Ontario, Canada.
Souline's pov:
"She's dead," the secretary said again. I just stood there, unable to see or breathe. Is Velma no longer alive? How? When did this happen? What was the root cause? My eyes were drawn to the secretary's eyes. Her expression and posture were unreadable. I licked my lips and spoke in a trembling voice. "Velma? dead? how?" I asked.
The secretary explained with a sigh. She explained that the cancer had spread to her brain and that she could not be saved. She also told me that the day before she died, she was in pain and couldn't breathe properly. She died in her sleep, surrounded by nurses, and was buried a week later in another grave.
The secretary motioned for me to follow her before I could say anything. I followed her to her desk and stood there, watching as she unlocked her drawer and pulled out a pink-wrapped box. "This is what Velma left before she died," the secretary explained as she handed it to me.
