Elif's POV

December 10, 2005

I woke up early this morning. I was helping out Uncle Matthews in the kitchen. "Uncle leave it to me, I'll take it to Mrs. Davies." I took the tray with the two cups of coffee to her room.

I knocked at the door. "Yes, come in." It was Mrs. Davies. I entered.

Mr. Davies was no where in sight, might be in the bathroom. "Mrs. Davies, are you going somewhere?" I saw her folding her clothes and packing in the suitcase.

She looked at me and smiled. "Oh yeah, I and your Uncle Davies, will be leaving for Florida tomorrow." She replied. 'What about Brayden?' I thought.

"Umm Elif, Can you help me in packing Brayden's clothes later? He is going with us. We haven't told him yet. I don't know he will like the idea or not but we can't leave him here right?" She was worried. I let out a breathe which I was holding all this while. 'So he is going.' I did my part. I nodded.

"Yes Mrs. Davies. I'll come after the lunch." Saying that, I left.

'I wanted this, didn't I?' But why do I feel this pain in my chest. It felt as if I'm letting go the only one person who I have.

After that I left to clean Grandpa's room. The room felt so cold. There was a chill in the walls of the room. I was dusting the bedside table, when my eyes fell on a white paper slid under the mattress. I took it. It was a letter. There was no name on the top. I opened the letter. The writing was of Grandpa's.

After reading the letter, I was petrified. I ran to Uncle Matthews. "Uncle , I need your help. I need you." I cried out. I told him about everything that had happened since the day I came to know about that room. Uncle was horrified on knowing about everything. I showed him Grandpa's letter and he fell on his knees. He was also crying. His hands were shaking.

"Elif Elif , you're alright right? We need to go away from here. Tomorrow, when Brayden leaves, we'll give them the keys of the mansion and go away from here. We'll go somewhere safe okay? No one will know about us alright?" He was stammering and panicking.

I held him by his arms and shook him. "Uncle, this is not the time for us to leave. We can't leave, not yet. We have something more important to do right now." I tried to make him understand.

"What are you talking about? For me, you're the most important. I promised your mother on her deathbed that I'll look after you till I'm alive. And you-" I cut him off.

"No, Uncle. I'm alright. We need to protect the young Master, Brayden. He is in danger. This house, Grandpa are the ones who gave us shelter. We are alive and living happily just because of them. So now it's our time to repay our debts." I spoke.

Suddenly, Uncle wiped my cheeks, I didn't realize that I was crying. He parted his lips and said, "My little Elif, when did you grow up so much? You're caring for people with whom you don't even have a blood relation. You love this family with your life, don't you?" I nodded. "I'll do, whatever you say." I nodded with a smile. I can see the sadness in his eyes.

"Uncle, I need you to call Father by the evening."

I helped Mrs. Davies in packing Brayden's clothes. Brayden has again locked himself in his room. I have called him a couple of times but he didn't open. Talking to him now, will only make things worse for him and for me. In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Davies left in their car for the company. They said they have to handle some business affairs here. And Uncle Matthews took Brayden for a walk. After few minutes, Father came. "Which way?" He asked. I showed him the way to the hidden room. Since the day of Aunt Rachel's death, I couldn't find the wooden button. I don't know if it vanished into thin air or just disappeared. I don't know what game Fate is playing with me, but I've to stop it just until Brayden leaves.

"There is no use doing this. It will follow wherever he goes. It won't let him leave." Father startled me.

"Then, is there no way to stop it?" I asked.

"There is one but it's dangerous." Father said nervously.

"I'll do it." I blurted out. I don't know from where I'm getting this courage but that's all what I need now.

It was 10:00 p.m. After coming back from the walk, Brayden had locked himself up again. I was passing from the hallway when I heard Uncle Levent shouting from his room. I don't have the habit of eavesdropping on someone but what's right or wrong, I've already forgotten. I saw through the window Uncle Levent was shouting on Mrs. Davies, "What do you mean he don't want to go? Do you understand, everyday I stay here, my business is lagging back there? And you're asking me to give that kid some more days to understand the situation? Why do I have to care?"

I interrupted them and walked in. "Mr. Davies, your coffee." He turned his back to me. I placed the coffee on the table and left.

I knocked at Brayden's door. "Brayden, I brought your favorite chocolate milkshake. If you will not drink then fine, I'll drink it." I mocked.

I heard him opening the door. "What do you thing, I'm a kid? Luring me with a milkshake huh?" He snapped at me.

"No I thought to go to the park tomorrow, will you come with me?" I asked him.

"Tomorrow?" I nodded. "You don't know?" He questioned.

"What?" I replied him back with a confused look.

"They are taking me with them to Florida." He said.

"Oh" I replied.

