. We love that movie so much.

Barb's favorite role was Stefan, and mine was.......y'all should guess.

It was late already, and Mum wasn't back yet. Then she called in and said she would be home late. We should go to bed, 'cause she had to go to dinner with the client's wife for familiarity.

I was a hundred percent sure that was Dad's idea, and Mum didn't fancy it.

By then, Barb had already slept off, so I carried her to her room, tucked her in, but of course, she had to wake.

"Is Mum home?" she asked sleepily.

"Not yet, B. She'll be home late. She's having late dinner with the client's wife," I gave her detailed information to avoid further questioning.

She nodded and went back to sleep. I kissed her forehead and turned off the light, going to my room.

When I got to my room, I showered again 'cause I wasn't feeling comfortable. As the water kept hitting my face, I recalled what happened earlier this evening with the figure. I immediately dried my face.

I wore my long pajamas. I headed to the window, resisting the urge to open it and look over..........then I felt it again..., the presence.

I immediately made sure the window was locked, the curtains covering it well. Then I sat on my bed, checked my phone to see a message from Emily telling me Good Night...that she went out and enjoyed herself without me, hahaha, she added at the end of the text.

smiled, kept my phone on the bedside table. I prayed and tucked myself in, relaxing. After today, I was a little tired. I checked the time; it was 12:00 on the dot. I slept, wondering when Mum would be back. But before I let go of my last string of consciousness, I swear I felt that presence......in my room.

End of Flashback

I sighed as I sat up slowly, stretching. Hmm, I loved doing that. It's sooo satisfying and relaxing. I checked the time. After praying, then I headed to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, rinsed and dried my mouth afterwards. I came out from the bathroom and headed to the window. I stood there for like a minute before opening it. I shifted the curtains and opened the glass.

I put my head outside the window as a fresh, cold breeze hit my face, and the smell of earth entered my nostrils while I felt shivers from the cold. I closed my eyes as I inhaled the scent. I so much love the smell of rain hitting the soil. I last experienced that during winter, but now this is spring, August, and it wasn't supposed to rain. What happened??

I stared at the window ahead of me, no changes from yester..........no, wait, there was a change. The curtains were once white, but now, they were black.....like thick black curtains.

I looked at the small front gate again. It was still locked, but this time with a big black padlock rather than the silver ones I saw earlier.