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Episode 5

"Here we are, the end for now," my mum said, as I looked at her in confusion. Had she just gotten me hooked on her story only to abruptly end it?

"End?" I asked in shock.

"Oh no, not the ultimate end, my dear. I simply meant we're wrapping up for today," my mum clarified.

Just to avoid any confusion, the story you were reading earlier was a tale my mother had shared with me.

Every night, she would tell us a story that left us hanging, eagerly anticipating the next installment. My name is Lucia Jameson, and my mother's name is Ulva Jameson.

Did you hear me correctly? Her name is Ulva, and you may wonder why she uses her own name in the story. Could it be based on real events? I cannot say for sure, as she has never mentioned it to me.

Right now, I'm completely hooked and I need to hear the whole story.

"Mother, I'm tired of getting just bits and pieces of the story every day. Please complete it once and for all," I pleaded with her.

Meanwhile, my younger brother Liam had already left the room.

"Lucia, there is a time for everything. Now is not the time to continue the story," my mother replied.

"Furthermore, we need to prepare dinner for your father, who just got home from work," she reminded me, leaving me with no choice.

I hadn't even realized that he had arrived while I was so engrossed in the story.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go help Liam prepare something for Dad. After that, could you please continue the story? I'm dying to know what happens next," I asked, eager to hear the rest of the tale.

"No, we won't be continuing with the story right now. I have something much more important to discuss with you," my mother said, rising from her seat and moving closer to me.

"You will soon be turning 18, Lucia, and there is something important regarding you and your brother that you need to know," she said, leaving me wondering what it could be. Although I am currently 17 and my brother Liam is 15, I couldn't imagine what my mother could be about to tell me.

Anyway, it's possible that I need to start reducing my love for stories since I'm getting older, but I still can't help but love a good tale, whether it's for children or not.

"You should go help your brother in the kitchen," she said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Okay, Mum," I replied, preparing to leave.

"Wait a minute," she said, causing me to turn and look at her.

"Please go into my room and fetch my pouch from the top of the table," she instructed me. Without hesitation, I promptly entered her room and retrieved the pouch.

Upon presenting it to her, she opened it and extracted some cash. "Here you go," she said, handing the money to me.

As I reached out to collect the money, my attention was drawn to something peculiar on her finger that I couldn't quite explain.

I noticed a diamond ring on her finger and wondered, "Isn't that the same ring she mentioned in the story?" I gazed at the ring, lost in thought.

Suddenly, my mother's voice jolted me out of my reverie. "Lucia!" she called out loudly.

Shaken out of my daze, I replied, "Yes, Mum?" feigning composure.

My attention shifted to the money she was proffering. "May I ask what this money is for?" I inquired.

"Could you please get me a full chicken from the nearest fast food restaurant?" my mother instructed. I couldn't help but wonder why she would send me out for fast food at this hour. Nevertheless, I would never disobey my mother. I love her dearly and always strive to follow her orders.

"Could I take Liam with me, Mum?" I requested.

"Why?" she inquired.

"Excuse me, Mum, but don't you think it's a bit late to go out? Besides, shouldn't we have had these items in stock before planning the meal?" I questioned, my expression conveying my concern.

"I'm not going with you," Liam interjected, emerging from the path that led to the kitchen. "You were supposed to buy these things earlier in the day, but you didn't. You should go alone."

My brother's statement echoed my thoughts, and I realized that he was right.

"It's your fault that we don't have any meat to prepare a meal for father," Liam chided, observing my crestfallen expression. "You should go to the restaurant now. It's only 7:00 pm."

I looked at my mother, who had her arms folded and was already staring at me. Despite feeling disappointed, I couldn't help but smile slightly at her gaze. She returned the smile, and I knew that she understood my predicament.

"Remember what I told you about wasting time," my mother reminded me sternly. "The longer you take, the later it will be before we can start preparing dinner and get the discussion going. So, go and return as quickly as possible."

After her words, I didn't hesitate for long. I immediately headed straight to the market. However, the streets were still busy, as is typical in my town. It's usually bustling with activity until around 1:00 am before people start heading to their respective homes.

"Mom, can you please tell me what happened in the end? Did they get caught or did they manage to escape?" I asked impatiently.

"Sorry, we haven't reached that part yet. I'll continue with the rest of the story tomorrow," my mom replied, which frustrated me.

"Mum, you always say that and keep me hanging every day. Can't you just finish the story today?" I retorted.

"Perhaps tomorrow, I'll finally put an end to the suspense and finish the story. But for now, I need to prepare your meal," my mom said. However, I wasn't ready for food at the moment. The only thing that would make me happy was to hear the conclusion of the story.

