75: THE SOUND OF FEAR
ARIEL’S POV
“Who said the two of you could carry out this nonsense in my kitchen?” Mariam snapped at my mom, and I.
“Your kitchen?” I raised an eyebrow. “You barely even be here. And by the
house.”
“It’s just about a matter of time before I throw you out.”
I chuckled. “Impossible.”
“The both of you can leave now!” She snarled.
way,
this is my
My mother entered the conversation with a calm tone, “I’m sorry miss, but we’re preparing…..
“No one said you can talk!” Mariam barked at her.
“Don’t you dare raise your voice at her!” I gave Mariam a dark look.
She returned the expression. “Just look at this little rat, raising her voice at me like I was her puppet, or something.”
“If you want respect. Then you got to be respectful,” I told her. “Don’t think people are going to be smiling at you when you got that disgusting attitude.”
“Disgusting attitude?” Mariam laughed. “You went ahead to poison yourself, and put the blame on me. Now you’re saying I got a disgusting attitude?”
“You poisoned yourself?” My mom uttered softly, and looked at me. “Ariel, is this true?”
“Come on now mother. Why in the world would I do such a thing? Poisoning myself? Hell no.”
“Oh shut up now. Enough with the lies,” Mariam spat.
“Hey, you need to have some manners,” my mom told Mariam.
Mariam burst into laughter. “You’re telling me to have manners? When your daughter right here has none.”
“I won’t let you insult my daughter like that, do you hear me?!” My mom’s anger was awakened.
“What are you going to do?” Mariam moved closer to my mother. “Your daughter is nothing but a worthless piece of trash,” she said in huhsed tones.
My mom, brimming with rage, surprised Mariam with a tight slap. And as Mariam held her face in shock, she received another slap. Then my mom gave her the third one on a different cheek.
Mariam gaped at my mother who did nothing but glare at her. She couldn’t believe what just happened.
“That is what you get for being disrespectful to my daughter.” My mom picked a knife. “If you try to talk nonsense again, I won’t hesitate to stab you with this.”
15 THE SOUND OF FEAR
“Okay mom, you got to calm down. That’s enough, that’s enough,” I said, lowering the knife she was holding.
After that, we heard a the thunderous sound of a bullet released in the air.
three of us exchanged fearful glances, my heart pounding in
that?” I aksed, as I could feel myself getting
a bullet,” my mom
when I heard more gunshots, one after another,
hesitation, I sprang to my feet, my voice quivering with urgency. “Mom, we need to get to safety! Follow
Everything will be fine,” my mom
think so,” Mariam spoke, and I looked at her
have time for a beef right now,” I told
“You think I
something was definitely not going
mom’s hand, and began
mom, I rushed through the elegant hallways. I could hear our footsteps echoing in the mansion. Each step brought us closer to one of the rooms where different books were kept. I used to come here to
hear the
my stomach, fueling
room, my mom and I. I slammed the door shut behind us, just
for?” My mom questioned me in a
like I had no idea of what
to open that door right now and let her
“But mom..”
buts. Open it,” my mom’s mode was serious, and her decision
glared at Mariam, but eventually shifted backwards, opening the
senses of trepidation for us. In the dark room, we could hear the sound of someone slamming the door from downstairs. And at this point, I knew we were not safe. But I hoped nothing bad
moment.
THE CHANG
as she fixed her hands around her chest. “What’s
We have
“But we can’t just
Mariam aksed.
her.
darted around the room, as I was searching for anything that could offer a sense of
a large wardrobe in the corner of the room. I had totally forgotten that
chance to
fit into
your own cup of tea. Maybe you
my mom told me. I exhaled deeply, before treading to the wardrobe. The two of them
squeezed ourselves into the cramped space, our bodies pressed against each other. The scent of old clothes filled the air, mingling with the fear. I
maids screaming. The gunshots were released downstairs, and it made me feel really
could be in danger. I quickly burst out of the wardrobe, running
mom asked me, she was sort of
worry about me. Just keep yourself safe,” I answered,
ARIEL’S POV
walked slowly, still looking for Riley. My heart raced as the deafening sound of gunshots reverberated through the mansion. Panic gripped her as I had a conscience of the danger that lurked just below. But I was determined to find
I was filled
through the air. Accompanied by the desperate screams coming from downstairs, my fear intensified. Each gunshot
below, but I knew I had to stay calm and
before it was too late. The chaos and terror surrounding me was suffocating,
I tried to steady myself. But I knew I couldn’t let fear consume me. I needed to be strong in this moment, for myself and for Riley, whenever shr
LUKE’S POV
my way through a stack of documents, when suddenly my phone began to ring. At first, I tried to
reached over and grabbed my phone, glancing at the caller ID. It was an unknown number, and my mind told me it was that guy who kept on requesting for money.I wanted to ignore the call,
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