The Hidden Secrets (completed)

Enough of hearing their bullshit, I decided to visit India for further investigation. Just a visit not going to change anything, rather, it gives the answer I'm dying to find.

Deep down I have a feeling that this visit will change my life but how? Let's figure it out later.

I have finished my degree in Texas a famous college around the city. I'm a biological student who wishes to become a biological scientist like my father.

Yes, my dad is my hero and I will go beyond the ocean to fulfil my dad's dream as well as mine. He taught me how to find my identity and stand by myself and here I have become a person like how he wished.

Independent and self-motivated...

I followed my father's every step and did everything cautiously like how my dad taught me when he had alive despite it was hard and now I'm in the place to reach his level.

Dr. Thomas Gradson is a famous biological scientist who had achieved a lot before he dies and the superhero is my dad. I'm really proud of him.

His last experiment was merging a human DNA with a creature to generate a new human but which did fail right after his death.

They are spreading the silliest rumours all over Texas regarding the monster named Heil and it's miserable life history like how it hunts the whole city down and took people's lives apart. And how peoples are no more living in that city and moved to another village to protect their life from the monster.

How awful!

This was explained briefly in the book named 'The Heil Hunting Monster.' Written by none other than my uncle Dr. Hayle Stone.

Come on! I'm not a child to believe all these fable stories which the useless granny used to tell their kids as bedtime stories.

I never believe these kinds of fantasies then how come I can believe this stupid story.

But one thing I know they are hiding some truth from us. I want to figure out what is the truth and why are they hiding from us.

Commonly, scientists would make mistakes and they hide it from the whole world when they fail to discover new things but never spread rumours like this, but here the things are vice-versa and it got my attention.

Why are they spreading rumors like that?

"Reil, think about my words for another second. You have your time... Please." My mom pleaded with hooded eyes like what seemed to be the nth time since when I informed her about my plan of visiting India.

"Mom!! Not again. I fixed my decision and I already told you that I am not going to back away until I get what I want, the truth." I said bitterly. She slumped her shoulder and gave up.

"Do whatever you want but be safe, okay?" I nodded my head and looked in the direction of my friends, who will be my team members, are hugging and kissing each other.

Hmm... I wish I have one too. The one who encourages my every decision like my dad.

We are at the airport ready to fly. I am so excited to visit India Again. Visiting India is not my first time.

I like their culture especially wearing sarees on the occasion. Just a simple Saree and a matching stud are enough to add your beauty more.

And their food... no words to describe for such a portion of delicious and spicy food. When my dad was alive we had visited India once a year or twice, It depended upon his free time. He spent every weekend with us even though he had been held up with work.

Though he had no time for us, he has never failed to succeed as an amazing father and a caring husband.

India is his hometown and he moved to Texas for his job and there he found the love of his life and right after ten months I was born from their marriage.

But I got all my mother's features except my brown eyes like my father.

I coloured my blonde hair into pitch black but I couldn't change my pale skin. I think I have no melanin in my body, So it was easy for me to win the 1st prize in my fifth grade as a ghost at a Halloween party.

Most of my friends used to make fun of me saying my dad had crossed my gene with the ghost while I was a fetus in my mom's womb, that's how I was destined to get pale skin.

There was a time I believed their shitty words until I reached thirteen, the time I lost my dad.

I had an awesome childhood until my father's sudden death. Some say he was stuck inside the lab while the fire wore down the whole place but my mom said it was a well-planned missionary to cost my dad's life.

I didn't get to the point that she was trying to make me understand.

Chole, Natasha, Dacy, Nichole, Clara, and Eminem, my crazy friends are going to join me for the journey to Chennai.

And from there Kalai, Priya, Dhanu, Tharani, and Pooja will join us. They are eager to work with us and I am happier to get their support.

Indians are so friendly and helping minded. I still remember when I was lost between the crowd, an old lady offered me some food and water even sat with me until my dad gets me. That was my last visit to India but still, that day holds some memorable things.

