It was the sound of something breaking that woke Charm up.
Sometime during the night she kicked her coverlet off the bed.
Charm felt all alone, she felt puzzled.
Why couldn't she remember her dream?
Her head felt so fuzzy as if she had a hangover.
Then her eyes drifted to the alarm clock by the nightstand.
"Oh no. If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed.
Charm had fallen asleep in her party clothes from last night.
She checked her phone, there were missed calls from Aria and Janet.
Janet sent a long text about how upset she was that Charm didn't come to the party.
So where did Charm go last night and why couldn't she remember anything?
She hastily sent an apology text to Janet, "I'll make it up to you with the sugary treat of your choice!"
"You're forgiven. Make it a pint of my favorite mint ice cream with extra toppings," responded Janet.
Charm tossed the phone aside and worked up the energy to crawl out of bed.
It was a good thing she looked down on the floor or she would have stepped on broken glass.
Her Uncle's picture frame had fallen off the wall and the glass had shattered.
She would have to clean that up later.
Charm wasn't the superstitious type or she never would have left her home that day.
Some would say that when the picture frame kept falling repeatedly.
It meant her Uncle's soul would be trouble in a spiritual realm.
Charm was extra jumpy because she hadn't heard from her uncle in almost a month.
The last pocket money that he had given her was running low.
Despite her scrimping and putting herself on a budget to pay for meals.
Lucky for Charm, thanks to her Uncle's forward thinking all the utility bills were automated.
So she didn't have to worry about the rent, electricity and water bill.
Still she was worried about her uncle.
He had promised to spend some time getting to know her over the summer holidays before school started back.
Now summer was almost over and she still barely knew the first thing about her eccentric uncle.
Other than the fact that he was her mom's older brother.
His work was hectic so he never stay in one place for too long;
Charm often did tutoring gigs at the library during her free time.
This would be her last job before her well deserved break.
When the break was over she would have to return to school.
After she came out of the shower and checked her phone she saw twenty missed calls.
Five from Aria and the rest were from Janet.
She didn't even have time to grab a bite to eat, just put on her clothes and was out the door.
The library opened at ten every morning and Charm always rushed to be the first in line.
Just to reserve their seats in a corner where she could talk to her client and not disturb others.
As she was walking to the library Charm felt like she was being watched.
When she looked behind her at first and saw no one.
Then she continued walking and did a double take.
She spun around and that's when she first saw him out of the corner of her eye.
Charm backed up in surprise.
Nearly stepped on the foot of a girl who was going about her own business on the narrow sidewalk.
"Sorry," Charm mouthed.
The girl wasn't upset, she just nodded, accepted Charms apology and went about her merry way.
The figure that had been watching Charm had moved was it her imagination or did he seem even closer than before.
Now he was partially covered by a tree.
She knew that from where the stranger was standing there was nothing obstructing his view of Charm.
He could see her quite clearly.
Who wears full black in the blazing hot sun?
Something about the way he was sizing her up made her feel uneasy.
She hurried up the stairs to the entrance of the library where Aria was waiting for her as usual.
Charm checked to see if she was still being followed.
Another guy approached him and the two of them walked away to her relief.
"Charm, you're late again," said Aria, in a grumpy voice.
"Hush, you're too impatient," grinned Charm, while rubbing Aria's bald head, and tickling her sides until Aria started to laugh.
Aria had lost her hair to cancer and Charm had been helping her catch up on her studies over the summer holidays.
Luckily the library was empty that morning and they were able to grab their usual seats in the corner.
After three hours, Aria's mom came to collect her daughter.
"Enjoy your vacation, Charm," cried Aria as they hugged goodbye.
"You too, Aria. Let's meet up again after the break."
"Sure thing," agreed Aria with a bright smile.
Around midday was the time Charm usually had lunch her stomach started to grumble.
She decided to grab a bite to eat at the nearest convenience store.
The moment she hit the pavements she heard footsteps behind her.
When she sped up her walking, so did the person behind her.
She took out a compact mirror out of her purse and pretended like she was putting on lip-gloss.
It was the very same guy!
The one that had been staring at her hard from behind the tree outside the library.
Currently Charm was sixteen and this guy looked early twenties and in need of a trim.
Suddenly she didn't feel so hungry anymore.
Out in the suburbs the occasional vehicle passed but no one paid her any mind making the street seem deserted.
Her phone battery was dead because Charm forgot to charge it.
There was never ever a police officer around when she needed one.
Charm started to walk like normal at first and the moment she turned the corner.
She started running like her life depended on it.
Five black heavily tinted SUV's pulled up.
Men jumped out of the vehicles armed with loaded heavy duty rifles and surrounded her completely.
Giving her no opportunity to run but not touching her either.
"Don't move," a voice that sounded rough to her ears yelled.
He wore the same outfit as the guy stalking her earlier.
Black sunglasses, an earpiece and the same full black cover ups like the other men giving them that mercenary look.
They made no move to touch her; it seemed like they were waiting on someone.
A sleek limousine pulled up right at the curve, the window rolled down and an autocratic voice drawled.
"Miss Charmaine Henrietta Alysham, sorry to accost you on the streets like this but since I'm swamped for time. We'll both have to make do."
The same gentleman stuck his arm out the car window and said, "this is for you."
The sun glinted heavily off his diamond studded platinum irolex.
One of the armed men reached over to take the glossy envelope and hand it over to her.
Intrigued, she hastily opened the envelope hoping that she didn't tear the paper inside by accident.
The letter was embossed with the name of a famous firm of solicitors from London.
She frowned, she knew her uncle had recently resided in London.
He only moved his things to this side of town because this was the house she had lived with her parents from birth.
It was a letter addressed to her from two weeks ago.
By a man named Harrison Beresford.
There was also attached a notarized copy of his identification and the description matched the lawyer peering out the window at her.
The letter had shocking news, it informed her of the death of her uncle Major Alphonso Benjamin.