Eclipse (part 29 of 32)
Back to Part 28Mireille comes out of the den and looks at us, frowning. She snaps the
cell phone shut.
"What are you two doing?" she gives me a suspicious look.
"Just...talking." I shrug.
"You don't really think Marchaud will give you any answers, do you? Not
after he instructed him not to. I'm so glad he's gone." She tosses her
hair. Marchaud clears his throat, but says nothing.
"It doesn't matter. I've made my calls. Everything Droger said in the
letter is true."
"And what might that be?" Marchaud inquires. Mireille looks at him and
arches an eyebrow.
"My secrets for yours." she challenges him. The room falls silent, and I
can hear Henry talking to someone outside the door. Marchaud stands up
and twirls his gun in his hand.
"Let me see who that is." He nods at me to stand back. He cracks open
the door, and I hear him talking to Henry in a low voice. He reaches his
hand through the doorway and pulls back in a small envelope.
"This was dropped off by the hotel staff. No name on it, just your suite
number. Henry has already checked it." He hands the envelope to me.
"For me?" I'm surprised. I expected another letter from Droger, for
Mireille.
"Well, take a look. It's pretty obvious." He sits back down and cradles
the gun in his lap.
Mireille stands behind me as I take out the folded paper. There's
something inside. It's a short lock of dark hair- not even as long as my
little finger.
"Did they cut a sample of your hair when they kidnapped you?" Mireille
asks.
"I... I don't think so." I don't remember for sure, I know I did pass
out during the ordeal. I look at the note, a single line scribbled
across the page:
You know who this belongs to.
"So odd- maybe he feels badly about the whole thing and wants to return
it to you." Mireille's voice is puzzled. "It's definitely his
handwriting- it's the same as the letter he sent me."
I tap the note so the lock falls out into my hand.
A scream fills my ears and I feel a wave of panting fear roll over me.
There is no escape... I collapse to the floor.
"Kirika!" Mireille kneels down on the floor, pulling me up to her.
"Kirika- what is it?"
"Did you hear it?" I pant out. "Did you-" I can tell from her eyes that
she doesn't know what I'm saying. I turn away from her and stay on all
fours, my head down.
"I'm not... I'm not well." I feel myself shaking. Mireille runs her
hands down my back.
"Marchaud. Take her to the bedroom. I'm going to make her some tea and
toast. She hasn't eaten since breakfast. That's what all this is about."
Mireille's voice is shaking like mine. "She just needs to rest and eat."
The journey to the bedroom is slow. My legs give out often, but I refuse
to let Marchaud carry me. Although my heart is no longer racing, I feel
terribly weak. My stomach is back in knots- I don't want anything to
eat, not now.
"You should lay down." He admonishes me as I crawl across the bed.
"Tape. Get me some tape." I plead with him as I crawl towards the
picture. He leaves the room and I make my way across the large bed,
finally reaching the other side by the wall and sliding down to the
floor. He comes back in, walks around the bed and holds out the tape to
me.
"Just what exactly are you doing?" his voice sounds concerned.
"Putting it back where it belongs." I tape the hair across the pillow on
the bed in the picture.
"What is going on in here? Kirika! What do you think you're doing?"
Mireille's voice is shocked. I hear the clink of dishes as she sets them
down on the nightstand.
"She said she's putting her lock of hair back where it belongs."
Marchaud's voice is full of disapproval.
"What? That's enough- Marchaud, rip that picture off the wall
immediately!" Mireille's voice is furious. He bends down and my hand
comes up, chopping his wrist and twisting the gun out of his hand. I
point the gun at him.
"No. No one touches it." I wave him back. The gun shakes in my hand, and
my finger trembles over the trigger.
Marchaud and Mireille look at each other. She nods her head and he backs
up, then walks quickly over to the doorway. I lay the gun down on the
floor.
"Kirika, this is nonsense. Just because you think you were there once-
you have to stop this obsession." Mireille says, putting her hands on
her hips. I violently shake my head, because she is wrong.
"No. This hair belongs to Anna."
Marchaud makes a strangled sound and steps back.
"You must never say that." He chokes out. "Take that horrible thing down
now, I beg you."
"No." I reach for the gun again. Marchaud puts his hands to his face and
gives a long sigh.
"I warned you earlier. God help you, my child." Marchaud shakes his head
and walks away.
Mireille and I stare at one another. I take the gun and lay it on the
nightstand, keeping it within easy reach.
"Kirika- don't go down this path. There's a reason you don't remember
your past. Let it be, please. Please." Her voice is strained and she
looks like she's going to cry.
"I can't- any more than you can." The words come out of my mouth, and I
see the look on her face change. She turns to go out of the room.
"Sweet dreams then." she slams the door.
I sigh and lean back against the bed, exhausted. For some reason a tear
rolls down my cheek. I know they are right, and I remember my
conversation earlier with Marchaud.
Chasing the ghosts of the past- will surely disturb those who should not
be disturbed.
Onwards to Part 30
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