"Who is there?" Aunty's voice was no longer timid, but much stronger, words slightly tinged with anger.

 

RaRa startled at her mother's voice and tried to back up and away from her voice. Gill was still confused. 

 

Isn’t this Aunty, RaRa's beloved mother? What was going on?

 

The sound of a door opening reached their ears and they heard RaRa's mother's footsteps as she surveyed the room closest to the stairs.

 

The rain had started getting heavier.

 

"Where are you?" Aunty's voice rang out, each word bitten off in anger.

 

"Why can't there be any peace in this house. I really can't rest with this racket going on."

 

RaRa huddled closer to Gill. Sunshine warmth, all gone. She was emitting waves of pure cold. She buried her head in his chest and clutched tightly onto him, as if he was her only life line and that she was drowning, drowning, drowning.

 

A vision slammed through Gill.

 

"You will wear these cute dresses." Aunty said, and shoved one of the long sleeved dresses RaRa oft wore, towards her. "A girl must always look her best and be at her best at all times. It's not easy to survive in a world where males dominate. If you want to survive, you have got to be better than them in all ways. Starting with a cute look and a demure deposition."

 

The vision of RaRa disappeared as quickly as it appeared. 

 

"Who is it?"

 

"Is that you, my daughter?"

 

Yet another wave of cold accompanied by another vision.

 

"Children must be demure, or no one will love them. Children must be cute or no one would want them." A thin belt snaked towards RaRa, leaving red, raised welts on a flinching and whimpering RaRa's arms."

 

"Who is it?"

 

"Will the noise not stop?!"

 

"Why can't everyone be quiet?!"

 

Another vision accompanied the lightning. Where were these visions coming from?

 

"My beautiful lovely daughter. I love you so much. You are so perfect the way you are." Aunty hugged a happy, wriggling RaRa. With a bright peal of laughter, RaRa hugged Aunty back.

 

The vision was gone in a flash.

 

"Silence, silence, blessed silence. Once I wring your neck." Aunty sing-songed.

 

Gill was paralyzed by another vision before he was able to even move a twitch. The visions. They seemed to come from RaRa's emotionally charged contact with him.

 

"Children must neither be seen nor heard nor heard or none would want them. You will behave!" This time a hanger headed towards RaRa.

 

Vision switch.

 

"My darling! You're home from school! How is your day! Come, sit with me and tell me about it!" Aunty held out a freshly baked tray of RaRa' favourite mini cookies. RaRa bounced towards Aunty.

 

Step. Step. Step. Thunder boomed.

 

"Where is my daughter, is that you my dear? You are the perfect child now. Not a peep now. Not ever." There was a slight pause as Aunty seemed to have lost her train of thought before screeching "You are not allowed to leave. Ever!"

 

"Stop hiding. Stand here and take this punishment. I am ashamed that I have brought up such a daughter. This is what you deserve. There is no one who will come to the rescue of an unwanted and unloved child of an unwanted and unloved mother. You have brought shame to me." RaRa was forcefully dragged from behind the open umbrella she tried to hide behind.

 

The footsteps were coming closer and closer towards RaRa's room.

 

"Where are yoouuuuu? Why are you hereeeee?! You disobedient, noisy child. Did I not ask to be left alone! Why is the noise back again?!"

 

The visions of the past kept coming. Faster and faster, interspersed with Aunty's chilling voice in real time.

 

"Why can't you just listen! Just wear the long sleeves! They are cute! Do you want the world to see these ugly shameful bruises?! Do you?! People will be whispering about me. People will be whispering about you. You will no longer be cute, but shameful and disobedient. No one will want you or love you. I will become even more of a failure as a mother. And you. You will be less than everyone. Less than!" Aunty forcibly pulled one of the dresses over a struggling and crying RaRa' head.

 

Aunty opened the door of the room next to RaRa's. Another strike of lightning flashes.

 

"Who is it?! Are you a thief? Why are you back?! Are you here to steal my beautiful beloved daughter?!"

 

"Please someone. Help me. Please. I don't want this." RaRa knelt and prayed. Once again hidden behind the open umbrella.

 

The footsteps ventured into the room. Searching. The thunder, booming. 

 

"Silent, silent, silent. Come out wherever you areeeeeee"

 

"Why mommy? I love you mommy. I didn't mean it." The crack of a loud slap reverberated.

 

The footsteps left the room, and headed towards RaRa's room.

 

"I wiillllll finnnnd youuuuu."

 

Gillean let out an involuntary mewl and pulled himself into an even tighter ball, huddling inside the box he was hiding in. 

 

Another lightning flash.

 

“Whereeeeeee areeee yooouuuuuuuuu? I will find you my beloved daaaauuuughterrr"

 

The shaking arm that had wrapped around his shoulders as the visions flashed in and out of Gill, tightened. Scared, but this time trying to shield him. Trying to protect him.

 

The door opposite RaRa's room was quickly opened.

 

“Are you heeeeerrrrreee? No? So quiet. So perfect. What about here? Here? No?.”

 

The footsteps exit and headed towards RaRa' room. The last room on the floor.

 

"My beautiful perfect daughter, let me guess…. You must be HERE!”

 

Thunder boomed.

 

Gill flinched and closed his eyes. Certain that this time, they would be found.