"It's not going to exceed six months, after that we will be returning back to Texas." That's how I told them to consider my request.

They were hesitant at first but somehow agreed to come with me.

The first thing they were afraid of is its weather. It's summer season and they know how the sun is going to burn us alive.

It took me one week to convince them. Silly guys with silly reasons. I shook my head and glanced at my Rolex watch.

"It's time to go," I told my mom and looked down at her. I'm feet higher than her where she stood like a shortcake not more than 5.6' but wearing a 3' heels made me look like the tallest person ever but I'm just 5.7'.

"Bye Miss. Shortcake." I kissed her forehead, my dad used to call her 'shortcake' while he was alive.

"Mom I'm not going to di.." She slapped her hand over my mouth and shook her head. "Don't." her voice was broken. I hugged her tightly and tried to blink back my tears.

I feel bad for leaving Texas where I had been raised as an independent woman. I feel bad for leaving my home which my dad built for me and I feel bad for leaving my mom all alone by herself.

I offered her to come with me but she wants to stay there with my dad's memories.

"Don't eat late, don't skip your food." her hands cupped my face with so much passion and affection.

She looks aged which I failed to notice earlier. An ugly wrinkle formed over my mom's forehead but still, she is beautiful. She has achieved a lot as a Mother and as a Wife.

"I will." I gave her an assurance smile clutching her hands firmly. If I solve this puzzle I can able to find the misery behind my dad's death. So, I want to go now, there is no second thought.

I pecked both of her cheeks once last time before calling my friends to leave. We all settled into the plane after two hours of finishing up all the formalities.

You know what? These formalities are eating my nerve to hell. Does it make any sense? I don't think so. For me, It's a waste of time.

Does it necessarily need to take two hours just for scanning the luggage and checking me thoroughly? I had almost wasted 365 hours here at the airport doing nothing but go along with their formalities.

I let out a sigh of relief and glanced through the window; that seat gave me a beautiful view of the city from the air.

Taking my dad's photo from my handbag, lingering a kiss on his forehead I brought the frame closer to my chest.

"I love you, Dad." I whispered.

It's not easy to accept the fact that he is no more with us, it is a bitter truth that my heart refuses to accept.

"I will bring Justice to your death."

I closed my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

*

"Guys!! Will you please shut up? You are giving me a heavy headache." I complained the moment we stepped out of the airport.

Early in the morning we landed in Chennai and had only a cup of coffee for our breakfast. We have been waiting for two more hours to get our luggage back and the sun rose already above our head at six in the morning to savour all our remaining energies.

They are waffling and complaining about the heat like I'm the reason for this. "Reil, could you please make it fast, I can't wait even a bit." Natasha Valarie complained looking at her wristwatch.

"Wait a minute, it will arrive anytime soon." I rolled my eyes. She is always this dramatic. She expected the head of the council to give her visit to the airport and fetch her to his mansion to have breakfast as a thanksgiving.

Don't think me wrong you will get to know more about her in the upcoming days.

"The cab has arrived, now drag your lazy ass from here." I slapped her butt and slipped inside the passenger seat.

One by one everyone settled inside the car and I heard a chorus of breath that makes me chuckled inwardly but I masked my face as normal not wanting to get caught.

I'm getting used to this climate but they are, Nah, no chance. They are like a newborn baby whose skin is so soft and sensitive even a warm breath burnt their skin.

I glanced through the window admiring the view of Chennai city until we reach our destination.

"You are going to stay here?" The taxi driver gave me a weird look as I'm voluntarily dragging myself into the dead.

"Yeah." I gave him a brief answer and paid the money.

"Reil, at least he could send a man to carry our luggage. I have no energy to carry all these." Chole eyed her luggage and breathed heavily.

"Just ten minutes walking from here. Now hurry up." I rushed once the signal turned red though there is no need of any. The road is empty as hell and I could see a rare number of cab and the cab is none other than the one just dropped us a minute ago.

