Bria POV:

The sun hung high over the school’s courtyard, casting a golden glow over the sea of blue graduation gowns. The air buzzed with excitement, students laughing, parents talking as they arrived for our official graduation  ceremony,  teachers beaming with pride.

I was at the moment inside my official grade form room , dressed in my graduation gown and waiting until we were given instructions to file out in a line along with the males to the auditorium where the ceremony was taking place and where my mother was waiting, my father couldn't make it because he stated he had an important meeting at work he couldn't miss .

" yuh know mi still cah believe wi a graduate.  Eh come in like a just wah day yah wi start school inna grade 7" , Mickayla said as she fixed her graduation cap on her head . She looked  beautiful,  her makeup simple and her hair braided neatly . I had also done my makeup but, instead of braids my mother had sent me to a salon to install a butt length , jet black middle parted wig and i had also done my nails , medium length,  cute and simple.

" a true that . As much as school gi mi headache , mi aguh miss it likkle bit" , I replied.  My eyes then went to Trish who was in another corner of the classroom talking to another girl . We hadn't spoken ever since the police had confirmed that the eyes I received belonged to her cousin Chris and even now almost a month later and his body had yet to be found.

" she still nuh seh nuhun to yuh?" , Mickayla asked , her eyes following mine to look over at Trish .

" no and mi nah guh seh nuhun to har either.  Mi feel bad enough a ready seh smaddy send mi har cousin eye and a probably my fault seh smaddy kill him but, she need fi realise seh anuh me kill him and mi neva ask nuh body fi kill him either. Mi really love wi frenship but, if she doh wah talk to mi and prefer  fi blame mi fi har cousin death then a just suh it guh " , I stated firmly.

" she seriously cah actually a blame you . Yuh birthday literally get spoil because a wah happen and yuh did just as frightened and sick as eh rest a wi . Honestly mi sorry fi har but, she nuh have nuh right fi deh mek yuh feel like a your fault and har cousin need fi learn weh boundaries mean ", Mickayla said rolling her eyes.

" yes , anyways.  Wi a graduate todeh and mi cah wait fi start work and tek mi time fi achieve mi goal fi become wah doctor, mi apply to UTEC a ready suh mi have bout a month fi wait until mi hear back from dem ".

" dem aguh tek yuh man and mek sure seh when yuh become doctor yuh mek yuh number one patient ", she said.

" yuh need psychiatric evaluation, eh doctor weh mi aguh study fah cah help you ", I replied smiling .

" Doctor Tomlinson,  eh sound nice.  How does Mickayla Smith attorney at law sound?"

" expensive,like eh smaddy affi have a bagga money fi afford you", I replied and she laughed.

" same suh because Law anuh easy sumuh fi study and acquire and even if a lie mi aguh tell fi defend mi client dem , mi affi guh study hard fi mek sure eh jury believe mi lie and den pray when mi retire " , she said and I laughed .

She was about to say something else but then we got the instruction from our form teacher to get in two separate lines , one for the males and one for the females and then start filing out neatly down to the auditorium. We arrived dancing in the choreography we had practiced, marching into the auditorium and to our seats on the raised platform.

Once we were all in, we finished the choreography and then we were  instructed to sit down by the principal. I could see my mother in the third row of parents and other family members and friends . The program progressed and then came the part where the awards were handed out and I not only received the  award for being the student with the highest average and GPA in the whole school , I also received other various awards and certificates for being top performer in other subjects areas and also for being the most active and social in clubs and societies and also for being apart of the student body .

After the awards , it was time for me to say a speech since I was elected as valedictorian.  I kept it short , motivational and to the point , ending with well wishes for all the graduates and encouragement to achieve their future endeavours and then the official graduation ceremony was complete.

As the graduates came down from the platform to find their parents in the crowd , I spotted Trish as she was about to leave and I decided to be the bigger person and tried to speak to her . Today was the end of our journey as classmates and I didn't want to lose our friendship , not if it could be saved .

