Elif's POV

December 2, 2006

It's been an year almost, I have been staying in the Church. It's peaceful here with a disadvantage that your life should be disciplined which means that there are Rules for the Human Body. Wake up by 6:00 a.m., have a bath to purify the Soul, join the morning mass sharp at 8, have breakfast with everyone, go to school, come back and have lunch with everyone, join the evening prayers, study hours, dinner within 9 o' clock and go to bed early. Same routine, everyday. In this one year, neither did Uncle Matthews come nor could did I leave this Church. Sometimes it feels, I'm trapped. But I've Mother Marissa here. She is caring and looks after me. I told her about my Past. She had helped me when I was emotionally weak. In other words, she is the closest to me here. I tried to forget my past but someway or the other, it always bothered me. When I look out of the window, I see the way by which I came here. If I follow this way back, only one thing is waiting for me, which is... Death.

Like everyday, I had my morning prayers and breakfast. My nightmares are not so frequent these days, so I'm able to have a sound sleep. I was on my way to school when I heard Sister Jennie calling me from the gate. I stopped on my tracks to hear what she was telling. "Elif, we had a call from your home. Your Uncle is sick. He wants to see you. Would you like to go?" She asked.

"Uncle is sick? What happened?" I asked, being worried.

"Umm... he didn't say that." I didn't know what to think. 'What worse could happen?'

"Sister Jennie"

"Yes, Elif?" She asked with concern.

"I have to go." She thought for a while and then nodded.

Within 10 minutes, I changed my school dress and packed my backpack. I ran down the staircase, not wanting to waste a minute. "Elif..." I turned back and saw Sister Jennie. She was worried. "Can't you wait for Sister Marissa to return?"

I smiled at her. "Don't worry Sister. I'll be fine. I'll come back by tomorrow if I see Uncle is fine. Tell Mother not to worry." She nodded. Sister Jennie arranged a cab for me and we hit the road.

For an year the place I dreaded to think of, I placed my foot again. I went to the Church, Pleasant Hill Church, where Uncle Matthews used to work. "Excuse me, do you know where is Mr. John Matthews?" I asked a man, member of the Congregation, maybe.

"He went out a few minutes back." He said.

"Isn't he sick?" I asked, confused.

"Sick? No, he is fine." He replied.

"Wait, I got a call from the Church that my Uncle is sick and he wants to see me." I explained him but in reply he just shook his head.

"No Ms. no one made any call. Why will someone do that? Mr. John is fine." He said. 'Then who made the call?' I was bewildered. I came out of the Church. 'So, it was a Trap.'

I was walking outside the church, waiting for Uncle Matthews to return, when I saw someone going in the direction of the mansion. 'Hey, he don't know about that mansion. He can't go there.' My mind ticked. I ran after him but he already got too far to hear my voice. I followed him and stopped when I saw the mansion. My Soul shattered. 'No I won't go back. No. But that man? He'll die.' I panted. I followed him. And saw that the gate was locked but he was no where in sight. I panicked. Suddenly, I saw the gate opening. I gulped and walked in.

The mansion looked old since no one was there to take care of it. I walked to the door but that was locked. 'Should I just break it with a brick?' I thought. But I didn't. 'The door is locked then how would the man enter?' I thought. "SAVE ME..." I heard a sharp cry from the backside. I ran towards the direction of the voice. I saw at the top, the man was hanging from the window of Aunt Rachel's room. I trembled. That scene brought me back to those memories, which I don't want to remember Ever. 'But what should I do? Should I go in and pull him up? Or not?'

I was judging on what to do, when I felt someone's voice near my ears. I was startled. I looked aside and saw it was Uncle Matthews. "Uncle, you're safe. Uncle we need to save that man." I waved my hand in the direction, where the man was hanging.

"Man? Which man?" Uncle asked with a confused look. "Uncle, that man over there-" I turned to see there was no one and the window was closed. "Uncle, believe me. I saw him there." I babbled.

"Elif, there was no one. It was an illusion. But why are you here anyway?" He asked.

"Today morning, I got a call from someone that you're sick and wants to meet me. So I hurriedly came back but then I asked in the Church for you and they said that you're fine." I told him the complete story.

"Elif, you know it's not safe in here, why did you come back?" I was about to answer but he stopped me. "I don't want to hear anything. Tonight, you'll stay with me in the Church and go back tomorrow morning. And we'll meet Father." He said in a commanding tone.

"It was a Trap to lure you here. Today was the Day when he died, so he is strongest on this particular Day." Father said. Trap?

"Then what about that man?" I asked.

"That man had already died, four moths ago." I was shocked.

"Since you left this place, bad things keep on happening here. Many people died due to unnatural causes. But Elif, whatever happens you can't come back here. You need to be alive, even if you want to save Young Master." He said. 'But I can't let people dying over here because of my selfish means.' I thought.

Father and Uncle Matthews got up to leave. "Umm... Father can I talk to you for a second." I asked him. Father nodded.

"Father isn't there any way to finish it for once and for all?" I asked hopefully.

"There is. We need to perform a ritual but it won't come out unless we bring the main person whom he is after." He said.

"And that main person is?" I know though who it might be.

"Brayden" and he affirmed that.

"That's not possible. He will die." I pleaded.

"But my Child, he has to come sooner or later. This need to be stopped. Can you understand?" He was nervous.

"I have a way. I just need you to buy me some time to get into that mansion." I said.

Brayden's POV

December 3, 2006

Brayden,

All the things that had happened, starting from Uncle's death, I've written in this Diary because at one point I thought that you should know the Truth for everyone's sake. Today is a very important Day. If by any chance, I couldn't make it out Alive, then only you'll be able to find it. I'll leave it there and rest is your Choice, if you want to stop it or you want to run away. Though, once you come back here it will be hard for you to go back. I'm sorry, I couldn't save you till the End. I couldn't keep my Promise made to Uncle and Aunt. I hope you'll understand and forgive me. Rest I leave it to you. If you chose to fight, Uncle Matthews will be there to guide you. I'll wait for you. Please forgive me.

Elif.

I folded the last letter and realized that I was crying. 'She did this all for me? Dad lied to me? They were all killed? But by who? Grandpa died because of me? What was in that letter which he wrote to Elif? What did she do that day? Where is she now?' A thousand questions were buzzing in my head. I was feeling like the ground, under my feet, is slipping away. I sat in that hidden room for a while, looking at the bookshelf behind which, lies the key to all my questions. I can't open it because the key was misplaced as she wrote in the Diary. So, "I've to find her." This was all because of me. So I should be the one to save her. "I have made my Choice. Elif, I'm coming."

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