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It was a cold and rainy night, no stars could be seen in the thick cloud covering the sky, the night was not only dark but foggy, as the heavy rain beat the tower of everyone's houses,

Rebecca laid on her bed and listened to the sweet sound of the falling rain.

The sweet familiar smell of roasted duck stew engulfed her nose and she couldn't help but smile. Nothing really has changed, Rebecca thought.

"Becca dinner is ready" Rebecca heard her little sister's voice, Helen called and her shut eyes opened immediately to the unfamiliar room. And she suddenly remembered everything 'has' actually changed.

"Right I'll be there in a jiffy" Rebecca sighed to helen.

"Okay just know mom doesn't like waiting for too long" Helen said before walking out of Rebecca's room.

Rebecca sighed heavily and looked around her wide room. She could never get used to this place.

Rebecca and her family just moved to a new house in a small town called 'Rainal' it was named after the town's history, the only town that rain falls even when it's summer or spring.

And during the rainy seasons the rain falls are just unbearable.

This is the first time Rebecca and her family would be moving, though both of her sisters had adapted to the place just only yesterday, she could never get used to the place.

Rebecca got out of her bed and walked into the small living room, the house wasn't too bad, at least that's what she's trying to make herself believe, but she missed her old home.

Rebecca joined her family around the small round dining table at a corner of the living room and her mother Taylor smiled at her, but Rebecca looked away.

"Now everyone bless your food" Taylor announced before everyone did so, and started to eat.

"This tastes so good.." Helen cried.

"Of course, if this town was to hold a cooking contest your mother would take the first position" Rebecca's father, Steven, chipped in, making little Helen nod with a smile.

"Oh please" Taylor, Rebecca's mother rolled her eyes at her daughter and husband, someone could tell how flushed she looked.

Rebecca and her older sister Vera remained quiet and paid all attention to the food. Making both of their parents glance at each other then at them.

"Rebecca honey" Mrs Taylor called and gave her a smile. "you know you're starting a new school tomorrow".

"Please don't remind me," Rebecca mumbled almost quietly.

"what.."? Mrs Taylor asked

"Nothing," Rebecca replied.

"She said you shouldn't remind her," Vera said, making Rebecca glare at her.

"Look Becca I know you don't like it here, but don't worry you'll soon adapt to this place and you'll be more happy that we moved here" Mrs Taylor said.

"yeah whatever" Rebecca shrugged.

"You know we moved here because of dad's work and there's really nothing you can do so can you stop acting like a child?" Vera rolled her eyes.

"You're saying this because you know how old fashioned and stupid this place is and you have no problem with it because you'll be going back to college soon and you don't have to stay with us in this old looking house but your fine and expensive dorm room" Rebecca snarled.

"you're so dumb!" Vera said angrily

"you're the dumb one" Rebecca yelled angrily.

"Girls please!!!" Their father's voice covered theirs and they immediately turned to him.

"Every time you girls do this, we're having dinner here for Godsake, why must you have a brawl everytime, and Rebecca I thought you'd be happy we moved here" Steven said..

"Happy?... Dad this town is cursed with only rainy seasons, and this house is old fashioned, creepy and it looks like it could collapse any minute" Rebecca yelled.

"Nonsense! This house is one of the best in Rainal" Steven bragged.

"One of the best, for it to be one of the best means nothing is good here dad, I wonder how we're going to live, and by the way, I'm done eating" Rebecca said standing up.

"But you haven't even touched your food," Mr Steven said.

"Thank you for the food mom" Rebecca said and walked away, ignoring the call from her father to come back to the table.

Rebecca got back to her room and slammed the door pretty hard making dust come out from the corners of the door.

"I was right, this house is pretty damn old" Rebecca scoffed and went to sit on her bed.

A loud thunder made Rebecca almost jump out of the bed and immediately the power went out, leaving the house in darkness.

"Even the electricity here is a mess, it can't even hold up to such a small thunder" Rebecca mumbled angrily and slowly moved her hand around her bed to look for her phone.

Her hand touched her phone and she breathed out a sigh of relief as she turned it on and also turning on the flashlight on the phone.

