Of gilbardo

Chapter Two

"It's getting late, I should be at home before seven. I would be scolded if I'm any minute later than that." Juliette was complaining.
"Stop being scared, comeon, you know how far we've come to be here we can't just go back." Danielle said.
"Yeah, let's go deeper." Gabriella agreed.
"This is going to be fun." Jolie says with excitement.
"This doesn't look fun to me. It's scary." Juliette said.
"Why, everything is scary to you. Don't you trust us." Gabriella pinned at her.
"Of course I do. You all are my friends but what I don't trust Is this torchlight of ours." Juliette said.
"Mine is charged, so you have to trust mine." Jolie says.
"I heard this place is a land where spirits resides. I don't want to be here." Juliette was feeling uneasy.
"After coming a long way we wouldn't be going back." Justine concluded. "We must see the grave that buries legend Brooks, the science teacher always tells us about, and take pictures of it. We could be legends too. The name is engraved in the grave stone. Note, 1808-1980." Danielle said.
"1880." Christiana corrected.
"Think about it, we could score an A." Viviane spoke.
"Can I just go home alone." Juliette said. “Besides I doubt legend Brooks grave is in this side of forest.“
"We are not letting you go home alone, honey." Louisiana touched her face.

                   ________________

..
Anna was receiving treatments in the hospital after she was  found by the police. Her eyelids were opening and Ms Danielle alerted Jolie.
"What happened?" Anna spoke slowly.
"You were found laying unconscious in gilbardo."Danielle informed. "You must've gone too far away from the team when on the escortion."
"We were so worried for you." Jolie touched her forehead. "How're you feeling?"
"I feel empty." Anna couldn't understand nor describe how she felt.
"You were found this morning. It's noon now, and the doctor had said you would be fine and discharged by evening." Jolie filled the details.
"Water." Anna utters. Danielle immediately went for the plastic bottle and poured water into a tumbler.
"I came across a ghost girl or maybe not. I'm sure some feminine spirit spoke to me." Anna sat up with Jolie's assistance.
"A ghost?" Danielle couldn't believe her.
"Trust me, I did. It seems like she wanted my help. And then," She tries to remember what had happened after that but couldn't. "I can't remember anything after that." She told them.
"You should rest, honey. There's no such thing as ghosts or spirits dear. It might be you imagining." Jolie told her. "Stop worrying too much. You need to eat and take your medicines." She added.
"It's pasta. I know how much you love my pasta and that's why I made it specially for you." Danielle was going for the food flask on the table.
'who are you and why do you want my help' Anna thought aloud. Seconds later a voice said in her head. 'i am Juliette and I want your help to avenge for my death.' Anna screamed.
..
"We've gone deeper than I'd expected us to and we can't still find anything. Look, can we just go home." Juliette looks worriedly at her wrist. "It's almost midnight."
"No, we must find the grave. Period." Danielle shut her up.
"You can leave if you want to." Jolie offered.
"But I can't find my way back now without the map." Juliette says.
"If you take the map with, how are we going to find the grave and," Gabriella was saying.
"Our way back home." Louisiana helped her with the sentence.
"I would bring with me the police and school authorities." Juliette said.
"We don't trust you." Viviane spoke loudly.
"But you can. Or if you don't, we can go back together. Let's quit this please." Juliette pleaded.
"No. We've come a long distance and we wouldn't quit because you told us to. You can be the Prom queen and give orders only at the school premises, we aren't taking your orders here." Justine said with hidden grudges.
She took in the word and said."i'm sorry I can't carry on with this journey. I'm going back home with or without the map."
"What do you have with Kendrick?" Jolie forced the words out her mouth. The way she asked, you could tell she was waiting for that moment to ask.
"Kendrick?" Juliette was hesitant for a second.
"Yes I saw you two together coming out of your house. I'd come to visit, but then I left. He is my boyfriend. I thought we were friends." Jolie was saying to her.
"Kendrick doesn't have feelings for you. He is not the right guy for you. A guy that would love and appreciate you would..."
Jolie laughs it off and cuts in. "And you are the one he loves? boyfriend snatcher."
"I can't believe this. I thought we trust ourselves. I can never date Ken if that's what you're thinking." Juliette assures.
"Girls, I think we've come a long way. It's time to tell the truth and," Danielle let someone finish the sentence.
"Execute plan b." Justine finished off.
"What plan?" Juliette didn't understand. "What are you girls talking about?"
"You would find out very soon but first of all take that hat off your head. I hate it and...you." Danielle forcefully grabbed the hat and threw it away.
..
Ms Kendrick had dropped off Danielle at her cottage and was heading south. Anna sat quiet staring into space, strapped with the seat belt.
"It's okay, I understand you are In trauma about everything that had happened to you on that night but you have to worry no more since everything is okay now. You can forget all about it." Ms ken told her, taking glances. Anna didn't respond, she was still stared into space.
"Anna." Ms ken tapped her.
"I'm okay."
"Are you sure." Jolie was concerned. After she'd heard her daughter scream, she knew something unusual was happening to her. She decided to let it be. It definitely has something to do with that night. She told herself. She prayed Anna would get over it.
..
"What's going on. Why're all acting strange all of a sudden." Juliette took glances at each of them.
"She's saying we are strange." Louisiana smiles.
"No, acting." Juliette corrected.
"You know what, enough of wasting time. We should get over with what we are here for." Gabriella said.
"She doesn't know." Justine did a small mocking laugh.
"Wait girls before we proceed, let's do a fun game. We will tie whoever we choose to this big tree over here and hide. Then the person tied to the tree would be released by someone and then she would have find each of us. Failure to do so would attract paying for everyone's lunch in school tomorrow. Deal?" Danielle enunciated.
"Agreed." They accepted in unison apart from Juliette who felt that something for some unspecified reason was wrong.
"It's called hide and seek." Jolie told Juliette to her face.
"Who are we picking to be tied to the tree." Justine said.
Everyone mentioned 'Juliette' one after the other apart from Jolie who said, 'justine'
"Well, majority carries the vote. Tie her up." Danielle orders.
"But I'm scared. I can't be alone tied up to a tree." Juliette appeared afraid by the look on her face.
"And who said you were going to be alone. A voluntary would be the one to set you free. Any voluntary?" Danielle spoke out.
"I volunteer." Jolie said.
"Fun." Viviane said.
Juliette had agreed to be tied to the tree and Justine carried out the job of tying her up. Then, the game started.
..
Ms Kendrick made a cup of coffee and sat thinking about Anna's scream in the hospital and what she had said about seeing a ghost girl or hearing one. She tried to believe it but couldn't. 'ghosts aren't real.' she assures herself. She has never believed they existed in her whole life.
  "What happened at the night of gilbardo." Anna was slowly descending the stairs.
"Honey, do you want some coffee." Ms ken didn't hear her.
"What happened at the night of gilbardo." Anna repeated.
"What, what do you mean?" Ms Ken didn't understand.
  "Who is Juliette Lewis?"
Ms Kendrick was in shock. A cold chill ran through her spine.