Chapter 4 - "I'm Back"

My curiosity was piqued when I noticed the secret door in the basement. I felt like a wave of mysteries crashing into my mind, leaving me eager to explore. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard Aunt Zoey called out my name, "Kelly!" interrupting my thoughts. I turned to find her standing at the stairs, and she seemed surprised to see me there.

Aunt Zoey asked "What are you doing here?"

I replied, "I was here to get the paint bucket."

She asked confusingly, "And what will you do with the paint"

I replied, "Nothing. It was mentioned in your to do list"

But then she seemed confused and questioned, "My To do list? Was there written about paint bucket?"

I answered with a yes. She replied, "You sure? I didn't wrote anything about any bucket there."

The contradiction left me feeling perplexed and unsure of what was really happening. I insisted that I could show her the list to prove my point, so we both headed towards her room.

As we looked at the list together, I was shocked to see that there was not mention of any bucket at all. This discovery added to my confusion, and Aunt Zoey expressed concern for my well-being, asking if I was okay. I assured her,"Aunt there was written! It was there!" but she tried to calm me down, suggesting that it might have been a misunderstanding.

Just as I was trying to process everything, I heard the horn of the bus, indicating that it was time for me to leave. I said goodbye to Aunt Zoey, and she reminded me to take care of myself. Although I smiled at her, I couldn't shake off the confusion about how the text on the list could have been erased. It left me wondering what might have happened and searching for answers.

When I finally arrived at the school, a mix of frustration and anticipation filled my mind. I knew that I had to confront Fe-Del about my missing notepad. With a determined stride, I approached her and politely asked if she could return it to me. However, her response was far from what I expected.

Fe-Del's words pierced through me like daggers. She sneered, "I'm not foolish, who would bother taking the notepad of a b**** like you?" Shock and hurt washed over me, threatening to consume my composure. But deep down, I knew I couldn't let her words get to me. I took a deep breath, reminding myself to stay calm, and decided to head to classroom.

It was the lecture of Mam Crigler, a sense of hope flickered within me. I knew that Mam Crigler was a fair and understanding teacher who would help me resolve this issue. I explained the situation to her, expressing my concern about Fe-Del's behavior and the missing notepad. Mam Crigler, with her kind eyes and gentle demeanor, listened attentively.

Mam Crigler turned to Fe-Del, her voice filled with curiosity and concern. "Did you take her notepad?" she asked, giving Fe-Del a chance to explain herself. Fe-Del, however, stood up defiantly, denying any involvement and claiming that I was falsely accusing her. My heart sank as I saw her reaction, realizing that this would be a challenging battle to prove my innocence.

Mam Crigler's gaze shifted towards me, her eyes reflecting a mix of disbelief and disappointment. "Why are you blaming her?" she questioned, her tone laced with confusion. It was now my turn to speak up, to defend myself with respect and honesty. With a determined voice, I replied, "She is wrong. She is the one who took my notepad."

Mam Crigler, still skeptical, decided to take matters into her own hands. She ordered Fe-Del to search my bag, hoping to find some evidence that would shed light on the truth. Fe-Del reluctantly approached me, her face a mask of frustration and annoyance. She began rummaging through my bag, her hands moving hastily and carelessly.

In that moment, a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me. Anxiety gnawed at my insides, as I wondered if Fe-Del had somehow hidden the notepad well enough to escape detection. I felt a mix of fear and hope.

Out of the blue, she exclaims, "Ooo! You liar!" and took out my notepad, which iwas completely torn apart. In that split second, my mind was flooded with confusion. I couldn't make sense of what was happening. But then, to add to the whirlwind of emotions, Mam grabs me and shakes me, her tone filled with disappointment. She says, "You are totally changed now, Kelly! How could you possibly tell a lie?" It was a mix of feelings for me, going from surprise to confusion, and then feeling the weight of Mam's disappointment.

I was like, "No Mam! It's a plan against me!" But then Mam Crigler hit me with, "I'll tell your Aunt about your behavior." I felt being trapped and being plotted.

