Chapter 5: STATUES

I then remembered my mom had Holly water. I started to look for it and finally found its bottle in the nightstand drawer.

Turning to face them, I didn't find their statues there. They were all gone. 

"Unbelievable! Where have they gone?  They are still statues and can't walk from here. How did they just disappear and why? Are they dead or something?" I wondered.

"Am I imagining things? But no am not, my parents are really gone." 

I dropped the bottle of Holly water and ran outside to look for them. They were not there either. Where could I search for them?" I asked myself.

" No need dear. We are here." My mom's voice interrupted my thoughts. I couldn't believe it at first so I had to look behind me to first confirm if she was the one.

Indeed she was the one. I was so shocked but couldn't stop myself from running to them and hugged both of them. They were alive. But how did all this happen? How did they come back to normal and who helped them? I got so many questions in my mind. I needed to know what was behind the whole story but how?

" What happened my dear, why do you seem worried?"mother asked as if she knew nothing about what happened to them.

" I can't believe this, they even don't know what has just happened?"I talked to myself. Anyway thank God that they are back and don't remember anything. I got relieved to hear that they don't know anything.

"Tell me please. Why are your eyes so red? It's like you have been crying." Mom spoke again.

" It's nothing mother. A bug has flown in my eyes, that's why I look like l have been crying." I made an excuse.

We entered the house but to my surprise, dinner table was already set. Who could have done this, that too he/she has prepared what I wanted to prepare for dinner. I got so much scared but had to pretend as if nothing was going on. I had to pretend as if am the one who has prepared the meals.

"Your meals are so delicious. I like this aroma. You never cooked like this before, how did you prepare this?" Mom was being questionable.

" My mom wasn't at home. I was here alone. No one else was here and I didn't see anyone preparing meals. Where did it come from?"I wished to share this with my parents but I knew they wouldn't believe me and that would bother them which I didn't want.

I had to find out by myself but how?

After our meals everybody went to sleep and I felt like there was someone in my room though I couldn't see him or her. 

"Why are you scared of me. Show yourself if you are so brave." I wanted to provoke that person to show him / herself to me but it's like my trick didn't work on her.

After a few minutes, a strong wave of wind blew in my room and then an old woman stood in front of my mirror with her face covered by her long grey hair.

Trying to see her face, she warned me.

"Don't even bother because you won't see me unless I let you to." She said with a smiling face. Her voice was so nice but she sounded rude to me.

" Who are you and why are you here?"I asked sounding scared.

"You don't have to worry about me. You are going to know me very soon. In fact you will know the real me tomorrow." She said smiling again. Maybe it was her habit to smile over everything. I got confused.

"Won't you leave my room, I need to sleep." I asked.

"Are you requesting or you are demanding? It's like you don't know who you are talking to." She said.

"I am really sorry."I said panicking.

"But anyway it's okay. I will let you sleep."she said and disappeared.

"Thank God she has left but who is she and what does she want. Why did she choose my room?"I got puzzled but I was feeling so sleepy.

After switching off the lights, I heard like footsteps coming towards my bed, I then switched it on to check. 

"Oh God! When will all this end?"I asked myself. I didn't see anyone in the room so I tried to sleep again but this time I left lights on.

Feeling like falling asleep, I heard someone trying to cover me properly but when I opened my eyes I didn't see anyone. "Could it be my imagination? But no this blanket wasn't here. I had placed it on the couch but it's now here on the bed. This proves that someone else is in the room but who could it be this time?" 

I then felt it was high time I informed my parents about what was going on with my life. Coming closer to my parents'room I saw the same old woman standing next to their room, I stood there shocked. I thought she had left our house but she was still in here. I started walking in reverse.

"She suddenly disappeared and appeared in front of me and whispered in my ears.

"Where do you think you are going? This is not good for you please. I advise you to go and try to have some sleep because the end results of this might not be good for you and your family."she warned and then I went back to my room and closed the door, laid down on the bed and started to think about what I have just seen. It felt like a lie but surely I had seen everything but I knew it would be difficult for my parents to believe in me.Thank God that sleep took me off.

Opening my eyes I saw light coming from the window, it was morning already but I still felt sleepy and yet I didn't want to make my parents worried. I then woke up, had a warm shower and got ready for the day.

It was like at midday, both my parents were outside the house having a  wonderful conversation as a couple when the strong strange wind blew and there appeared an old woman.

Hearing that strange wind blowing outside, I remembered the last time I heard the same wind and how an old woman appeared from nowhere. I was certain that the same old woman has come so I ran outside to witness. Yes my suspicions were right. It was the same old woman.

When I was about to step out of the house, I remembered Dad's warning. He never wanted me to step out of the house but the situation outside was urgent.  Without thinking much about, I just ran outside and joined my parents.

"Run back to the house please Artie." Dad said with a warning tone. Hearing that, I walked two steps backwards. My heart was telling me to refuse to Dad and keep outside. I followed my heart and ignored dad's words. I thought that maybe they were hiding something from me. Maybe this old woman has unfinished business with them and they don't want to let me know about it. I felt like losing my trust in both of them. Thinking all this, I stayed at the scene to find answers for my questions.

"It's you again. Why have you come here now?" My mom spoke rudely to the old woman. " This is serious, these people knew this woman?" I spoke to myself wondering if this is possible or maybe it's just a dream.