We crossed the road and walked inside the narrow road that can fit one person. We lined up and followed one another where I'm the one leading from the beginning using the Google map.

Walking to our cottage was very painful especially dragging the luggage through the unsteady road. Both sides of the road were covered with green grass and buildings are very rare to find. It somehow reminded me of we are in the ghost house.

"Finally!" They dumped their bags and luggage on the floor and sat on the stairs once we reach our cottage.

The place is engulfed with utter silence, no trace of any humans or birds at least an insect, that brought a bad feeling in the pitch of my stomach but I hide it in the back of my head.

I want to overcome this trauma to find out the truth behind this misery. I opened the door using the key and stepped inside the living room where most of the area was covered by dust as it had been not used for ages but it was left alone for 15 years that's what my uncle said to me.

He was not happy with my idea when I informed him about my visit to India but he gave his support and also got me approval from the central government and even asked me to use his cottage.

I dusted the table with my hand and put my bag on this before walking out of the living room to invite my friends inside.

"There are lots of rooms inside and who is wishing to get a fine room can come with me and forget about the room on the left side, I already picked that for me," I said that gained their attention and they looked at each other faces before screaming and running inside the living room.

"Reil." They whined like a child once they saw the dusted living hall.

"Now pick your room and dusted it well." I threw each other a broom which I found behind the door and climbed on the stairs to reach my room that is left to the staircase.

After three hours of cleaning and mopping the room, I smiled happily looking at my hard work shining through this room like a diamond.

We spent two more hours to mop the living room and the kitchen but being a lazy bug, we didn't bother to open the spare room.

Maybe in the future, if we find any time we will clean that too but now we have no energy. Chole, Natasha, Dacy, Nichole, Clara occupied the room on the ground floor where I and Emiem preferred the first floor.

After settling everything in their respective place, I cooked for everyone, not that I'm caring for them, it's because I felt hungry and wanted to eat something spicy to calm my hunger stomach.

"Come on, noodles ready," I called from the kitchen and started to eat mine.

They came and took their bowl before heading back to their room. They seem so tired and I can't blame them, today was a hectic day but like them, I didn't feel tired rather my mind asking me to take a good look around the place.

I was hesitant at first but my uncle's words assured me that the place is safe and harmless rather you can't find any human until you cross the city.

I grabbed my hoodie and started to walk out of the cottage. It's a straight road that is very easy for me to remember the path where I'm going.

I stopped when my legs gave up and sat on the big rock. The environment feels so good to my mind and it seems I'm breathing fresh air.

I stayed there almost an hour until my eyes landed on a figure who looks like a human. The hair in my neck stood up sprightly when I recalled my uncle's words.

He said it's difficult to find any human fellow here until you cross the city but here I'm seeing an old lady walking towards my direction, her eyes solely on mine which gives goosebumps to my stomach but I stood there not moving a bit where my mind screaming me to run away.

"Who are you?" She brought her right hand above her forehead just to take a good look at me.

"Ahh, grandma-" but she cut me off saying, "Go back where you are from. It's not safe here." Her voice alarmed and she began to walk faster than a 90 years old woman could.

"Grandma, grandma." I grabbed her hand and turned her to look at my face.

"Where are you from? By chance, the city is anywhere closer to this area?" I asked but she shoved my hand and started to run like someone is after her.

"Go to your home before the beast hunt you." She yelled. I stood there confusingly trying to figure out what I have heard.

"The beast will kill you if he finds you after 6." She yelled one more time before running to her destination.

I shrugged my shoulder and decided to walk to the cottage but her words kept playing on my mind like a tape recorder. "The beast will kill you if he finds you after 6."

What is she coming to say? Who is the beast? And why he would kill me? Maybe she too believes those fable stories. I shook my head and kept walking towards the cottage.

At sharp 6 in the evening, I reached the cottage and felt a heavy wind passing my body but it's my hallucinations because the rain started to pour and a cold wind caressed my face as it is crying it's hearted out.

