Chapter 1 Death of the parents

The car drives calmly among another car no more than 17 feet in front. The lonely road with just two cars, the wind roar in the night like an hungry animal. "Do I really have to drive to this place, with both of you?" Jhonia asked?

"Yes, this is really important and you're turning.. Huh? It's past midnight you already did. Happy birthday, sweetie." Her mother said, smiling at her.

Her body turned into her seat. She smiled once again before turning away from her daughter Jhonia, return the smile at her mother then look out the window. The darkness of lonely trees moving quickly.

"There's a big surprise waiting for you, my Jhoni-ni. You can see Charles, he's your favourite cousin is he not?" Her father asked?

The moment becomes silent and awkward. Jhonia decided to ignore her parents. She didn't seem to care about her birthday at all! "Dad? Can we turn around?" Jhonia asked?

"Why?" Her father asks with curiosity.

"I suddenly don't like the ide"

Jhonia was cut off by the sudden hit from another car suddenly from behind their car. Her father began speeding up away from the car that is now trying to catch up with them.

"They found us." Her mother said, in a panicking tone of voice.

"We will lose them." Her father said.

"Mom, what's happening?" Jhonia asks? Sounding scared.

"Sweetie mom and dad got into trouble with some very bad people." Her mother tries to explain briefly.

The car was hit again and harder than before. "Mom, what did you do?" Jhonia asks? In tears, her voice trembled.

"We are really po"

The was hit again cutting her off! She quickly tries to remove something from the dashboard. She pulled it to herself then hand it to Jhonia.

"A book?" Jhonia asked? Sounding angry while crying.

"Keep it with you at all times, open it and read it when you're ready. But not now, right now you need to strap yourself in your seat. Quickly." Her mother said, shouting at her.

Jhonia watch dropped! A gift of her 17 birthday from her mother, she reached down for it when !Bang! She quickly grabs the watch and pulled back and strapped her seatbelt.

In that second she noticed a hole in the head of her father's car seat! Her mother screaming. She looked back and saw the bullet hole in the back of the car window.

The car is hit again much harder and the next thing she knew... Was that the car was flipping. Things seem to move in slow motion for her as she couldn't believe her eyes.

She held tight to her watch and the book her mother gives to her. Her tears finally left her eyes. She closed her eyes to pretend it's just a dream.

She woke up in the hospital the next day with her uncle Bryane by her side. The look in his eyes was a rather disappointed one, though his face seems relieved she's awake.

The doctor came in and checked on her. "She fine, luckily. It's a miracle that you are alive, Jhonia." The doctor said. As he patted her arm then began walking away..

"Where is my mom?" Jhonia inquire? She knew very well her pretended dream is not a dream but her mother should be alive... At least. The doctor stopped and turned to her.

"...We sorry. Ms. Smith, we lost both your parents before and on the way to the hospital." The doctor said and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

"You will stay with me, Dana and Dave." Her uncle Bryane said. Dana and Dave are his wife and son.

Jhonia nodded and turned away from him. Suddenly she turned around and asked for the doctor. "Uncle, can you please go and get the doctor for me?" She asked of him? He nods and gets up then walked towards the door leaving!

Jhonia tries to sit up but felt a little cramp in her left arm, which, she used to hold the book tight and close to her chest. Regardless she forces herself to sit up. The doctor and her uncle return.

"Doctor, could we speak?.. Alone?" She asked looking at her uncle.

"Yes, of course." Bryane said and leave.

"I was withholding a notebook!" Jhonia said after her uncle left the room. The doctor nods.

"Yes, they're inside the drawer next to you! Also, Ms. Smith?.. The police will be here soon... To take your statement." The doctor said to her.

"Okay, thanks, doctor?" She said, asking his name.

"Doctor is just fine. Rest." He responded to her.

Jhonia nodded, afterward the doctor left! Jhonia pulled the drawer out and retrieve her mother and father's journal along with her watch. She heard footsteps coming and quickly pushed the book beneath her leg.

Her uncle came through the door as she was putting on her watch. "You leave in about two hours... What do you say ready to go home, kiddo?" He asked?

Jhonia mind rushes back to his disappointed look in the eyes. She smiled a bit! "No, not really! Maybe, I should have died with mom and dad." Jhonia said, looking at her watch.

He sat down on the bed next to her! "Why do you want to die? Will, it makes your parents happy? No, it won't... They must have told you, why they pack you up and were bringing you to us?" Bryane asked? He wasn't sure what she knew so asking was best!

"Hmm." Jhonia response. She slides herself down further on the bed, laying back. "Doctor said, I should rest," Jhonia said.

She then turned to lay down on her side facing the door, as the book was at that side of the bed! Jhonia recalled her mother's words before she lost consciousness. "Jhonia, don't trust anyone." Her eyes peaked with tears she then closed her eyes to release her tears.

"Rest up kiddo. I will pick you up after your discharged time." He said, getting up from the bed and leave.

Jhonia closed her eyes tighter and sigh. "I can't forget to not trust anyone, I won't sleep. He will steal the book from me, and it's all I have. I must stay up at all times. I can't trust anyone." Jhonia said, to herself!

Later that day her uncle's son Dave came instead to collect her from the hospital! "Where is uncle Bryane?" She asked? As she and Dave was walking out of the hospital!

"He is busy. How are you?" He asked? As they walked out and over to the car. He opened the car trunk and throw a duffle bag inside.

"What is that?" She asked! She stopped at the car trunk, her cousin had already walked and getting into the car after slamming the car trunk closed.

"It's your clothes, the cops brought it from your parents' car." He responded.

And at that very moment, Jhonia remembers that! That same bag was by her hospital bed all along. She looked up at her cousin and fake her smile at him. The bag was there long before the cops came. She is being lied to and her mother's words weren't just out of protection.

Her mother knew something, something her dad didn't! Whatever this something is her mother was protecting her from it but fate had other plans it seem. She got in the car and they leave.