Total
526 Words
The mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Merson sat forward on the couch with his fingers locked together tightly while Schizzel leaned against the armrest, impatiently tapping her foot.
Kaiden stood near the giant window, staring outside into the dark evening.
Mr. William Foster sat opposite them looking deeply uneasy, almost like the couch beneath him was swallowing him alive.
Nobody spoke.
The ticking clock on the wall only made the silence worse.
Finally—
The front doors opened.
A cheerful voice echoed through the mansion.
“Darling, I’m back!” a woman called out. “I had so much to do and—”
Her voice suddenly stopped.
Mirabel Foster entered the living room carrying her handbag before freezing completely.
She was young and beautiful, dressed elegantly, but the moment she saw the atmosphere in the room, her expression changed.
Mr. William sitting stiffly.
Merson staring intensely.
Schizzel and Kaiden waiting silently.
Mirabel slowly lowered her bag.
“William…”
Mr. William stood up quickly.
“Welcome home, honey.”
“Thank you…” she said slowly, still confused. “But what… what is going on here?”
Merson exchanged a glance with Schizzel before standing up.
“Mrs. Mirabel… I think you should sit down for this one.”
Mirabel gave a small nervous smile.
“No, no. I still have so many things to do. I need to—”
Schizzel suddenly cut in.
“It’s about T.L.”
Everything changed instantly.
Mirabel slowed down immediately.
The smile on her face vanished.
Slowly… she sat down.
“T.L…?” she whispered.
Kaiden nodded carefully.
“Yes.”
Mr. William looked toward his wife.
“I told them you would explain things when you came back.”
Mirabel’s eyes quickly filled with worry.
“What happened to her?” she asked quickly. “Is Total okay? Is she still in the orphanage? What happened to her?”
Silence.
Merson froze.
Schizzel blinked slowly.
Kaiden turned sharply.
“…Total?” Schizzel repeated.
Mirabel looked confused by their reaction.
“Yes.”
Everyone stared at her.
Mirabel frowned slightly.
“T.L was just the nickname William and I gave her.”
She paused.
“Her real name is Total.”
The room went completely silent.
Merson’s eyes widened slowly.
Total.
T.L.
Everything suddenly clicked perfectly in his head.
“That makes sense…” he muttered.
Schizzel looked at him.
“What?”
Merson stared ahead in shock.
“Her name was abbreviated…”
Kaiden’s eyes widened too.
“T.L…”
“…Total,” Merson completed quietly.
Mr. William looked down nervously while Mirabel watched all of them carefully.
“What exactly is going on?” she asked slowly.
Merson looked directly at her.
“I think…” he said carefully, “we have a lot to discuss.”
Schizzel folded her arms tightly.
“A LOT.”
Kaiden slowly nodded.
“No more secrets.”
Mirabel looked between all of them.
Then finally—
She took a deep breath.
“Alright…”
The room became still.
Merson leaned forward.
Schizzel’s eyes narrowed seriously.
Kaiden crossed his arms.
And they all sat there…
Ready to hear the truth.
- Writer
