Chapter 1: One Dream.

Few hours earlier…

"Our dreams lead us, do, trust them with your heart and follow it with your mind and you will never be astray"

She was back from the trance of her grandma's memories.

Rania sighed feeling contented, well close to it because deep down she knew the moment she will be on the stage receiving the award in front of all the well-known designers whom she had idolized from the day she joined university. A smile made its way to her lips as she stood in the balcony of the 7-star hotel watching the iconic monument. She closed her eyes memorizing the moment while wrapping her arms around her with taking a deep breath inhaling the sweet exquisite scent of flowers in the balcony, this past week has been like living her dream in the city she had dreamed of every day. Rania couldn’t believe finally her dream came true – her thoughts were interrupted by a car honking on street. She shook her head with a smile and walked back inside her room to get ready for the event.

  

Rania Alejandro was 26-years old Mexican girl who completed her education in MA Fashion and was working as an assistant fashion designer in a boutique. She was brought up by her Grandma because at a very young age her parents died in a tragedy. She went in trauma; at that time her grandma took care of her. All the memories of her parents had faded except her parents death, she was close to her grandma because she was the only friend and relative she had but destiny had some other plans and soon her grandmother passed away from a lung disease, she thought her life ended and good things were over but her life took a detour. She got a scholarship in New York Fashion school where she met Alex Jones, she was her roommate but later both became besties more like sisters. After getting her degree in Fashion Rania and Alex got a job in a small boutique in Brooklyn where both worked as an assistant designer. She wanted to start her own clothing line but she didn't have that much fortune so, she applied for a contest and submitted her designs. No doubt she is very talented and had that unique elegance in her styles; she was a magnificent combination of beauty with brain. She had a slim petite figure with charcoal black hair, her fair complexion that complimented her chestnut brown eyes which had a magical shine like crystals and the job of cherry on the icing was her pale pink plum lips with a natural cupid's bow on upper lip; they weren't large nor too thin. They were perfect, soft and very much desirable. Rania had a voice like a melody in the summer breeze, she never talked in high pitch and her laughter was full of life nothing artificial just like her. She was a girl who cares about everyone around her. People admired her for the simplicity and an irresistible charm because of that men desired her and women courted her friendship.

Rania was excited and nervous at the same because as a reward she will receive fifty thousand euros including that her design was being featured in Paris fashion Ball. Rania was invited to Paris and she was staying there for one week for the event and tonight was a big night of her life because her dress will be showcased in front of many well-known designers. She had a mixture of emotions going inside her but above all of that she was missing her Grandma the most;

"You were right, Grandma,

Dreams can never be wrong; they always lead us to the right path!"

She mumbled to herself and looked at the reflection of a young lady who wasn't ready yet for the ball, she hurriedly went and sat in front of the bureau mirror and took out her makeup bag. Rania wears a Sabrina long beige sequin dress while her hair were tied in a soft updo bun, she did a Smokey eye make-up while applies a little blush on the apple of her cheeks and finishes with a nude pink lipstick to balance the look. She was ready to go. Rania grabbed her Clutch in Champagne Gold and the Invitation card. Before leaving the room, she took one last look at herself in the mirror;

"Ready to live my dream!"

She said blissfully and left the room.

*

"How long will it take us to reach the ball?"

Rania asks the driver while looking at the watch on her wrist,

"We will be there within half an hour, Madam!"

Say's the driver in his thick accent.

Rania sighed in relief and kept looking out of the window at the street and the cafe's around every corner with crowds while from far Eiffel tower showed up perfectly with light effects on it. She was lost in the beauty of this city; she was imagining herself with Alex having her own boutique here in Paris and living here. Rania was smiling to herself sheepishly enjoying her thoughts meanwhile the driver switches on the radio and a French song was playing;

"Why is it taking so long?"

Rania questions glancing at her watch again and then at the driver;

"Madam we are stuck in traffic, it will take time to reach the event",

The driver say's in his French accent.

