Guns 'N' Roses

TRUTH

She sat on the steps, outside of the Rose Mansion. Jane Doe watched the colourful birds fly around in circles, chirping at their friends and families. Her thoughts swarmed around Morgan on tv earlier. Her chest ached like an open wound that keeps opening no matter how many times she tried to mend it. Her cheeks were stained with tears as she held her arm, the dried blood-rusted into her skin.

Jack walked out the door, spotting Jane Doe sitting alone on the steps. He sighed as he stood behind her. “Can I sit beside you?”

Jane Doe looked behind her and smiled softly. “Of course.” She patted on the reddish pink brick steps beside her.

Jack sat down and glanced at her arm. “Does it hurt?”

“Not so much.” She rubbed her arm.

“Sorry, Kiddo….” Jack’s voice was soft.

Jane Doe shook her head. “It’s not your fault, nothing could have been done at that point.” Jane Doe sat closer to Jack and laid her head on his board shoulder.

Within the silence, Jane Doe bit her lip before speaking again. “Jack, what would you do if I was Isabella?”

Jack’s eyes grew wide, his mouth went dry. “If you were Isabella?”

“Would you hate me? Kill me?”

“Why would you ask such a thing? Don’t pay heed to Vincent’s words, Kiddo.” Jack chuckled dryly.

She shook her head with a smile. “I mean it, Jack. Would you kill me if you found out that I am Isabella?”

Jack stayed silent as he licked his lips. She took a deep breath as she hugged her body. “I see. That’s your answer. I don’t want you to stain your hands with my blood so when I find out who I am, and I find out that I am Isabella, I’ll leave the Rose Mansion.”

“Kid-”

She held a hand up to stop him from speaking while shaking her head. “I would like to thank you in advance for your hospitality during my unable times. I will do my best to get my memories back and get out of your way.” Her eyes turned red, protesting herself from crying in front of Jack.

Jack pulled out a stainless silver necklace off his neck. It was a simple design of a small pistol. Jane Doe stared in awe at how beautiful the pistol looked. She never noticed he had a necklace like that on his neck. “I had a little sister, once upon a time.”

“A sister?”

He nodded as he stared at the necklace. He rubbed the pistol with his thumb, expressing a sad smile. “Yeah, she was 11 when she died.”

“Died? How did she die.”

Jack was silent as he gripped the necklace tight. “He did it.” He muttered softly.

“Who?”

“Vincent killed my sister.”

The blood drained out of Jane Doe’s face as her heart raced fast. Her mind raced at Jack’s voice. “Vincent killed Jack’s sister? That can’t be…. I thought… No, I can’t believe it.”

“I thought you guys are friends? Why did he...”

“That’s how we became friends.”

“Aren’t you angry? Furious? He killed your beloved sister.” Anger rose in her body.

“At first, I only thought of revenge, to kill him for what he did to her. Later, as I stood by his side and watched his every movement, I realized that not everything he does is what he wanted to do.”

“Not everything he does is what he wanted to do?”

Jack nodded. “Let say that you had an option to kill me.”

“I would never kill you.” She frowned.

“If you really are Isabella, you’ll probably understand the wrath of blood in your body.”

“Jack…. I would never kill you.”

“I know, Kiddo. Let’s just say that was the case, would you kill me?”

“You know my answer.”

“What if you had no choice?”

“Vincent had no choice?”

Jack nodded. “It wasn’t much of kill or be killed but more like, I don’t want to but have no choice but to. I didn’t know at first until he finally told me.”

“Told you his reason to kill your sister?”

“She was a leak to the underground society.”

Jane Doe turned her head behind, Jack did the same with a grin. Vincent was standing by the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. His lit cigarette in his mouth with ashes falling off. He glanced at Jane Doe before looking away, his index and middle fingers took the cigarette as he blew smoke out of his mouth. She never noticed how handsome really looked until her own eyes couldn’t look away from him.

A twist of fear and yearn for his touch filled her senses. Her nose wrinkled at the scent of smoke flaring inside her nostrils. It smelled familiar to her, she inhaled the smoke a bit more.

“Kiddo, you’re gonna get bad lungs if you inhale the smoke that deeply.” Jack chuckled.

Jane Doe turned red as she bit her lip. “It smelled familiar.”

“Familiar? Like your parents smoking?” Jack questioned.

“Hmmm, I guess? I’m not sure. It’s only familiar to me, that’s all.” She shrugged.

Jack ruffled her hair with a smile. His mind raced to his memories of his sister, Mia. He can still remember how loyal she was to her brownish-blond back length hair, never letting anyone to touch her hair or how her brown eyes would sparkle when she smiles.

