My Valentine ! a book by Thora Soul

CHAPTER 3: A VENGEFUL MISSTEP

As we stepped inside, a thick silence enveloped us, broken only by the sound of our own heartbeats echoing in the darkness. Every tiny movement seemed magnified, sending shivers of fear down our spines.

As I reached out for my notes, a sudden loud noise pierced the silence, and something wet splashed onto us, sending us into a frenzy of panic and confusion.

"Ahhaaaaaaa!" we all screamed in unison, our fear palpable as we were convinced something lurked in the darkness. In a panic, we scattered in different directions, each of us desperate to escape. I found myself alone in a room, the sound of approaching footsteps echoing around me. Unable to see who it was, I called out to my friends, hoping for a familiar voice in the eerie silence.

"Rose? Camila? Is that you guys?" I whispered, but instead of an answer, I heard a door creaking open followed by a loud, eerie laughter.

"Aaa.. haa..haaa," the laughter echoed, sending chills down my spine. I screamed until my voice gave out, and then everything went black.

When I woke up, I was in Rose's lap outside the deserted house, surrounded by Camila, MJ, and some construction workers.

"MJ, are you okay? I'm so worried. I shouldn't have let you go in there. This is all my fault... Rose! Camila! Are you both alright?" I asked, my voice trembling with tears and concern, filled with regret for my decisions.

"Stay back, there's someone in there. I distinctly heard footsteps and the chilling laughter of a female spirit," I whispered urgently.

Rose and Camila gave an exhausted sigh, rolling their eyes, but MJ was laughing uncontrollably.

"Why is he laughing? What happened to me?" I asked, confused.

MJ explained, "That was my phone's ringtone. I went inside to get your notes and noticed workers renovating the terrace. Curious, I went up to check it out. When I heard your screams, I rushed down. By the time I entered the room, you had fainted."

"What about the noise we heard and this red liquid on our clothes?" I asked, puzzled.

"Naina, come on, use your head. Can't you smell that now? It's paint, and the noise we heard was probably just the broomstick falling in the corner," Rose replied, trying to calm my nerves.

"Stop interrogating her. We're already feeling embarrassed," Camila sighed.

Apologizing to everyone, we made our way home.

Since MJ lives nearby, he walked with me. Upon arrival, my mom, who had been waiting at the gate, saw me covered in dust and red paint. She started smacking me angrily, not even noticing MJ standing there. My brother came out, hearing the commotion.

"Ahem," MJ interjected. "Hello, ma'am."

"Hello, Young man. I'm Mrs. Lisa Davis. And you are...?" she asked.

"Hi, Mrs. Davis, I'm Michael Jansen, her classmate. It's a pleasure to meet you." MJ greeted my mom.

"I know you! You joined our soccer team, right? He plays like a pro, Mom," Marcus exclaimed.

"Come on in, Michael. Sorry for chatting from the doorway. Please, come and join us for some cookies," my mom warmly invited..

"Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Davis. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave. I'll make sure to visit next time," MJ politely declined before departing.

As we entered the house, I recounted a fabricated story to my mom, explaining that I had fainted near school and the red paint had come from a nearby renovation site where I had fallen. My friends had asked MJ to accompany me home for safety. My mom scolded me for my supposed carelessness, delivering a stern lecture on the importance of health. I lacked the courage to confess about the mischievous antics I had been involved in.

Later, I kept a sulky face for being scolded in front of MJ, skipped dinner, and slept in my study room.

"Darling, come to bed now. It's already late," my mom called.

"I'm not sleeping with you today. I'll sleep alone." I replied.

"Alone? Are you sure? Aren't you afraid?"

Despite my outward bravado, I'm actually quite cowardly. I wouldn't even walk into a dark room in the middle of the day. Yet, in a fit of anger, I declared, "Yes, I'll sleep alone tonight." My mom stopped coaxing me, understanding that I would retreat to my room as soon as my dad returned home.

At 11:49 pm, the doorbell rang.

"Naina, it sounds like your dad's home. Could you please go and open the door?" my mom called out from the master bedroom.

"I don't want to talk to anyone!" I shouted back.

"Well, I'll go and open it then. Feeling very tired, and my precious daughter is not talking to me. God, show some grace," she teased.

"You can drop the act. I'll go myself," I said, heading towards the door to open it

Since it was late, my mom had switched off all the lights. I came out of my study room, switching on the lights all the way to the hall. Once I reached the hall, I searched for the light switch and turned it on.

"Ohhhoo...la..llaa...laaa...ohhooo. Ahhaa..." I heard a loud, eerie humming sound. Terrified, I screamed and dashed into my bedroom, tears streaming down my face.

My mom opened the door for my dad and recounted the reason behind my tears. "Your daughter tried to open the door but accidentally turned on the radio instead of the light. Startled by the sudden noise, she screamed and darted into the bedroom." My mom and brother couldn't contain their laughter.

My father entered the bedroom and enveloped me in his arms. "Naina, it's just a radio, dear. You're growing up. There are no ghosts. It's just our imagination. Come, have some water," he said, gently wiping away my tears, his words a soothing balm to my fears.

This was the first time my dad spoke to me with such love and affection since I grew up. It melted my heart. Later, my mom placed a knife and a broomstick under my bed to calm me down. I fell asleep cuddling with my mom and dad.

The next morning, I got ready for school. My mom tied a black thread to my left leg to ward off trouble (a superstition followed to keep negative forces away).

When I got to school, my friends seemed hesitant to approach me, sensing my bad mood. Determined to make things right, I approached them and apologized for getting them into trouble the day before. Despite feeling remorseful, I also wanted to apologize to MJ.

"MJ," I called out.

"How are you holding up, Naina? After yesterday's beatings from your mom, I half-expected you to be flattened into a pancake," he said, chuckling.

His words stung, and I decided to remain silent. But MJ didn't let it go.

"Given your family's history with Witchcraft, how did you manage to get so frightened yesterday?"

"MJ, I'm really not up for this today. Please, let's not..."

"What will you do? Cry like a toddler again?" he interrupted, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Growing increasingly frustrated, I slammed my hand on the desk and stood up.

____________________ *** Chapter 3 *** _____________________

Dear Reader,

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for choosing to read my ebook. Your support and interest mean the world to me.

I also want to take this opportunity to apologize for any beginner's mistakes you might encounter in the content. As a new author, I am constantly learning and striving to improve. Your feedback and suggestions are incredibly valuable to me.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, or ideas on how the content can be enhanced. Your input will not only help me improve this work but also shape future projects.

Thank you once again for being a part of this journey. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy the rest of the book.

Warm regards,

Thora Soul