Inside The Manor

Chapter Fifteen

I was debating whether to get up or not, but Trey's scream took that decision for me.

God, he never knew when to shut up.

I got out of my bed, and directed myself to the bathroom for a shower.

Twenty minutes later, when I got out the house was silent.

I was carefully heading to the kitchen when Trey screamed his lungs out once more.

Huh, he must have passed out.

Good thing I had no neighbors, because I was not wasting hundreds of dollars in fines.

Once inside the kitchen, I had lost my appetite, so I settled for the next best thing, iced coffee.

I was mentally scolding myself for adding the poison on hot chocolate, because now just the thought of chocolate was enough to make nauseous.

Trey was still screaming.

Was I going to do anything to help him calm down? No.

I kept mixing my iced coffee with the cream, until I saw Trey tumble down the stairs.

Like literally, he fell down the stairs.

Normally I would have laughed, but not today didn't feel like a normal day.

He grunted in pain and placed his hand on his head.

 Funny thing, he hadn't even noticed me.

I slowly sipped my glass, observing his next antics. He slowly got up, and hissed in pain when his left foot stepped on the ground.

Great, now he was useless. But, then again, when was he ever any help?

"Good morning, sunshine!" I said in a singing tone.

Trey jumped. And then faced me as if he had heard a ghost.

He looked like s**t, whereas I was freshly showered and getting a decent dose of caffeine so I wouldn't fall asleep while breaking into Claudia's apartment.

"Elora..." Trey whispered as if he was in a daze.

"Trey..." I whispered back in the same tone just to mess with him.

He seemed to understand I was mocking him, because his lips formed a small smile. But then he got serious.

"Claudia... Claudia's gone." He said hurriedly.

"In more ways than one." I added and sipped my coffee again, refusing to move from my spot.

Trey shook his head, as if trying to recollect this thoughts.

"No, I mean she's gone, she's escaped." Now he was getting alarmed. "We need to find her, I she goes to the cops, or worse. What if..."

"She's dead." I declared.

Finally he fell silent.

I continued sipping my cold drink, staring at him and trying to predict his reaction.

"Oh!" he merely gasped.

Well, that was disappointing.

"Yep."

"How? When? Did you..." he looked at me and for a moment I detected fear in his eyes.

I wanted to giggle just so I could mess with his head, but then decided he had had enough of this s**t already.

"Did I kill her? No. How? Thanks to Anne. I didn't even have to raise the dead, amazing isn't it?" Trey wasn't having any of my humor. "And when? While you were passed out."

He was silent again, trying to understand.

"I... I feel bad." He said softly.

I sighed.

What was I expecting? That Trey would get the bigger picture? That he would comprehend Claudia's death was just a small obstacle to save Cam? That he would grow up and stop being so easily influenced? That he would finally stop being his pitiful self?

Trey looked down, but not before I noticed his eyes moisten.

And I got my answer. 

If I really wanted to save Cam, I would have to be prepared to lose Trey.

Standing in front of Claudia's building, in just a crop top, a pair of jeans and a jacket over my shoulders, I adjusted my sunglasses. It was truly brilliant of Anne to hide the stone here.

"Hidden in plain sight." I supported myself against my car. Brilliant, indeed.

After sending Trey home so he could rest, and promising I would do the same, I had finally eaten breakfast.

And then I had broken my promise...

I was twirling Claudia's keys as I weighted my options. I could just break in now and look for the stone myself, but what if they had send someone else from Ulani, now that Claudia was no longer reporting to them.

This could be tricky, but then again, didn't I always complain of getting bored too soon?

I entered the building, immediately studying the emergency stairs and main entrance.

It wasn't my first time here, after all I had considered Claudia to be my friend, but whenever we would meet up it would be at my apartment, and whenever she was dating Trey she would move in with him, so I doubted Trey had been here more than me.

I got on the fifth floor using the stairs, because my paranoia was being a b***h at the time, and found myself in front of her apartment door.

