"Is she dead?" Alora took a step forward, her voice almost a whisper as her hand reached for the stair frames.
Helen was still frozen by the frame. Her night black hair was tied downward in a messy bun and Alora watched as the woman peered down the stairs"Ah…no," replied Helen,eyes squinted in focus. "I saw her fixing her gown,"
Placing her hand on the frame, Alora peered alongside Helen.
What a drama queen. Her eyes slightly rolled to the side.
The crowd of people downstairs stood a few steps from the table where Félicie was laying, their eyes wide open and hands over there par d lips. And for some reason the DJ has now decided to play a depressing music. Alora's brow furrowed. No one said she was dead!
Her eyes wandered across the decorated room and soon she spotted Aunt Marée running forward from among the crowd. She watched as the woman tripped for the fifth time on her last step to Félicie.
"Felie! My darling," a hint of panic lurked in her voice as she tapped the girl on the table. Her hair fell across her face and she flipped it behind each time she lowers her face to shake for Félicie to wake up, but the girl didn't move.
"Someone call the ambulance! My daughter!"she yelled, now her fear surfacing. The accent in her voice was as impossible to miss as that glint she have each time she looked up the stairs at Alora.
Alora stared back at the woman a second longer before shifting her gaze away and back to Félicie, folding her arm. "Let's go, Ellen," She said before turning for her room.
Helen gave a light nod as she glanced away from the scene, following after Alora.
"You should have listened to what I said, Ora," Helen said after closing the door and Alora halted at her spot.
"She asked for a nap and she got one," Alora's replied in hesitant voice, picking a book from her bed and walking to the bookshelf. "Perhaps, she caused everything for herself. I didn't push her."
"And you think anyone would believe that? That you didn't push her after what they saw. Ora, you promise me not to get involved with her," She heard Helen cut in, this time her tone sounding different than her usual. Alora recognized that tone, she had heard Helen used it a million times though it was never on her.
It was the tone, the same one she heard her use anytime Harley touched something she wasn't supposed to or When she has something to do but doesn't know how to start.
Placing her book on the shelf, Alora turned to face Helen from the distance. "She was disrespectful," she said, her voice low.
I also promised myself to get as involved as possible with anyone that disrespects you, she left this part to herself while she stood nibbling on one of the beads on her bracelet.
"Listen,Ora." Helen sat on the chair to her reading table. "I appreciate your support, but violence is not the answer. It is my job to make sure you are okay but because of me your in a bigger trouble. If they manage to convince your father_," her hand moved to slap her forehead while she supported her elbow with the table.
Alora said nothing and for a moment her eyes scanned across the room before landing on her phone. "We have cameras everywhere and you know the log in to the security system, don't you?"
Helen looked up. "Yes, and so does Félicie." She replied, picking the tab on the table and by the time she was in, she saw Aunt marée walking out of the system room. "After spending over five minutes before thinking of that, I knew it was hopelessness," she turned the screen for Alora to see.
"Those two_." Her brows furrowed and she leaned on the wall staring out the door to her balcony. "Guess I'm dummed for real for the first time,"
She watched as Helen walked to stand beside her. "You are not till the day he lets you out of his sight . Tell him it was a mistake," she said now folding her arms.
Alora turned to glance at Helen before turning back to her former position. Her hands were both adorned with multiple bracelets of different colors and she continued to nibble one of the beads on her left. "Me? Out of this house? I guess I'll never really be dummed then,"
Staring in the air, Helen said "You are the most precious thing to your father judging from how he's focused on protecting you from the dangers of the outside world" she paused to glance at the girl beside her.
Alora pursed her lips. "Yeah right. And that's probably why he decided to bring the danger home," her eyes gazed across the tall walls surrounding their home and to the part of the city it was familiar with.
It was the same scene she'd sketched too many times till perfect, each time wondering what those people out there were like. Walking around freely in the city like that. Though deep in her she can seem to stop assuming that the city was not as nice as it seems. It must be filled with so many people that don't care about her, wicked and selfish people, like her mother.
The door barged open and a girl seemingly the same height as her appeared, one hand on the handle and the other on the frame. She paused in a way that seemed as though she was pushed in. "Alora! You gotta see this!" Alora saw her wave for her to come while making her way in in half run.
"Hi mother," the girl diverted her waving hand to Helen when she came to pass by and Helen furrowed her brows then said." We're busy, Harley."
"Don't worry mother. We'll be quick," arriving before Alora, Hatley took hold of her wrist. "Come with me."
Alora wasn't sure what to say or ask and so she resided to the her usual questioning look which Harley either didn't notice or decided to ignore.
When they came to pass by Helen for the exit, Alora saw her eyes narrowed at the girl whose eyes were a darker shade of her brown. "Harley, What are you up to?"
"Sorry mother. We'll be back," as quick as Harley's voice was, her action appeared quicker as she pulled Alora along, dashing out of the room.
Walking out of the room and across the long corridor, Alora noticed the downstairs that was filled with people was now deserted and with few moving about. After the incident, the party most have been officially over, she thought to herself. What's left to celebrate when the birthday girl had decided all she wanted was a broken limb for her birthday.
"What is it? Where are we going?" Alora managed to ask when she realized how far down the corridor they've gone. Her eyes shifted to the short haired girl who was still taking hold of her wrist and Harley whispered in a hesitantly. "Shhh!"
Shhh? What does she mean by shhh? How can she shush her for demanding where she's being taken to, not to mention this wasn't just any part of the house. Indeed it was not there route to follow. This path led straight to Aunt marée and Félicie's territory _ a path she'd never dreamt of crossing.
Alora furrowed her brows and she stopped, her action making Harley to instantly turn to her. "Why are you stopping. Let's go,"
"I feel like I'm in enough trouble for a day,Harley. You know that's Aunt Marée's side right," Alora's eyes squinted a little.
Harley's eyes widen in reply. "That's why i brought you here. You need to start seeing stuff for yourself "
"What is that?" Alora asked, now with a curious look. Her eyes peered behind Harley at the empty corridor before shifting back to the girl before her. "Elen is gonna be so mad at you if she finds this out."
"Hopefully, she won't." replied the girl before turning to the pin drop silent corridor. "Come on." her hand moved to beacon at Alora.
Alora watched as Harley walked further and after standing at her spot for a while. She turned to glance behind and her eyes scanned across from the corridor to the downstairs only to come in contact with Céline's.
The woman instantly looked away.
"Hopefully, no one will," She inhaled a deep breath. Looking away and now at the camera, she followed after Harley.