There was a series of knocks on the door, followed by it opening. Abbey entered, her visage portraying that of eagerness as she pulled someone in – a tall young man, who looked to be taller than Chaz. Clad in a formal crimson suit, his hands were clothed with black gloves as some of his blonde strands were tied down in a loose red ribbon.
The individual found Elaine standing there, assessing him as he did to her. They stared in awkward silence as Abbey closed the door and pushed him closer to Elaine. She was suddenly felt out of place at the presence of the person. Compared to them, they were dressed decently while she shivered in her wet, simple attire.
"Ade, this is Elaine. You dreamt of her last night, and now she's here," Abbey introduced, grinning at the both of them.
"Hi," was all the brunette could say, feeling awkward at his stare.
He blinked and frowned. "This is almost unbelievable," he remarked, knitting his brows. "Tell me true then, you are Elaine?"
"Yeah, the one and only," Elaine answered, and Abbey nodded eagerly.
Still, he looked unconvinced, but he approached and presented his hand regardless. "Nice to meet you then, Elaine. I am Ade Bridger," he informed, and they shook hands firmly. "I'm rather surprised. We thought you'd never come here. You were raised in the other side by your father, aren't you? I'm glad you came to visit."
"Sadly, I don't think I have any memory about this place or anything with my mom. But she led me here," Elaine informed, stepping back from him,
Abbey and Ade exchanged a look of silent bewilderment and surprise.
"That's strange," Abbey commented. "She never returned here anymore. She just left. We assumed she was happy on the other side with you and your father."
Internally, Elaine laughed. Technically, her grandparents raised her. Neither parent was ever present in her life, but Bryce, her father, tried his best to be one.
"My mother is missing in action in my life and everyone else's. She also left me and my dad and probably went somewhere," Elaine continued, garnering the siblings' shocked faces, but she only shrugged. "That's why I'm here now – and by the way, is this place in the maps?"
At her question, Ade said, "In your maps? It doesn't exist. But I'd like to ask, how did you find your way here if Annette is not on the other side? Who would have led you here?"
What a curious question. But it was Annette who pulled her into the water and coaxed her to cross the bridge. Confused, Elaine could only state what she experienced. "I drowned in a lake in the forest," she admitted, her voice small. It sounded ridiculous out loud. "And well, um, it was just weird. Someone pulled me out of the water and she told me her name was Annette… I thought she'd be here."
Abbey's eyes widened in bewilderment while Ade merely furrowed his brows. "That can't be," Abbey remarked. "If she is somewhere near the bridge, then why send you to us alone? Why did she not come with you?"
Elaine looked at Abbey, clueless. Among them, Ade sighed loudly.
"These things are indeed concerning, but we should leave her for a while, Abbey," he spoke to his sister, then addressed Elaine with a smile. "Meanwhile, take your time and clean yourself. You're shivering underneath those clothes. You should have changed them sooner."
Immediately, Abbey delighted in showing Annette's wardrobe to Elaine. There were many dresses hanged up inside, attires that Elaine had never thought she could wear.
"I hope her size would fit you," Abbey said, taking a moment to assess Elaine's body proportions, making the latter tense in discomfort.
"It's fine. I'm sure they'd fit," she answered and pulled out a dress to block Abbey's analytic gaze. Elaine focused her attention on the dress before her, which made her smile. Sarah never liked her to wear dresses, even the modest ones, but Zacharias kept encouraging Elaine to do as she pleases and "be a bitch if you have to".
"Alright then," Ade spoke up. "Abbey, I'll leave it to you that our guess will be bathed and changed, understand?"
"I'm on it," Abbey agreed, and then turned to Elaine with a grin. "I'm so happy! I feel like I finally have a sister to do so many things with. Don't you agree?" The excitement seeped from her tone, gestures vibrant.
Elaine smiled in return. "Is that so? Well, I think I feel the same way."
