Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56"Welcome mummy! You are drenched with water."
"Yes, babe. Mommy is drenched because of her addiction to reading," the middle age woman in a blue backless top and blue jean trousers turned toward the scowling man on the seat beside her, offered a weak smile and let out, "am sorry, honey. I will be bored through the journey if I don't have a novel with me."
"What if we missed our train? Your mother will be mad at us if we failed to meet up today. We had promised to spend the new year with her."
The lady sighed, peered at the golden wristwatch in her hand and announced, "we still have some hours before the departure time," she paused her speech, picked up the towel on top of the car dashboard and wipe the water tricking down her face. "Good thing our bags is packed already."
The man nodded his head, ignited the car and drove out of the parking space, then out of the store, and then into the main road.
"What is the title of the novel?"
"Layla."
He peered at the book in his wife's hand, sneered and mumbled," is that author's warning not strange?"
"What did you mean?"
"He warned that this book must not be read, and claimed it contains knowledge that comes with death."
"Huh! Those are writers' ways of getting their readers hooked, and that was what caught my attention and made me go for it."
The man shakes his head sideways and was about to speak when his wife cut into his speech, "forget it, Mr Cameron. There is nothing occultic about this book, it's just a way of enticing the reader."
"It better be."
"Mummy, am hungry."
"Mrs Cameron forget to order our lunch, but she remembered to buy a novel for herself. Isn't that cruel of her?"
"Am sorry Beryl, you can drink the remaining yoghurt, while I fried you chips and eggs to eat during the journey."
The rain had stopped before Mr Cameron drove into the gate of their pink-painted duplex, and they all raced inside immediately.
Where they emerged was well furnished with eye-catching gadgets, arts, paintings and sculptures, and everything about the Cameron shows they were above-average earners."Go and prepare Beryl's meal, why I quickly make some calls-. And don't go with that damned book. It will distract you and makes you slow.
Knowing the kind of wife he has, Mr John Cameron walked towards the novel on the centre table and picked it up.
" I will need to keep this until we reach the train station."
John was shocked to his marrow the first time he see his wife using one hand to do her chore, while the second hand was used to hold a novel, and he stood rooted in a spot, and wonder how a rational human being will be addicted to someone's imagination to that length.
To John Cameron, Emily's addition is abnormal, and this is part of what he planned to discuss with his mother-in-law when they meet tomorrow morning. After making all his call, curiosity made him bring the novel out of his pocket, then stared at the picture of the black-eyed girl."You look as creepy as the title of the book, and I wonder what is written inside."
His curiosity soon overrides his better judgment, and he was back in his car before he realized it.
'Warning, this book contains dark knowledge and will bring death to whoever goes beyond this page. Please stop!'
He cleaned the beads of sweat on his face, sighed the fourth time in a row, and his hand shivered as he flipped to the second page of the book of death...
"Where is daddy?" Beryl who just finished a bowl of yoghurt called out to her mother from her room, then run closer to help her in carrying the smaller luggage.
"Thank you. Your dad should be waiting for us inside the car... Let's hurry to meet him."
"You forgot your novel."
"Oh my gosh! Thanks, Beryl. I will hate myself if I ever forget it-," Emily stepped closer to the place where she dropped the novel, peeked around, cocked her head to one side and look lost in thought. "I dropped it here... Don't I?"
"Maybe Daddy took it. Let's go and ask him."
"Your daddy doesn't read novels. Except he wants to keep it for mischievous purposes, I don't see what my book will be doing in his hand."
"We are getting late, Mommy!"
The pair wobbled out of the parlour, stepped into the compound and make their way towards the jeep parked far off.
"Is Daddy inside the car?"
"I think he is, the car door is opened. But I will call him if he isn't."
"He is. I can see his hunched figure."
"Open the car bout for me, Honey."
Beryl dropped the small bag in her hand, scrambled towards the open door at the driver's side, stopped suddenly on her track and cried out, "MUMMY... DADDY IS DEAD!"
"WHAT!"
The man inside his pool of blood had slashed his throat with his golden pen, and the sick smile on his face shows he had enjoyed taking his own life.
Cumberland is the capital of four regional islands and the largest among the lot. Known as the safest island in the world, the majority of the dwellers made their income from millions of people who come to enjoy the amazing weather and friendly community, and the island thrived from the money made from tourism and booming sales made from the foreigners desire for local dishes, ladies and relics.