" Trish?" , I said hesitantly and she turned to face me , frowning she raised an eyebrow.

" what Bria ?"

" look, mi sorry fi everything weh happened wid yuh cousin but, we have been friends for over 4 years Trish . Yuh really aguh throw that weh just suh ?"

" mi know that Bria but, either way yuh tek it, a you responsible fi him death because if him neva try fi kiss yuh or like yuh, whosoever obsessed wid yuh wouldn't have nuh reason fi kill him . Suh yes , mi understand seh anuh you kill him literally but, yuh still responsible and every time mi si yuh mi just remembah  bout him and eh fact seh him still missing and wi deveen get fi find him body . Yuh know seh him mada sick and inna hospital because a how hard she tek it?  Mi sorry but, mi just doh wah deh nuhweh near yuh right now Bria next thing yuh know , whosoever obsessed wid yuh come kill mi next and send yuh some part a mi" , she said bitterly and walked away leaving me shocked and hurt.

" Bria , you alright?" , I felt my mom's hand on my shoulder and I turned to face her.

" mmm" , I replied trying not to scream from how angry I was . Suh she actually blame mi fi har cousin death? Even though anuh me kill him?

" Bria , wi a guh out later fi guh have dinner and celebrate , yah come ?" , Mickayla asked as she walked over to where I was leaning against my mother's  car . My mother was busy talking to Mickayla's mother and we were both waiting on them to finish.

" dinner? Which part and wah time unu woulda reach back in ?" , I questioned .

" around 10 inna eh night . Mummy aguh drop wi off a the restaurant and then pick wi back up", she replied and I shrugged.

" mi nuh sure if mi mada aguh allow mi fi stay out suh late just fi celebrate . Yuh mada woulda haffi talk to har ", I said.

" ok , mi will mek mummy tell yuh mada. Plus a one a mummy fren dem own eh restaurant and wi aguh get all cake and ice cream . It woulda be nice if yuh mada mek yuh come . Anyways mi si yuh did a talk to Trish , she finally a talk to yuh now ? She understand seh anuh fi yuh fault?" .

I sighed , " no , she do eh opposite.  She cuss mi out and tell mi seh even though anuh mi actually kill har cousin,  mi still responsible fi him death inna wah way and seh she nuh wah deh nuhweh near mi incase whosoever obsessed wid mi guh kill har", I replied.

" but, cuh yah ! No man she have a problem.  She nuh have nuh reason fi seh that , jeez! eh time she have a blame other people fi wah happen to har cousin,  she couldina pray seh dem at least find eh person who actually kill him or even him body " ,  she said.

Our parents stopped talking to each other and Mickayla's mother called her over and I told her bye, promising to call her later.  when I got home and entered my room , I immediately knew something was wrong .

The air in my room was different, disturbed. The scent of my vanilla-scented air freshener no longer masked the faint trace of something else. Something foreign. Something intrusive.

Then I  saw it.

A small, elegantly red coloured wrapped box sat on my bed. My pulse spiked because I knew that I hadn’t left that there and my eyes immediately went to my bedroom window expecting to see it opened but, it was locked exactly how I left it this morning.

Slowly, cautiously, I stepped forward, every muscle in my body tightening. A card rested beside the box, its pristine white surface marked with sharp, calculated handwriting.

I  picked it up, my fingers trembling slightly as I  read,

"Here’s to a new chapter, my little graduate. I’ll be watching."

My breath hitched and a cold, nauseating dread curled in my stomach.

He had been inside my room, I couldn't excuse it anymore,  him actually come inna mi room , inna the house inna broad daylight when nuhbody neva deh home and lef this inna mi room .

Him really sick inna him head,  him actually feel like this sane ? Like mi aguh smile and feel good ? Who dah man yah really be ?