I wasn't even a fan of stories, but my mom seemed to have developed a love for them. I couldn't help but wonder what was so significant about this particular story that she set aside a special time for it.

"Mum, I'm sorry, but I'd rather hear the end of the story than have my meal," I said with a serious look.

"Logan, you know it's chicken and chips, your favorite meal," she reminded me, knowing I wouldn't turn down that offer.

"Okay, can we continue the story after I eat?" I quickly changed my mind, and she smiled.

"Of course, I'll be in the kitchen with your sister," she said before heading off to the kitchen.

Anyway, my name is Logan Theo, and I'm 17 years old. Please don't mistake me for someone else.

My mother's name is Sylvie, but I've always wondered why she includes her name and my dad's name in her stories.

My dad once told me that he is the only child in his family. So, why does my mom refer to Ulva as his sister in the story?

Anyway, why am I taking this story so seriously? It's just a tale, after all.

But my mom's use of her own name and my dad's name makes it all seem so real. However, even if it were real, I wouldn't doubt that my dad is the only child of his family. No one has ever come to visit him and claimed to be his sister or anything like that.

"Anyway, I think I'll head outside and get some fresh air," I said to myself as I stepped outside.

"Hmm, there's a lot of breeze out here," I muttered as I felt the air brush past me. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a shadow.

The shadow appeared to be near the tree, and I stared at it for a moment, thinking it was just a trick of the light.

As I turned away, I caught a glimpse of the shadow moving again.

"What on earth is that?" I exclaimed as I began to pursue it.

I consider myself quite brave, despite not always knowing what lurks behind the unknown, since my mother has never given me any specific information.

Despite living a seemingly ordinary life, I am often overcome with a sense of courage when confronted with danger.

Without hesitation, I pursued the mysterious movement with single-minded determination.

Upon arriving, I found nothing. "Am I just imagining things?" I muttered to myself as I turned to head back home.

However, I noticed the same peculiar movement in the distance, and I felt compelled to investigate. As I pursued it, it led me deeper and deeper into the woods.

Suddenly, I heard a blood-curdling scream that seemed to be coming from my house. "Let her go!" it cried.

Without hesitation, I turned and raced back towards my home, wasting no time in my desperate attempt to uncover the source of the disturbance.

As I was making my way through the woods towards my home, a dark figure suddenly dropped down from a nearby tree and knocked me to the ground.

I had not been expecting this sudden attack, as all I had seen was a shadowy figure approaching me. The next thing I knew, I felt a sharp blow that sent me collapsing to the ground.

And that was the last thing I could remember before losing consciousness.

★★★

★Lucia★

I always feel exhausted when I climb this highland on my way back home. I had just returned from the market after successfully purchasing the items I was sent to buy.

Now, all that remained was to make it back home. However, the climb up this steep highland was always a challenging task.

My home was situated on top of this highland, in a remote part of the city. It was a solitary house, standing alone at the top.

I couldn't fathom why my father had chosen to build a house in such an isolated location, where he would be all by himself.

At least now, it is no longer just him living in the solitary house on top of this highland, but his family as well.

Despite the challenging climb, I always looked forward to returning home with great joy. However, my mood was suddenly dampened by the sight of a mysterious movement in the woods near my path home.

"What could that be?" I muttered to myself, frozen in place as I stared at the strange sight.

To my surprise, the movement did not repeat itself, no matter how long I watched and waited for it to reappear.

"Hmm, it must be some kind of animal," I concluded, ready to walk away and forget about the strange movement.

However, something else caught my eye as I was about to leave. I couldn't quite make out what it was, so I turned back to look again.

As I gazed into the woods, my eyes were drawn to a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at me. The moonlight was not strong enough to illuminate the creature's full form, so all I could see were those deadly eyes.

"What is this?" I exclaimed, as fear took hold of me, and I began sprinting towards my home.

Surprisingly, running up the highland that had previously been challenging was now easy, as my adrenaline kicked in and my sole focus was on getting to safety.

In moments of danger, little else matters, and my only thought was to get to my family as quickly as possible.

I was so frightened that I managed to run the entire distance home in a matter of minutes.

"Dad, are you home?" I yelled as I burst through the door and raced inside.

"Whaaaaaaaat!!!!!!! What's happening here?!" I exclaimed, my heart racing as I saw my brother Liam covered in blood.

To my horror, I noticed that my father's head had also been chopped off.

"Jesus! Mother!!!" I cried out in fear, desperately calling for my mum. She was the only family member I hadn't seen, and I knew I had to escape from the house immediately.

As I ran out of the house, I suddenly felt a hand cover my mouth, and then a sharp pain in my neck. That was the last thing I remembered before my eyes closed and everything went black.

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