The gift box

It was lunch time, Amber sat on the second roll in the hall, waiting for her turn. A cool, handsome and gentle looking guy sat beside her and tried to strike a conversion with her.

"Hello, I'm Adrian" He said with a smile and stretched out his right hand for a shake.

"And I'm hungry," Amber glared at his hand.

"Yeah, I know your name already. I mean everyone does, Amber"

Amber adjusted herself and looked at the guy, "Since you know my name, why don't you find something else to do? Like shutting that mouth of yours" she retorted.

Amber got her meal, ate and went back to her room. The weather was hot so she decided to take a cool bath to cool her head, still dressed in her towel robe, she decided to take a nap but she heard a knock on the door and hit her feet on the ground.

"Wait a moment!" She half yelled as she rushed to her closet and wore a baggy gown.

She opened the door, her hand on the knob and half of her body resting in the door. She rolled her eyes and slightly hit her head against the door as she was going to check who was knocking.

"What is it you want this time, Adrian?" She glared at him.

"Wow! You even remember my name" He flushed slightly.

"And you really look nice without your glasses" he added

"It's been just an hour ago, stupid! What is it you want?" She scolded him.

"I bought some chocolates, do you care to join me?" He asked, smiling and holding the bar of chocolate in Amber's face.

Amber grunted and locked the door, the clanking sound soothing her mood a bit. She got on the bed and slept off.

She woke up an hour later, famished so she opened her bag that was hung on the wall and brought some snacks. She opened the window and sat on it, looking at the people. Then she heard a knock, she rolled her eyes and prayed that it wasn't Adrian. She opened the door and she saw the three girls - Iris, Irena and Ivory. Amber folded her hands across her chest and leaned on the wall.

"What is it you want?" She mumbled.

"I just want to apologise for what happened yesterday" Iris said and Amber looked at her in surprise.

"Okay, apology accepted. Do you care to leave now?" She tried to close the door but Iris stopped her.

"What is it again?" Amber grunted.

"Miss Peyton, be careful around her" Iris said and they all left.

Amber poked out her head and looked at them, she slowly shook her head and shut the door.

*

Maya was sleeping when a call interrupted her sleep. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm as she sat up. Her eyes glistened as she saw the caller.

"Hello, Amber. I've been so worried about you, what's going on?"

"It's nothing, mom. I'm fine and I'm sorry for keeping you worked up."

"You suddenly wanted to stay back, why was that?" She shrugged as the cold wind found its way through the little opening in the window.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" She scoffed.

"Yes, I know but........ Your mom dropped by yesterday" she rolled her eyes and decided it was best she changed the topic.

"To do what?" She snapped almost in a yell.

"To confirm if you were sent to a wolf school and she said she wants you out of there" her voice was more calm and soft but this didn't calm Amber.

"She doesn't dictate my life for me, I've decided to stay and there's nothing she can do about that."

"Calm down, sweetie! She dropped a present for you, I'll bring it over by weekend"

"Don't bother yourself, mom. I don't want to see it" she snapped

"I've told you that she would always be your mom, you can't change that, Amber"

"And she had to ruin the lives of a whole pack because of her greed? No problem, I'll be expecting you by the weekend. Good night, mom"

"Good night, dear" She mumbled and hung up.

She adjusted her bed, laid down to sleep and soon wandered into the dreamland.

Maya found herself on a desolated street, it was cold and nowhere to spend the night. She began to walk down the street, then she saw her friend, Yana. She tried calling her but she suddenly felt a hand grip her mouth.......

The alarm rang and she woke up, terrified. It was morning already so she prepared for work and rushed to Yana's house. She was about knocking on the door when it opened, she smiled softly as she walked in but she couldn't find Yana.

"Stop this hide and seek game, will you? I have to go to work"

Yana appeared in front of her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, beautiful. What are you doing here?" She gesticulated at Maya to sit while she brewed tea for them.

"Thank you" Maya said as she took the cup of tea from Yana.

"I had a dream and I don't think it's a good one"

"I'm all ears"

Maya explained the dream to her but all Yana could give back was a deep sigh.

"Talk to me, is something wrong?" Maya asked worriedly.

"I might not be there to help you in your last days" Yana said and looked away from Maya.

"Last days? What do you mean by that? Wait!" She swallowed hard, taking a pause.

"You mean I'm about to die?" She grabbed Yana's hand and turned to her.

"Yes" Yana mumbled, her gaze fixed on the cup of tea Maya was holding.

Maya exhaled deeply and threw her head backwards on the couch, Yana held her hand.

"There is a way to avoid this death....." Maya cut in.

"That is what you should have said" Maya yelled at her, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You need to finish the dream, make sure you see the person that stopped you from calling out to me and from there, we can know the next step to take"

Maya bit her lip in a thin line, huffed and looked at Yana, "Thanks for always. I'll try my best. I have to go now"

Maya left the house and drove to work. She entered her office, sank herself on the chair, thinking of how to see the end of the dream. A knock on her door jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Come right in," she said and adjusted herself.

The secretary walked in with a box in her hand, "This is for you, ma'am" She lowered the box to Maya.

"For me? By who?" She asked, looking and shaking the box

"I don't know, the security man said a small boy brought it this morning"

"Okay, you can go"

Maya watched the lady leave the office and dropped the box on the ground. She opened her laptop and booted it. She walked to her cabinet to get some files, dropped it on the table and sat down to work but all this while she couldn't take her mind off the box.

She grabbed it, shook it again, "Maybe it's from a secret admirer" She flushed.

She tore the wrappings and opened the box. She covered her mouth in shock as she saw the file, she brought it out and saw some pictures of her, a lady and a baby.

"Who could have known about this?" Her heart was now beating faster as she searched the box for an answer and she found a note that says:

"You think it's a secret? You want to know who she is? You have to pay a price and the price is your life"