THE NECKLACE

Living with both your parents is amazing and a very sweet thing but that wasn't the case for Araxie, a sweet little gorgeous innocent and naive girl.

She lived with her father, Micheal Rodrigo (a famous police officer), her stepmom, Marina and Casey who was her elder stepsister.

Life was a bit simple for her when her father was still alive but after his death, leaving her with a stepmom at the age of twelve, Araxie knew it was over for her.

She knew that history might repeat itself. What this woman who's believed to be a witch did to her precious mother, who knows if she would do the same with her!

She was so arrogant and very difficult to live with. But poor Araxie, she had to bear it all after all she knew it wasn't forever.

Soon this witch would devour her.

One of the reasons why Marina never liked her step daughter, Araxie was because she got an alluring personality unlike her own daughter, Casey who was a hex (half human and witch) and never cared for anyone.

Araxie who was amiable, had many friends the thing that Marina never liked even a little bit.

Her life took a hilarious turn five years later when she was decided to put on the golden necklace and its earrings which she found in the living room when she was cleaning the house.

I must say that destiny was playing strange games with her because she never remembered to remove it and put it back. Instead she went with it when her best friends Aurora and Sarah (sisters) came over for an evening walk as usual.

Every evening they would go for an evening walk over the bridge because of its awesome view. They would see the sun as it set and then go back home.

As they were walking, she didn't know how but she felt like a part of her was being pulled away. Someone was pulling her.

At first they thought it was just her imagination but then had to accept when they saw her necklace fall into the river.

For a moment her heart stopped functioning - it skipped a beat!, racing so hard afterwards that it reminded her that the very necklace didn't belong to her.

Soon panic caught her up and before her friends could realize, she had fell on her knees, crying like a little kid. "I'm finished! This is my end."

Sarah and Aurora stood confused, not knowing what to do to help her out because they never liked seeing her cry.

"Stop crying dear. No one would tell Marina what happened. She shouldn't find out."Sarah hurried to say. Aurora gave a nod in approval but there was an unsatisfied expression on Araxie's face.

The two of them knelt down, helped her stand back on her feet as they wiped down her tears, assuring her that it would stay as a secret.

She was feeling a little bit relaxed. A slight smile on her face was enough for them to confirm that they had cheered her up.

They were so happy again before they had a familiar voice from behind, "But I will tell her.

Mom deserves to know that her favorite necklace fell into the river. And it's.... because of you." It was Casey. She followed them and yet no one noticed.

Casey always found pleasure in watching her sister, araxie get punished by her mom. She couldn't let go of that golden chance.

Sarah and Aurora pleaded with Casey to change her mind but it was like they were writing on water.

Araxie started to recall those moments Marina has come torturing her, giving her heavy punishments not forgetting talking rudely to her for no reason even before the guests.

Now that she's got a good reason, she would kill her for sure.

Taking a deep breath, with her heart beating from her mouth, she spoke, "let her be. I think my only sister wants me dead."

She knew how to swim but she feared she would be swept up by the strong waves and gale wind.

It wasn't long before the sun set. They had to run back home as soon as possible before it could get dark.

On reaching home, Casey quickly ran inside, calling out for her Mom.

Aurora and her sister left for their house too. Poor Araxie..... she stood at the doorstep waiting for the worst side of Marina.

Just like she expected, Marina came out with a two edged sword in her hands.

Luckily she had hid in the flower garden. "She would surely end my life tonight. Please heavens make a way out of this for me."she prayed.

For a moment she thought of running away for good. Where would she go? She wished she could find a nice place than home, which felt like hell.

She never found peace at home.

"I'm sure you're somewhere around. I swear I won't spare you today. How dare.... how dare you play with my things. How dare you throw my magical necklace into the river. You must bring it back otherwise..... I even don't know what I'll do to you yet because breaking your bones won't satisfy me. And I don't think you can run from me or my name isn't Marina, the supreme witch."

"A witch! My goodness, all along the rumors about her being a witch were true!"

The rumor had it that she was a witch but Marina would deny it - saying that maybe those people wanted to ruin her relationship with Michael Rodrigo.

"Is she admitting it. That too, after Dad's death?"Araxie couldn't digest what she just heard.

She wished she could share it with someone. But how, when the witch could easily trace her whereabouts in a blink of an eye.

Swallowing her breath, Araxie quickly and quietly walked out of the gate.

With the help of the knowledge she got from a book she's been reading about witches, she knew that witches can only detect someone following her breath. That's why she swallowed hers while moving out of the gate. "Oh my God! This is very hard!"she finally let out her breath when she was away from their house.

"I must run as fast as I can. This witch won't kill me and drink my blood." She once witnessed such incident.

But this time she was determined not to let history repeat itself.

She had been under the impression that the rumors might have been false. Perhaps that's why she shared a roof with those people.

