THE DIARY OF HAYLEY RYLES

THE DIARY OF HAYLEY RYLES

One fateful rainy season in the month of August, 3 friends, Theresa, Veronica and Danielle were returning from their evening classes. They had wanted to just take a cab and go home but the strict and rigorous warning Mr Thomas their English teacher gave them about studies made them stop by the library to read for the upcoming exams 

They had planned for 2 hours, no more no less

The three teenagers had this at the back of their mind as they strode through the library looking for a particular English textbook. Careful not to raise their voices or laugh too loud. 

"Ouch" Theresa groaned in pain rigorously rubbing her palms on her toes, earning stares in the process

Danielle and Veronica sprinted by her side

"Are you okay?" Danielle asked

"Yea yea, I'm fine" she susurrated "I just bumped into........"

"What is that??" Veronica said cutting Thelma off

Danielle rose an eyebrow and gave the parcel a disgusted look

Without any reply Veronica attempted to pick the parcel up but was precipitously halted by Danielle

"Please let's go" Danielle began uncomfortably walking past the parcel "We don't wanna be here till 6, we've got work to do" 

"Yea" Theresa agreed but Veronica's gaze at the parcel showed no positive reply 

"Hold on girls" Veronica halted stalling her two friends "This doesn't look like an ordinary parcel" 

"That is why we should take our leave......"

"No, that is why we should look into it, aren't you curious? Veronica cut Thelma off with her gaze solemnly fixed on the parcel

Allowing curiousity get the best of her, slowly and carefully, Veronica went on her knees, making her way to the parcel and slowly tearing it off......

Danielle heaved a sigh of defeat

What was in the parcel gave Theresa goosebumps

A diary. A red rosy diary

"A diary??" Danielle said almost yelling asking nobody in particular 

"Let's just go, this is not our business, the librarian will find it sooner or later and hand it to it's rightful owner" Theresa said in a futile attempt to convince Veronica

"It is wrong to intrude on someone's privacy" Theresa added

Veronica's thumb grazed the suspish looking diary ignoring Theresa

"Veronica" Danielle called sternly forcefully cutting Veronica from her trance "let's go"

"What crazy being would leave a diary in a parcel and drop it in a library, in the artifacts section for goodness sake" 

"That's none of our business Ver" Danielle replied almost immediately

Veronica was bent on knowing the contents of the weird rosy diary

Theresa and Danielle rolled their eyes as they watch Veronica paw through the contents of the book, taking note of how her reaction swirled from nonchalance to curiosity and then to intense dread

"What is it??" Danielle asked with worry laced on her voice, without an answer she and Theresa scrambled to her side 

Theresa was still on the first page of the diary. What was written there was enough to capture the attention of anybody unfortunate enough to try to read it.

IF YOU ARE HOLDING THIS DIARY IN YOUR HANDS, THEN THAT MEANS I AM DEAD AND MY BODY WOULD PROBABLY BE DEPOSITED AT A PLACE NO ONE WOULD EVER FIND IT.

MY NAME IS HAYLEY RYLES. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS. MY PERSONAL DETAILS WILL NOT BE NECESSARY FOR NOW BUT IN TIME, YOU WILL KNOW ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW. 

IT IS NOT A MISTAKE THAT YOU FOUND THIS DIARY. IT IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MACHINATIONS OF FATE AND IT IS FOR GOOD. 

MILES AWAY FROM HERE IS AN ARTEFACT THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD AND THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE LOCATION. ME AND SOMEONE ELSE.

THE OTHER PERSON IS A VERY TERRIBLE HUMAN AND MUST UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE, LAY HOLD OFF THAT ARTEFACT BEFORE ME OR ANYONE WILLING TO HELP ME RETRIVE IT.

BESIDES HELPING YOU LOCATE THE ARTEFACT, THIS DIARY WILL POINT YOU TO THE LOCATION OF 52 MILLION DOLLARS IF YOU FIND THE MONEY, IT IS YOURS TO KEEP. IT WAS MINE BUT OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE.

THE ARTEFACT IS THE GOAL. IT IS A POWERFUL BRACELET GOTTEN FROM ONE OF THE VILLAGES IN AN ANCIENT KINGDOM OF PRE COLONIAL BENIN IN AFRICA. IT HAS THE POWER TO CURE ANY ILLNESS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD. YOU MAY NOT NEED IT BUT I WOULD WANT YOU TO RETRIEVE IT AND GIVE IT TO IT'S RIGHTFUL OWNER.

A YOUNG BOY OF 20. HIS NAME IS DAVIS SMITH. HE IS A TWIN

YOU MUST HELP ME BUT THE CHOICE IS ULTIMATELY YOURS BECAUSE THE SUCCESS AND FATE OF EVERYONE WILL DEPEND ON HOW ZEALOUSLY YOU COMMIT YOURSLEF INTO THIS.

IF YOU WANT TO HELP ME. PLEASE, KEEP THIS DIARY FAITHFULLY. IT IS NO ORDINARY DIARY.

The girls dropped the book back the bag with surprise.

"What nonsense!" Theresa spat derisively "Please let's get out of here! I told you not to read it, now see as you have me all rattled"

"Ancient kingdom and magic bracelet indeed" Danielle hissed and dragged Theresa with her. Veronica was too shocked to say anything. She numbly followed her friends, shocked at all the petrifying gibberish she had just read.

From a distance, a shadow watched them as they walked out of the library briskly, trying to keep as much distance between them and the phantom diary as possible and the shadow merged comfortably into the darkness.

First part of the dreary mission had been safely covered.

All that was needed was for someone to find the book and open it and now they had found - not one, but 3 people, the real games will begin. It didn't matter if they went home with the book, opening the book had set in motion, a chain of events that would be remembered for all of history.

And these 3 girls were the catalyst.

Sure, HAYLEY RYLES existed but she wasn't "dead" in the actual sense of the word, she never even lived.

She was a trapped demon begging to be freed.