After the lecture, I couldn't handle it anymore. I needed some time alone, so I ran to the bathroom and found a corner to sit in. Hugging my knees, I closed my eyes, hoping to find some peace. It was moment of desperation for me, who was willing to escape from the chaos around.

But then, things took a turn for the worse. I felt something wet on me and when I opened my eyes, I discovered a garbage bag with water in it. I heard the laugh of there poeple, Obviously, Fe-Del, Hana, and Jasmine. Feeling overwhelmed, I ran out of the bathroom and sought refuge on the terrace. Crying hard, I let out all of my emotions. A good cry can be a way to release all those pent-up emotions.

Then, out of nowhere, I heard a voice. It was saying, "HELP! You're The One Who Can Save The World." That was incredibly eerie and unsettling! To my surprise, there was no one around me!

In an attempt to regain composure, I quickly ran downstairs and acted like everything was fine. (It's amazing how we can put on a brave face even when we're feeling scared and vulnerable inside. It takes a lot of strength to do that.)

As it was time to leave, I couldn't help but worry that Fe-Del would cause trouble for me again. But surprisingly, my journey from school to home was uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to me. It was a huge relief. Finally, a moment of respite after all the chaos I went through.

When I arrived home, I decided to freshen up by taking a nice, relaxing bath. As I sat on my bed, lost in my thoughts about that mysterious voice, Aunt Zoey suddenly approached me. She sat down beside me and asked, "Why have you been acting differently at school? Mam Crigler, your teacher, called me and said that you accused Fe-Del of stealing your notebook, even though it was in your bag and torn. What's been going on with you lately?"

I hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation. "It was just a misunderstanding," I finally replied, feeling guilty for causing concern. "And I'm really sorry for what Mam Crigler told you." After that conversation, I felt mentally exhausted, so I decided to get some rest but before it, I took ChuChu out of the drawer and wrote there about what happened today. I spoke, "My dear ChuChu, I don't know what to do. I'm completely helpless. I cannot tell you what had happened with me before but I know that you are with me and I'm glad you came into my life." For some seconds, I felt like ChuChu really is a living thing. I felt sad for being so helpless and with those feelings I went to sleep.

*The Next Morning*

When I woke up, I felt that something was off, it was like a sense of unease or discomfort settled in. It was that gut feeling that something isn't quite right. As I went about my morning routine, that strange feeling intensified, almost like a nagging sensation that was bothering me. It was like a cloud hanging over my head, making it hard to shake off. And then, that feeling of missing something added another layer of complexity to my emotions. It was like there is a void or a piece of the puzzle that's missing, leaving me feel incomplete.

But then, when I moved downstairs looking for Aunt, she called me from the basement, there was a shift in my emotions. It was like finding a familiar voice in the midst of uncertainty. She asked, "Kelly, can you fetch me those buckets from the yard?" I responded with reassurance "Sure, Auntie," ready to help her out. As I make my way to the yard, there was a sense of anticipation building up. And then, I found the buckets lying at the corner of the fence.

As I pick them up, my emotions took a sudden turn. Shock, fear, and disbelief flood over me as I saw the words "I'M BACK!" written beneath them in blood. It was like a chilling realization that hits me, and I was left standing there, stunned and speechless. The sight of those words written in blood were incredibly alarming and disturbing. The mix of emotions I have felt throughout that whole morning were unsettling. Aunt shouted, "Kelly, where are you?" I looked back and spoke in response, still shocked, "I'm in the yard but here-" As I turned back, I saw there was nothing! I stood still, completely surrounded with disbelief. I moved to Aunt with those buckets in my hand and told her about all of scene I witnessed. She smiled and said, "Kelly, I think you should take some rest, if you want to stay at home today, you can" I replied her after a while, "Aunt, it's okay. I'll go to school." She responded me back, "Are you sure?" I nodded while smiling. The bus arrived and I said goodbye to her. Arriving at the school, I was still confused for the scene I witnessed before. About Fe-Del, I was feeling pretty good because today she didn't bothered me at all. It was such a peaceful day in class, and I was actually surprised by her behavior. None of those three troublemakers bothered me, which was a nice change. But you know what they say, it's always quiet before the storm.