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"Ariel!" Elizabeth exclamined excitedly on seeing her cousin, then she rushed and hugged her, causing Felicia to cast an angry look at her.
"I missed you so much ariel, wait what's wrong with you? why are you crying?"
Elizabeth quickly asked on seeing how pale and swollen her face was.
Her eyes then roamed around the room in search of Ariel's mother, then she asked her father, "where is aunty Lily?"
"I don't know, I have tried asking her the same question, yet receives no responses from her."
Elizabeth stared into Ariel's eyes and asked softly, "where is your mother?"
Ariel took a dip breath and exhaled softly, then she look into Elizabeth's eyes before shifting it back to her uncle's, then she opened her mouth and say,
"My-- my mother.... I-- is dea..dead."
((;ꏿ_ꏿ;)) "WHAT!!" they all exclamined.
"Wh--what w-- what do you mean by dead?" uncle James asked as he starmmed.
"She's dead." replied Ariel sadly
"You are not joking, are you?" asked uncle James,
"Just tell me what happened" he added
"I - i-- I don't know what happened but we-- we where attacked by ...." she starmmed as tears rush down her checks.
"Attacked by what?" uncle James asked impatiently
"By mo-- monsters." she trembled as she speaks
"MONSTERS?" they exclamined including Melanie who has returned few minutes ago from her errand.
"Yes, they killed my mom." she said truthfully
"Wait they killed her and left you?" aunt Felicia asked unbelievably, and everyone swept there intense gaze back to Ariel waiting for her reply.
"I---I don't know how I was saved, but we were attacked yesterday, and she disappeared after she died." she illustrated
'Chuckling'
"This girl must really be joking." Felicia pointed out
"Disappeared, what do you think we are?"
She continued,
"Children, ugh? that will believe whatever you said?"
"Do you think we are in the world of fantasy? quickly tell us what happened." Said Felicia aggressively.
"I'm telling the truth." said Ariel with tears rushing down her checks like a river.
"Mother please don't pressure her that way." Elizabeth referred to her mother.
"Take her to freshen up, give her what to wear and prepare what she will eat, beth."
Uncle James instructed his elder daughter, then he added, "I will figure out what happened."
Ariel stood up ready to leave but her uncle stopped her by saying...
"Ariel? just be at ease , I will find out what happened to your mother, okay?" James coaxed her
She slowly nodded on hearing this and left with Beth who led her to the guest room where she got everything prepared for her.
"Here is the bathroom, i brought you some of my clothes which you could change into," she said as she handled the nice gown over to her, then she continued,
"There's a hot soup on the table," she pointed at the table that was near the bed,
"Eat it while is till hot." Elizabeth said nicely
"Thank you," Ariel uttered softly.
then she added, "I will take it from here."
Beth turned to leave but suddenly stopped, then she called out softly,
"Ariel?"
"Hmm?" Ariel turned to look at her.
"You don't need to thank me, I'm so sorry for what happened to your mother," she took a dip breath and continued,
"I don't know what you experienced out there... but I assure you that you'll be fine, and will start a new life here with us."
Ariel couldn't stop Wondering how kind and generous Elizabeth was towards her unlike her mother and junior sister, she bite her lower lips trying so hard to hold back the tears that was already pumping up in her throat, clutching her clothe tightly she nodded without looking at her, then she left.
Ariel got to the bathroom and slowly undressed, before she slide down into the bath tub letting the water come to her neck, she felt the warmth of the water on her slick- milky skin, she then closed her eyes absorbing the pain in her heart, not knowing she was already drowning.
After some minutes she sprined out of the bath tub with great force, splashing the water all over the floor coughing uncontrollable.
Elizabeth who was standing outside the room rushed in on hearing the noise, to check on her.
On seeing Ariel in such a state, she gasped and quickly took a tower and covered her.
"Are you alright?" she asked while panicking.
Shaking her head she held onto Elizabeth's arm and the both walk out of the bathroom.
She sat on the couch and Elizabeth brought the hot soup and handed it over to her.