"Easy ma'am. The other time I was here to inform you about the good news but this time I have come with incredible news ever."she had an annoying way of answering the questions raised for her.

"What's that incredible news?"Dad finally spoke out.

"I said easy." She said.

"Tell us or just get lost."mom was losing patience. She couldn't wait any longer.

"I will tell you if you are both insisting. Well the thing is that "what was meant to be will finally be no matter what happens". She said and gave a heavy laughter I had ever heard all my life. Without realizing, she was gone. No one understood what she said and what she was trying to tell us.

My Dad and I just took her words lightly but Mom couldn't. Maybe she was being so protective for me.

After two weeks the same heavy wind blew. We all ran outside as we were sure that the same old woman has come back. Indeed she had returned back but why this time?

" You must all be wondering why I have come back. Yes I know it all because I can read all your thoughts but anyway am not here to explain all this to you. I am here on a serious note. I have come to explain my previous message to you. I remember I told you that "what was meant to be will finally be no matter what happens". I meant that your precious daughter will get married to the devil's son no matter what happens. No matter how much you try to stop this from happening, it will finally be, that I promise you. The last time I said this you all didn't understand me so I felt it's necessary to come and explain it to you." She laughed at the end of her scaring speech and disappeared.

"I knew I was right about this that's why I didn't take it lightly. I knew this old woman meant something connected with my daughter and the devil's son but I was not sure that's why I didn't tell you about my suspicion." My mom was shivering and sweating at the same time. 

Due to much fear, we decided to shift to the city that was far away from the jungle. From there we started living a new life. I met so many friends. I liked our new home because I wasn't kept inside the house anymore but my parents kept a close eye on me and sometimes my movements were limited for some reasons and I could understand why.

Six months elapsed and I fell in love with a young good looking boy. He was from a different city. He was the CEO and the owner of JB company LTD which was prestigious in their city. His company had a branch in our city. Maybe he liked me because I was local and shy. Maybe I looked beautiful for him. Maybe he liked my ways because I always smiled at everyone who bypassed our new home. I was new to the city so I used to sit alongside the road to count cars regardless of my age. I still behaved like a child. I was used to seeing trees in the jungle through the window and now I was in the city. 

Since my parents were in a hurry to get me married before the devil's son could, we started arranging for the wedding ceremony after five months of our relationship.

In the past five months, we got to spend time with his family members and we had confirmed he was a son of a man. We had forgotten about the monster. We believed I was already out of danger as things were going on smoothly and the old woman never appeared again. My parents were so happy that they made a best choice to shift from the jungle to this city but as for me I was always lost in thoughts about my friend Bat. Maybe he was so angry with me for accepting to leave the jungle and come here because he never showed up ever since we got here not even in my dreams. I guessed something was fishy but had no choice but to learn to live without it though it was so hard for me to deal with.

The night before my wedding I got a dream about my friend Bat. In the dream my friend was crying.

"Artie I know you are going to get married tomorrow and I know it's too late for me to change your mind but I can't fail to tell you that I love you so very much. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you in the jungle. I knew expressing my feelings to you would complicate things so I had to first befriend you. And when you told me you wanted a tattoo on your body, I tried to get you one but failed and I ended up entering your body to be like a tattoo on your back because am capable of doing anything in this world. I only entered your body not because I wanted to but I just wanted to make you happy. Your happiness has been my priority. That's even why I allowed you to fall in love with the guy you love because I could control you but I didn't do that. I only wished to see you happy always but I never thought I would lose you to someone else due to my ignorance. But anyway it's okay but so hurting to see a girl you wished to be with slipping out of your hands to someone else.

Am not saying all this to confuse you please Artie. I just want you to know that someone else is in silent love with you and he is willing to fight for you no matter what happens." He said while crying.

" What are you saying dear friend. I thought you are a mere Bat.  How could you fall for me. Am not a bat." I said sounding shocked.

"I knew you would say that but to be honest with you I'm not a bat. I can change myself into anything I feel like." 

" W-what?"

"Yes I mean every word of mine and if you really want me to prove myself to you, I have no problem with it. I can gladly prove myself to you." 

" Okay prove yourself." I really wanted to see if he was telling the truth.

" But you will have to feel some little pain as I will first find my way out of your body." He said.

 After like a second, my tattoo started to glow producing a bright light I have ever seen but this time I didn't feel any pain.

When the lighting was over, a bat appeared in front of me and started to sing a familiar song "hi hi hi". This reminded me the first time I met him in the jungle and became my first friend. I looked back to hide my tears from him.

"Did you like the song?" His voice interrupted my thoughts. Looking back to see him, there stood a handsome guy and I couldn't resist but to open my eyes widely and have a clear look at him.

He was incredibly handsome and if it wasn't for my wedding the next day, I would have fallen in love with him at first sight.

"Who are you?" I asked since I couldn't believe it was my friend Bat.

"It's me your friend. Don't run away. You wanted me to prove myself and I have done it but I see you are thinking of running from me."He said coming closer to me.

"Don't come close to me. Stop right there."I said walking two steps backwards but he didn't listen to me. Instead he kept coming closer and closer to me. To realize, there wasn't any space between us. I was already in his arms. Still wondering what to do next, I felt his soft lips on mine. It was a cool and first kiss of my life. I knew it wasn't right but I couldn't stop myself from wanting more.