Suddenly, the peaceful island was thrown into an uproar by the suicide rate that keeps inflating on daily basis, and the fact that all those who decided to end their own lives were living big, had no financial problems, nor any reason to take their own lives, except that they did, is the reason why the chief of police of Cumberland is having a sleepless night.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
LAYLA THE SAFEST PLACE ON EARTH
The gloomy-looking tall man walked with a lack of alacrity towards the blue and white painted office. In truth, a delighted soul makes a happy face.Dressed in a black striped shirt, black trousers and leather shoes, he was unaware of the bowing of his comrades as he sauntered into the elevator, and his mind rioted till he reached the front of an office, dipped his hand inside his pocket and brought out a bunches of key, inserted it in the keyhole and then yanked the door opened.The office he merged into was painted white and blue, clean, and adorned with a few pieces of furniture, a laptop, and some other electronic devices. And the sturdy man walked into his chair, sighed and sat with a growl, and promptly opened one of the files in his front.The anger on his face became more threatening as he flipped through the pages, and the knocking on his door made him grumble louder and asked, "who is there? Am busy right now." The door was pushed open and a pretty woman in a short black gow
LAYLA RANDOM DEATH
The first house visited by officer Zuma and her assistant is a magnificent duplex, and they were welcome into a large parlour with beautiful furniture and gadget that were meant for the rich alone. A tall and elderly man with fluffy grey hair stood up to welcome them, then let out, "today is the saddest day of my life.""How did it happen?""She woke up early while I was still in bed, prepared my breakfast and went to read in the library upstairs. Hours later, after calling her name without any response, I climbed the stairs up and found her in her puddle of blood.""Where is she?""Come with.""I hope you haven't tampered with the crime scene?""No. I called you instantly and was downstairs waiting till you come. Have called all my children to inform them of their mother's death, and I am sure they were still shocked by the news."The two police officers followed the aged man up the stairs, arrived inside the first room that served as the inhabitant's library, and were welcomed into
LAYLA FIND THE MISSING PUZZLE
According to Zuma's assumption, the next crime scene visited by him and Isabella was the most horrific of all and the sight of the suicide victim lingered in his mind for a very long time after.She was a newly married lady, full of life and plans for the future, and this was the reason why her death was the greatest shock to her community. He squirmed at the sight of her slashed throat, and the puddle of blood around her seemed to form eerie shapes. And just like the previous suicide victims with sick smiles on their lips and glint of happiness on their faces, she had enjoyed the insane action with pleasure. Like before, all efforts to trace the reason for the startling suicide proved abortive. And after the promise to get to the root of the matter, Zuma and his deputy stepped out of the deceased house and were back in their patrol car a moment later. "This is getting more confusing," Isabella who had been glaring at the moving images as the car raced back to the police headquart
LAYLA THE THIRD SUICIDE SCENE
"One thing is common with almost all the suicide victims that we had visited today," Zuma announced as he stepped into the library, gawked at the dead students, and resumed his speech, "they all die in the library and... Oh my goodness!" "What is it, boss." "I have seen this book at almost all the crime scenes," he paused his speech, stooped down and picked one of the blue cover novels with a picture of a weird girl, stare at it for a while, and then let out, 'it was your suggestions to look for something supernatural that makes me realized this. I think this book has to do with the death on this island." "Where is the librarian?" "Over, here. Mam," the red-eyed lady wobbled into sight, glanced at the dead students arranged in a line and then burst into tears. "I swear before all the gods, I know nothing of their deaths, and the cake given to them did not contain any drug or poison... Let me eat this unfinished one to prove my innocence." "Never mind," Zuma answered back, peered a
LAYLA THE NEW MOON KILLER
The locked door gave way after two shoulder thrusts, and the four people raced inside, then stood horrified at the sight in their front. As naked as a newborn baby, the aged man laid his back on the table, slashed his stomach with a razor and arranged some of his intestines around himself. And as usual, his last smile was that of contentment and not of fear. "Ahh!" "Holy Cross!" One of the teachers raised her two arms and placed them on her chest, then vomited immediately. While the other lady shook and fainted. "He is dead. There is nothing we can do for him, but we need to wake her up." "We need some water. She is still breathing." "Get her out of this room and lock the door. I need to make some calls." "Help me, I can't carry her alone." "Ask her colleagues to help." "She is still in shock and needed help as well." "Oh... Shit!" After minutes of waking the lady up, and another hour that it takes to return sanity to the school, Zuma and his partner sneaked out through t
LAYLA A SHADOW OF ITSELF
The journey takes the whole daytime and the travellers reached their destination when the stars were about to resume their duty for the night.The address leads them to a bungalow on the outskirts of the townlet. And after parking in the parking lot, both officers hopped down the car and walked into the weather-beaten house.""I don't think there is anyone here. Look at the overgrown grasses and the dirty environment.""Let's go inside... Anyone here!""Hello!"The front door was unlocked, and the two officers stepped inside and peered all around. "Anyone here!"The sound of scurrying feet became audible, and an old man with a toothless grin peeked out of one of the rooms, stare at the two intruders and asked, "what did you want?""We are looking for the publisher of this book," Zuma brought out the copy of LAYLA in his hand, walked toward their host, and then stopped when the man screamed out."Take that cursed book off my sight.""Apology," Zuma answered back, put the novel in his
