CHAPTER NINE – GLIMPSE OF FEAR


    Riona gently opened the door and stepped out. As soon as she stepped out, she was intrigued by the


    sight in front of her. Right before her at the extreme of the garden were two wolves standing together. It


    was clear that they were unaware of her presence and so they did not make any attempt to run away.


    Riona’s jaw dropped in fear. Her legs were shaking and she could not move an inch from where she


    was standing. She wanted to run away from them as she feared she would be noticed and attacked.


    Her mind went to Sandra who was inside the house and the thought of any harming to her made


    her have goose bumps. She would not want any harm toe to Sandra while under her care.


    She tried to scream but could barely let a single word out. In her fear, she began to gasp for breath.


    ……………………………………….


    *I think someone is here with us* Maeve told Wright.


    *Damn it, it''s Rio* Wright cursed. *For how long has she been here?*


    *I can’t say for sure, but she has seen us and I don’t know what she is nning to do* she responded.


    Wright was confused on how to handle Riona. He does not just want to hide from Riona, but also wants


    to make her forget what she had seen. He felt it was not yet time to reveal his true identity to Riona. In


    fact, he might never reveal this part of him to her unless he is very sure that she would need such


    information.


    He knew how Riona reacts to things, especially things that she could not easilyprehend. As it is,


    he cannot say the exact thing that Riona would do, but he was sure that whatever it is will not be good.


    *We have to be careful in doing this. She must never know what she is seeing. In fact, this is not real, it


    never happened* he instructed.


    …………………………………………………


    Riona recovered herself and immediately ran into the house. Sandra who had been sitting patiently


    waiting for Riona all along saw as Riona had run into the house quickly got up and ran after her.


    “What is happening?” Sandra called after Riona.


    Riona did not stop to respond to Sandra but continued in her quest. She climbed up the staircase and


    rushed to bang on her dad’s door.


    “Open up daddy. Are you inside? Please open right now” Riona screamed.


    “Rio” Sandra called.


    Riona continued to ignore Sandra “daddy” she screamed.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The door opened and Wright came out. “What is it Rio, why are you screaming?”


    “Dad” Riona murmured. For some reason, Riona was surprised to see her dad standing before her.


    “Yes Rio, this is me” Wright said.


    Riona looked around and then at her dad. “You are here?”


    Wright was getting scared. Riona sounded as if she knew that he was the wolf she had seen in the


    garden just now.


    “Yes I am. You cane inside” Wright replied.


    He looked at Sandra. “Hello Sandra”


    “Hello Mr. Wright” Sandra giggled.


    As if just realizing herself, Riona said “There are some wolves in the garden dad, I saw them there right


    now”


    “What!” Wright eximed. “And how were they able to get into my property?”


    “You’ve got toe take them out right away dad. I don’t know how you are going to do that because


    they are very huge and fiery” Riona said.


    “But are you sure about this?” Wright asked. “Because there is no way any wild creature would get into


    this property”


    “You have toe right away dad. I wouldn’t want them to get away” Riona said.


    “Okay dear” Wright said and dashed out.


    Riona and Sandra ran after him.


    When they arrived at the garden, Riona took them to where the wolves had stood. They looked around


    the area but there was no wolf in sight.


    “You said you saw some wolves here, are you sure that you were not hallucinating, honey?” Wright


    asked.


    “But dad, I am so sure about that. They were right at this spot, the extreme of this garden” Riona


    exined.


    “But the gates are properly shot” Wright said.


    “Dad, the wolves were right here. They were exactly like those I had seen at Maeve’s ce” Riona


    replied.


    Riona wanted so much for her dad to believe her. Even though she cannot tell how the wolves that she


    had seen were able to escape or how they had gotten in the first ce, she knew what she had seen.


    “There we go again darling. Now it is obvious that you have been hallucinating and I understand,


    believe me, I do” he said.


    Wright leaned on one knee in front of Riona and said to her. “I understand that you are going through


    so much right now and I also understand how difficult these times are for you. Please you don’t have to


    think too much”


    “I am not hallucinating” Riona said.


    “What is a wolf Mr. Wright, are they werewolves?” Sandra asked.


    “That is only a myth Sandra. There are no such things as werewolves” Riona responded.


    Riona’s response only confused Sandra the more. If just now, she was insisting that she had seen


    some wolves, why then would she still im that there is nothing like werewolves.


    “But you said you saw two of them right here in this garden?” Sandra interrogated.


    Wright stood up and decided that it was better to keep quiet and listen to the discussion between the


    girls. Maybe that way, Riona would dismiss the whole wolf stuff and let him be.


    “Yes I did. But I didn’t say werewolves” Riona replied.


    Sandra was not ready to give up. “And what difference does that make?”


    “You see, there is a difference between the two” Riona began.


    Sandra cuts in “Have you seen a werewolf?”


    “I just say there is nothing as such” Riona replied calmly.


    “If it is not real, howe there is a difference between it and a wolf?” Sandra asked.


    Riona thought about the best way to respond to Sandra and she figured that giving up her im would


    be the best solution.


    “You know what Sandra” Riona said.


    “What is it?” Sandra asked.


    “Let’s just say that I did not see any wolves here. You see the gates are perfectly under locks and keys


    so there is no way anyone would have had ess to this ce” Riona replied.


    “But I saw you running and panting just now” Sandra wanted to object but Riona stopped her


    “No but here, dear. You just heard my dad say that I was hallucinating. So we would leave it at that, at


    least for now” Riona said.


    “Of course there is no way anyone would get ess to this ce. So there was no wolf right?” Sandra


    asked.


    “Maybe there is not” Riona replied.


    “Since we have all agreed that there is nothing here, can we all go inside? I have a great package for


    you girls” Wright announced.


    “Yeah” Sandra screamed.


    Wright carried Sandra and headed for the house. Riona followed quietly behind. She knows what she


    saw and she was sure that in the nearest future, she would be able to understand all the mystery


    surrounding the existence of the wolves that she always sees.