We're here!!!"Habiba announced as she stepped out of the car.

"Wow!!!" Bola went as she stared at the mansion in front of them.It was inarguably the size of a football field.

It was like staring at a live page of a "Luxury homes"catalogue.

As they stepped out of Habiba's Range Rover SVR,Bola was awestruck not just by the size of the Mansion, but the sheer enormity of the land on which it was built.

"You c-c-could easily Fit a golf c-c-course in this place"Peter said as he shut the back seat door.

Christian stepped out of his old beat up car,as his girlfriend Eva, stepped out from the passenger side.

She seemed a little upset.

"Wow!"Christian said under his breath.

".....It's amazing what stolen money can buy"

"Don't start this again,.."Eva said keeping her voice low.

"...We're here to have a good time,can we at least just act like it?"She said making certain their friends couldn't hear them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"He said taking a menacing step towards her.His tone was low,but the look in his eyes was one she'd come to recognise in their Two year relationship.

"H-h-how much do you think a place like this c-c-cost?"She heard Peter say to someone as Christian towered over her.

"Are you guys okay?"Victor asked coming out from the passenger side of the Range Rover.

Long pause.

Eva could feel the night air against her naked arms as Christian continued his dark stare.

If she so much as uttered a word right now,he would....

"Hey guys,"Came Victor's hand on Christian's shoulder.

"Are you guys good?" As he regarded them with his strikingly handsome face.

Long Pause.

"We're fine"Christian said with a forced smile.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief.She really wasn't looking forward to another black eye.

"There you are" came Habiba as she wrapped her arms around Victor.

"I'm sorry Gorgeous..."Victor said flirtatiously.

"....Was I gone for long?"

"Two seconds away from you is too long"Habiba said softly as her lips found his in an intensely passionate kiss.

Christian shot Eva a stare that said, "I'll deal with you Later".

She shuddered at the thought.

Bola made a loud sigh as she watched the kissing couple.

"...sometimes,it feels like they are showing off"She said keeping her voice low.

"K-k-kissing is a private affair...p-people shouldn't k-k-kiss in public"Peter said as he eyed the couple.

Habiba and Victor seemed lost in their kiss.

"...coming from a guy who only kisses his girlfriend during sex,I believe you" Bola said simply.

"..P-p-please,stop c-co-comparing our relationship to theirs.We k-k-kiss when necessary" He declared in a somewhat indignant tone.

Long pause.

"You call this a relationship?"Bola said softly as she walked away,leaving Peter with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face.

"Love Birds!!!" Bola called out.

Habiba and Victor reluctantly ended their kiss but still held on to each other.

"...what?"Habiba said with eyes glazed with desire.

"...sorry to break up this 'heated-link',but some of us need to be indoors,......away from the night's chill" Bola said the last part with a mild stare in Peter's direction.

Eva had gotten her jacket from the car and was wrapping herself up.

Christian lit a cigarette and sucked some smoke into his lungs.

Habiba threw him a distasteful stare.
"What?"He said defensively.

"...I'm cold"

Habiba rolled her eyes and said,
"....let's go .....and no smoking inside Christian,....I mean it"

"Whatever you say.....boss"He said taking another drag from the cigarette.

"We have the place all to ourselves this weekend guys"Habiba said as she led them into the Lavish and spacious living room.

"It's very clean," Bola said as she ran her fingers through the sides of a cabinet checking for dust.

"Yea,it is...."Habiba replied receiving a playful shove from Victor.

"......about nine maids and a handyman come by every morning to touch up the place"

"Nine maids"Christian said picking up a gold Vase from the cabinet and weighing it with his hands.

"Careful with that...."Habiba called out.

"...it was a gift from an Arabian Sheik...it cost a fortune"

"....hmmmm,where I come from,they don't trust maids with stuff like this just lying about"Christian said placing the ornament back.

"...Where you come from,they don't HAVE maids"Habiba responded evenly.

Long pause.

"Bae,be nice...."Came Victor placing a hand on her shoulder.

"...he is our guest..."

"..No, I'm HER guest,..you don't live here...remember?"Eva instantly recognized the dark tone in her boyfriend's voice again.

This could get ugly she thought.

