Prologue 1

Love, a glow that fills the heart. It makes you smile whenever it embraces you. The butterflies in your stomach begin to mingle. The shivers it gives you, the tingling it whispers are.

But, what if evil lurks in the shadow waiting for its chance to strike?

"Chad, please stay by my side," Marlie pleaded, her eyes pleading like a puppy's.

"Endure with me, my stray cat. I need to tie up loose ends at the office. Do you not wish for my undivided attention? I promise to return swiftly," Chad endeavored to persuade Marlie.

"But Chad..." she began to protest, yet the reality remained that Chad had duties at the workplace alongside his friends who had been casting annoyed glances in Marlie's direction, especially Spark Winterfill.

"Your specialty of indulging her always is bearing a result, Chad!" Spark jabbed.

"Business matters demand attention. Ken and Gideon have responsibilities to tend to. And am sure Mark also has patients to tend to. We cannot linger here indefinitely just because she gave birth to my nephew and niece!" Spark's tone grew heated.

"TSH... so you know!" A scowl displayed on Marlie's face.

Over thirty minutes elapsed yet Chad was still bidding farewell to Marlie. Tensions escalated, and Spark resolved to reason with both Chad and Marlie, yet his efforts yielded no fruit.

"She craves attention after we shifted focus to the twins!" Ken snapped sharply, pushing Marlie to her limit.

"You know what, why not seek partners of your own and cease pestering my husband? You are a constant thorn in my flesh!" Marlie retorted, her voice tinged with anger.

"Huh," Spark scoffed. "Have you forgotten, I am married too, you insolent brat!"

"I am aware. No need to boast excessively!" Marlie teased. "I eagerly await the tables turning in six months when Ingrid welcomes your child, jerk!"

This revelation startled the group. Spark appears to never like his wife. But for this outcome and that too just 7months into their marriage?

"Wait, what does that imply? Ingrid is..." Chad's voice trailed off, looking between Marlie's and Spark's faces. A joyous smile formed at the thought of his friend becoming a parent.

"Ah, his mood swings make sense now," Mark mused, earning a frosty glare from Spark.

"Spark..." Gideon began cautiously, anticipation evident in his expression. However, Spark opted to not say anything about that.

"You know what, I have more pressing matters than witnessing this drama. I'm leaving..."

Though he used this excuse to gain a chance to leave, Ken wasn't one to overlook such statements.

"Hold on, weren't you the one who wasn't happy with your chosen wife? What changed? And all of this just in 7 months?" Ken inquired, prompting Spark to shoot him a glare.

"Whoa, that was quick," reacted Ken, surprised. "Dude, you are the man !" He gave Spark a thumbs up.

"Say another word and I'll ensure your head meets a bus!" Spark exclaimed amidst their laughter.

As they laughed, a call came in. But the moment the call ended, Chad's expression turned solemn. The jovial atmosphere dissipated as they focused on Chad. They all wanted to know why his face looked gloomy. What was the call about?

"It's Angelina," Chad explained.

The room fell silent as the name Angelina spelled trouble for them. Marlie's heart skipped a beat. That crazy woman was sent to the asylum just a year ago. And their lives have been better with her, Sylvia, and Audrey out of their lives, including Uncle Sanchez. But the mention of that name alone brings a threat to their happiness.

Spark and Chad exchanged a glance. They knew she would be shaking with fear if that woman was released under any circumstance but Chad was looking at his wife for another reason.

"The mental facility where she was... it caught fire and..." Chad hesitated, his attention fixed on Marlie.

“And?” Spark’s inquiry pierced the heavy silence.

They were all waiting for what Chad had to say. And after a moment of silence, Chad breaks the news.

“No one made it out alive,”

A somber mood settled over the group. The message was clear: Angelina had also met her demise within those burnt walls. Despite Angelina's tumultuous past, no one wished for her to end like that, especially Marlie.

“I am to be blamed. I sent her there...” Marlie lamented, her expression reflecting profound regret. Chad noticed the waves of guilt washing over her features.

“We were looking for what's best for her. No one knew this would happen,” Chad reassured, running his hand through Marlie’s hair and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Don't blame yourself."

“ Uncle Sanchez deserves to know about what happened to his daughter,” Chad informed Marlie, who acquiesced. The pain of losing a loved one was no easy burden to bear. Marlie had experienced it before, the shock and sorrow of losing her sister, Charlotte Anderson (Charlie), still fresh in her memory.

“How will he cope?” Marlie pondered, feeling a pang of sympathy for Mr. Sanchez.

"You need not worry Marlie. You know you might have nightmares if you think about it too much. Gets some sleep. I will check on the kids before leaving" Mark assures Marlie and they all went out.

One thing he said about her was right. She has nightmares anytime something bad happens.

****

Nightmare

Coming out of the washroom, Marlie encountered an unexpected presence in her room. A figure cloaked in black stood before her, a veil of mystery shrouding her identity.

“Can I assist you?” Marlie inquired, puzzled by the stranger’s silent stance.

A surge of unease washed over Marlie as the figure refused to turn, prompting her to scrutinize the silhouette more closely. It was someone she knew, someone who spelled trouble.

“An...An...Angelina?” Marlie stammered, the realization dawning on her.

“So, you recognize me,” the figure’s chilling response elicited a shiver from Marlie.

“You’re... you’re supposed to be dead!” Marlie’s voice trembled as she grappled with the surreal encounter.

“Do you truly believe that? Well, I am here now, that means I'm not dead!" the figure retorted with a devilish smirk before slowly revealing her disfigured face.

It was indeed Angelina, her features marred by fire. Marlie recoiled in terror at the sight of the wrathful, twisted version of Angelina before her.

“I’ve come back to haunt you, Charlie(Marlie)!"

Swiftly, Angelina lunged towards Marlie, attempting to strangle her, which caused Marlie to snap back to reality, and a gasp escaped her lips.

******

But one thing that goes hand in hand with her dreams is that they are always true.

After gasping for air for a moment, Marlie realized she had been dreaming.

"It was all just a dream, Marlie. She isn't real. She is dead!" Marlie reassured herself.

However, her reassurance proved futile the moment she lifted her gaze to the door, spotting a figure standing just outside.

A woman draped in black, unkempt hair and a partly disfigured face, donning red eyes and a wicked grin, the same image in her dream.

"Angelina?..."