One measured step at a time left dreadful clicking sounds echoing through the hallway. He looked around as if searching for something, his nose scrunched with disgust and anger.

"Lola" He called, his voice resonating across the silent corridor. "I hate games" He searched with his eyes, hoping for a movement or shadow.

From where she hid, she slammed her trembling palms over her lips, her body drenched with sweat and fright. She tried not to breathe with the fear that he would hear her breath.

"Lola" He called again, his steps closer and more audible. His patience ran out each second that passed. Her throat clogged and she felt like she would cry out anytime soon. She pressed her hands harder against her lips, tears streaming down her wet face. Through her blurred vision, she saw his legs, just where she was. He paused, looking around, searching for her to show her his wrath. "I hate games. Just come out and let's get through with what we started"

She balled her fist harder, pressed her lips together tighter, her toes curled. She wanted to breathe but she couldn't. She dare not.

"Babe" He called out again, taking few steps away. Each step that led him away nearly had her releasing a breath of relieve. The sounds of his shoes continued, becoming distant. His patience ran out. "Lola!" He yelled out. This time, he began to search frantically for her, allowing his anger to drive him. He pulled curtains apart, Opened and slammed doors. And she heard everything he did, almost dying where she was.

She was almost suffocating. There was little oxygen remaining where she was. Water spilled out of her eyes, brown eyes wide with terror. The corner was hot. Body fluid oozed out of her skin, saturating the silky robe she had on. The noise stopped. For a minute, she hoped he had given up the search and left but she knew him better. He won't. He would search endlessly. Each passing second left a nerve pounding terror on her chest like a weight.

Then the curtain flew open, her eyes went wide. He has found her! He has found her! His frame stood tall and confident with that signature smirk on his face. "Gotcha!" He laughed to her face.

Lola woke up with a start, sweat grazed her body. She laid, paralysed and cold, her body curled like a foetus in its mother's womb. It took her few minutes before she moved, before the fear and chillness on her skin fade away. Lola turned around, lifting a hand to her face. Cold liquid painted the tip of her fingers. She had been crying while dreaming. Sniffling, she rose to sit up on the bed as she wiped her tears off. When she left the club, she had been tipsy on alcohol. Getting home some minutes past one in the morning, she had crashed on the bed into a deep slumber. Now, it was sixteen minutes past three and she had woken up from a nightmare, a reason she does not like to sleep.

Her throat felt dry. She reached for the jug of water, took a gulp then got down from the bed. There was a heavy pounding in her head, the kind that made her feel dizzy a little bit. The emptiness of her stomach had her yearning for anything to eat. She opened the fridge in her room to find it empty. The maid had not restocked it. She felt the quick whip of anger at the maid's incompetency. What was she paid to do if not work? Lola headed out of the room, still in her club dress. The heels she had worn, flung around the room.

She forced herself not to think, not to have a splitting image of the past. It was the past and not meant to be remembered. It's meant to be forgotten and locked away, a thing she had succeeded in doing. Even the psychiatrist back then had not succeeded in making her talk about it.

"Lola?" A voice called from behind as if unsure if she was really the one.

Lola gasped out, the half-eaten chocolate falling from her hand as she twirled around.

"Grandma" She breathe out then bent down to pick up the chocolate.

Rebecca smiled at Lola, threading into the kitchen. Her eyes hidden behind thin rimmed eyeglasses brightened. Lola gave her a smile, still shaken from the dream she had but the dread in her veins had not made way to her facial muscle or skin. Her nerves were jittering. Rebecca pulled off her eyeglasses and stretched out her frail hands at her granddaughter. Lola took them into hers and hugged her grandmother. The old lady was still beautiful with her snowy white hair permed.

"Why are you awake, grandma?" She gave the old lady feathery pecks on her cheeks.

"I could not sleep" Noticing the mini ruffle emerald green skirt and red crop top, Rebecca wrinkled her nose. "Are you just coming home?" She eyed her granddaughter.

"No. I have been home for two hours. I slept off like this"

"Came home drunk?"

"No, tipsy" she grinned.

