Maya's POV

Heart in my throat, I quickly balled up my hands into fists and approached the door with a sense of caution. I was still reeling from the effect of that nightmare so my imagination was pretty high at the moment.

As if to heighten the spookiness of this moment, a flash of lightning lit my room accompanied by a deafening thunderclap.

I fought against the urge to cower away in fear, instead steeled my heart and opened the door in one clean move.

I was prepared to fight against any attack that would come at me but surprisingly, the supposed attacker was a lot of inches shorter than me.

"Isabella? " I asked, just to confirm it was really her "What are you doing here? "

Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I rubbed the bridge of my nose and groaned in relief. So it was Isabella after all and not an attacker as I envisaged?

Izzy was standing in front of my room while clasping a large pillow against her chest while a large blanket was draped securely around her head and billowed out to the floor.

If not for the lightning in the passage, I would've mistaken her for a ghost.

"What are you doing here? " I asked again when I didn't get any reply.

As usual typical Isabella ignored me and tried to strut into my room but I lifted my leg and blocked her path.

" I asked you a question, " I reminded her sternly.

Upon seeing I was serious, she let the blanket drop to the ground and began.

"I can't sleep in that room "

Confusion set in, "Why can't you sleep in your room Isabella? "

"They.caught.a.snake.in.my.room." She emphasized.

"Which.has.been.removed." I pointed out but Isabella was far from over.

"They caught one, what's the probability there isn't another one hiding in there right now? " She argued, pointing to the direction of her room.

Well, who knows? I wasn't good with mathematics anyway.

"Besides " She continued, " This is the countryside with lots of wildlife, a snake sneaked in today. Who can tell that? I might find an alligator on my bed the moment I wake up tomorrow morning - if I ain't resting in its belly already "

I threw my head back and chuckled, "Izzy, your theory is ridiculous " I laughed it away.

"A snake finding its way into my toilet would have been ridiculous if it hadn't happened " She made a solid point.

Great, I forgot Isabella could argue her way out of a problem. The girl should really pursue a profession in law, she would make a good attorney - ah right, she has a conglomerate awaiting her leadership already.

"So, what are you going to do? " I asked her deliberately just to arouse an answer out of her, but you should know Izzy by now.

She gave me a deadpanned look," Are you testing my intelligence? Or are you teasing me? Or are you pretending to be stupid? Why do you think I'm standing in front of your room? " She peppered me with questions rudely.

"You rude girl! " I knocked her on the head and she glared at me while soothing the pain on her head with her hand.

"If you're going to be staying here with me tonight, you have to learn to be polite " I reprehended her.

"Whatever " She rolled her eyes and strolled into my room, dragging her overflowing blanket along with her.

Izzy tossed the sleeping materials in her arms to my bed before she bounced on it , looking up at the ceiling.

"Nice bed you got here, I always knew uncle Eden played partially" She accused him while stretching herself out.

What does she mean? Wasn't her bed this soft?

About to inquire more from her, I hardly took a step forward when a soft knock sounded on the door. It was so gentle I wouldn't have heard it, had I not been standing close to it.

A lot bolder this time, I swung the door open but I wasn't really surprised when I saw Anabelle with her own pillow and sheet.

Where there is an Isabelle, there's always an Anabelle.

"Okay, what's your own excuse this time? " I asked hands on my waist.

Anabelle shivered," I'm afraid of the thunderclaps "

To prove her claim, another flash of lightning crossed my room, followed by a roaring thunderclap as the rain pounded on the roof.

Anabelle screamed and ran to me, latching her arms around my waist tightly. She gripped me in a death hold and refused to let go amidst my pleading and cajoling, for once I was grateful that wasn't my neck.

She held onto me for dear life leaving me with no choice than to walk to the bed with her in that awkward position while Isabella snickered at the scene.

Having known both kids were too competitive and possessive of me and definitely would fight for sleeping arrangements, I purposely lay in the middle with them at my sides, tucked warmly under the covers.

