THE HIDDEN TRUTH OF THE LANDS [PART 2#] - CH-1

Six months, after the serial killing case, Mr.Marcus and his family left the house and shifted to another colony.

He had purchased a small piece of land adjacent to their house.The piece of land had already a small room a kitchen and a wash room built there. Its owner approached Mr.Marcus and said that he wanted to sell the land as he needed money for the marriage of his daughter.

Mr.Marcus said that he was not prepared to pay the amount he quoted as he had spent lots of amount on his new house. Surprisingly, the owner reduced the rate substantially. Mr.Marcus found that the new rate was reasonable and, therefore, he purchased the plot.

Immediately, he built one more room and constructed a waist high compound wall with an iron gate at the front. He offered it on rent and fixed a TO LET board on the gate.

After about a month, a gentleman came to stay there with his family. He had two grown up daughters and his wife. He owned a medicine shop, near the bus stand.

The elder daughter, Claire is pursuing secretarial course in an institute after completing her graduation and her younger sister, Hannah is in first year of graduation.

Their Father, Mr.David Gilbert, goes to the shop at 10am and returns at 11pm. In the afternoon, he returns home at 1pm for lunch and again returns to his shop at 4pm. As it is a medicine shop, it always remains opened even on Sundays and holidays.

Claire returns from her institute at about 1pm and Hannah returns between 1 to 2pm. Sometimes, they skip, if they have no important classes.

Claire has only 4 months to complete her course and after that wants to try for a job.

There is a space between the front room and the main gate. Hence, the two sisters generally sit on the steps and gossip for hours every day in the evening. The gate remains closed and it totally covers their front room, so they can sit comfortably, sometimes their mother also joins them.

Once, Claire didn't go to her institute. She was sitting on the chair and studying, because her exams were very near. She got up to go to the wash room.

When she got up from the chair, she saw a 16 year old girl , standing behind her. The girl was fair, healthy and pretty. She was wearing a sky blue short skirt and a white colour top.

Claire was very surprised to see her.

She said, " Oh, Hello there! "

The girl remained silent.

So Claire said, " Are you looking for someone ? How can I help you ? "

Seeing the girl standing, still silent, Claire felt awkward of her silence.

So, she pulled a chair and asked her to sit there and said, " I am just coming from the wash room, why don't you take a seat, I'll be back in two minutes, ok. "

Claire returned from the wash room very soon, but the girl could not be seen any where. She went out to look for the girl. But to her surprise, she could not be traced anywhere.

She said to herself ,"Funny girl ,extremely sentimental. It was her first visit,and she expected me to welcome her but I could not do that immediately and that must have offended her."

" Well, Actually I was helpless, she should have understood that, really strange."

She went back to concentrate on her studies again.