The woman widened her eyes, looking at Dawn for a long time, but it wasn't strange, she explained all her features to the police and journalists, and everyone in the country knew what she was wearing when she was gone.
"That's right, you knew that from the news, right?"
Dawn saw a little girl with a black face and smoke that almost covered her body next to the woman. She wore small ribbons on both sides of her long curly hair. Water was still dripping down from his hair and clothes.
"I think, she was drowning. Her face, hair, and whole body were wet. Her layered clothes were so heavy that it wouldn't be strange if she drowned, and the doll, too, sank with her. You said your daughter was missing during vacation, are there any rivers or ponds nearby your vacation house, something like that?"
The woman widened her eyes at what Dawn said, she looked very surprised.
"Ho-how did you… I mean, what are you talking about? My daughter is still alive, she was just missing. The police are still looking for her. What are you talking about?" Her eyes welled up again as she looked at Dawn with wide, tearful eyes.
The woman's face turned pale as she heard the words.
"Forgive me, for telling you this, ma'am, but your daughter has passed away. Her spirit is now around you, following you," added Dawn.
The woman looked shocked, glancing around her as the hairs on her neck stood on end. "That's not true. Why would she follow me?" she asked.
The woman stood up from her seat, looking at Dawn with eyes wide.
"Don't talk nonsense young man, I won't stay silent if you keep talking about this. My daughter is still alive, she was just missing. The police are looking for her, don't talk nonsense. Come to me again for this nonsense, and I'll call the police to detain you" She glared at Dawn for a moment before turning around and leaving.
The girl's spirit was frozen in place, she was about to float after the woman when Dawn's hand grabbed her arm, holding her in place.
"You, stay here"
The little girl who was already covered by the dark emotional spirits looked at him with completely black eyes. She roared towards Dawn ready to attack him like before at the funeral home, but this time, Dawn came with preparation. He raises his palms to hold the thick black thick mist around the little spirit. His eyes glowed red and burned the thick black smoke with the flare from his hand. A heartbreaking scream sounded loud. The black, dark mist flew hovering over the little girl and Dawn, forming the little cyclone before slowly dispersing into the air and vanishing along with the scream.
"Akkh!!"
The scorching sunlight helped to purify the spirit more effectively than usual. In an instant, the little girl's spirit was freed from the emotional spirits that had been clinging to her. The light gathered and took shape, forming the body of a little girl dressed in red with a cute and beautiful face. Her big, round eyes and curly hair, tied up with a sweet ribbon, made her look adorable. Her body and clothes were no longer wet, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Dawn with a cheerful expression.
"Hi" greeted Dawn, the little girl as tall as Dawn's waist looked up to see Dawn, and she smiled widely.
"Hi" then took Dawn's hand and held it. There was such a sweet big brother in front of her, who wouldn't be happy to see Dawn's face, even the little girl's spirit.
Risa More stopped beside her car, turning her head to look at Dawn, who was still standing where she'd left him. The young man was smiling and talking to himself. What was he doing? She figured he'd think Dawn was just weird and ignore him. Her driver approached and opened the car door for her.
"Madam," he said.
She settled into her large car, her assistant in the back. She was still deep in thought, glancing back at Dawn until her large vehicle pulled away from the Columbarium parking lot.
Dawn walked along the path leading out of the columbarium. The air was warm that day; he'd enjoy a stroll, breathing in the fresh air. The little girl's spirit had entered the columbarium to find her brother's. Last, Dawn saw the two siblings hand-in-hand, walking towards a light. It was incredibly beautiful. Even though he didn't understand what happened to the little girl, seeing her with her brother meant everything would be alright, right? At least one job was done; he'd sleep soundly tonight.
"Mmm, the air is so fresh," he murmured.
The small road was wide enough for two cars. A few vehicles passed, and then one he recognized approached from the opposite direction. Why did he keep running into this person lately? Dawn raised a hand, trying to shield his face. Surely, the person wouldn't stop for him, right? The vehicle passed him but then stopped a short distance behind. The large black SUV slowly reversed.
Dawn just ignored him, but the car reversed and the front window rolled down. Detective Caleb Hogan had spotted him. The handsome man removed his sunglasses, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hey, Dawn, what are you doing here?" he called out. He pulled up the handbrake, stopped the large vehicle by the roadside, and got out, approaching Dawn who didn't stop walking.
"Hey, you…" he grabs his hand to stop him.
Dawn looked at his hand, then at the detective, his deep-set blue eyes, like marbles, beautiful in the sunlight. The detective seemed to pop up everywhere.
"Detective, I'm visiting a friend. And, what are you doing here?" she asked.
Caleb still held his hand. He knew Dawn never went anywhere alone from the funeral home. He knew Emily was overprotective of him, so this was unusual.
"Oh, you know, investigating a case. What about you? Are you alone?" he asked.
Dawn nodded, trying to pull his hand away, but the man's large hand tightened around his small wrist.
"Well, who should I be with?"
Caleb smirked.
"What a coincidence, let's have lunch. I'm starving."
Without waiting for his answer, the large man pulled him towards the car.
"But I have things to do. You can eat alone, why drag me along?"
Ignoring his protests, Caleb pulled Dawn along, opened the passenger door, and practically shoved him inside.
"Just get in. I'm starving! How about pizza? It's past my lunch hour anyway. It's great running into you!"
Dawn tried to get out, but the detective quickly closed the large car door.
"What does it have to do with me? I still have other things to do." Dawn was about to open the door but the detective quickly got into the driver's seat and locked the door. He leaned over Dawn, helping him put on his seat belt.
"Here, buckle up," Dawn stammered, annoyed by his forwardness.
"Detective—"
"Relax, let's grab some food. I'll take you wherever you need to go, and I'll drive you home afterward," Caleb cut him off, a grin spreading across his face as he steered the large vehicle back onto the path. He looked thrilled. Dawn, on the other hand, just pursed his lips. He'd been looking forward to a solo walk.
"Hot? Thirsty? I've got cold drinks in my mini-fridge. No beer this time, safe for work," Caleb said, reaching under the dashboard to pull something out for Dawn while driving. Dawn ignored him. This was incredibly annoying, he thought.
Caleb, meanwhile, couldn't hide his delight. An hour ago, he'd been at the Back Orchid funeral home, following up on their case. There was another reason – he'd wanted to see Dawn. But he wasn't there; Emily said he was at the hospital for therapy. He'd taken a shortcut through the back roads to avoid hospital traffic and, by sheer luck, ended up here. What were the odds of running into Dawn like this? It was fate, he thought.
"So, what are you in the mood for?" Caleb asked.