C4

Both Mr and Mrs Mitchell knew something was wrong when their son got home that day in an unusual and awkward manner. He met them at the sitting room didn't bother to greet, just walked down to his room and shut the door.

Throughout that evening,he refused to come out of his room. When Milia his mother couldn't take it anymore walked down to his room and stood by the entrance.

"Mars! Mars?! I know you're in there. Just talk to Mum Okay?" She called.

He didn't answer, he stared through to his ceiling. He didn't ever want to remember Charleigh. At least not in that manner.

Both Marcellus and Charleigh were both students of SAMS. They had fallen in love at first sight at school and they were tagged as the lovebirds in school. They always won the best couple in the school almost every year.

Both Marcellus, Charleigh and her younger brother Wesley founded the band group before Lucas and Owen joined shortly before her death. Charleigh had been the lead singer and their band had always gained the best popularity.

Charleigh was the only daughter of the chairman of Brightneon Group of Companies, the third richest in the country. Charleigh was reportedly announced dead three years ago. They had both gone out to watch movie at the theatre that day at night after leaving a club when the truck run them over. Marcellus was rushed down to the hospital but Charleigh's corpse was never found.

Eversince her sudden disappearance, the band had never been the same. Marcellus chased every lead singer they ever had stating they aren't good enough. They had managed to stay at the top due to the non- relenting effort of the other members especially Wesley who wants to keep her sister's effort alive. Eversince the disappearance of Charleigh, Marcellus is never the same. Not for once. Ever.

"Babe? Did someone provoked you at school?" Milia asked yet no reply.

* * * * *

Neither Gwendolyn nor Jocelyn talked about what happened to them at school to their father. But Anthony knew something was definitely amissed. None of them wants to talk to another. They're probably avoiding themselves.

After dinner,Anthony walked up to their room. Jocelyn was lying down on the bed reading while Gwendolyn is sitting at the front of the laptop as usual. When she noticed the presence of their father,she shut the system down. Anthony walked up to them.

"Hey ladies! We need to talk." He said sitting down besides Jocelyn on the bed.

"I really need to finish this novel tonight Leo. I don't have much time left." Jocelyn said turning her back to her Father.

Anthony heaved and faced Gwendolyn.

"Gwen?"

"We had a little fight in school today Father." She said.

"And since when have you been deciding on what to tell me and what not to?"

"It's not like that father. We're grown ups now. We should be able to settle our differences by ourselves at this stage." Gwendolyn said.

"I can't believe you said these Gwendolyn. Is that what they are teaching you at that school?" Anthony asked angrily.

"I'm sorry." Gwen apologized.

"Jocelyn? You have to say something. " Anthony called out.

"What do you want me to say Anthony Grayson? Should I start narrating how we fought or what? I told you I don't get time for this tonight not even when you seems to be boiling with rage." She spits.

"Cool. Very cool. Definitely, you're indirectly telling me your business don't longer concerns me. And you Gwendolyn, what were you up to with that laptop since two days ago and why do you keep changing passwords?" He asked.

"Have you been spying on me father?"

"You left me with no choice. Now, it seems that little thing wanted to steal you away from me. Even,none of you ever go to check Bouler eversince you started school."

"Are you talking about Bouler here now Leo? Bouler is a cow. Why on earth will you expect me to visit Bouler, a cow?" Jocelyn spouted.

"That is where you get your milk Jocelyn. " Gwen intervened.

"Thanks for reminding me." Jocelyn retorted.

"I am very sure if Amelia was here........."

"Will you just stop bringing mother into every discussion Leo?"

"Good." Anthony said.

Gwendolyn Knows they can continue arguing till dawn and she needs to sneak out to the police station. Somehow, she had decided to check Noah William's file at the police station since no website ever record the story of his crimes. Even, the magazines didn't explain much on how the case came to be. So, she had to do something.

"Dad! Will you go and sleep now?" Gwen asked.