Why all of a sudden? I looked at the dark angry sky that sent a dread to my core and closed the door.

"Girl, where did you go?" Emiem asked standing on the stairs holding a phone in her hand.

"Just walking." I shrugged my shoulder and walked past her.

"Just walking?!" She repeated my word but gave it right away.

I crawled into the bed and looked at the white ceiling not knowing whether to tell them about the incidents but saved it for the morning.

We planned to go outside to wander around the place but the rain is still pouring followed by heavy thundering and lightning.

In the morning there was a skin sucking hot and now it's raining.

How amazing.

At night I had rice and rasam for dinner, I'm okay with this meal but poor them, no one touched the rice at the end they had bread and jam.

"We have to go grocery shopping." I mentally took a note and went back to my room.

As usual, I talked with my dad's photo and drifted asleep but it's not easy to fell asleep in new places and as expected I had a black eye in the morning when I woke up.

I took a cold bath to cool down my whole cell and stepped out of the bathroom wrapping a towel around my small frame.

I went through the closet and took out the black ripped Jean and paired with the white tank top. After changing my dress, I climbed out of the stairs only to see my beloved six friends are arguing with each other over silly things.

"Guys! Seriously?" I gave everyone a pointed look then made my way towards the kitchen. If they were lazy to cook, then no worries, I will cook for them and will take advantage later.

I cooked the noodles but please don't expect this as five-star restaurant food, I put the raw noodles in the boiling water and added the masala, no onions, no tomato, or no vegetables.

We ate silently and I decided to tell them a piece of news that I figured out yesterday from the old lady who doesn't give a second glance before running to her destination.

Pin drop silence occupied the entire area before I received a silly comments none other than the pretty girl, Dacy. "We will give it a try then." Followed by everyone burst into laughter even Clara clutched her stomach as she was hearing a joke for the first time in her life history.

I shook my head and continued to eat my noodles. Now I regretted it. Why did I tell this news? it should be grateful if I didn't reveal this to them knowing they would make fun of this for a weak, but what can I say? I saw fear in her eyes when she said those words.

"Back to earth." Emiem waved her hand in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"We are planning to go for a walk. What do you say?" She asked once again.

"And the beast will come after 6, so we have plenty of time to wander around." Natasha chuckled and as an act of revenge, I made her wash the dish before heading outside.

I locked the door and pushed it to check whether it was locked correctly, it's one of my hobbies double-checking the door once I locked but my friends called this crazy.

"When will our car arrive?" Nichole asked while we all are walking through the narrow road that covered with full of scrubs.

"Maybe tomorrow or day after tomo-" I stopped when I notice the bunch of crows was flying around the particular area.

"Guys! Did you see this?" I pointed my finger to the crows.

"So, what?" Emiem asked casually.

Ignoring their questions as to where are you going? I walked towards the area and find the dead body of an old lady, not any old lady but the woman I met yesterday whose body was scattered everywhere except her head.

We looked at each other face, dread overwhelmed our body and I gulped down my own saliva, find it very hard to swallow.

Who did this to her? My body began to shake. With a trembling hand, I took the small brown hair which was soaked in the blood but it does not belong to this old lady cause she has pure white hair, not brown.

I will start my investigation from here. I put the hair in my clutch and rang the phone to Mr. Derick Declan who is in charge of this place. He is living in the city and just like other people he is believing the fabled story.

*

"Is that true? The monster is real and killed people who were living in this place?" Emiem, my best friend who has the same willpower like me asked taking me in complete utter shock.

Does she fell into their trap?

Back then no one was ready to accept my proposal when I came with the idea of investigating the 'Heil' named monster to prove to them how wrong they are, but Emiem stood by my side and sought support from my colleagues and even helped me to form a small team.

"No, someone is playing a trick on us. Can't you see? It happened just when we reached this city. Why it can't be before or not a week after?" I raised my eyebrows.

