“So where are you going to go now?” Sophie asked.

“I’m thinking of going back to Wonderland Emporium” I replied.

“That place but you hardly know the people there” Emma said.

“True but I’ve been back there a couple of times and we’ve gotten quite close”.

“Ok if you say so, we just feel so bad we can’t give you a place to stay ourselves" Emma said with a sad tone.

“Yeah sorry I don’t think my parents would be all that supportive of you leaving home” Sophie said sadly.

“It’s all good guys see you at school tomorrow” I said as I waved goodbye to them.

“Bye make sure you get plenty of rest you nearly died you know take it easy” Sophie said.

She was such a worrier sometimes.

I then made my way to the front of Wonderland Emporium and knocked on the door. Isaac opened it and motioned for me to come inside.

“Why hello there what brings you here Anne?” Isaac asked.

“Well it's quite an awkward situation you see, I’m having some family troubles and wondered if I could stay here for a while” I said nervously.

“No problem we can let you stay here can’t we Cain”.

“No Way!” Cain yelled.

“And why not” I said with a pout.

“She has cooties that is why” Cain poked his tongue out.

I rolled my eyes playfully and followed Isaac to the back of the shop.

“We have a spare mattress in the storage room if you’d like” Isaac Said.

“Oh, thank you so much” I gushed at him.

“Well I just leave you to get sorted” he said as he closed the door.

The storage room was surprisingly clean and tidy with shelves lining the walls which held jars and bottles with strange labels such as “toad poison” or “Dragon scales”. A mattress was propped against one of the shelves and underneath was a basket containing a duvet and pillows.

Extremely exhausted from the I took off my navy-blue coat and tossed it on the other side of the room. That’s when I heard a thud as the golden crucifix necklace fell to the floor.

Remembering the warning Mother had given before about Satan’s powers I decided to wear it to bed.

Once I had laid down sleep came to me easily and I drifted off in not time.

During the night, a storm had brewed outside and I could hear the wind rattling the windows and the rain pounding the pavement.

That’s when I heard a noise that didn’t match with the storm going on outside.

A human breathing heavily on the other side of the door.

Getting a bit creeped out I got out of bed and placed my ear on the door.

I could hear the soft intake and outtake of breath and decided to open the door to see if it was Isaac or Cain needing anything.

As I opened the door a dark figure launched at me and my body reacted instantly kicking them away.

I looked closer and was surprised to find it was Isaac with messy white hair and red-rimmed eyes.

He got up off the floor a started to breathe heavily like a wild boar attacking its prey.

This time my reaction was not so fast as he toppled me to the floor.

That’s when I felt my necklace get extremely hot under my skin and as Isaac began to reach for me again he touched the crucifix and screamed as if it had burned him.

Screaming in a panic I got up and raced out of the shop into the pouring rain.

The rain was freezing combined with the chill of the wind and I kept on questioning my sanity as I raced through the streets back to the only place I had left to go.

I could sort my relationship with my mother soon but first I needed a safe place to go to and with my mind frozen with fear the only place I could think of going was back home.

I arrived in a short time and was shocked to find the door wide open.

Walking into the house I collapsed at the horrific sight in front of me.

Shaking with fright I came to grips with the scene in front of me.

The walls and floor of the kitchen were splattered with blood and all the furniture and appliances were tossed about as if a hurricane had come into the room.

I could see the pot still on the stove and something peeking out of it that looked like a ball of hair.

I walked over to the stove cautiously and peered in.

I puked instantly at the sight of my mother’s severed head in the pot.

Was she murdered my mother was murdered?

All the blood rushed out of my face and I fell back towards the bloodstained floor.