Long silence.

"Em....hey!...Is that a snake?"Bola said excitedly as she made across the spacious room.

Victor and Christian stared at each other for a few more seconds.

Bola stared in awe at the beautiful large glass case, and the shiny contents. Not the snake ofcourse

"Oh!That's Bruno..."my Dad got him on his last trip from Australia.He's an Inland Tipan"

"A what?"Bola asked slightly dumb founded as Peter and Eva joined her to stare at the large Reptile.

"...An Inland Ti..."

"Inland taipan....."Christian interjected,as he walked towards the glass case.

".....Oxyuranus microlepidotus commonly refered to as the Fierce Snake'......"

"You know a lot about snakes?"Habiba asked staring at him skeptically.

"...you could say that,..yes"

"Hmm..."went Habiba as she arched an eye brow at her boyfriend.

"...He only watches Wild-life Channels".Eva said over her shoulder.

"Is it Dangerous?"Bola asked staring at body of the serpent and wondering why they had to put shiny and obviously expensive ornaments inside the glass case.

"It's considered the most venomous snake in the world; its venom is specially adapted to kill warm-blooded animals....."Christian said with a evil grin.

Bola felt a shudder run through her.

"..... there's enough venom in a single bite to kill at least 100 fully grown men"he concluded.

"Jesus!!!"Bola heard her own voice say.

Long silence.

The snake suddenly launched itself at her with lightening speed,slamming it's deadly fangs against the glass with a loud thud.

Peter, Bola and Eva jumped backwards in terror as Bola let out a sharp scream.

Christian broke into a series of chuckles.

"Calm down you guys,Bruno is harmless..."Habiba said with a smile.

".....That's Six inches of reinforced glass.Unless Bruno's on steroids,he couldn't possibly crack it"

Bola didn't seem convinced.

"I'm not staying in the same....time zone with that thing"she pointed.

"Just relax dear"Habiba said reassuredly.

"....Let me show you to your rooms"

Bola and Peter kept on staring at the..."thing" inside the glass case.

"....My dad has a "handler" who comes in twice a week to feed him"

"F-f-feed him what.."Peter asked in a frightened voice.

"....oh,rats,birds...my dad loves this sort of stuff.You should see his tiger collection at the back of the house"Habiba said excitedly.

"W-w-what's that??"Peter pointed fearfully at lever on the side of the glass.

"...oh!...that's for the Handler...don't touch that.Unless you want a loose snake on your hands."

Long Silence.

"Are the rumours true about the steel shutters ...?"Eva asked.

"Steel shutters?....what s-s-steel shutters?"Peter asked curiously.

Habiba suddenly had a delightful grin on her face.

"Come..I'll show you"

Habiba and Victor took them up the stairs,through a brightly lit corridor to a gold plaited door, making out and chuckling.

Bola and Eva walked behind the kissing Habiba and Victor.

"... Show Offs"came Eva's whisper.

"....What Do you think he sees in her?"Bola asked Eva.

Eva cautiously looked over her shoulder at Christian and Peter.They didn't seem to be listening.

"...love, I guess...and besides they're both rich"Eva said.

"Hmmm..."Bola went thoughtfully.

"...are the rumours of his bankruptcy true?"Eva asked bringing her voice even lower.

"Shh!!"Bola hushed instantly as Habiba turned around.

"Wait until you guys see this!!!"Habiba said delightfully.

She opened the door into a room that looked like something out of a drug Cartel boss' lounge.

"Woah!"Christian went as he stepped into the room.

"Wait till you see this, guys,"Habiba rushed to the side of the bed and pressed a button on what looked like a Solid Gold stool.

Instantly,there was a light humming sound in the room.

Outside the house,Steel shutters slowly sealed all the windows and doors.

Inside the house, Habiba was grinning like a child.

" we are sealed behind Five Inches of reinforced steel."She said.

Her friends watched in awe..

"Really" Eva asked.

"Yea .... the shutters are deactivated by a voice recognition software....here watch....(clears throat)....SHUTTERS OPEN!!!"

Once again,there was a light humming sound.

Outside,the steel shutters slowly opened again.