"They must have aware of our visit and wanted to scare us. So, they used that poor old lady as a bait who believed their fable story.

"They might have thought that we will leave after what we figured out the horrible dead body near the cottage but I will prove to them who I'm and what I'm capable of," I said like a vow.

"But Reil, the body was shattered into pieces and the fingerprints were even visible on her body. Don't you think it's not possible by an average human?" Natasha asked looking between us.

"Not a fingerprint, it looked like a claw." Chole corrected then glanced at me waiting for my opinion.

"They planned it very well, Chole. They killed a lady like how the monster would do and masked everything as the monster killed her to our eyes." I explained though I doubt whether they were capable of doing this.

"So, who are you referring to those 'they'?" Nichole asked popping the word 'they' in the air that made me think deep inside my brain regarding who would be them.

"I have no idea." I shrugged my shoulder.

"It may be one person or a group of team," Clara said giving me an assured smile silently saying she is with me until we figure out the truth.

"Yeah, maybe." Emiem turned her heels and headed to the kitchen to make us a delicious brunch.

As planned, today early in the morning we two went to the supermarket and did grocery shopping, for that we skipped breakfast not wanting to waste our time in the city and brought curiosity among the people because our appearance might have given them a clue as we did not belong to them.

Satisfied by my explanation everyone went back to their respective work whatever they were doing before the conversation about the monster began, but am I satisfied?

What about the brown hair I got from the dead body?

At first, I thought they left the fake trace of those brown hair desperately wanting us to fell into their trap but when I analyzed that hair, I find out a truth that the hair was not duplicate as I thought, rather it was real and belong to the animal and no one knew about the brown hair, even my best friend Emiem.

When Mr. Declan asked me, "Did you find anything different than usual?" I gave my answer 'no' although I wanted to tell him the truth. But my dad's words came to my mind, "Don't trust anyone even it is your own shadow when you are dead to find the truth."

Sighing heavily, I headed to the kitchen and helped her with cooking. One thing sure I will find out soon who is playing behind this tragedy.

---

"Okay, guys!! Listen." I clapped my hand to get their attention back.

"As we all know some of the research students from India are willing to help us and they are here to meet us." I glanced at my left side and nodded my head.

They walked towards me and stood proudly beside me. They all are sharing the same features as same hair colour as black and eyes as brown and their skin colour are light yellowish and to say they are blessed with having tanned skin as a protecting shield from the sun which is common in India, like to us they do not apply sunscreen when they go the beach and I don't think they need any.

"This is Kalai, Priya, Dhanu, Dharani and Pooja." I introduced everyone to my team members, as a response they nodded their head and smiled as well.

"You are going to pair with them and will work together to get our mission success," I informed and as a result, I received a playful remark from Natasha who is an expert in making any situation as worst as possible.

"Why? I said the matter of fact." She shrugged her shoulders. "If they were not girls, we would be glad to work with them. Otherwise what else funny to work with the same gender." She rolled her eyes making me glare at her hardly, even I don't want to.

"Small correction. It's you, not us." Emiem mocked her earning a squeal from everyone in the small room where the government has assigned for us to start our research.

The research centre is fine 30 minutes of walking distance from our cottage and we couldn't able to use our car because of the narrow road.

As I said earlier, it will fit for one person or two and my luck I asked my mom to send my Scooty instead of my truck but being today is the first day and I'm the one who is leading them from here, I walked with them too.

And I have one more reason why I didn't use my baby because I don't want to make them feel uneasy by using my Scooty while they were walking. Maybe after a week or two, I will use mine and they will walk all the way here from the cottage.

Whom I blame? I informed them already about the road conditions but they didn't take my words seriously and now they are getting their reward.

"Okay.. okay... now decide whom you want to pair with." I said glancing at my wristwatch what seemed to like nth time and groaned internally when the time passed 11:00 in the morning, yet he didn't decide to show up.

Where the hell he went? I asked Derick to report the head of the maintainer sharply at 10 in the morning.