Her room suddenly went bright and she sighed and dropped the phone on her drawer, letting the light from the phone brighten up the whole room.

Rebecca looked around her wide but ugly room.

The wall had no specific colour, it looked old and weak, the concrete floors were old as well, and there was a big old wardrobe in the room that had been in the room before moving to the house.

"Good thing cleaning up day is tomorrow" Rebecca mumbled.

Rebecca laid on her bed and watched the flower patterned ceiling, out of everything in the house, only the ceiling looked forgiving.

Rebecca watched the ceiling and at the same time thought about a lot of things.

How is my life going to be here? Mom said I'll be starting school soonzhow is the school going to be? Will I make any friends? Will I even be okay here?.

As Rebecca thought about so many things with the rain going with her thoughts she didn't know when she fell asleep...

Taylor and Steven, the parents of Rebecca and her sisters,

Sat down in their room which looked the most uncomfortable. Taylor looked worried and Steven looked serious.

"Steve, you know sooner or later we are going to tell them the truth" Taylor sighed.

"I know that Tay, you don't have to remind me," Steven barked.

"I do! Cause it seems like you're doing all your means to keep it a secret forever, they're our children and they need to know".

"Taylor I'm trying, you saw the way Rebecca behaved at dinner, Vera and Helen might take this news well but I don't think Rebecca will" Steven explained.

"I know but it's better we tell them than they find out on their own," Taylor said.

"I will, tell them" Steven stated hesitantly.

"when"? Taylor sighed.

"Give me a break Taylor.." Steven yelled. "You think it's easy to give out news like that, why don't you go ahead and tell them… Go... Tell them I actually didn't transfer here because of my job but I actually lost my job and we had to move here because I'm broke and they'll be starting a public school tomorrow and this town jobs doesn't pay well even if I do get one, do you think you'll be able to say all that in one piece, c'mon Taylor think about it" Steven said his eyebrows furrowed.

Taylor sighed and clasped her husband's hand in hers.

"i don't want to know how bad the news is but you have to spill it" Taylor reprimanded

"I'll.. I'll Try… And the only savings we have now is for Vera's college fee and goodness I'm so tired, it's going to be tough Taylor" Steven said and placed his head on Taylor's shoulder, while Taylor patted his back.

"It's okay honey the heavens will see us through" Taylor assured him with teary eyes.

Vera sighed as she moved away from her parents door, she came to give them a list of things she'll be needing before going back to college but happened to overhear the whole conversation.

Vera retreated back to her room and laid on the bed. She moved her golden blonde hair back and her teal blue eyes watched her ceiling.

She closed her eyes feeling sad and before she knew it she fell asleep.

The next morning the house seemed busy as ever, everyone moving from one place to another.

Taylor preparing breakfast for the family, Vera making the house even more noisy by arranging the breakfast table and playing Random music on her loud phone.

Helen happily moving about because the day was her first day of school, and Steven not doing anything but walking about the house.

Everyone seemed busy and happy that morning except Rebecca who was still fast asleep.

"Helen go wake Becca up tell her breakfast's ready and she should get ready for school too" Taylor ordered.

"okay mom" Helen's tiny voice echoed and she happily moved to Rebecca's room.

Her little hands knocked on the door three times but Rebecca didn't answer, she knocked again but heard no reply.

Helen pushed the wobbly door and walked inside the room to see Rebecca still fast asleep.

"Becca!" Helen called and walked to the bed to tap her sister's arm.

Being a light sleeper Rebecca shook and woke up from her deep slumber.

"Helen… Wh..wha

"it's morning mom said you should get ready for school and also breakfast is ready" Helen said before walking out of Rebecca room.

Rebecca sat still on her bed for some minutes before standing up and heading to the bathroom.

Rebecca came out from the bathroom after brushing her teeth and head straight to the living room.

She could see her family already gathered around the small dining table ready to eat.

"Oh you're here, breakfast's ready" Taylor smiled, making Rebecca walk to the table and sitting in between her mother and Helen.

Rebecca grabbed her fork and start to eat without waiting for anyone.

