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Light hearted people, please don't look at the media at night! Muahah! :D 

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Emily was different after she saw the raven attacking Lucy as a cannonball.

She was ripped between the logic of everything has a logical explanation to the happening where a sane person couldn't define the phenomena logically, and that too in front of her very own eyes. However, she was sure a hundred percent that she was sane and breathing when she saw that happen. So, what did happen?

She scratched her scalp roughly and then puffed all her breath out as her hands hung down on impact slapping her thighs. Frustrated and dejected, Emily stood staring at the bathroom mirror, contemplating, thinking, and calculating; yet, she reached nowhere.

Em tried to inhale as much air as possible to let it all out in one big billow of breath. When that didn't steady her erratic nerves, she opened the faucet and splashed cold water onto her face several times. After that, without closing the tap water, supporting her hands on the wash basin, she stood staring at her pale reflection in the mirror again as if that will help her solve this mystery. 

Could that have been a raven? How is that possible? The raven was rolled up like a ball with its pointy beak hitting Lucy on her head. How could that just happen?

She splashed the water hard on her face and opened her eyes to scream on top of her lungs, falling back down, merely missing the closet bowl by inches to her head.

Meanwhile, Katie was sitting with Tina and Mina outside by the pool, explaining to them what was happening so far. Tina, who was a strong devotee, had taken it all seriously while Mina was trying hard to keep her giggles inside. Seeing Katie sniffling made it hard for Mina to crack a joke.

As Katie finished speaking, she was wiping her nose with the tissue, and then discarded it to a small hill by her feet only to kick it all asunder hearing two wild blood-curdling screams coming from the house.

Knowing not where to run first, Katie ran in the direction of the scream that was near to her. She reached Emily in the first-floor bathroom to the left with water all over her. Kneeling down, Katie felt her heart soar watching the ever so bold Emily squirming and crying in utter fear.

"What? What is it?" Katie screamed at a very frantic Emily and then turned around to see if Tina was around to make her fetch some water. Apparently, they had run in direction of the other scream.

"Blood... blood, all around, it... it splashed... onto me... it was so bad," Emily hiccupped as she sobbed hysterically.

Katie scrunched her brows as she could only see water and the faucet were still running, gushing water in a very strong force. That was unlikely, Katie thought. "Shh, it's nothing, you were under stress, and it's alright..." Em didn't fight off the soothing voice of Katie as she rubbed Em's back. "Come on, Lucy is in trouble again, I guess."

Em just nodded her head. She then got up and walked out, crossing her hands. Katie joined her after she closed the faucet.

As they were proceeding to Lucy's room, Lucy's parents and the twins were already there. Lucy was in more hysterics than Emily since her temple had started to bleed as she clutched her head and bawled. She claimed she saw a skull smiling at her when the lightning struck but no matter how much nanny and Julie tried to assure her there was no thunder or lightning, Lucy didn't believe them.

"I know what I saw..." she screamed. Her parents were silent for a sec. Em, though the situation was morbid, felt happy that at last Lucy screamed. It was not like Lucy to be angry. But for a split second, she thought she saw Lucy's eyes change color as she screamed at her mother.

As Em sobered up and looked at Lucy properly, there wasn't any discoloration or anything; she was just a petrified girl sitting on the bed as the nanny was attending to the gash on her temple. Em walked out from the room and went to stand on the patio, feeling desperate and angry.

What is this? What is happening? Right now, she desperately wished she was back in the city so that she could have a smoke. Thinking of city, it was already weeks into her vacation and sooner or later it will be time for them to leave for studies. What will it become if Lucy was showing such signs?

Feeling utterly frustrated, she threw down a flower pot. As she was panting hard, she felt a slow whistle to her side. Suddenly, frustration gave way to fear since the whistle was anything humanly. It was slow, steady, eerie, and continued without pause. She wanted to turn and look for it but knew if she did that, she might urinate because at the moment, her heart was conquered in terrible fear; that it scared her to be this scared.

A quick slap on her shoulders got her jump and yell in fright.

"Good lord, you scared me," Em yelled at Mina who was chewing a bubble gum, sporting a smug look.

"I believe you could use a smoke, shall I?"

"You have one?"

"I have plenty."

"Let's go to the stables."

Em and Mina walked in darkness without saying much. The smack, smack of Mina chewing was the only sign that guaranteed Em; that she was still sane because the voice was giving her an intense urge to smack Mina on her face.

"Give me, they won't see now." Em urgently asked Mina to hand her one and without much hesitation she did. Em inhaled a handful and puffed out taking her time.

"I didn't believe I will live to a day where I shall see a woman smoking freely like this," Joseph said from the darkness, surprising the girls.

"Haven't you gone yet? I thought it was your day off." Em said in a dilemma to throw or not to throw her half blown cigarette.

"No, I will leave in the morning. Goldie is not well it seems, I should watch her tonight or else I will have to call the vet."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know she seems to be completely dull and unenergetic. Not eating, not drinking, I don't know what got into her."

"Hmm, maybe you should call the vet."

"Yeah, I probably should. Who is this?"

"My friend, from college, she is here for the vacation."

"Nice to meet you, Ms..."

"Mina, and you too," Mina said bashfully.

With a charming smile, Joseph said, "I will leave you two to it."

Em only smiled at him but Mina was going all flirty girls on a crush mode on him, but he didn't bat an eye on her charms.

"Oh boy is he taken?" she asked sadly, still looking to where he vanished.

"You are one big pothead always going behind every  man with a charming smile."

