Cleo got home at night after a long day researching at the library with Jason. Her brain felt like mush from reading so many books at a time.
She wobbled into the living room and collapsed into the couch.
"Is that my sweet little bubu muffin honey bun princess Cleo?" a female voice echoed through the house.
It was her mother Lilian!
"Mom!!!!" Cleo jumped to her feet, ran to the kitchen and attacked her mom with a hug. "Mom you're back. I missed you last night."
"Oh so did I baby." her mom said squeezing her in her arms. "Your dad can't come home for another day or two though, but he sent you a little present." Lilian her mom said.
She broke free from the hug and walked straight into the living room to get the present. Cleo followed her closely behind like a lost puppy.
"Here it is..." Lilian purred as she picked up a big white rectangular box and shoved it into Cleo's hands.
"Hmmm? What's this?" Cleo was reluctant to open it. She already knew in her heart what it was, another guilt present. It saddened her deeply but she still had to keep a smiley face for her mom now that she finally got to see her.
"Sweetie come on. Open it. I guarantee you're going to love these." Lilian said trying to get an excited reaction out of her daughter.
"O-okay mom."
Cleo opened up the box to find a pair of limited edition thigh high 'Gucce' white cowboy boots.
"Wwowwww...another pair of boots." Cleo gasped in a highly underwhelming tone. She desperately tried to feign a smile and hide her true feelings.
"Yes sweetie. I knew you would love it." Lilian grabbed her into another hug.
"Sweetie?" Lilian asked in an unsure tone as she slowly released her daughter from the hug.
"Yes mom?" Cleo's eyes widened at her mom as she had not heard her speak in such a tone for a long while.
"When I came in this evening, I saw a lot on the dining table, a lot of food. Did you.....make all that for me and you father last night." Lilian uttered as she scratched at a nervous itch on her elbow.
"N-no mom. I just...just thought a few friends were going to come over but they eventually couldn't make it because of the storm. It's fine either way. I mean we have enough food, i c-can always make more stuff when they wanna come over again. Y-yeahhhhhh...." Cleo lied desperately trying to protect her mom's feelings.
She knew that if her mom knew the truth, she would be devastated.
"Oh my sweet baby, you took out all your time and prepared such a wonderful spread?" Lilian looked like she was about to cry.
"No mom! It was really nothing." Cleo cried holding both her mom's hands together.
"On an unrelated note, after I got rid of the dishes, I took a stroll to the 'Chanal' store and got you something because I knew you wouldn't be able to make it to the sale today!" Lilian exclaimed while sobbing and holding back guilty tears.
"Here!" Lilian's mood brightened right back up as she pulled out another little bag from her purse and handed it to her daughter.
Cleo felt reluctant again to open this present but she knew her mother needed to see an excited reaction from her for her (Lilian's) guilt to disperse.
So Cleo opened the bag to find a tiny box in it. The tiny box contained the most gorgeous set of pin diamond earrings she had ever seen.
"They're a 100% real." Lilian whispered in Cleo's ear feeling much more excited than Cleo was.
"Mom, they're beautiful. I love them." Cleo reset her face into her plastic smile once again.
"You do? Oh thank goodness." Lilian got up to celebrate herself with a cute little dance of excitement which made Cleo burst out laughing.
'I love it but I would much rather prefer that you actually be here when I need you to your pretty presents.' Cleo thought to herself.
"Wooo! Now that that's done, I have work to do. " Lilian immediately got up and headed to the computer to start working from home that second.
"Of course you do." Cleo whispered. Her heart bleeding as she stood up and headed to her room.
"Ohhh!! What the -?! Cleo sweetie would you come here for a second please." Lilian's voice sounded deeply worried as she spoke.
On hearing her mother's tone, Cleo rushed to her side to find out what the problem was.
"Mom, what's wrong?" She asked while approaching her mom on the computer speedily.
"Ummm...sweetie, d-did you type all this?" Her mom's face fell into a look of deep concern for her daughter.
Cleo was confused by her mother's expression but when she turned around to look at the computer screen, she froze right where she was.
The screen was covered in writings of all fonts, shapes and sizes. Facing every possible direction they could face; up, down, left, right, diagonal in every direction. Some of them even overlapping on each other.
And it all just said "Find the MIJer! FInd tHE MijER! FiNd thE mIjer! fINd tHe MIJER! FIND THE MIJER!!!!" Over and over again.
When Cleo saw it, she froze and in that moment all her memories of her encounter the previous night came flooding back to her mind.
She remembered the royal woman, the message, she remembered all of it.
Her brain immediately went into overdrive and she began to foam at the mouth once again just like last night.
"Cleo! Cleo!! No! No! No! What's happening? Baby wake up. No God!" Lilian's voice drifted in and out like an echo as Cleo passed out on the ground. Her eyes flickered like bad light bulb and the last thing she saw was her mom's knees on the ground right next to her.
"Hello honey! It's Cleo she's ....."