"I will go with you." Emiem said and folded her arms against her chest daring me to say no but I said 'No.'

"No one is going with me and if anyone is willing to work with me, I will let you know about my condition," I said eventually looking at everyone.

"Condition no 1. I may work until night if there are any needs and 2. I don't go anywhere during the weekend as you plan, that may result in you are going to stay with me too." I said expecting a groan from everyone and I received the same that made me chuckle inwardly.

"Okay done. Go and pair with the monster." She scoffed and smiled looking at the small girl in the group whose name is Kalai.

"I will work with her." She pointed a finger at Kalai.

"What about others? Decide fast." I said and walked out of the room to get a good look at my soon, going to be cabin, that sure as hell as worst than the research centre before we cleaned.

And as expected the cabin was fully covered with dust and used things were thrown on the floor including blood.

Shit!! I cursed and walked out of the cabin unable to stand there any second.

Where is the maintainer anyway? As I was cursing mentally the unknown person maybe a 50 years old grandpa, my leg tripped on the carpet and when I'm about to fall, a hand snaked me around my waist and steadied me on the ground.

"Thanks!" I muttered looking at the handsome man who was smiling at me for an unknown reason.

"You are welcome. By the way, I'm Rakesh." He stretched his hand.

"Ahh-- I'm Reil." I shook his hand hesitantly.

"Derick asked me to come over but didn't expect to meet a breathtaking girl like you." He said without Shame.

"I'm leaving," I said brutally not caring whether it hurt him or not because it's not my fucking business.

"See you later." He waved not affected a bit. I rolled my eyes and walked past him.

Once I reached the ground floor where all the furniture had been arranged properly to make a room for us, I took the phone from my clutch and dialed the number who would resolve my problem, but even before the call goes my phone fell on the floor by the sudden force.

"Hey! You idiot." I yelled picking my broken phone from the floor and looked at the walking stick whose height should be 6.5', his back was facing at me.

"Are you blind?" I asked once he stood on his spot.

"I didn't see you stand there." Was his simple reply before he walking towards God knows where.

I ran after him and grabbed him by his shoulder then snatched his Cap away from him but shocked and stood there agape.

He was gorgeous and we have the similarities of having pale skin beside I look like an Angel where he is a monster whose eyes were pitch black and the mint colour of yellow is visible around his pupils.

"Do you have any manners?" I spat ignoring the giddy feeling I'm having right now by the way he is glaring at me, especially my hand which was holding his cap.

"Give it to me." He said calmly but the bitterness in his voice was not unnoticed by me. I shivered under his constant gaze and threw the cap on the floor

"Go and take it, Mr. Walking stick," I said smirking before turning my heels and leave the place as quickly as possible. If he blew me I would fly 10 miles away from the centre. That's how he seemed strong and his well-built body is evidence for that.

"Where have you been?" Emiem asked once I reached the room where we were before.

"Huh? I just went to make a phone call but one idiot cam--" even before I get the chance to finish my sentence, a voice interrupted us and Rakesh walked inside.

"Sorry guys. Here the guy you are looking for." He said looking at his friend whose face seemed familiar to me and I recognised him as a walking stick.

"Huh!!" I groaned. "What is he doing here? I asked annoyingly.

"He is the head of the maintainer." Rakesh looked at me confusingly.

I thought he would be an old man, not an evil handsome man who doesn't have the manners to ask sorry for breaking my phone.

"By chance do you know each other?" He asked and I shook my head as no.

"Ohh" then he looked at Emiem and gave her a shy smile. What's going on?

"His name is Blake Hunter." He introduced him and I narrowed my eyes at him when I caught him staring at me deep inside my soul as reading my inner thoughts.

I coughed awkwardly to gain his attention and he raised his face just to lock my eyes.

"Pleasure is all min---"

"Call me if anything needs." The walking stick walked out of the room not caring about what I'm coming to say, leaving me to stand there with an open mouth for the second time.

The nerve of him...

*