"Aralola" Rebecca called her by her full name. "I have something to say to you"

"When you call my full name, then it's serious"

Rebecca gave a sheepish grin. "What do you think of Joshua?"

Lola began to wave a finger at her grandmother. "No, granny. Don't bring him up now. I am not interested" she turned away taking a big bite from her chocolate.

"Sweetheart, that guy....."

"Anything about a man is a big no for me" Lola began to pace the kitchen, chewing the bonbon with urgency.

"He is a nice man" Rebecca moved closer. Lola rested her back against the counter and chewed at the rest of the chocolate before flinging the wrapper away.

"You can rant about how good he is but I am not giving him a damn chance" She growled.

"You should be going out with someone, Aralola" Her grandmother moved to stand in front of her. The old lady's perfume of Arabian musk permeated Lola's nose, yet Lola had not acknowledged her grandmother's presence. "You have never bring home a man or talk about any man"

"That's because there's no one" She paused as it clicked in. Slowly, Lola turned to look at her mother. "We had tonight's dinner because you wanted me to meet that good for nothing"

A guilty smile formed over Rebecca's face. "You caught your grandfather and I"

"Don't tell me both of you have been scheming behind my back"

"We care, sweetheart" Her grandmother took her hand. She was furious, Rebecca realised. She saw the dislike for the young promising man they spoke about in Lola's eyes. "We care about your future"

Lola went rigid for a moment. Her eyes which were already restless became a raging inferno of golden fire. The brown of her eyes becoming lighter. A vein ticked in her forehead then the outburst came. "Which future?" She yanked her hand away. "What future?" She took a step back, agony evident on her face. "I am asking you a fucking question granny. Which future do you care about?" She shouted, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Is it the future that has been ruined five years ago that you care about?" Lola's voice grew louder. "God, you people do not understand" She turned away.

"We do. We...."

"Don't tell me that!" She slammed a palm against the marble top. "What do you understand? Do you understand the pain I went through? I was screaming yet he continued! I begged and begged!"

Rebecca saw it and knew it was just the beginning. Her palms began to sweat. "Lola, you have to calm down" She rubbed her palms over her nightie. Why had she started the conversation? She knew it was going to piss her.

"Don't tell me that!" Lola pushed away the bowl of fruit. The glass bowl rolled over the kitchen island before landing on the floor. The crash echoed through the quiet kitchen. "Don't tell me to calm down!" She kicked a cabinet.

"Oh my God, Lola" Rebecca took an alarming step back. "You are allowing him get into you. You are proofing that he has succeeded in what he had done even though that guy is still behind bars"

"Enough! Just stop there! I do not want to talk about him"

"You can't keep running away from that conversation"

"I do not want to say a thing about him"

"You have to. It's been five years and you have never say a thing about what about that night to anyone. You need a man Lola. You have to get married and settle down. You have to be happy. You can't keep pushing all of them away. You have to give someone a chance and I know a good man. He is Joshua"

Lola sneered. "Joshua? Hm?" She took a bold step closer to Rebecca. The twitch had begun in her fingers. Her skin felt hot. "He is not even my type. He got no money or class. His family is not the one with the big name. Why are you pushing me to an impoverished man?" Rebecca gasped out at the harsh word.

"Lola! Be humble and please never speak that way in front of anyone and he might not be as rich as we are but he got money. He works for ExxonMobil"

"His salary in ExxonMobil is the price of one of my bags. That's a big difference, grandma"

"Never say that to him. Those kind of words will hurt anyone"

Lola huffed. "Whatever" she rolled her eyes.

"Lola" Now sure Lola anger had started to fade away, Rebecca stepped closer then rested a hand on Lola's shoulder. "You cannot continue this way. It's been five years. You have to let go of the past"

"How about you mind you fucking business grandma and stop poke nosing into my life?"

"Language Lola. I am your grandmother" Rebecca's face turned grim.

"I don't care! For someone as old as you are, you really know how to do shit. You need rest for your age. At eighty something, you have to rest and stop stressing yourself over minute issues like mine. Be a good old lady and go and sleep. Goodnight" She hugged her grandmother again then left.