"What can I say? I am a goner!"

"Yeah, right, and I am a saint."

"That you are. Well, tell me you don't believe in all that Kat is talking about, right."

Em remained silent for a while and then said, "Look, I am not a believer either. I have never heard one bit of her nonsensical fables but this... this is different Mina, I saw the thing come hit her like a ball and then flew away. I can never imagine such stuff not even if I am stone drunk. And then there was the blood. Good lord! That was scary."

"What blood?"

"Well, I was frustrated and angry, so I went to wash my face and the water just gushed out like thick blood, washing me with it. I got so scared." Mina looked at her funnily.

"I didn't see any." She said, as a matter of fact, inhaling the white smoke.

"That's the point. Why didn't you? Even Katie didn't see any; she was the one who found me."

"I don't know. It all seemed like the horror movie that we have a laugh at."

"Exactly, so now, I am all confused!"

"What if we played the Ouija board?"

"Knock it off. This isn't time for you to mock me. Help me, for God sake!"

"Who said I was mocking you, Emily?"

"You don't call me that, it makes me feel horrible."

"I have that effect on people. Listen, I am not joking. If this all is true, then playing that will make sense. It should move and then I will believe."

"DO you hear yourself?" This isn't something for you to experiment." Em yelled at Mina, really losing her pebbles.

"I am not joking!" Mina yelled and in her protest, the gum in her mouth flew down. Both of the girls looked at it for a while and then laughed at the untimely joke.

"Listen Em, I am not joking, let's try that thing for once. Whatever it may be, what do we have to lose?"

"You talk as if you know what the heck we are going through."

"Well, in a sense, yeah... I mean, don't fool yourself, Emily, you have watched enough horror movies for your lifetime that you know what is happening around you."

"Mee, are you serious? Are you saying what I and my family are going through is..." she couldn't bring the word out, "a haunting?" Em gulped and then looked away feeling her eyes flush out. "I mean," her voice choked with a bundle of emotions, "it may be karma, for... for laughing at those people and tales."

"Hey, relax... it's not the end of the world, there are plenty of ways to get rid of it. Relax!" Mina put her hands on the shoulder.

In the other end, Katie was running through exactly what Em was going through. Although she hadn't laughed like Em had at those poor unfortunate souls who had to go through terrible circumstances like her family; she did laugh. She had mocked and flipped the channel without believing a word of it all.

Walking in circles got her head in a whirlpool. She sat down plunking on the bed in which Lucy was fast asleep. Tina was praying by Lucy's side.

"So you sure this is something... something, what... Lucy doubted? You believe what you are saying, Tina?"

"Hmm," she stopped praying, got up from her knees and sat by Kat. "I believe so. The signs, happenings, her anger, all prove nothing else."

"Oh Lord!"

"Come on, don't worry. We will call in a priest or minister and ask them to bless the house to ward off any evil. It's not the end and certainly evil won't win."

"But, I didn't believe in God either. I was..."

"Come on, don't think like that. God forgives all his slaves who ask for forgiveness."

Katie huffed and then cried. Suddenly Tina slapped Katie's thigh and pointed at Lucy who was mumbling in her sleep. Indeed, Lucy was muttering something in her deep sleep. Katie leaned closer to understand what she was saying but it was futile, the words were too low and incoherent. At last, she had her body laid down and then kept her head close to Lucy's lip.

She heard the words again. The words which she heard in the beginning; "You will regret it."

After that, suddenly Lucy opened her eyes round and pupil-less. She screamed at Katie, "You will regret it but I thank you." Lucy laughed maniacally as if that was the joke of the year. Not knowing what to do, Tina took her rosary with the crucifix from her neck and put it on Lucy's head. Instantly, like a switch being off, Lucy fell down mumbling and shivering. She was sporting high fever.

Sending Mina off, Em walked slowly trying to think and rephrase her thoughts. Being alone in a dark and noiseless surrounding helped her think better. But no amount of giving and taking helped her rearrange her thoughts to help believe and make understand.

She kicked a few pebbles and thrust her hands deep into the jeans pocket. All of a sudden, she felt she wasn't alone. There was someone with her. She paused and looked around. She couldn't find anyone. She resumed walking, a little bit faster than before. Yet, the thought of someone close by and someone looking at her made her restless.

She tucked her hair under the ears, crossed her hands and walked hastily to reach her home. Before she could reach her destination, she heard that piercing scary whistle again. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. The tune seemed to float around, choking her by each second. Unable to breathe properly, she tried to walk but she was stuck to the spot.

Yanking, and pulling herself didn't do the trick. The whistle seemed to get closer. Em felt her heart constricting painfully, making it harder and slower to take in a breath. She felt sick and scared.

Altogether, the whistling stopped. The atmosphere became stone silent. She could move. Gingerly, she picked herself from the spot and moved forth. Just as she was about to start walking, she felt a hot breath on her neck from behind. Something told her not to turn around, but curiosity always killed the cat and she turned.

"Hello, Emily." A guttural, thousand whispers, came from the hollow mouth of a faceless tall charcoal man. Its eyes, the shape of an apple, was silent, hollow, sharp and glistening. Its nose was just two holes like the skull. Its ears were hidden underneath a sort of cloak.

For a long minute Emily started at the grisly figure then she screamed silently to fall on her back, trembling but unconscious.

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Haha, I hope that media gave you a fright! :D

So, how was this chapter?

What do you think is happening to Lucy and Emily but not for Katie? Hmm!

Did this spook you or wasn't this scary at all? 

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