In the golden-yellow light of the evening sun, the thing in the lake smiled as she gazed at her newborn. "You're perfect," she thought to herself, fondly caressing the child's face and looking deeply as if entranced into her child's enchanting red and black eyes.

    She watched him closely, appreciating his every move as she knew even if she dreaded it he would have to leave here soon for his suitor. The world was indeed cruel; for over four centuries she had carried him and now she was to let him go.

    The thing sighed; she had four centuries to prepare for this and yet it felt so painful now that the moment was here. The best she could do now was to find a suitor for him and she had plans.

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The evening sun's light streamed through an open window illuminating a Seventeen-year-old Vera Hunterson pacing around her room, stopping ever so often at her window to look outside. Her heart beat so fast that she was sure it will burst at any moment. She knew she should stop herself yet she couldn't help but think about the things that could be happening to her sister right now. For all Vera knew her sister could be dead.

"Lord please spare her life, she is only eleven years old" Vera implored, hoping but doubting that her prayers were heard or answered

Vera had made up her mind to go out to look for her but found herself quickly disarmed by the fact that she didn't have a clue as to where she had gone; she was as confused as a headless goat left in a desert without a compass. She felt really stupid, Erha had told her where she was going but she was too engrossed in her novels to listen. She had hoped that if she kept thinking she would remember something but up till now she had come up dry.

The novel "son of the deep" seemed to laugh at her from its place in the bed. She was just going to fling it at a wall when a telephone rang from a corner in her room startling Vera. She ran to pick it up almost tripping twice in the short distance, hoping that somehow her sister had managed to contact her, yet even before she picked it up she knew who was calling.

"Mum, hi " Vera said "how is that side"

Vera didn't know how to answer the question she knew was coming. How exactly will she explain to her mum that she hasn't seen Erha in almost eleven hours on a Saturday? . Vera's heart was filled with regret, her mother had been strict about not leaving the house yet she hadn't listened.

"Vera Vera this side is fine oh, I should have taken this vacation long ago. How about you, are you enjoying yourself" her mother said making Vera breathe an almost audible sigh of relief, she didn't ask.

"Yes mama, but we miss you tho" Vera said but instantly regretted it, she had just said "we" and brought Erha into the conversation.

"I miss you guys too, how is Erha " her mother asked

"She's fine " Vera replied even if she was sure Erha was not. She knew what was coming next but prayed silently for her mother not to ask even as she knew her prayers were futile.

"Where is she, let me greet her," her mother said. A chill went down vera's spine, For the whole of six seconds a resounding quiet filled the evening air as Vera thought of something to say. She considered telling her mother the truth but she knew how extreme her mother was and so she decided to lie. This choice didn't make anything easier and in fact only widened the field, there were so many possible lies to tell and Vera had to choose one.

"She is sleeping " Vera said "she has been sleeping for a while now" Vera added, hoping with all her heart that it made her lie believable

"That's okay, I just called to greet you guys" her mother said "call me when she wakes up so I can greet her"

"Okay mom I will, goodbye mom"

"Goodbye, Vera," her mom said and cut the call

Vera felt bad for lying to her mom. She imagined God was looking down at her ,shaking his head and muttering "bitch" under his breath

She heard a knocking from the door signifying that Erha was back and she sighed in relief, it felt like a load had been lifted off her back. She knew one thing, if Erha entered this house she wouldn't ever let her out again, not even at gunpoint.

Vera went to open the door, relieved but well prepared to call her sister a few well-deserved names. She couldn't help but feel like something bad had happened. Perhaps it was because she just completed a particularly scary horror novel but she kept imagining seeing her sister covered in blood in vivid detail at the other side of the door.

Vera stood behind the wooden door for a second to collect herself. She didn't know why she was so scared, her sister could also have lost herself playing video games at Stephen's

"Really like your sister to do that, senõrita " an inner voice mocked

Vera finally opened the door to reveal the ever-creepy smiling face of Scanty-haired Gale Sentry Stephen, he still had the ladybug shaped scar on his cheek from when he and Erha fought. It was all Vera could do not to punch him, what was so funny that he was smiling about?

"Have you seen Erha?" Vera asked a smiling gale

" yes, she came to our house in the morning"

"Is she still there? " Vera asked, she couldn't contain her joy at finally finding Erha's location. She didn't know Erha would have the audacity to go to Gale's house even after the fight when her mom had warned against it but it was all fine now that she has been found.

"No, she spent only some minutes then said she was going that you would complain," Sentry said, the smile and any traces of it was gone from his face, leaving behind just his stupid face "you mean she isn't here"

This was the last wretched straw for Vera; she was going to look for Erha and find her, no stone will be left unturned.