Then everything from eh first time mi wake up wid eh drawing round mi ankle up until eh situation wid Chris start guh ova inna mi mind and mi feel like fi vomit , fi scream.  Suh this sick man have mi panty  ? Mi bracelet? Mi personal things dem inna him possession and a watch mi ?

My eyes went back to the box and my  fingers trembled as I reached for it , hesitating before pulling the black ribbon loose. The lid lifted with an eerie silence, revealing sumuh weh mi neva expect deveen inna mi worst nightmare.

I staggered back, a sharp gasp ripping from my throat.Inside lay a delicate silver necklace, a small pendant hanging from its chain. At first glance, it almost seemed beautiful.Until I  noticed the pendant wasn’t just any shape.

It was a locket. And inside it mi owna face stared back pon mi .A picture of me , candid and off-guard, taken from a moment I was sleeping inna mi bed . A moment I  hadn't known I was being watched. My knees almost gave out.

I  whipped around, scanning my  bedroom , window, my  closet in a panic was he still here?

My breathing came in shallow, uneven gasps as I stumbled back, clutching the note so tightly it crumpled in my grip.

Enough a enough,  this affi get reported to eh police . I gathered the box with the necklace and the note and went downstairs to the living room to find my mom.

" Bria ? Why yuh look suh frightened? Wah happen?" , she asked and I placed the things down on the coffee table infront of her and then explained to her what happened.

" what! Jesus! , suh yuh check inna yuh room  if anybody still in deh ? ,This serious! Why yuh neva call mi soona? Jesus Bria yuh shoulda neva touch anything.  Now it aguh hard fi dem get nuh fingerprint if him even lef none " , she exclaimed as she dialled the police on her phone .

20 minutes later and the police were at my house , searching and dusting for any fingerprints . They also went over the camera footage from the cameras outside but, there was nothing and no part of the footage had been cut or tampered with in anyway.

They also collected the evidence and told my patents,  since my then my dad had arrived that they needed to call the security company that installed the surveillance system and checked with them how comes the alarm didn't go off when this person whosoever he was, broke into the house and my mother promised to do so immediately.

After they had left, I was arranging my certificates and trophies on my desk in my room and thinking over what happend and who this person could possibly be and that I was officially out of school when my mother unlocked my room door and entered.

" Mickayla mommy just call mi a tell mi seh she arrange fi Mickayla and two other girls fi gah one har fren dem restaurant fi celebrate har graduation and Mickayla want yuh fi guh wid har suh mi aguh allow it but, Bria please keep yuh phone pon yuh and watch yuh surroundings please " , she begged.

" mi really nuh wah yuh fi guh nuhweh but, yuh fada aguh drop yuh off and him aguh pick yuh back up plus, yuh deserve fi celebrate yuh graduation and enjoy yuhslef but, please Bria keep yuh phone pon yuh" .

"Ok mummy ", I replied .

She left my room and I started to search for something to wear . Outfit secured , I  realised that I was going to need some  of the hairspray that my mother gave me before to keep my hair looking fresh and shine so I made my way to my patents room.

The door was pushed up slightly but, I knew she wasn't inside because I could hear talking coming from downstairs like she was on the phone with someone.

I entered the room and went to her dresser and took up the spray . I then realised that one of the drawers was left slightly opend and a black g-string or thong was hanging out. I pulled opened the drawer so I could put the underwear back inside and closed it properly but, then I saw something that made my eyes go wide .

There was red box with what appeared to be a dildo attached to some form of straps on the cover . I knew my parents weren't saints and sex isn't a sin but, I didn't want to see any of my mother's toys , even worse a dildo with straps like how that even work?

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs then and I pushed the drawer closed just as she pushed opend the door and entered and seeing me she frowned.

" what yuh doing in here?"

" just a barrow the hairspray " , I replied as I held the spray bottle up and she nodded.

" alright, try bring it back come put it weh yuh get it from when yuh done " , she said and I left her room heading back to mine .