Chapter 1: Strange Object
"Look at that, Mom," A little girl pointed out as she arrived in the courtyard of their small house.The house was located in the farthest part of the world.
With vast field surrounding it from all sides, the house was sitter in between. Behind the house was a vegetable farm and in front was a garden of dandelion.
"What is it, Ana? A middle aged woman asked, darting her gaze in the direction where the girl was pointing.
"That!" The child, Ana, repeated bubbly.
She wriggled and set her tiny body free from the woman's hold as she sprinted towards the foreign object.
Her ocean blue eyes peering deeply at it. Squatting on her little knees, she brought her face extremely close to the object in an attempt to decipher what it really was.
Ana picked the object and whisked it from one hand to the other in sheer amazement. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life.
"Is that a ball?" The woman demanded alarmingly and she immediately leaned forward to take a closer look.
It definitely is a ball. Anyone could tell what it was from afar, but the woman was too surprised to believe that it is what it is. A ball.
"It is indeed a ball," She confirmed the obvious. Eyes glancing quizzically around, she muttered, "But how?"
The village where there resided was close to the end of the world(If that exists). It was an outdated place where people cared less about civilization or any modern facility or amenity. Moreover, the Weasel's cottage was located at the farthest part of the village. It was a three hours walk back to the main square. Furthermore, they were mostly on their own, they never mingled or interacted with anyone in the village nor were they visited by anyone. Hence the perplexity that has befallen the woman.
How could an object that couldn't be found anywhere in the village suddenly be lying in their courtyard?
"Ball..." Ana innocently repeated. With dreamy eyes, she stared at the object, admiring every part of it.
"Hey Pete! Did you see anyone come around here?" Mrs. Weasel called out to the gardener.
Pete was a thin man with bald head and surprisingly a round belly.
Usually, fat men were known to have pot bellies, but pete managed to get one even though he was skinny.
"No, Ma'am," Pete emerged from the back and his eyes stared strangely at the object Ana was holding. "Where'd you get that?" He voiced in equal amazement.
Mrs. Weasel was phlegmatic. She was busy staring at the object like it was something strange.
Well, it was strange actually. To find a modern object in a place where modernization wasn't recognized or welcomed. Besides, they had no neighbor and were never visited by anyone. So, how did the ball get there?
"Found it lying over here," Mrs. Weasel replied.
She wanted to ask if Ana knew where the ball came from, but the look on the child's face told her otherwise. Besides, she had been out in the market all day with Ana. So she couldn't possibly know.
Ana frequently gazed from the ball to Pete as if making a theory.
"Mom, could it be....?
"No," Mrs. Weasel smiled and brushed her hand through Ana's auburn hair. She knew what her little mind was thinking.
"It couldn't be, right?" Ana's inquiring gaze were fixed on Pete's belly. "Pete's ball is still there, isn't it?"
"Ana, Pete doesn't have a ball in him. It's his stomach." Mrs. Weasel elucidated.
"Oh," Ana blinked, returning her gaze to the object that was now in her mother's hand. "But it looks just like this...ball."
She stood on tiptoes as she took the ball from Mrs. Weasel.
"Oh, Ana, don't say that about..." Mrs. Weasel was about to chastise her, but Pete smiled demurely as he stared at Ana. He didn't seem to mind her words at all.
"It's okay, she is just a child." His eyes again settled on the object and he frowned. "But how did that get here?" Pete brought them back to the question at hand.
Anastasia didn't seem to share the adults' onus. She was happily examining the object. She placed her ear on the ball as if expecting it to speak. Then she rubbed her ear against it's soft woolen texture. It felt extraordinarily warm.
"Mom," Ana raised her head to meet her mother's gaze. "Can I keep it?"
Mrs. Weasel squatted, holding Ana's gaze, she smiled. "No darling, we can't keep it." She brushed Ana's brow. "Honey, what did I tell you about keeping things that doesn't belong to us?"
Ana compressed her lips and clutched the object tightly. "But, it came to us, we didn't take it."
Mrs. Weasel sighed as she thought of a way to explain this to Ana. She could tell that her daughter was fascinated by the object. "Still, Ana, it doesn't belong to us."
"So..." Ana's blue eyes were laced with tears as she stared at the ball. "...What will you do with it?"
"Well..." Mrs. Weasel stood up and took the ball from her, now that they finally arrived at a consensus. "We'll throw it in the farm trash for some time and if no one claims it, we'll....
"burn it!" Pete took out the words from Mrs. Weasel.
"No!" Ana screamed.
"Shh..." Mrs. Weasel immediately brought her into her arms to soothe her. Shooting Pete a icy glare, she wiped Ana's raining tears. "No dear, not burn. We won't burn it."
