CHAPTER 1
The night was thick with silence until the crash shattered it. Mia bolted upright in bed and heart racing. For a moment she wondered if she imagined it then came another crash louder. Mia stood up quietly from the bed she tiptoed down the stairs, trying to figure out where and what had caused the sound. When she reached the living room, she turned on the lamp. The atmosphere became terrifying and horrific as fear bloomed in her chest. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to understand what was happening. The lamp suddenly started flickering ominously before dying out. Her breath caught.
The door to Lily's room creaked open and darkness filled the entire space. Mia was breathing heavily. She walked slowly toward the room to see what was going on. As she took a few steps, she heard the soft voice of a female whispering her name. Her bare feet silent on the cold wooden floor as her heart kept beating faster.
Then came the voice again, "Mia…"
She turned to run but her foot caught on the rug as she looked back, she saw a huge, scary shadow loomed above her. She screamed and the world went black.
Mia opened her eyes to find herself in the hospital to the worried face of her mother.
"Are you okay?" Mrs. Larry asked.
"Mom, what happened to me?" she asked, trying to sit up.
Mrs. Larry helped her sit, her eyes filled with sympathy as she hugged her daughter.
"Are you okay, my dear? You were sleepwalking again" she said unhappily.
The crashing, the shadow and the voice, they were all real. I wasn't sleeping, she thought to herself.
"My head hurts so much, Mom," Mia said.
"Sorry, my dear. You'll be fine," Mrs. Larry said as she gently patted her daughter's back.
Three days later, Mia came downstairs and saw her dad watching the news. She bent her head, lost in thought for a while. Then she looked up and walked to her dad, smiling.
Mr. Harry reduced the volume of the television. "You seem happy today," he said, smiling.
Mia sat beside him. "Daddy, can I ask a question?"
"Go ahead, my dear," Mr. Harry replied, still smiling.
Mia finally dared to ask, "Who is Lily?"
Mr. Harry's expression turned cold. "There is no such person as Lily in this house. Moreover, I've always told you to snap out of it. Your Lily nonsense is all crap," Mr. Harry said stiffened.
Mia shivered in fear and backed away slowly. Mr. Harry adjusted himself and apologized softly.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice at you, but there's no such thing as Lily. I don't know where you heard that name from."
"I heard it from Uncle. He told me that was Lily's room," she replied, pointing at the room in the passage.
Mia and Mr. Harry became terrified as the door she pointed to creaked opened. Mr. Harry pulled Mia's hand down as they both shivered in fear.
"How did you do that? That room has been locked since we moved in," Mr. Harry said, staring at Mia in shock.
Mia was tense, her mouth slightly open, eyes fixed in shock.
"I don't know what's happening, Dad. Every night I hear crashing sounds and whispers of my name. I keep seeing a lady named Lily in my dreams. She says she's a friend and that she's lived here for a long time. She told me that room is hers and always mentions something like an apparition. I think something's wrong with me, Dad or she wants me to tell me something," Mia said, holding her dad's arm. Mr Harry removed his arm and walked away.
At Allen High School, the school bell echoed down the hallway. Mia had hoped the new school would be a fresh start but secrets don't stay buried too long.
Mia walked down the hallway with her new friend Elise.
"Why didn't you pick up my calls last night?" Mia asked.
"Sorry, I was busy working and fell asleep. When I woke up and saw your missed call, I didn't call back since I knew I'd see you in school," Elise replied.
"You're lying, Elise. I can see through you," Mia said, staring into Elise's eyes.
"Why would you say that, Mia?"
"Because a voice tells me in my head that it's not true. Would you take that as an answer?" Mia responded.
Elise scoffed. "How would I believe that? Are you a shaman?"
"No, but I have the ability to detect lies," Mia replied.
"You must've watched a lot of movies," Elise said, snapping her fingers near Mia's ears. "Snap out of it. Although I did lie earlier—I was asleep when you called. It interrupted my sleep, so I turned off my phone. Sorry about that."
"You're telling the truth this time," Mia said, smiling.
"You're unbelievable. Anyway, why did you leave your previous school?" Elise asked, looking concerned.
Mia took Elise's hands and dragged her to a corner of the hallway.
"I know you may not believe me, but that's your choice. What I'm about to tell you—you must not tell anyone," Mia said nervously.
Elise looked confused. "Okay. Deal," she said.
"When we moved to our house, strange things started happening. At night I'd hear crashing sounds and voices. In my dreams, I saw a girl—about my age—who called herself Lily and said she was my friend. There's a room in our house that's always been locked. She told me it was her room and she lived there. She said I had an ability. I didn't believe her at first, but she proved I could detect lies and see things others can't. I thought I was crazy, but it became real when my dad witnessed it. I told my school mate I trusted so much but she ended up telling other students. They started making fun of me and thought I was crazy. I had to leave and that's why I'm here. Although, things have been okay since I came," Mia said and nodded.
"Do things like that really exist? It sounds like a horror movie. But I believe you, at least a little. You say it so convincingly. Everything's going to be okay here. Let's go," Elise said reassuringly.
At Henry's place, he was lost in thought. He had just quarreled with his father again about the Allen Group. The death of Dr. Celina had taken a toll on him. He became hot-tempered and unpredictable. Professor Charles, his father, was the most prominent scientist in Lashington City. He had the biggest and most beautiful mansion and had received numerous awards both within and outside the city. He also founded Allen High School and the Allen Group.
Henry was unhappy with his father's changes and didn't want to take over the Allen Group, even as the only heir. He wanted a normal life. He stood and looked out the window.
"The reporters are already here. I have to attend the meeting again," he said sadly. He took his suit and left the room.
At Mia's room, Mia was sitting on her bed thinking about Lily. After some moments of thought Mia exhaled deeply and dropped her diary on the bed when she heard Lily's whisper.
"You are getting there but not close enough."
At Allen High school, Mia was dropping her bag in her locker when Hilda approached.
"Hey, newbie," Hilda said, staring at Mia with disgust and swinging a baseball bat.
"Hi," Mia replied, feeling uneasy.
The bat fell.
"Pick that up, lackey. I heard you follow Elise around like a puppet. She's not in school today. What are you going to do?" Hilda asked, stepping on the bat as Mia tried to pick it up, smirking.
Suddenly, there was an uproar.
"He's here! He's around!" students screamed, rushing to the school gate.
"Hilda, Henry's here!" Eve shouted, running to Hilda.
Hilda's eyes lit up as she smiled and ran off with Eve. Mia picked up the bat and stood, wondering why everyone was excited.
"Maybe he's a celebrity," she said, walking toward the crowd.
Henry stepped majestically out of his sports car. His bodyguards formed an alley behind him. As he entered the school, his wealthy aura filled the air. Students cheered wildly.
"He's my dream guy!"
"He's so sweet!"
"I want to marry him!"
"You're so handsome, Henry!"
"I'm your biggest fan!"
Girls screamed with joy, moving aside to let Henry pass.
"He's handsome anyway," Mia said, staring at him.
Suddenly, a student pushed Mia in the crowd. She lost her balance and fell. The cheering stopped as everyone stared in shock. Someone had grabbed her waist, preventing her fall. She looked up—it was Henry. She had just fallen into his arms. Henry's arm lingered around Mia for a moment longer than necessary as they stared at each other.