Quickly trying all keys, I soon found the right one. The lockset made a creaking noise and I rethought my options again. I had gotten Claudia's gun and had hidden by my jacket. Now I could just barge in and explore, but what if someone was inside, wouldn't it be smarter to get the gun ready?

Hearing footsteps down the hallway made the decision for me.

I quickly pushed the door open and closed it behind me. The footsteps kept going, until they stopped and I heard a door slam shut.

I exhaled loudly and then turned around to see my surroundings. The apartment didn't seem that big, but it wasn't bad. The atmosphere in the living room and the kitchen was actually quite relaxing. I was actually enjoying the small details, until I entered one of the rooms.

My breath got caught in my throat at the sight. The entire room was empty, except for the walls filled with photos. My photos. My face was on all of them, crossed over by a red marker. Pictures of me laughing, looking lost in thoughts, and even crying. Pictures of me painting, eating, baking, doing my make-up, grocery shopping and so much more. Pictures taken at my old apartment, at the supermarket, at my favorite café, at my office, at the cinema, at the park, at Trey's house... Everywhere.

Almost all the pictures were damaged in different ways. Some crossed over in a red marker, others ripped apart but held together by tape, others had holes in them and some others were drawn or written over.

What the hell?

Some pictures were recent, like a picture of me moving boxes from my old apartment. That s**t had happened this week, and others were old. Like really old, in those pictures I was still a teenager.

I was uncontrollably shaking at this point.

How long had this been going on? And why? I still couldn't guess why? Why was all of this happening?

This was sick. It was twisted and f****d up... And yet...

Yet... I couldn't understand this feeling.

I slowly got closer to the pictures, observing all the details, trying to put a timeline on most of them, trying to get a hold on this reality so I wouldn't lose myself to my feelings.

So I wouldn't go away...

Beautiful blood... Dripping down... Down... Down...

The entire floor was covered in it, making it so beautifully contrasted to the white walls around me.

I could feel myself lose my senses... Anything to make this feeling eternal...

I knew someone was watching, but I knew they wouldn't stop me.

I giggled. No one can stop this feeling.

It didn't hurt... I was glad for that...

My bloody wrists... The broken shreds of the mirror... One of them covered in my blood...

Everything covered in blood... My blood...

I took one of the pieces and turned it around on my fingers...

I giggled once more...

Just as my vision darkened, for the last time... Just as I pushed the broken mirror piece against my throat...

"Elianna!"

I woke with a gasp, my breathing strained and my eyes moist with unshed tears.

I slowly got myself in a sitting position. The back of my head hurt, making me realize I must have passed out and fell on the cold floor.

But, that dream...

The feeling was similar to what I had felt then.

Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I reminded myself I had come here for a reason.

Now, if I was a precious stone that could open portals, where would I be?

Not in this damn apartment for sure!

I slumped on the couch. It had been over five hours. I was starving again and I had no idea where the stone could be.

Anne had said she had hid it here, but that was like two years ago.

What if Claudia had found it and given it to the Council already?

I took a pillow and screamed into it.

Then I got up abruptly and let out another small scream of frustration.

Angry and frustrated, I got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen.

As expected, it was empty.

Cam had always somehow been able to burn water while cooking, and it seemed she shared that trait with Claudia.

Brilliant, isn't it?

I was rubbing my eyes forcefully when an idea hit me.

The one place Claudia couldn't have used, was right here. I quickly made my way to the oven and opened it. I put my hand inside and started searching at the corners, and I was right. Something was indeed hidden in there.

I removed it and noticed an old envelope.

Really fancy Anne! I appreciate the gesture.

I ripped open the envelope and noticed that the only thing inside of it was a piece of paper with a writing on it.

'Purple vase'

I folded the paper inside my pocket and went to find the vase.

Once I found it I checked it over and didn't see anything, which could only mean that the stone was hidden somewhere on the roots.

A rational person would have taken apart the flower and then carefully looked for the stone.

In another world maybe!

I smashed the vase on the ground, not caring of the mess I was creating and moved parts around until I found it.

The same diamond-looking stone from my dreams.

I smirked as I secured it on my pocket.

My smirk was still intact even after I locked the apartment door behind my back.