Rania rolls her eyes and bites her lower lip with frustration;

"Is there any other route which could take me early to the Ball?"

Rania asks worriedly because she didn’t want to be late.

"Yes, there's one long route which goes straight to the ball but it goes through a dark area and it's..."

The driver was interrupted by Rania;

"It doesn't matter if it's dark; I believe your car has headlights, right!"

She said looking at the long line of cars.

The driver nodded his head and he took the road towards the long route, within few minutes they were on the route. Rania was relieved and started to enjoy the French music again. She took out her video cam to record because she had promised Alex that she will record her every moment of her stay in Paris and she kept her word by video-taping from the minute she stepped in the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to her tour in the city. And tonight, she wanted to capture her arrival at the Fashion Ball. Rania was pulled out of her thoughts when the car bumped into something. She almost bounced in the air while her head hits against the car roof with a thump. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the street;

"What was that?"

Rania creeps out and asks nervously looking at the driver;

"I don't know Madam but let me check!"

The driver steps out of the car and keeps his hand on his head in frustration when he looks at the tires. He peeks his head back inside the car through the window;

"Madam the front tires are punctured and I don't have spare one… So, I have to go and bring the tires and if I saw a cab, I will bring that for you or else you have to wait for a while until I get this tire fix!"

 He informs sadly and before Rania could ask him, he adds;

"Stay inside and lock the doors!"

With giving the precautions the driver leaves. Rania looks at him as his figure disappears in the dark, she quickly locks the doors and looks around at her surroundings. The street lights were broken only few of them worked and slowly a layer of mist was filling in the air. It appeared like no one lived there. The buildings were old and appeared abandoned. The trees near the buildings were huge and hovered over the street. Rania felt like she was in a scene from a horror movie, she got cold chills of fear;

"God,

I feel suffocated inside the car even though this place gives me chills but sitting inside would kill me"

Rania mumbled under her breathe.

She was getting scared of the place and felt suffocated in the car with the windows closed. She unlocked the door and stepped out of the car. A wind of cold air of blew and gave her shivers but she inhaled the fresh air and felt her nerves a bit relaxed. She took her mini camera and started recording. She had been doing a travel video for her best friend from the day she stepped in Paris, so, Alex could witness everything interesting that has been happening with Rania and at this moment she felt her best friend would be surprised by this strange place;

"Here I'm in the middle of a street… While taking a shortcut from the traffic our car's tire got punctured. So, the driver has gone to bring a spare tire while I'm waiting here in this spooky place by the way Alex look at that huge tree...”

Rania said as she kept showing the surroundings around her while she kept walking in search of a cab and ended up walking in a dark alley before she could walk further - she heard sounds coming from behind the wall. Rania walked towards the direction from where the noises came – she peeked behind the wall and felt her blood ran cold as her sight caught few men dragging a woman while she was calling out in French;

"Help me… help!”

The women struggled to get away from them but they were too strong.

The men gathered around her in a circle and one of them growled at her;

" Boss Lucien told you to shut your mouth but you betrayed him and planned to inform the police that he murdered the police Commissioner and the famous model Liza"

Rania freezes and she had no idea why the man was yelling at the lady but she knew one thing that he wasn't a good guy meantime the man took out a gun from his jacket and points at the lady. She tries to get up but the other man grabs her by arm as she cries out in pain;

"Please don't kill me I have little kids... Please, I promise I won't tell anyone about your boss…”

She pleaded in her native language but the cruel man shot her;

Scream...

A terrified sound of her bloodcurdling scream echo's in the air. Rania didn’t realize that she screamed in terror and before she could hide, they saw her. She encountered a murder something which was scariest then any of her nightmares;

"Catch her before she could inform the police”

The man yells out in French while pointing towards her. Rania runs for her life.

She had no idea where she was heading to but she was horrified because years back a murder she encountered changed her life and tonight she witnessed One Murder and what will it change now was her fear!

*