»»————- ————-««
Amos trembled as he stared at the floor, sweating as many thoughts threatened to bomb his brain. "She's going to take it all away," he mumbled to himself as he thought of Elaine, his sister's daughter and his niece.
It was just very sudden. Annette, his sister, left Motherland long ago to pursue a man on the other side that she claimed to love. They had a daughter, whom she had brought home when it was bundled in soft blankets. Back then, Annette was expected to be the president, and following that would be her daughter, but when she left again and never came back, Amos assumed the responsibility of leadership and he was given every piece of land and money that was of his sister's.
For years, he handled this country all by himself, and all was going well... but then Elaine comes in, and he knew then that he must give up everything to her that belonged to his sister, even his presidency. But Elaine was still too young, yet still, she was a threat. Come the right age, Amos will step down from position and she will take over – and take everything away.
"Stop crying like an idiot and do something!" Said the harshest critic in Amos' head, a voice among many.
"Oh, oh, I know a story just like this!" Another piped up, meddling with his thoughts. "Once upon a time, a man was given power when his sister left and never returned. He became the most powerful until the daughter of his sister appeared and demanded that she should be given his power because it was her mother's, and now hers. You know what the powerful man did?"
"Shut up," said the first voice.
"The man killed his sister's daughter! Problem solved!" Continued the second voice and cackled.
The first voice hummed, as though it approved something from the story. "What a brilliant idea," it said. "Amos, were you listening?!"
"What?!" Amos grumbled to himself as he covered his ears to block off the voices that had haunted him since.
"Kill it!" Shouted the first voice. "That's how you solve the problem, kill it!"
"Just shut up and let me decide what to do!" Amos retorted.
"But we are telling you what to do!" Argued the second voice.
Amos shook his head wildly, shutting his eyes and burying his face to the pillow.
"Oh come on Amos, Elaine is a little thing. While she's young and harmless, you must get rid of her!" Said the first voice. "What will she do when she learns that she should be ruling Motherland? She'll put you down so she can be president!"
"Keep it down, you are so boisterous," inserted the second.
"Shut up and let me speak," the voice grumbled.
The two voices argued and offered their opinions, mostly suggesting to kill Elaine.
The troubled man trembled. "If I kill her, then the Supreme Court will have me judged guilty and they will kill me!" He mumbled, stopping on his relentless pace to sit on the floor.
"Aren't you scared to lose your presidency?" Taunted the first voice. "But nobody cares what you feel. Nobody ever did. Didn't you hear your people celebrating when she came in? They were happy! Happier than they ever were with you!"
"So true," seconded another voice.
Another set of tears warmed Amos' eyes as he sobbed. He was scared to be set aside as a throwaway when Elaine will step in as the new leader. Annette was supposed to be president, but when she disappeared, it was mandated that he should take her place. It was his happiest and proudest moment in time... But with Elaine's return, Amos will be robbed of his happiness.
After a long silence, the voice returned again. "So, what now Amos? You sound like a dying pig when you cry."
"Yeah, just kill her," supported another.
"Or kill yourself," said the first voice.
Amos screamed, wanting to rip his ears apart. His conscience was eating at him, but so did his pride. If Elaine would disappear, then he could still be president. Besides, the Congress and the Supreme Court were not yet informed about her return, so he still has a chance to get rid of her before they decide to have a talk with him that he will be denounced as president when she'll be of age and maturity to take the office.
Then the image of a black-haired male popped up in his head, with mischievous eyes and a sly smirk.
"Oi Amos, you gotta get rid of that Chaz boy too," suggested the voice as the image faded away from Amos' mind. "The kid and his family are a snake. He will have you and your children assassinated and then take Elaine as his lover so he could manipulate his way into the court."
Another voice yawned. "Yeah. Everyone's a threat around you," it said. "Ade and Abbey might even be plotting to kill you anytime because you're just unlikeable. You're just a plain, horrible person, Amos."
"No..." Amos sobbed, conflicted as he spent his time cowering in fear of what he might do to Elaine and his family tomorrow.