Olivia's secret.

It was their 7th year anniversary living in 2 lake Chad crescent, Maitama, Abuja and obviously their last because they were moving to their new apartment around summer next year.

It was the Winterbell family's big day and it was just like the whole city graced their occasion. The Winterbells were a little family of four, Andreo and Katie and their two kids Arianne and Dothan.

The kids sure had a lot of fun that day especially with the games they played. Dothan, 11 was with the other boys organising a barbecue party. Arianne, 13 was eager to join them but after sighting Olivia a neighbour of theirs supposedly in her thirties her eagerness died. The kids of that neighbourhood believed she was mysterious maybe because of the fact no one knew when she moved into the neighbourhood, not even the landlord. They believed she has some sort of mystical "powers". Arianne had no choice than to suggest she and the other kids play hide and seek inside the house just to dodge Olivia's gaze. The way she looked at Arianne made her spines tickle and also because their house was a very spacious one. The other kids concurred.

Britney, Claire, Jace, Daniel, Karla, Dylan, Arianne and Daniella kicked off with the game. Claire was chosen to look for the ones hiding.

Claire was smart enough to find all except three about few minutes into the game. Jace, Karla and Arianne. Of course Arianne knew the way around her home. Karla, a girl of about 8 was quick to go into the study. Fascinated, she obviously forgot what game she was in. A collection of fine marbles were beautifully arranged on a line near the shelves. They were like buttons and made piano-like sounds when hit. She hit all the marbles to hear the melodious sounds they produced again. The noise made Claire realise she was in there and without looking back, they all left the study.

Arianne was under her father's big reading table in that same study. Seeing the little opening almost some of the books in the shelves, a shelf more like a passage was open. Slowly, she came out and entered the door. On a big board at the middle of the room lay an orb. A shiny orb which made her oblivious of the place she was in.

Back at the party, all kids except Arianne had been found. They were all starting to get worried and alerted Dothan and the other boys who teamed up with the players to look for Ann.

Ann on her part hit her fingers on the orb and was speechless as a creature popped out. A female one who said a few words to her and made her know she had a search party looking for her. She remembered she was part of a game. She ran out, closed the door and hid the orb. The troop immediately found her. Having apologised for the tiring search she told Dothan about the orb and made the creature come out again. He also reminded her that it looked like the one painted on Olivia's wall. They now believed it was where Olivia got her "powers " from. But their question was, what was it doing at our house?? They told the other kids to take charge of the game and they were going to join them soon. They went into Arianne's room locked the door and brought out the creature again. They asked the creature about itself and it told them it was back for Olivia. They asked why and it told them to take it to Olivia in 11 minutes or it will turn again to attack them bringing out a sharp tongue, it went back into the orb. Now the kids were more afraid than ever. They quickly hurried out to look for Olivia give her the orb.

At the party they couldn't find her. They believed she must have gone back home and they headed to her house with cold feet. They knocked, and got no reply so they headed in the house and found more images of the creature in the orb and even a picture of the orb. After a fruitless search for Olivia, they headed back to their house frustrated and having 6 minutes gone out of their time. They told the kids who were now enjoying their game to search for Olivia. They were reluctant at first because of her dread. She was scary! But they later helped out upon hearing the consequence. Daniel said he saw her drive out in so much hurry and this got Dot and Ann even more scared. Thoughts ran through their heads like what living a haunted life was like.

Two minutes to their deadline, the party was starting to draw to a close. Tears ran down their cheeks so did it run down on the cheeks of the other kids. Thirty seconds ticked quickly... 30,29,28... Ten seconds!! 10,9,8... 5,4,3,2,1!!! The creature was already out and next thing, they were tied up and the creature told them she was to possess Olivia and torment the whole neighbourhood unsuspected. But due to Olivia's absence, Arianne would be just better and this was the secret heritage of Olivia's family, one had to be possessed and Olivia was next in line and had run away to avoid it. Dothan asked why the orb was then found in their house instead of Olivia's. The creature revealed that Olivia's grand father had lived in that house and was the one who made the secret library where the orb was found. Ann told Dothan goodbye amidst tears.

In a bid for the creature to enter into her, Arianne felt water splash on her face... opening her eyes, she saw all her friends, her parents and some neighbours around her, all happily shouting "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIANNE!!" "It was all a dream"she said as she was filled with relieve... Phew! She breath aloud... But wait, who was that coming to give her the cake?? OLIVIA!!!! "Arghhhh!!" She screamed with horror flinging the duvet and running to the study to find out if the secret library and the orb really existed.