"You know a little good morning would have been fine" Steven stated.

"well you're not getting it" Rebecca stated angrily.

"know how you talk to me Rebecca, I am your father!" Steven said angrily.

Rebecca Ignored her father and continued to eat, making Steven sigh angrily and shook his head negatively.

"i know we're supposed to be having breakfast quietly and we should be obeying the table manners but I just want to say I had a dream". Helen blurted.

"a dream"? Taylor smiled

"i did too. I had a dream" Vera chipped in. "or should I say a nightmare" Vera laughed.

"Really?" Taylor laughed.

"Yeah it was so scary I couldn't breathe, but it's kind of sad I don't remember any of the details or else I wouldn't mind narrating the whole dream" Vera said and Taylor sighed and turned to Helen.

"what kind of dream did you have honey"?. Taylor asked.

"it was a good but scary dream, no… It's not scary at all but she was scary" Helen explained.

"Who?" Vera asked.

"Delilah!." Helen mentioned making Rebecca lift up her head.

"Delilah… Okay who's Delilah"? Vera asked.

"She is the girl in my dreams, she told me her name and she looked very scary and ugly but I wasn't scared because she was nice and she said she liked pretty things and she said I was pretty and then she begged me to be her friend and she promised to take me to nice places only if I agree to bring Rebecca along" Helen explained and everyone quietly watched her.

"kids and their silly dreams" Steven said and he and his wife shared a small laugh.

"Wow… I like Delilah already she wants you to bring Rebecca along so she could make Rebecca ugly too" Vera said and laughed hysterically making Helen laugh too.

"Stupid" Rebecca mumbled.

"And Helen if you're dreaming don't involve me with your stupid imaginative friends or else I'll make that dream into a nightmare" Rebecca threatened.

"Becca it's just a childish dream don't take it too serious". Taylor said.

"it's not childish and Delilah is very big, she's as big as Vera is.. A.. And.. Mom… Blood.. Blood!!"

Helen screamed pointing at Rebecca's neck.

"Oh My God" Taylor gasped and so did her Steven and Vera.

Rebecca quickly touched her wet and saw her stained bloody hands.

She let out a weak scream and stood up panicking.

"Becca… Calm down.. Vera go get the first aid" Steven ordered and Vera quickly stood up and ran towards the kitchen.

Taylor walked to her daughter with a napkin in her hand.

"it's okay Rebecca just sit down" Taylor ordered and Rebecca slowly sat down with her head up.

Taylor placed the napkin on Rebecca's neck and slowly starts to clean the blood.

Vera came back to the table with a small first aid box and Taylor took it from her.

After drying the blood Taylor noticed some scratches on Rebecca's neck.

"who did this to you"? Taylor asked.

"Did what"? Rebecca asked feeling a bit scared.

"Go get the mirror" Taylor ordered Helen.

"What?" Vera asked.

"Come see for yourself" Taylor ordered and Vera walked in front of Rebecca to see the scratches too.

"Whoa" Vera muttered.

"wh…what is it?" Rebecca asked feeling a bit frightened.

"It looks like she got into a fight with a cat and the cat scratched her whole neck with anger, cause this looks very serious" Vera stated.

"A cat..? Or maybe she got into a fight with someone with really long nails and got scratched by that person" Taylor suggested.

"No... This doesn't look very human-like scratches" steven added.

"Exactly" Vera breathed.

"I'm here with the mirror" Helen announced and Taylor took it from her and gave the mirror to Rebecca to see for her self.

Rebecca hand trembled as she saw the horrible scratches on her neck.

"But… I.. I didn't get into any fight, neither with a cat nor a human, and these scratches, i didn't have them yesterday". Rebecca stuttered.

"Or maybe you accidentally gave yourself this while sleep walking" Taylor added another suggestion.

"i don't sleep walk mom… And even if I did sleep walk I would probably jerk awake doing this to myself" Rebecca stated angrily.

"it's okay… The first aid is here I'll cover this up and you can help by trying to remember how you got this okay"? Taylor said while Rebecca sighed.

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