Everything became crystal clear when Marina admitted that she was a witch. This confirmation brought back Araxie's memory about her mother's death.

Now she recalled everything.

Running away she stopped on the street which was so quiet and dead.

The only sounds she could hear were leaves rustling in the breeze, and the pitter patter sounds of raindrops falling on the ground.

Together, they composed a brilliant song of nature. No din from the high school students, no irritating noise from the car.

No one, not even a soul dared to make a sound to disturb that moment.

Everything was silent, as if it wasn't even alive, just like a ghost town that only emerges in the midnight and would vanish when the first sunlight strikes down from the sky.

Oh God! She was hungry. She hoped the hours could fly by her wish so she could see the next sunrise while still alive.

But where would she go to? She hoped she could find a savior but in vain. No one was crossing not even ghosts.

Getting up, she began to walk. She didn't know why but she found herself heading to the Cliff. She knew she wouldn't find anyone there but she couldn't stop herself though.

She knew it was very risky since no one ever returned after falling off that place.

On reaching there, the first thing she did was looking down - it was her first time coming to that place.

She could see the same sea which they used to see from from far. "I'm here finally! I can see the waters down. I hope my friends were here too." She wished they could enjoy feeling its breeze with her.

Everything up there was so calm that she felt like laying down and sleep for a while. She was exhausted and sleepy too!

Laying down must've been the biggest mistake or luck of her life because the moment she closed her eyes, she started to feel as if the Cliff was drifting off.

Quickly she opened her eyes and couldn't believe it. She winked several times before she regained her clear vision.

Yes! She wasn't imagining things here -she was actually seeing the necklace.

It was dazzling like nothing on top of water.

"Lord, I hope I'm not dreaming."

Without thinking about anything, she jumped off that Cliff and fell in the cold Waters of the Sea.

Do you think she could see the dazzling necklace anymore, it was gone.

"W-where did it go now. It was right here."she shouted forgetting that she was in the water.

She knew how to swim though it wasn't her cup of tea. She couldn't swim for long hours and now... the only way to get out of that Sea was to swim for hours.

That too, it was very dangerous since she couldn't see anything as it was so dark. She could barely see, let it be the rip currents, the sharks or monster waves but she was sure that the Sea was really never safe especially during night hours.

The moment she thought about predatory animals in the water, it was when she realized she wasn't safe at all. She could be fed on any any moment.

Now her shoulders were hunching, her eyes widely open, her hands trembling and her whole body shaking.

For a moment she felt like wrapping her arms around herself. She could see the surface growing further and further away.

This fear robbed away all her focus on swimming that she found herself drowning.

Soon she was being swept up by the strong waves. "I'm going to die."she thought before she felt like she was freezing since the water was too cold. She was paralyzed to the spot, the menacing aura holding her in a tightening grip.

The fear then became a tangible, living force which crept over her like some hungry beast, immobilizing her brain, holding her captive.

Terror sucked the very breath from her mouth and she became breathless for a moment.

Her heart was throbbing in her ears, loud and irregular but she barely heard it, for her mind was clouded with fear but she had hope she would make it.

She had dived before so she wasn't scared of little water over her head. She only feared the predatory animals at the moment.

After thirty minutes, she was breaking the surface again, gulping at the summer air and then with barely a splash, she was under again.

That time she sunk faster and the panic had her heart hammering against her ribs.

No one was looking. She was a total orphan at seventeen years.

When she could no longer hold her breath, the cold water rushed in, all illusions of surviving were gone! Soon the oxygen deprivation took away her thoughts and that's when a strong muscular hand found her arm and pulled her over to himself before she felt unconscious in his arms under the water.

On opening her eyes again, Araxie was at the Sea shore. "How did I get here?"she wondered though she was filled with so much excitements that she survived.

She believed someone saved her but who could it be? She hoped to see that person once at least. Perhaps she would say thank you to him.

"The necklace!"her worries came back. Her heart racing so hard she heard a man's voice speaking from behind, "looking for this?"

She quickly turned to see if it was the necklace. She could only see his upper body since the other was in the water. He looked to be seated.

Judging by his upper body, olala! The man was charmingly handsome that Araxie never thought of taking her eyes off of him.

He was truly an alluring sight she would always remember.

His intense azure eyes met hers for the first time.

Goosebumps came rushing in like raindrops unnecessarily with no purpose.

Araxie couldn't look away. It was as if she was trapped by those lightening blue sea eyes.

She could feel her body become surprisingly hot, too hot.

Her fingers were itching for something, something strange.

Suddenly, the spell broke. He stumbled back with a startling look as if he was the only one affected.

Whilst Araxie on the other hand froze.

Yes, she froze like an idiot.

Don't blame her, she couldn't control her gaze. She was taken by his secret smile. It was as if he had something that wasn't real. He was muscular with broad shoulders and looked at be tall.