CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cherry cracked the door open, and scanned the hallway for any sign of movement.
The coast was clear.
She took a breath and slipped out, her white attire blending with the moonlit shadows.
She glided silently down the corridor, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet.
Cherry descended the stairs, her eyes gazed on the maid that was busy with last-minute tasks.
She hovered on the steps like a statue, waiting for the perfect moment.
The maid finished, gathered her things, and departed.
Cherry seized the opportunity.
She clutched her clothes tightly and darted down the remaining stairs and sprinted across the foyer.
She reached the rear exit.
A gentle push, and the door creaked open.
"Phew!" she exhaled with relief as she cleared the main house.
Next hurdle was the workers' quarters.
She navigated through the narrow corridors, avoiding detection.
Her heart pounded in her chest, every creak of the floorboards amplifying her tension.
Finally, the gate. She crossed all thresholds.
_ _
Cherry's feet sank into the dewy grass, the soft blades tickling her skin.
She tread carefully, wary of hidden insects that might stir unpleasant memories.
Unfurling the mat, she created a sacred space within the moonlit field.
Seated, Cherry arranged the items with deliberate precision:
Clear quartz crystals
Sunflowers
Rosemary
The ancient book
"Place the mirror in front of you," she read aloud from the spell book's instructions.
With her eyes closed, she lifted her face to the full moon, the silver light bathed her.
She began to chant.
"Astra, lumina, mea libertas..."
The mirror reflected the moon's glow, casting an ethereal light on Cherry's face.
After some moments, Cherry's eyes fluttered open, locking onto her reflection in the mirror.
Joy exploded within her.
"It's over! It's over!" she screamed, leaping up with abandon.
Her hands grasped the mirror, almost overturning it in her ecstasy.
She hastily gathered her belongings, cherishing the spellbook.
"Mwah! I love you so much!" Cherry exclaimed, planting a passionate kiss on its cover.
One last glance in the mirror.
Cherry's heart plummeted.
Amy's face stared back at her.
"Oh no! Oh no! What happened? Where are you?" Her voice trembled.
Desperate, she rubbed her face, willing her own reflection to return.
The mirror's surface remained unchanged.
Panic set in.
"Come back! Please come back!" Cherry begged, her words echoing across the deserted field.
Cherry reassembled the ritual materials, repeating the incantations with trembling hands.
The mirror reflected her face once more.
She felt relieved.
But moments later, Amy's visage reappeared.
Cherry's world crumbled.
She collapsed to her knees, the dewy grass soaking her white attire.
"Why?!" she wailed, fists clenched and eyes pleading at the moonlit sky.
The silence was oppressive. It was a temporary spell and not a permanent one.
Cherry's cries echoed through the deserted field.
*****
Fifteen days of relentless trial and error had taken its toll on Cherry.
The spellbook's pages were dog-eared, its incantations in her mind.
Yet, failure haunted her every waking moment.
Until that fateful morning.
A long-forgotten phrase echoed in her thoughts:
"Your first discovery is finding the cat, and when you do, bring it to me."
The sorcerer's enigmatic words now seemed prophetic.
Determined, Cherry summoned Carlos.
The door creaked open, and Carlos entered.
"Carlos, I need your help! I want to look for the black cat!"
Carlos stood confused.
"Miss Amy, what happened to the cat initially? And how do we even start searching for something we haven't seen in ages?"
Cherry's expression turned resolute.
"I don't know, Carlos. But we must try. First, I need an exceptional artist. Now."
She speed-dialed Juana.
"Juana, get a top-notch graphic designer here ASAP."
Carlos was still curious.
"Miss Amy, why this sudden interest in the cat? What's going on?"
"Don't ask too many questions, Carlos. I simply miss my cat, and I want it back."
A dismissive shrug accompanied her words.
"Have you contacted any artists yet?"
Carlos shook his head.
"No, I haven't. I'll do that immediately."
Minutes ticked by, and the artist arrived with a sketchbook in his hand.
Cherry paced her room, vividly describing the cat.
"It's about this size," she demonstrated with her hands curving through the air.
"Black fur, one eye turquoise green, the other piercing red."
Carlos's brow furrowed.
"Amy, are you certain? Your cat didn't have such eyes—"
Cherry's dismissive voice cut him off.
"I'm positive. Those eyes are still in my memory."
Carlos hesitated, then backed down.
"It's your cat, Miss Amy. I apologize."
He stepped aside, allowing the artist to continue sketching.
The artist's pencils moved swiftly.
In a few moments, Juana swept into the room with the graphic designer trailing closely behind her.
"Good day, Miss Amy. I brought the graphic designer you requested."
Cherry gazed at the designer as her eyes carried approval.
"Not just any graphic designer, Juana, but the best."
Juana beamed.
"I ensured that, ma'am."
Cherry nodded graciously.
"Thank you, Juana."
Juana shifted away, leaving Cherry and the designer.
"Please, take a seat," Cherry gestured to the couch in the room.
The designer settled in as his eyes scanned the room.
"When the artist finishes, I'll let you know. You'll print out his artwork."
"That's fine, ma'am," he replied, pulling out his phone to check messages.
Juana's curiosity got the better of her.
"Umm... is there a reason why these two are here?" She gestured to the artist and graphic designer.
Cherry looked at Juana.
"I'm searching for the cat."
Juana's expression changed from curiosity to surprise.
"What cat?" She paused, rephrasing, "Oohhh! Your cat?"
"I thought you lost it ages ago, before... well, you know, your dismissal."
Cherry's jaw clenched.
"It's crucial I find it."
She turned to the artist.
"Are you done?"
The artist's pencils danced across the paper.
"Almost... done."
A few more strokes.
"Done!" he exclaimed, stepping back to admire his work.
Cherry rushed to inspect the drawing.
Cherry's eyes widened as the artist revealed his masterpiece.
"Perfect!" she exclaimed, scrutinizing every detail.
The turquoise and red eyes, the black fur – it was as if the cat had leaped onto the page.
She turned to the graphic designer with urgency.
"Can you replicate this? We need countless copies before the day's end."
The graphic designer nodded.
"Absolutely possible, ma'am."
He sprang into action with his laptop at the ready.
His fingers flew across the keyboard as he expertly manipulated the design.
Cherry watched, impressed.
"Juana!" she called out.
"Please settle the artist."
Juana nodded, escorting the artist outside.
*
*
*
*
"How much is it?" Juana asked as they were outside.
"Two thousand bucks ma'am."
"Two thousand bucks?" Juana's voice rose in indignation.
"For just a drawing? You're taking advantage of the wealthy! Cuánto es lo menos?(What's the lowest price)."
Carlos, lurking in the background, chimed in.
"Why not pay him? Stop pretending to care about Amy's money."
Juana turned to him with an icy gaze.
"Mind your business!"
The artist shifted uncomfortably, sensing tension.
"Excuse me, about my payment...?"
Juana's anger boiled over.
She yanked open her bag, pulled out the cash, and thrust it into his hands.
"Take it! Now go!"
Juana's heels clicked sharply on the marble floor as she strode towards Carlos.
Her eyes flashed with warning.
"Learn to mind your own business," she hissed as her finger wagged in his face.
Carlos snorted, unfazed.
"Or what?" he taunted, raising an eyebrow.
Juana's gaze narrowed.
"You'll find out," she whispered, spinning on her heel.
Carlos shrugged, falling into step behind her as they returned to Amy's room.