"Not until you tell me what happened. "

"We didn't fight Dad. We just had a misunderstanding. It's ladies stuff. Don't worry we will sort it out. I promise." She said.

Anthony hesitated for some minutes.

"Is that a promise?" He asked.

"Of course." She answered.

Anthony tapped Jocelyn at the back before heading to his room. After slamming the door shut, Jocelyn heaved heavily.

"What did you tell him?" Jocelyn asked.

"About what? Don't you see our attitude sold us off?"

"You're the one avoiding me Gwen?" Joce accused.

"How am I?"

"You just came out of nowhere, grabbed my hand insisted we should be going home. Now, I've been calling Olivia she isn't picking my calls."

"I don't think you should have forgotten what happened in the pool."

"Zoe pushed me Gwen."

"Why on earth will you accept to talk to her?"

"And how on earth do you expect me to know what she is up to?"

"Oh! Great!"

"She pushed me Gwen. I know you're upset. But I think I deserve to know what happened back there at the music......"

"Nothing." Gwen cuts in.

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?"

"They don't want me, so I left ."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

"No, reason?"

"They don'teven hear me speak."

"Awful."

"I think they all are."

"Of course, including that stupid Zoe. I will make her pay Gwendolyn. "

"I thought you're going to quit Jocelyn. "

"I'm not a loser. A loser quits. I must show that daughter of a bitch what I'm capable of ."

"I wish not."

"You know I don't quite like advise and I've never sticks to one."

"Quite well and fantastic! Did you scan her?"

"Who? Zoe? That bitch! No."

"Try to do that. Know about her and her weaknesses and use that to fight against her." Gwendolyn advised.

"Quite a hint."

Gwendolyn focused on the laptop praying vehemently that Jocelyn dropped the book and slept off.

At exactly some minutes past eleven. She can hear her snoring very loud and clear. She would have loved to inform her but she seems not to be interested anyways.

Gwendolyn rounded up her table and hung a bag across her back. She tip toed down to her father's room and checked. He was snoring too. But she is very sure if a needle dropped, he will wake. So, with much more carefulness, she tiptoe down to the window frame which she had gently removed and place gently back there in the afternoon. She quietly removed the frame without a crack and crawled out into the garden wounding her right leg. She winced painfully as she headed straight out of the fence into the next street.

She walked for almost ten minutes before reaching the next street that led to the station. It took her another fifteen minutes with much hiding to reach the station.

She tip toed to the entrance of the gate and hide behind the flowers with her heart in her mouth. There were three police trucks at standby and two police men were seen lurking around. Gwendolyn put down her bag and unpack the content. Some files containing some vital information that she wanted to replace the files she wanted to extract. She bring out her masked out cap and put it on. She fold back her bag.

As she stood up to make her way to the back of the station, she heard the voice of a policeman asking someone to stop. She stopped dead on her track. She knew the dead end had come. Sh didn't know she is so exposed to the extent of being easily detected.

She knew Anthony will never take it likely with her and she might probably go to prison just like Noah William and Jocelyn might probably end up like Layla William. What is she to do? She is just there to help. Now, she is caught.

She slowly turned around in surrendering manner raising her two hands up and dropping her bag at the same time. Lo, the police were not even aware of her existence. She can see the police from afar telling a girl to stop. She heaved happily and almost laughed at her own stupidity. Gwendolyn removed he mask only to realised that a lady was standing in front of one of the police truck. She was wearing a mask and a glass. Who could that have been?

Earlier yesterday, Layla was in her room and her grandmother was in the kitchen. She had left school as early as possible when mocked by Quinn and her friends. She couldn't move freely since the day her father was imprisoned.

