It was strange how things worked out sometimes.
The world could be a bitter place, even worse when one was encountering a bad phase. Just when there seemed like there was no way out, that the bad things would continue in some sort of jinxed chain, there came an opening, almost as if all the clusters and tangles were coming undone.
Sibyl was content with the twist her life had taken. She had always been a dreamer but never thought the sun would set on a day when all her dreams would be fulfilled.
She had grown up in a farm and came from a Conservative family. All she was meant to do was do well at school, pick a profitable course in college, get married before she turned twenty five and have kids before thirty.
This was what had been decided for her and this was something Sibyl would fantasise about revolting against. But she was supposed to be the timid one compared to her younger sister who had been an absolute brat.
Always getting into trouble, Sibyl was sure her younger sister would be the one to break the mold and toss aside the dated customs of her family.
It however came as a surprise when she found herself in the very situation that tested her determination to make something of herself.
After being introduced to the neighbor’s son and the subsequent talks about marriage, Sibyl found that she was out of options. Her love for her dreams surpassed those of her family’s.
So she ran. As far as she could so that no one would ever find her.
She missed her parents, her sister, the two storey bungalow she lived in and sometimes the farm that belonged to her family.
Most of all, she wished she could bring her family to where she lived now. She had everything, a fruitful career, a nice apartment, helpful colleagues and even good friends.
She had everything except her family’s support and on this evening when she had received the news she had been waiting for eagerly, she didn’t have them to share it with.
Watching the sunset from her balcony, Sibyl sighed. The purple and blue of the sky, the wispy white clouds that looked like drawn flames, everything was so peaceful. Even the breeze was gentle and cool. The mug in her hand felt warm and the green tea in it was brewed to perfection.
Everything was how it should have been. Except, that it was not. If only her family was here to partake in her happiness and success.
She let out another deep sigh. Leaning against the balcony railing, she was about to take a sip from her mug, when her cellphone rang. Thinking it must be from work, she charged inside, hitting her foot in the process.
“Ow!” she slumped onto a sofa chair and massaged her foot with one hand as she picked up her phone. As luck would have it, the ringing stopped and she saw to her dismay that it was from work.
“Great.” Sibyl checked her foot and saw a dark purple bruise already forming on the side of her foot. “Serves me right for walking around barefoot.”
She was about to call back, when a message popped up on her screen.
HELLO
Sibyl wrinkled her nose. She leaned back on the chair and put a cushion on the coffee table and then her foot on it. “Who the hell is this?” she clicked on the message and saw it was from an unknown number.
YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT
Sibyl pulled out the rubber band from her plait and smoothed out her soft brown hair. She typed back: Who is this?
WHAT YOU DID WAS REALLY BAD.
NICE GIRLS DON’T DO THAT.
Rolling her eyes, and certain this was a prank played by one of her whimsical and obnoxious colleagues, she was about to toss the phone aside when another message popped up, all in bold capital letters like the ones before:
YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID.
A second later, another one:
WITH YOUR LIFE
Sibyl stood up so suddenly, not caring about her injured foot. Suddenly the air had become thin and her head felt oddly light. She clutched a hand to her chest.
It’s a prank. It’s just a prank.
Her eyes refused to unsee what was now printed in her mind.
It has to be a prank...but what if it’s not?
She repeated her earlier message:
Who is this?
Her phone felt heavy and cold in her hands. She stared at the screen, waiting for another box to pop up, but for several minutes, there was only silence. Outside, the sun had set, leaving the sky dark and moonless.
Sibyl swallowed, her hands felt cold and numb. All she could hear was her own breathing. Then suddenly, she heard the tiniest creak. As if a door was opening. She looked up at the front door, but there was no sound. It was closed, locked twice, a habit she had undertaken long ago.
It had become a ritual, the only means where she would feel secure living in an unfamiliar city, car from her family. Two hours ago, she had come in, locked the door twice and put the chain up as well.
There was another creak, this time somewhere from inside the dark hallway that led to her sole bedroom and bathroom.
Her heart sank as she realized with deep horror, that someone was in her home.
She heard footsteps coming toward her, heavy and clicking on the tiles. Holding her breath, she inched back to the balcony, conflicted on whether to turn on the lights or not. Unfortunately, chances were that the intruder would be alerted to her presence.
No, at the moment the darkness was as much a friend to her as her enemy; it was her protector.
She stepped over the door frame and was already making plans to alert the neighbours, when the phone in her hand, signalled a message.
The unceremonious buzz that followed, made her almost drop the phone to the ground. She yelped when she saw the screen flash white.
TURN AROUND.
Aghast, she turned around, wondering how stupid she could be as to not see the mistake she had made. Now, it was too late.
The mistake she had made, was now going to consume her.
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