For some minutes we lay in silence, listening to the sound of the rain hitting the roof when Isabella decided to ask.

"What are you going to do from now on? "

I turned my head towards her, " What do you mean? "

"You're practically jobless, what are you going to do ? "

I smiled, "Focus on my career, also I have to audition for a role next week "

Izzy wrinkled her nose in disapproval "Acting? That's so lame. Besides, the entertainment industry is so corrupt these days. I don't want them to taint you "

My chest bubbled with joy upon hearing her comment, "Oi, do you like me this much? " I teased her on purpose by poking her on the ribs.

Isabella had a hard time keeping a straight face, " Who said anything about liking you? " She snorted and continued.

"You're all naive and kind now but once you become a big shot, you're bound to become pompous. Besides, you're the only one gullible enough to fall into my traps aside from Anabelle "

"I am not gullible!" Anabelle who we thought had fallen asleep sat up and defended herself fiercely.

"You're not yet asleep?" I asked surprised.

"Me? Fall asleep with Isabella on the same bed?" She huffed, "Who knows what prank she would play on me in my sleep? "

I looked towards Isabella with an accusing look but she threw her face the other way, pretending to be oblivious to the issue at hand.

"Has she done anything to you in your sleep in the past? " I asked curiously having seen the seriousness on her face.

"Of course " She settled her intense gaze on the guilty Izzy who still refused to meet her eyes.

"On December twenty-six, when we were eight years old during the family's annual winter gathering. After lunch, while I was having my siesta, she! "

She pointed to Izzy and continued her tale, "She sneaked into my room and drew a graphic cat whisker's and nose on my face with a permanent marker. "

I shook my head internally, for such a young child to still remember the date? That must have been a bad experience.

Izzy clicked her tongue, "Your face was just so irresistibly cute and smooth that I thought it was a drawing board"

She lifted her right hand nonchalantly, "So my fingers inched for a drawing, what's so bad about it? "

"Y-you! Do you know how many hours of scrubbing it took me to remove those stains? " Anabelle questioned her angrily.

"The more you scrub, the more the dirt get off, don't you know the saying? "

There was a trace of confusion on my face, why haven't I heard such saying? Unless she made those up?

"Stop saying nonsense " Anabelle rebutted her. " I have never heard of that "

"Why would you hear of it? You're not exactly a bright student"

"Alright kids, knock it out " I came in to settle the dispute " Isabella would not do anything to you " I assured my little pumpkin.

"How would you know?"She retorted.

"I have been sleeping throughout the day, so I don't feel drowsy any longer which means I would be able to protect you from your cousin's snarls and pranks "

Her eyes brightened, "Really? "

I nodded, " Really "

"Thank you aunt Maya " She hugged me and lifted the sheet to cover her body, going to sleep right away.

"Goodnight Pumpkin " I pecked her on the forehead as she smiled with her eyes closed.

"Ugh! " Isabella who had been staring at the scene snorted in disguise and lay back on the bed - ThankGod!.

"Goodnight Izzy " I bent and pecked her too and aside from scrunching up her face, she didn't resist my display of affection.

I shook my head, amused. Even though she acts all tough and cold-hearted, she is still one sweet girl.

So I pulled a vigil all through the night or so I thought cause when the morning came, I find out I slept off in the process.

I panicked when I found out Isabella's side of the bed was empty which meant she had awoken already; I quickly checked on Annabelle.

A huge sigh of relief was released when I found out Annabelle was alright, no harm was done to her by her cousin.

Quickly, I left for my bathroom in order to wash up and prepare for the day ahead. I had already walked past my bathroom vanity when I froze and retraced back my steps.

Eyes wide and mouth agape from shock, I stared hard at the face looking back at me from the mirror.

There was a detailed koala drawing on my face! No, no, no, this had better be not what I'm thinking, permanent marker?

"Isabella!!!!!!! "