Layla had been the third most sort after girl in the whole campus. She always walk with her head high up. Once, Lucas had tried to have an affair with her but she had refused. She is reportedly said to be too full of herself. And anytime her father came to pick her up at the school, she always felt the kind of proudness nobody can explain. Her fame began to deteriorate when Noah was reportedly accused of killing a fellow cop. Almost all the students in the school had her discussion on their lips. She no longer walk with her head high up and Noah never show up to pick her up in the school. The matter turned to public discussion when it was affirmed that Naoh William truly killed a fellow cop who happened to be the father of Delilah a student at Sebastian Aiden Memeorial school. Layla's every step was mocked. The dignity she holds no longer existed. Nobody wants to be friends with her and those that still wanted to make friends with her, she always thought,they probably wanted to mock her, so she stayed aloof. Ever since then, she had been a shadow of herself. She excluded herself in almost all the activities in the school. It got to a point, where parents voiced out to the school authority to expel her, and her ordeal is still pending. She will rather keep a low profile. She had decided to continue schooling until expelled that was her only promise to her father and she wanted to keep it till the end.

She had decided to stay out of the school activities to avoid mocking. But she was pained down. Nobody in the school had ever break her record in terms of high jump. She had been the best not only in her school but in the whole state. Now it seems she no longer existed. This and many more made her angry beyond measure.

Mrs Peyton William, her grandmother can hear her growling in the room. She knew what she is capable of doing. She had warned her son against bringing her in the day he brought her home.

"She is a baby wolf. Sooner, she is going to grow up and kill both of us." The old woman had said and he just laughed it off.

Three years after, he began to notice the changes in her growth. He had taken her to somewhere to get the chain around her neck. With that chain, she will never be able to transform into whatever she is. Eversince then,Layla never let the chain out of her neck unless Noah said so and that is if they wanted to play together at the garden.

Now, Peyton William feared that Layla will definitely remove the chain. She had been pestering her ever since Noah's imprisonment and today seems to be different because when she entered, she had already transformed. And she attacked the old woman angrily. She made for the garden and growled our angrily. She continued waging and howling angrily for almost twenty minutes, and all these while, the old woman was battling the venom she had sustained from the bite.

By the time Layla realized what was happening, the old woman had collapsed. Immediately, she rushed her to the hospital. She reportedly said a wild dog attacked them from the garden and wounded the old woman. The Doctor had assured her of the woman's safety and urged her to go to school.

But when she returned today, she met the old woman at the front of the house, dead.

Gwendolyn tried to picture the scene from afar. It's very hard to detect who was behind the mask, so she watched with keen interest. When she realised that the police men inside the prison had come out to witness whatever is there to witness, she made for the entrance. She crawled in through the back door like a snail and landed with a light thud on the floor. She made for the shelf where the files were kept and start ransacking. She can hear the growl of a wild animal outside and she fritzed. What kind of animal will that have been? The next thing was the crying of the police men and thuds as they landed on the floor. Out of fear, Gwendolyn crawled out through the window leaving all the files scattered and not seeing a single file on Noah William's case.

By the time she got to the back of the building gate, all the police were gone. Dead.

She sensed a movement among the leaves, so, she followed the rustling sound. From afar, she saw it. A wild wolf. She almost choke herself when the animal stopped. She watched through the weed as the animal turned back sniffing the leaves segment after segment. Gwendolyn thought of surrendering and fighting her way through. As she made to stand, another rustling was heard at the other side of the garden and the wolf rushed down there. It was a cat, and the wolf killed it. She watched as the dead cat dangled in the wolf's mouth.

Soon, as she watched with keen interest, it transformed. Lo and behold, Gwendolyn sat staring at Layla's physical body through the dark. She almost screamed. Did Layla just killed those police?

With much patience, she watched as she cried herself out. For almost ten minutes, she stood crying profusely. It was when the siren began to blow that she make a run for it. Not waiting, hearing the barking of dogs, Gwendolyn also run for her live. For almost fifteen minutes, she run without looking back.

By the time she got home, her father and Jocelyn were on the waiting for her return.

"I'm sorry father." She apologized.

"Where did you go Gwendolyn?" He asked fiercely.