"..... my dad had them installed after the 'Stolen Diamonds controversy'...."Habiba uttered the last words softly as if suddenly conscious of what she was saying.

"Anyway,.... I think we've had enough excitement for one night.....let me take you to your rooms"Habiba concluded.




"And this is YOUR room"Habiba said opening the door for Bola and Peter.

"Wow!It's bigger than the other two"Bola said excitedly.

"Of course it is....I saved the best for my child-hood friend and her boo"Habiba said proudly.

As Bola and Peter surveyed their room,Habiba had Victor's arms around her body.

"....Em...Bola"

"Yes dear" she replied as Peter put their bags down.

"...could you..maybe make me one of those your delicious fresh fish pepper soup bowls.....please"

Bola rolled her eyes.

She knew Habiba wouldn't take No for an answer.

"okay dear....like right now?"

Habiba eyed Victor mischievously,

"....ingredients are ...in the kitchen.....maybe in about one.......or two hours....me and Victor have some catching up to do" she giggled.

After a few minutes of just hanging around,Habiba and Victor retired to their room.
Goodnight, guys...."Habiba yelled.

ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER, Victor rolled off Habiba's naked body with an exhausted sigh and falls into the pillow next to her.

Both were out of breath as they stared at the ceiling.

"We are so doing that again" Habiba gasped.





BOLA slowly approached the door with two hot bowls of pepper soup.

She hated these "mid-night favors". She had BIG plans for the weekend.

Earlier,She'd heard that weird humming sound again.Were those two activating the shutters again?she'd wondered.

She knocked on the door.

There was silence from inside.

"Habiba!!!"She called out.

No answer.

Odd.

The door was slightly ajar.

Then she heard a loud frantic banging sound coming from inside.

She pushed the door and stepped inside.

The rest of the house was deathly still.

Long silence.

Then the screams began.




EVA heard the screams and came out of the room.

Some time in the night, Christian must have stepped out for a smoke.She thought as she raced to the master's bedroom.

Peter was already at the door of the Master bedroom.

The door was wide open and she could see Peter standing inside with a shocked look on his face.

She could hear a strange banging sound coming from inside the room.

"What's going on??....I heard screams."she said but Peter didn't seem to have heard her.He looked dazed.

"What's going on?" came Christian's voice from behind her.

She could smell the stench of nicotine on his breath.

They entered the room.

The sight before them was unreal.

Broken bowl fragments littered the floor.

Bola was kneeling by the bed, her screams had become loud whimpers as her entire body trembled.

The loud banging continued.But no one seemed to notice.All eyes were on the blood soaked sheets and Habiba's naked limp body lying on the bed with the dark crimson fluid still oozing from her throat.

"J-Jesus"Peter said.

More banging.

"What happened?"Eva said in a small voice.

"I....I don't know...I came in.with...the soup....and found (sniff) ...her like this"

"Where's Victor?"Christian asked calmly.

"I..I don't......"

"What's going on??Open the door Habiba"Came Victor's voice from the bathroom door.

All eyes turned in that direction as Christian made for the door.

"Victor!!!"He called out

Long pause.

"Christian?....what are you doing in....I heard screams...what's going on.?.....Habiba locked me in....Open the damn door!!!"Victor sounded frantic ....and scared.

"The key isn't on the door...I can't ...."The Christian caught a glimpse of something shiny on the ground.

He reached for it and tried it on the door.

Victor emerged from the bathroom with a disheveled look on his face.

Long silence.

His eyes scanned the faces of everyone in the room,....then it his gaze fell on Habiba's body.

"Oh my God!!...My baby"

Victor seemed oblivious to the fact that all he had on,was a towel.

"No....no ....no..."he kept on saying as he went to the bed and took the still naked girl in his arms.

Bola had her face in her hands as she continued sobbing.Peter had his hands on her shoulders.

Christian threw Eva a curious look.

"Did anyone hear the shutters go down?"Christian whispered.

Whimpering continued

"I-I-I heard humming earlier"traumatized Peter managed to say.

"Because if the shutters are down and......."Christian began but he never finished the sentence.


"Which of you did this?" came Victor's hateful hiss .

"Which of you killed Habiba??"

.....to be continued.

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