She took it, before drinking little from it then she swallow gently but hard. beth noticed how she was struggling to eat, then she said,
"Is okay for you to feel this way Ariel, I don't know how you are feeling right now but I want you to hang in there, is all gonna be alright," she wiped the tears on ariel's eyes and continued,
"If your mother was here, she wouldn't like to see you this devastated, cry if you really want to, please don't punish yourself, I'm here for you and always gonna be." Beth coaxed her softly.
The tenderness in her voice caused Ariel to burst into tears, Beth couldn't do anything but hugged and cry alone side with her....
The sun has risen in the sky, shining brightly down the city.
Uncle James who was battling within himself received a letter, 'a call up letter'
It is quite unfortunate that he won't be spending more time with his niece and also to find out exactly what happened to his sister, he just need to park his things and head back to north where he works.
"You're leaving?" Felicia asked on seeing her husband dressed while carrying his suit case.
"Yes, I just received a letter, I can't waste anymore time, he said while trying to set his watch, then he called out softly...
"Honey?"
"Yes?"
"I will be leaving my niece in your care please," he walked closer to her and held her hand before staring into her eyes,
"Take good care of her."
"Of course I will, or are you doubting my capabilities?" She asked while making up a sad face.
"No sweetie, no I trust you and that's the reason I married, I love you," he then kissed her forehead and continued,
"I will be taking my leave and I don't know when I'm coming back, go to winters if you need anything."
"Hmm, take care." She bid him farewell
He then went to Ariel's room and noticed that she was still asleep then he said to his elder daughter,
"Beth, take care of her, okay?"
"Yes Dad I will, take care of yourself too and have a save trip." She said as she hugged him so as Melanie. Then he zoomed out of the compound.
It has been two days since Ariel arrived at the Thomas family, she hasn't gotten the chance to explore her room, she stood up and walk around the room, then she noticed that the guest room given to her was quite wide.
A little sized bed was placed near the window, a lantern was hanged on the wall beside the the bed, there was a blue couch and a round glass table arranged in the middle of the room and a little sized freezer.
The room was quite lovely, designed with flowers.
Ariel couldn't hold back her tears on seeing the flowers in the room.
Elizabeth walked quietly towards her and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Are you done eating?"
"Yes, thank you." Ariel thanked her while hiding her teary eyes.
"Please don't say that, besides we are sisters." Elizabeth said nicely
*Sisters? I don't think so, my mom is different from your dad* Ariel said in her mind.
"What are you reading?" Ariel asked trying to get her self distracted from her thoughts.
"Oh, is a romance novel." Replied beth, while bringing it forward for her to see.
"THE BOND." ariel pronounced softly
then she added "I have read it already, is very interesting."
"Wow, really?" exclamined beth happily
"Yeah," the both then sat on the bed and she continued,
"I like reading novels, more especially romance novels,"
"I've read alot." she added as the both chuckled
"Wow I see why you are so emotional." beth commented.
Ariel chuckled on hearing this.
"Me, emotional?" Chuckles
"I'm far from that, you can't believe my imagination when reading," Ariel smiled at her thoughts
"I only fall inlove with the ML of the novel and ended up wishing to be his FL, I just can't imagine having such a wonderful man as a husband." the both laughed out on hearing Ariel's confession
Beth heart was filled with happiness on seeing the smiles on Ariel's face.
she has missed those beautiful smiles of hers..
"But now," .....she trailed off as she turn to look out of the window,
"Everything is gone now, my mother, my happiness, my hope and my dreams are now buried like it never excited."
she clutched her chest as tears rush down her face, then she continued,
"I can't breathe, it-- it hurt so much, the pain of knowing that my mother is gone is so excruciating to bear,"
Tears rush down her face as she continued,
"I'm trying so hard to hold it but,"..... She then tightly closed her eyes and said,
"It hurts so much, I love my mother so much, I just don't know the kind of emotions going through me right now."
she ended up bursting into tears
Elizabeth cheeks has already be wet by her tears, listening to her, she couldn't say or do anything thing, is not easy to loss a mother especially a caring one.
She quickly pull her into a warm hug and consoled her, easing her pain by creasing her hair gently.
"I promise you will be fine, dad will find the person behind this and bring justice to you, but for the mean time , I will like you to be strong and I promise everything will be fine."
Beth soft and caring voice really help calming her and she slept off on Beth's shoulders.