Vincent blew more smoke out making Jane Doe zone right into the grey smoke disappearing into the sky and be part of the air. “The smoke is like my memories right now. I know it’s there but it’s disappearing from me the more I try to remember.” She inhaled the cool breeze with a smile.

“But it can also be like the cigarette itself. Like the smoke, new memories will fill you along with your old memories.” Vincent blew out more smoke.

Her heart started thumping at his words. She felt her body heat rise to her head, her eyes met with Vincent’s eyes. As if the whole world around them was sucked into a black hole and only left her and Vincent together, she could only see him. She wants to see only Vincent and no one else.

Vincent held back every urge he had in his body to drag her small body towards him and take her away from Jack. He felt his chest clench in pain. He can only see how interesting she is to him. Her dried lips looked soft in his eyes, her pale skin made her stand out better. If someone has a better word, he would consider her beautiful.

Jack watched both of them stare into each other’s eyes as if there’s nothing around them, including himself. He smiled at the sight of Vincent looking at a girl other than Eve and Sarah in the eye properly. He definitely will not make Vincent forget this moment. His smile faded slowly as his eyes landed on Jane Doe. He can’t imagine her being Isabella but the coincidence is too strong to not doubt her being Krane’s daughter. If she really is Krane, does that mean, he was the one that pushed her off the cliff that day? Jack seemed to be on point with his thought. He knows this girl in front of his eyes if gonna make a big change in everyone’s life for better and for worse.

Jack cleared his voice, causing both of them to flinch in shock. Jane Doe blinked her eyes repeatedly before looking away. Vincent grunted with a frown and walked inside. “I expect both of you to come inside soon before the bear gets you.”

“Jack! There’s a bear?!” She looked around scared. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she held his hands.

Jack can practically hear Vincent laughing inside. “Uh no, Kiddo. Vincent is just being a bastard. We can’t have bears in this part of the area because we’re not close to a forest….”

Her face went beet red before putting her head down. She felt the stupidity of a turkey in her. “I knew that...” She said softly, afraid of anyone to hear her.

Jack ruffled her hair while chuckling. “Yes yes. Now, you haven’t had the chance to shower right? Go shower and feel refresh.”

She nodded happily. “Okay!”

Before she ran off, Jack grabbed her hand and spun her back to him. “Hold your horses, Kiddo.” She looked at him with a confused expression. Jack smiled and held out the necklace, handing it to her. “Keep it for me. It’s hard having to go out with this thing around my neck.”

“You want me to protect it?” Her eyes glistened as he nodded. She held it close to her chest and nodded slowly before running off to her room.

Jack watched her till she disappeared to the stairs. His eyes went to the sky, he let out a big sigh as he held his chest. He never felt the pain and sense of fear for a long time. “Jane Doe, you’re something else.” He whispered to himself.

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Jane Doe ran upstairs, locking her door. She placed the necklace on her bed then went to the cupboard and got out clothes to wear. She headed to the bathroom where everything Vincent got her was neatly placed in their given spot. Did Jack do that? I’ll have to thank him.

She stripped off her clothes and stepped in the shower. The water hitting her bare flesh made her shiver. She never knew how good it was to clean off the blood off her. She rubbed the purple soap bar on her dried skin before scrubbing it off. She watched her blood flow down and get drained in till there’s nothing left but clear water. She looked down her body and turned red.

“My body is so thin, I should eat more.”

She cupped water till it overflowed out of her hands and threw it up in the air. The water stained the wall and dripped down the glass door. Her toes curled feeling the light blue tiles rough against her toes. She pushed her head backwards, letting the water hit her face. With her eyes closed, her mind went through the day she experienced today. Memories of a white shower room came into her mind. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to remember more.

The image turned to the glass door, a lady stood there with a man. It was Claire, her eyes showed fear, clenching to the dark green fabric of her long skirt. Her face was covered in wounds and blood. The man beside her had an arm around her shoulder with a smile. His shrivelled darkish brown hair with hazel eyes. She knew exactly who he was, Krane.

She opened her eyes wide open, causing her to hit the back of her head on the tile wall. Her hands rubbed the bump while whining in pain.

“Isabella.”

“Yes, Daddy?”

“Meet your new mother, Claire.”

“Hello, Isabella”

She opened her eyes with a gasped, turning her face towards the glass door. She saw her reflection with tears streaming down her face. She touched the glass door, wanting to hug her reflection tight. Her reflection can barely grasp the harsh gospel. She sobbed quietly.

“I’m Isabella Krane.”