There was something surreal about what was happening. Was Catherine a ghost or did Samantha just run over a wild imagination by calling her Lissy? Why did Sarvesh freak at the sight of her and what was this extraordinary skill of hers to be drawing real people out of sheer imagination? Prakash’s mind raced through rapid thoughts that kept oscillating back and forth.
His focus suddenly shifted on Catherine’s painting that had Samantha watching over the two babies. ‘Who are the babies?’ he shooted at Samantha, desperate for clues. They are my daughters, she said, frozen at the thought that Lissy has caught her red handed. ‘But Annie was your only daughter, you claimed?’ Prakash snapped, as he could envisage some hidden parts of the puzzle dropping in.
‘Th..that..that was a neighbour’s daughter,’ she fumbled as Prakash’s skeptical look pierced her already terrified heart. She immediately blurted, ‘I didn't murder Lissy!’ But Prakash would not budge. His agonised eyes showed furious fire that seemed to burn her down.
‘Lissy was my daughter! I didn't do it!’ she pleaded, now trying to sound sympathetic. Steven seemed fearful too and gestured to pacify Samantha. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ Prakash broke as he moved closer to Samantha who was willing to reveal everything that she knew.
‘Lissy was my first child through my boyfriend Nick. I had abandoned her because Nick was unwilling to marry me. A year later Annie was born after marriage. But she loved you more than Lissy did. You chose Lissy over her and it pained all of us, ’ she said panting in fear. Before she could complete, an arrow darted to her head from the window and she broke down speechless and spot dead.
The arrow had a note that read,
Roses are blue
Violets are red
When the ghosts conspire
Mind and body transpire
He immediately looked at Catherine and to his shock, she was bleeding in her arms but desperately trying to draw.
................
The other chapters include
#12 Red Handed
I now invite Pallavi to take over the final chapter
Note : This post is a part of the “Tagged” Contest by writer Kaarthika and The Chennai Bloggers Club. Kaarthika’s book is being released on May 29. Do pre-order it on Amazon.
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