After the death of Ana's father in the fire years ago, the word 'fire' became abominable. No one was allowed to mention or set fire anywhere around Ana.
The poor child had recently stopped seeing those frightening nightmares as soon she turned ten which was few months ago and now, Pete just mentioned the forbidden word. What if this makes Ana relapse?
"Then?" Anastasia didn't seem bothered by the forbidden word, instead she was worried about the ball.
Mrs. Weasel was relieved to see that her child didn't relapse or react to the words as expected. "Honey, we'll just ...
"Why can't I just keep it?" Her oceanic eyes stared pleadingly at her mother's. "And when someone claims it, I'll give it back."
"But..." Mrs. Weasel wanted to refuse. She was afraid of the calamity that might be hiding inside the ball.
What if the ball was a spy tool sent by the people who were out to kill her daughter? Those blood sucking monsters that wants a taste of her daughter's unique blood, what if this was their way of finding her? What if ....
"What if it is lost and can't find it's way back home?" Mrs. Weasel's thoughts was interrupted by Ana's question.
Ana was weeping as she spoke, her hand caressing the object tenderly.
Mrs. Weasel was heartbroken as she watched her daughter cry. Anna's oceanic orbs were filled with despondence. Her ever smiling face was battered with tears as it rained without restriction. This wasn't Anastasia.
Anastasia was a strong willed girl, who despite all trauma she's been through still stood strong. She believed despite her young age that everything happens for a reason.
Ana didn't shed tears when her father died, but here she was, weeping for a ball. An object she only just acquired.
Why was she so concerned about the ball? Is this a case of mere fascination or is there more to it?
"Alright, Ana, you can keep it, but...."
"Really? Ana's eyes lit up and she hugged her reluctant mother. "Thank you so....." Then, she realized that there seemed to be a condition attached to keeping the ball. She raised her head and asked, "But?
Mrs. Weasel offered a smile. "But we'll give it back, once the owner comes for it."
Ana bit her lips, her eyelids fluttering lovingly to display her amazingly long lashes.
She settled her eyes on the ball as if she could share a telepathic communication with it, then she nodded in agreement to her mother's words. "Yes Mom,"
However, somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that no one would come for the ball. It was hers, it came looking for her.
Ana left her mother's arm and scurried inside with the wollen ball in her hand, in case her mother gets a change of heart.
Slowly, the ball became Ana's companion. She wouldn't part with it. She introduced every part of the house to her new friend.
Where every girl child befriends a doll, Ana chose to make a friend out of her ball.
********
It was dark in the room and the only source of light was the owl shaped lamp that was lying beside Ana's bed. She was sleeping with the ball wrapped protectively in her arm and her pink blanket covering them both.
Suddenly, a strange golden ray of light shone out of the ball, making the light in the room flicker until it went off.
The air in the room became eerily warm as a strange flash of light slunk into the room and stopped at the bedside.
"Master," The light suddenly went out and a man with strangely red eyes stood in place of the light. He knelt and bowed to pay obeisance to his master.
"Micah," A voice echoed in the dark. "How long before I can be free from this thing?"
"Soon master." He ascertained. "I'm doing all I can to..."
"All you can?!" The voice snarled, making micah tremble.
Micah's other knee fell and he kowtowed as he explained furtively. "Master, I have gathered the witches, they are working day and night to break the spell."
"Hm, is that so?" A man appeared out of nowhere. His long silver hair cascaded down his shoulder. His golden eyes shone brightly in the room and his body blazed like an inferno as he approached Micah.
"Tell them to hurry!" He stated sternly, his voice a complete contrast to his appearance. "I want out!"
"Yes Master," Micah replied, his head still on the ground.
"You may rise, Micah," Aodhan waved.
"Thank you, master." Micah slowly rose from the ground. His gaze settled on Ana who was sleeping and hugging her ball with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, she stirred and snuggled closer to the ball, holding it tightly against her bossom.
"What do you plan to do with her?" Micah asked, but Aodhan didn't respond. "Will you kill her or should I have Ares do it?" Micah's voice was demonic as he spoke.
Whenever, he saw a human, all he thinks of was killing them and feeding on their souls. They deserved no mercy. Especially after what they did to his master and his family.
"Don't touch her, Micah," Aodhan replied to Micah's thoughts. "Not you, not anyone else."
"But master, she is ...."
Aodhan tried to touch Ana, but his hand faded before he could. He had no touch. He was only a soul. A soul that was wrongly casted in a ball However, the love and affection he got from Ana was one he had never gotten from anyone.
Aodhan shook his head and approached the bed, disregarding whatever Micah was about to say. "Remember, Micah, she is mine."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Scarlett01
Scarlett01 Hey Guys this is first chapter, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Note: ML's Name is pronounced as A-dawn or Ay-Dawn.
Happy Reading ❤️