LAYLA TWENTIETH DISTRESS CALL
Beware of your thought, you don't know when an angel will say amen to them. The first telephone call was from the state deputy governor, and Zuma's heart left his chest when he heard the sad news. "The governor is dead and you are the last visitor he welcomes into his office. Come right now, please." Although this is the twentieth distress call from the family of the bereaved, Zuma knew the call from the state secretariat is more important than the rest. After his oral dismissal from service, he drove to his house, picked up a few clothings and drove into the police headquarters to drop his letter of resignation. And he was in his office to park his few belongings when the telephone calls commenced. The first call was from a mother who lost her two twins to the hand cold of death. According to her, the two boys left their house some minutes earlier and were later found inside the lagoon some kilometres away. The second call was from a man, and he was at the point of hysterical wh
LAYLA FREE AT LAST
As soon as Zuma left the presence of the Cumberland state governor, the bearded man was seen smirking at his back, then picked up the novel fling at him and gaped at the picture of the black-eyed girl on the hardcover. He agreed the picture is spooky, and the gawking of the black cat on her shoulder seemed to be boring into his soul. Nevertheless, it's just a novel and there is no reason to be scared " Put the book somewhere and attend to today's chore!" A warning voice sounded in his mind, and the governor smirked for the second time in a few minutes, tossed the book on his hand to the far side of the long table, picked one among the heaps of files in his front and was immediately engrossed in it when a piercing sound of the telephone shattered the serene environment. His hand dashed towards it, picked up the receiver and muttered, "hello." The voice on the other side was weird and sounded like a giggling of a girl, and he shortly banged the receiver on the body of the telephone,
Latest Chapter
- LAYLA
THE BLACK PASSOVER
The sun raged in the sky through the day, then the atmosphere became chilly as soon as the sun retire from its duty. A moment later, a twilight appeared from the east, and its eerie brightness kept the darkness away. When nighttime comes some hours later, a big cloud from the east overshadowed the stars and moon, and the gentle wind evolved into a whirlwind, followed by lightning and thunderstorms. "I think it's about to rain," Zuma muttered with a straight face, turned towards the slumbering officers beside him, and let out, "you guys should wake up, we need a plan."The taller among the officer stretched his arms and yawned out loud, and then let out, "you are the boss. Tell us what you have in mind."Zuma bit his lower lip and looked lost in thought for a while. "I can't seem to think straight. I won't ask you for a plan if I have one I ground.""No idea, boss." The officer answered back, and then close his eyes."We will part as soon as we enter Adam's Creek. You guys should kee
- LAYLA
NUMBERS 666
The bullet passed Isabella's face in an inch and she smelled the scent of her burnt flesh before feeling the pain from her roasted flesh. "Ouch!" She cried out, and then muttered in anger, "that's too close, John.""I can't shoot you, Bella. My bullet is for that bastard," John yelled, then leapt forward and shoots the dying robber in the forehead twice."He is dead. Stop wasting your bullet," Sampson said."You nearly split my skull. Why don't you push me off the way?" Isabella stood up from her kneeling position and glare at the smiling officer in her front."But I don't. He was about to shoot, and I did the first thing that came into my mind... I thought you will thank me for saving your life?" "Thank you, but don't ever try that with me again. What if I move my head in fright?" Isabella asked."You didn't. The end justifies the means, isn't it?""Of course, it does," Sampson answered back, then peered at the wounded officer and asked, " what are we going to do about him?""Drive
- LAYLA
GATEWAY TO HELL
The unexpected arrival of the man in a police car disrupts the armed men's plan, and the four men open fire on the incoming car as it approached them. The leader of the gang is a tall man with a patch over an eye, and he immediately dived for cover when the man beside him grunt out loud and fell dead. "Shoot that bastard now," he cried out, and then shot several times at the incoming car, but the driver swerve to the right, and then, to the left to evade the bullets. "Ouch! One of the robbers who was shot in the breast where his heart was located looked stunned for a while, staggered backwards and fell with a loud thud."Race for cover and don't stand and get yourself killed," the leader cried out as he raised his hand to clean the sweat off his forehead, and then peered out of cover, shot the man who dived out of the police car door and looked grimly when his shot missed. Zuma was out of the car instantly, and he immediately rolled to the back of a jeep parked beside him and was f
- LAYLA
MY WIFE FROZE HERSELF TO DEATH
A wise man once opined that 'humans are the greatest threat to their fellow human.'This saying proved to be the truth when Arkansas island was used as a case study. A few days ago, the island was known as one of the safest places on earth. But now, the opposite is the case. Yet, the reason is not far-fetched. Evil men are now using the disorder on the island to perform their evil deeds. Funny enough, most of the recent death had little to do with Layla, and it seemed the demon girl had decided to take a break for a while and watch as humans bring the awaited destruction on themselves.Isabella's opened her mouth in astonishment during their short drive to the seaside, and she was only able to speak when the youngest officer among her team patted her on the shoulder and asked, "did you think we will win against this evil?" "Yes," she answered back, shakes her head and resumed her speech, "though it will never be the same again. The scars will always remain in the people's minds."