"What? Just an Oh? I thought you'll be the saddest one to hear that. You don't have anyone except me." He said boldly. I felt moved.

"So what? They're your family. Sooner or later, you've to leave. No one is here to look after you. And anyways after a few days, school will reopen. So I'll have other friends to play with. I... won't be... Sad." I said softly.

"You're so mean. I'm sad to leave this house and here you're talking big, like you don't care. I won't talk to you. I'll leave tomorrow." He huffed. I also left it as it is.

I couldn't sleep all night. Uncle Matthews didn't let me sleep in that house. My mind was chaotic. First, the nightmares and now, this pain of parting with him. 'I'm a pretty good liar.' I thought. I'll hold onto all the memories I had with the house which ended with a number of deaths. I'll keep remembering them. I don't know how long those scenes will keep haunting me, but I still have Uncle Matthews so I'll be fine by myself.

December 11, 2005

Everything was going as I 've thought. They were ready with their luggage. The car arrived at the entrance. "Come fast Brayden. We have to leave or we will miss the flight." Uncle Levent shouted. Brayden came running down the staircase, followed by Mrs. Davies. Uncle Matthews helped the chauffeur stuffed the suitcases in the car trunk. And they got inside and the car started. Brayden looked towards the door from the window. He was frowning.

I was standing at the window of his room. "Goodbye" , I whispered. Suddenly, I felt my chest tightening. It was aching badly. My palms and feet were sweating. I wasn't able to speak. I heard screams and laughter. I heard the car left. Suddenly, I felt someone dragged me by my feet. I couldn't control my feet. I hold onto the nightstand but it was too powerful. My hands were slipping away. I cried. Every bone in my body was breaking. My skin crawled at the sight in front of me. The lamp fell on my left leg and the glass pierced through the skin. I was bleeding, a lot. I was unable to move. The sight of blood coming out from my leg, made me shuddered. I screamed and cried. The pain was unbearable. And then I passed out.

When I came back to consciousness, I saw Uncle Matthews, sitting beside me. His face was horrified. He was crying. I tried to move up but I felt pain in my leg. I looked down and saw my left leg was bandaged from the knee to the ankle. I also noticed a man in white coat sitting on a chair next to the bed. I looked around the white-walled room. 'Where am I?' "Elif, you're alive." Uncle cried out. 'I was Dead?' I couldn't understand what was happening. "Why are you doing this to this old man? You know I don't have anyone except you. You keep calling for trouble and see now you ended up in a hospital." Uncle yelled at me.

"I'm in a hospital?" I trembled. I saw a IV was connected to my right hand. "She needs to rest and have a good sleep atleast for 2 weeks. She is too weak to move around now." The doctor instructed.

"Thank you Doctor." Uncle thanked him.

I was discharged in the evening. Uncle Matthews brought me home and lied me on the bed. But as it is I couldn't sleep because of the nightmares. Uncle gave me a morphine tablet and I slept. I was feeling dizzy.

December 12, 2005

I was sitting on my bed. Last night I slept well due to the effect of the medicine. Uncle brought the Father home. "Welcome Father." I greeted him.

"Father, please tell me that she is fine." Uncle Matthews looked at Father in a pleading tone. Father looked at me keenly. I can guess by now what is coming.

"She is not safe." He said. Uncle had asked Father if we could leave this place, then it'll be fine, but Father objected. He said, "If she leaves, it'll follow. This is bad. She is the object used as a medium for spiritual warfare. She needs to be alive, in order for the boy to be safe. You can't leave this place. It will torment your Soul but I don't have any other option, if you don't want to give up then at the least you can do is stay at a Holy place where it can't enter." Uncle didn't agree to that.

Since then, we tried a lot of times to leave Calvin. Uncle had a relative in Bedford, who works in a Chapel but it was out of Calvin. But, in order to stop it from reaching you, I've to live. So Father suggested to send me to Mt. Carmel Bishop Church. It is located near the borders of Calvin Hills and besides there is Olinger Missionary Church, where I can continue my studies too. Father, himself, took me there but on the way, we heard that the gatekeeper of the mansion died due to unnatural cause. After I left, Uncle Matthews started working in Father's Church and decided to spend rest of his life in meditation.

Our car was crossing the Calvin Forest when we heard a loud cry of a man. I was going to ask the driver to stop the car but Father stopped me. I looked at him. "Father?" I started.

"No, you can't stop. Remember that a number of barriers will be their in the path of good but you've to stay unswerved." He said. There was something in him that inspired me. But I couldn't tell him that there is something that is constantly pulling me back from my aim. We reached Mt. Carmel Bishop Church. I asked Father to stay for the night but he insisted that he can't leave the Church vacant for the night. So I didn't force him. I just wanted him to reach the Church unharmed. I was worried.

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