**At the early hours of the next day**
Mother had woken before me and stepping out of the house, she had seen a mailman put in a mail into the mailbox infront of our home. She waited for him to leave before checking out the mailbox. She wondered who had delivered the mail and she was curious to know. She went to the mailbox, opening it gently. She brought out the mail wrapped in a brown rough envelope.
She slowly unfolded the mail and brought out a white letter. She arranged it before reading it. Mother heaved out a sigh, fixing her eyes on the letter before her. She read it out to her hearing, since she wasn't good at reading out in her mind as she would be distracted somehow.
My dear,
It has been years since the drift happened and I must say, that you're having fun. Your worst nightmare has returned back to you, this time I won't promise you a smooth journey. I have come back for revenge and I'll be using Julienne this time, to get at you once I find her. Hahahahaha....hope you haven't forgotten the scratches, the bleeds, the tears and the horrors? Now imagine all these slowly returning back into your life. You can't run from me any further.
From an Annonymous.
Mother had chills running all over her body and her breathing was cutting short bit by bit. She didn't know the owner of the particular letter she had read but e everything written on the letter, seemed so familiar to her. She noticed that the letter was two years old and wondered why it was being delivered now. She was used to receiving old letters, maybe because sometimes these mailmen delivers letter from a very long distance and before it reaches to the recipient, it might take years depending on where the recipient resides.
I woke up later in the morning and I couldn't find mum in her bedroom. I stepped out of the house, where I saw her curled up on the couch infront of our house. I noticed she was sweaty and her body was shaking vigorously. I hurriedly approached her, feeling her body temperature with the back of my palm. I felt her neck and her forehead but everything was okay. She was getting me worried by her looks.
"Mum why the pale face? You're sweating and your body is shaking." I asked worriedly.
"I'm scared Julienne. What if we leave the town and go somewherelse?." Mum asked me, while I shook my head in refusal.
"No...no don't say that mum. Did anything go wrong? because this is the first time you're suggesting such a thing?". I asked her worriedly.
"Someone is planning to find you and when that person finds you, he or she would use as a bait against me. Now tell me, how does that sound?"...She asked me.
I got surprised by her revelation and wondered who would be planning to use me against my own mother. I wasn't a child anymore neither I'm naive, so it wouldn't be accomplished possibly. I later found out about the letter and I was also wondering who the annonymous person could be. The letter got me very worried about mum and it would be safer for her, if she leaves the town and not me. She wouldn't agree to leave without me anyways. I was able to calm her nerves down a bit and constantly reminded her that it was two years letter. The person might have written the letter according to his or her mood according to that time and year.
★Later at the cattle ranch★
Rachel was already healing from her injuries and I was gladly seeing her walking fine again. I couldn't keep the letter I saw earlier from her, so I was forced to bring up the topic.
"Rachel, something is really bothering me."I opened up to her.
"....and what could it be?." She asked me.
"Someone sent a letter to my home earlier this morning, and I can't stop getting worried." I said to her.
Rachel left was she was doing, staring at me surprisedly. She wondered what I meant by that and I gave her the full details. She got scared on behalf of mother of her life and she suggested the same thing to me, about me living the town. I blatantly refused and in the process of refusing, that was when Emman and a new guy in our neighborhood joined us. It was obviously our friend that had left us when we were kids. Henry was back in town, which I suspected was just to visit for a short period of time.
"O..M...G!!! It's Henry." Rachel screamed out her ribs jumping on him with so much happiness.
"Hi Henry, it's been so long we saw you." I said to him with a hand wave.
"He gave me a surprise visit at my home early in the morning, and thanks to Aunt Gusto. She informed my sleepy head." Emman said to us.
Rachel couldn't stop playing around with Henry and no doubts, he has grown so much into a good looking young man with his neatly shaved beards. Henry was now taller than Emman, unlike when we were still kids. Emma used to be the tallest in our midst then, but reverse was the case now. Atleast someone taller than him was finally back in our town.
"Henry, see how much you've grown. You're looking much older than us you know." Rachel bluntly teased him while we laughed.
"I really missed everyone of you at the neighborhood. Ten years felt like an entire new world altogether. I really don't wanna go back there anymore." Henry told us.
"Bruh! We ain't even letting you go this time. It feels good having you here with us again." Emman said to him.
My mind wasn't even the discussion anymore because I was overthinking about mum's safety and who was obviously planning to harm her. I left them later on in the conversation, to a quieter place where I would hear myself out.
On the other hand was mum. She had called Aunt Gusto over to our home to discuss about the annonymous letter with her. Aunt Gusto could notice the worries written all over her face and she was anxious to find out what was wrong. They had the private conversation in mum's bedroom, since she felt it was safe to talk about it there.
"Someone wants to get back at me, by using my daughter. Gusto, what if that beast is back into my life again?". Mother asked her.
"Don't overstress your mind Miranda and I promise you, that everything would be fine." Aunt Gusto assured her.
"I hope so, but I just can't stop worrying. No one should hurt my only child instead, they should hurt me." Mum cried out in fear.
My mother was shaking and she embraced herself so tight. Aunt Gusto embraced mother, trying to calm her nerves down a bit. She could fully understand mother's fears and worries because she was with her, when everything happened during the past. She promised mother to stand by her this time, because she didn't have the opportunity to stand with mum during those days mother needed her the most.