- LAYLA
HELL IN A FEW DAYS
Adam's creek is located at the extreme side of northern Arkansas, and the journey from the police headquarters to the creek is over two hours by road. Because of the fear of the unknown, the two officers looked sadly as they walked through the lobby. "They expect you to be there in the next two hours, I suggest I should go with it some officers by a speedboat, while you drive by road and try to delay as much as you can," Isabella announced when the pair emerged at the grassland in front of the main building. "How many hours will it takes you by speedboat?" Zuma asked back. "One and a half hours, if the weather is good.""Then you need to move now. We dont know if they were already waiting for us, or on their way," he paused his speech as they emerged closer to the officers in line, waited till Isabella stepped beside him and asked in a whisper, "how many men did you plan to go with?""Four men, with lots of weapons. You need to go with a gun as well.""I have my weapons inside my
- LAYLA
THE END OF THE WORLD
From the port until they reached the police headquarters, the whole street was filled with the corpses of Layla's victims. And the two officers gawked with grief-striking faces when they see the numerous deaths awaiting them.Shockingly as it seemed, the safe island had suddenly turned into a death trap, and the corpses were so many that the municipal authority have no more places to put them. "Wake up, honey. Please wake up." A woman nude except for her black underwear, lay over her dead husband as tears flowed down her pretty face."Repent all mortals. This is the end of the world and the end of all mortals. Come to God now before it is too late." A man in a flowing white gown raised the Bible in his hand and cried out with a loud voice, leapt into the front of the passerby and then resumed his preaching. "The Lord is on his way, and he will soon appear like a thief in the middle of the night... Repent, before it is too late.""My son is dead! Somebody help me please." One hysteric
- LAYLA
TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS
Her name was Sheila, and she was his first love. After years of courtship, they decided to get married, and that was when tragedy struck. "Everything is ready. The bride's gown, the cake, the hall and the decoration. I hope you have gotten our wedding rings?" The woman nestling into the chest of her lover asked as she peered into his face. "Of course, honey. They were delivered some hours ago, and it's safe inside my locker." "I pray we don't forget anything," the woman muttered as she raised herself into a seating position, wore her white scandals and stood up with a fixed smile. "Take it easy. I know the wedding is once in a lifetime experience, but that doesn't mean we should go crazy over it... And where are you going?" "To my dad's home. I am not yet your wife until I say I do on the altar tomorrow." "You can't leave me like this, honey." "I will, dear. I need to make sure everything is done to my taste." The man on the bed moaned for a while shrugged and stood up. And a
- LAYLA
WILL YOU LIKE TO BE AT PEACE?
"DID YOU AGREE TO LOSE YOUR SOUL FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL SET YOU FREE FROM SEVERAL REINCARNATIONS?" The man seating on the grass cock a smile when he read the first page, shakes his head and mumbles, "what a way to raise the reader's curiosity. Now I am intrigued."He turned to the next page and read out loud."YOU ARE YET TO AGREE!""Hahaha!" Steve burst into uncontrollable giggling and exclaimed, "no wonder they believed this book is cursed. The writer did a marvellous job in increasing the reader's curiosity."Saying this, he turned to the next page, then cursed out loud when the previous message displayed. "Well... Well. Since you want me to say it loud," he paused his speech as the smile on his face became huge. "I agree," he muttered as he turned to the next page, then read out loud. "WELCOME TO YOUR PAST LIFE...!"A man in blue and green scrubs stepped into a large theatre and was welcomed with the smell of drugs, sweat and blood. "Welcome surgeon. We have twenty emerg
- LAYLA
TERRIFIC STAGE
"I have heard many unbelievable things in my life, but the thought of getting killed by reading a book baffles me," one of the officers on duty announced as soon as their August visitors were driven out of their presence.""You won't be surprised if you were on this island some years ago. I grow up here and I can tell you much about the power of that evil girl.""You have my ears, though I don't think you will be able to convince me. As I said earlier, I am a sceptical person when it comes to supernatural things," the man announced."Steve is running his mouth because he is a stranger on this island... Let me tell him a story that will give him goosebumps.""You have my ears," the man named Steve answered as he peered into the eyes of his comrades, and the daring glare on his face made them giggle among themselves."If you are as bold as you claimed, then go and read her book.""Of course, I will. I already removed the one inside that chopper, and it's here with me.""You are crazy!"