"I.....went to visit Mum's grave." She lied and Jocelyn rolled her eyebrow higher up than expected.

"Why? Why not day break?"

"I had a dream and she spoke to me through the dream. I had to go. I'm very sorry, I know I should have woken you up." She apologized twisting her lie around.

Anthony looked at her keenly.

"I know when you're lying Gwendolyn but I will not probe further. I just hope you desist from whatsoever that is making you behave weird lately. It will never hold onto my trust in you." Anthony said angrily before darting inside his room.

Gwen sat down exhaustedly on her bed breathing heavily trying to ignore her sister.

"You can't fool me Gwen." She said.

"I'm not fooling anybody Joce. That is what happened. "

"You're underestimating me. I checked your laptop. I know what you're up to Gwen."

"Then, thank God that you did. So, now that you know?"

"You're playing with fire Gwen."

"Oh! Great. Thanks."

Jocelyn didnt say anything in furtherance. She wrapped herself up and slept.

Gwen let her mind dwell on the previous event till she slept off.

The next morning, they sat round the table for breakfast and Jocelyn purposely turned on the television and the headline popped out. Six police men were attacked by a wild animal and were killed. Also, the police department were badly ransacked at the same pace. Jocelyn eyed her sister suspiciously and the latter looked away. The footage provided by the camera was a girl with a mask standing shoulder to shoulder with the police before transforming to the unexpected.Anthony went out to check on Bouler.

"I'm very sure that wasn't you Gwen." Jocelyn said pointing to the television screen.

"And I dont remember telling you that I visited the police station let alone capable of killing six men." Gwendolyn barked making sure that their father was out of earshot.

"You can only fool Leo, you can never fool me." Jocelyn retorted.

"Nobody s fooling anybody and besides I don't think this is any of your business young lady." Gwendolyn bawled.

"I just hope it worth it. This Layla we are talking about doesn't even seems to be aware of your existence. If Layla didn't fit in as a friend, why not stick to somebody else instead of breaching Leo trust in you."

"This is all I cared for Miss and I don't think it's any of your busines."

"Good! Just don't make mother pay for your sins. Let the dead rest. Don't lie on her pure soul anymore just to cover your skin."

"And do you think I just lied against Mum just to cover my own theft?" Gwendolyn asked angrily.

"You left me with no choice than to think that way. And I think I'm gaining Leo's trust now more than you think."

"You can't just accused one like that Jocelyn."

"You're punishing yourself little sister and probably poking your nose where it is never needed." Jocelyn muttered trying to concentrate back on the television screen.

Gwendolyn stood up angrily and walked out of the house. Anthony saw her from afar and he knew instantly that another fight had broke out between the girls. He only heaved. What Gwendolyn was up to at that moment is still a mystery to him and Jocelyn isn't helping the matter. She hasn't been talking much on it. Not even for once and it's hurting him deep down.

Gwendolyn sat by the sea putting her legs in the water hoping it cool the boiling rage in her. Maybe Jocelyn is right. Maybe she shouldn't have lied against their mother. She knew their mother deserve quite more than that. And she is feeling guilty for what she had done. She stared down at the sea.

Then, she saw a movement and it's no ordinary movement. She can sense when their kind swim up to the surface but she hasn't come in contact with one before. She really saw the mermaid and they are up to two or three. But it seems they withdraw when they saw her. Immediately, she jumped into the river and swim after them pursuing them in hot race. But all of a sudden she lost their trail. Exhaustedly, she swim back to the surface. When she came out of the river, her father and Jocelyn were already waiting.

"What did you think you're doing Gwendolyn?" Anthony barked angrily at her.

"I saw them father." She said panting.

"Who?"

"Our kind."

"You saw them?" Jocelyn asked bewildered and Gwendolyn nodded positively.

"Did you chase them?" Anthony asked.

"Yes father ." She said.

Anthony face fell. He ordered the children back inside and warned them never to ever come near the water again.

Then, he stood surveying the water.Ezra had found him.