Mari skipped down her house porch and was whistling happily. She was happy that she finally got to see and talk to her mum despite the fact that her mum looked disheveled, she was happy she could look into those pretty hazel eyes.
She heard a car horn and looked up to see a black sedan parked in front of her gate.
"What are you doing here", Mari asked as she entered the passenger seat.
"Oh hi Arielle", she waved noticing her at the back.
"Hi Mari...long time no see huh", Arielle asked with a smirk making Mari chuckle.
"I always take you to school", Alex said eyeing her skeptically.
"Shit....I forgot... sorry", Mari said. She has been so busy these days that she couldn't remember a daily routine.
"Is something going on", Alex asked.
"What nothing...why do you ask"
"Huh", Alex said looking at her suspiciously and making Mari feel uneasy. "Are you hiding from me or something", Alex asked.
"Why would you think such"
"You've been acting weird around me lately but not with the others and for the past few days now, anytime I come to pick you up, your dad says you already left"
Mari leaned across and hugged her.
"Am not hiding from you or trying to runaway nor am I hiding anything from you", she said even if she knew the later was a lie, she just couldn't bring herself to tell Alex the truth. It scared her.
"It sure seems like it", Alex murmured.
"We have been friends for years now I would never hide anything from you....I promise ok", Mari reassured.
"Argh...you guys we're going to be late. I literally have Mrs. Anna fir first period"
"Sorry", Mari winced.
"Fine", Alex said and turned back to the steering wheel.
She knew Alex was still felt unconvinced but decided to just drop the topic.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lunch time
"How did it go again yesterday with your mum, did she talk", asked Cleo.
The girls were seated in their usual spot and digging into the lunch for the day..... spaghetti and meatballs.
"She did", Mari said spotting a huge smile on her face.
"Really", asked Hannah to which she nodded a yes at.
"Oh my gawd"
"That's so good to hear"
"I know. She said she will talk to us later", Mari said commiting the part that her mother had sent the time and address last night. The way Marissa had warned them not to tell anyone made her keep shut.
"So what did you ask her", Liv asked but was interrupted by Alex present.
"Hey", Alex said setting her tray
"Hey", they all said back in unsion, stopping their conversation.
"So um who has done there chemistry assignment", Hannah asked.
"we actually have an assignment to do", asked Liv surprised by the question.
"Yes Liv we do", Hannah replied with a roll of her eyes.
"You make sound like am supposed to know everything"
"You would know if you don't sleep in all your classes"
"I do not", Liv said defensive.
"Er.. yes you do"
"Do not"
"You do"
"Do..
"Girls please, let's eat ok", Mari said interrupting whatever conversation they were having.
There was an awkward silence on the table and everyone could feel it as they stole glances at each other.
"Excuse me, I will be back", Alex said abruptly and stood up.
Alex couldn't sit with them any longer, she knew they were talking about something before she came and then changed the topic. It made her really uncomfortable.
Alex never came back. Mari had discarded her tray and gone to look for her but didn't.
After school she saw Arielle sitting on the pavement outside the school.
"What are you sitting down here....have you seen your sister", she asked.
Arielle stood up, shrugged and simply said "I saw her leave with her car during lunch"
"She left...why didn't you stop her"
"Mar she's my twin and I know when shes angry which means danger zone also were walking back home"
They began to walk back home in silence till Mari broke it off.
"Is Al mad at me", Mari asked what have been weighing on her mind since morning.
"Obviously"
"That's not helping"
"I mean I would be mad if you keep ignoring me, my calls and my text", Arielle pointed out.
"She texted", Mari asked with surprise laced in her voice.
"Wow you really are a bad friend", Arielle joked. Mari rolled her eyes at that and fetched her phone from her bag.
Turning on her phone, she saw two missed calls and three messages from Alex which was unusual.
Friday 8:55pm
°Hey your dad came over his worried were did you guys go to (insert laughing emoji)
Monday 4:38pm
°Are you home am bored
Tuesday 6:52pm
°Is something wrong
"Shit...how do you know this"
"We're twins duh..and I may have took her phone without permission. Plus I noticed my sister became more closed off than usual, always cooped up in her room immediately after she comes home from school"
"And you've been really scarce lately too, like seriously how can you not know when you both talk to each other everyday of your life....well until recently", Arielle added murmuring the last part.
"I so messed up didn't I", Mari asked and Arielle nodded.
True Mari has been scarce lately, she's been so focused with her sister trying to get their mum to talk to them that she didn't open her phone once. How that's was even possible was beyond her imagination.
She felt so guilty for leaving Alex on read for three days straight.
"Ok, we're home", Arielle said with a bright smile on her face. They were now standing in front of the Paris gate while Mari's was just opposite.
Mari felt that the walk was to short.
"I guess we are", Mari said in a small voice still thinking on how Alex was obviously angry at her
"Soooooo", Arielle drawled. "I will see you tomorrow then", she said awkwardly noticing how confused Mari was.
Arielle was about to enter her house when Mari called out.
"Wait....am coming with you"
"Ok", Arielle said with a shrug.
"She should be in her room or the library just in case she's not there"
"Why do you assume I came to see her"
"Is written all over your face", Arielle said with a hand gesture.
Mari face flushed at that.
"What if I do not find her in any of the places you mentioned"
"Then you check the indoor pool, she usually goes there to think but if not I have no idea were she could be...to be honest sometimes my sister likes her own space that she can be really hidden even for days"
"Thanks"
"No problem"
Walking up the spiral stairs to the second floor to Alex room she knocked on the door twice.
"Hey Al is me...Mari", she said softly but there was no answer, this made Mari feel very antsy.
"I know your mad at me even if you pretend to be ok...am really sorry please forgive me", but still there was no answer.
Noticing the door was unlocked Mari then quietly opened the door and piped in.
"Al", she called out but again no answer
Walking into the room she found Alex bed made, everything was in oder, the room itself was really tidy as if Alex herself hasn't stepped into the room yet. She listened for sounds coming from the bathroom or closet but no sound was heard.
"Ari did say I should check the library", she said to herself then stepped out of the room.
"Where is the library again....urgh is on the third floor", she groaned.
Walking up another flight of stairs and into the library she was met with silence once again.
'Maybe she at the back of the library....I mean this library is huge', Mari thought looking at the rows and rows of floor to ceiling shelves filled with books.
Walking further into the library towards the end she noticed that the books on the shelves their were dusty and the lights were dim than the rest of the library. It looked like no one had even stepped foot there in ages.
Mari stopped and wondered if she was allowed to be here and now once again there was no sign of Alex.
Sighing deeply she turned and was about to head down to the indoor pool till her eyes caught on to something on the shelf attached to the wall. One of the books looked slightly misplaced.
'What if it's secret a passage', she thought to herself.
'Nah I doubt the Paris would do such kind of thing'
'I mean...their rich rich people usually have secret passages or vault'
Mari contemplated for a short while if she should or not, but of course her curiosity got the better of her.
Pulling the book as a lever, a creaking sound was echoed in the quiet library as the shelf began to slide inwards.
"Wow", Mari breathed out. Looking in she was met with darkness and a staircase going down.
"Ok I can do this" she said to herself and using her werewolf vision she stepped down the flight of stairs and on reaching the landing she was met with a wooden door.
She contemplated again if she should go back or turn the door to see what was held inside.
Shrugging since she was very curious, she turned the door knob and walked in.
The room she stepped into was enormous in size there, was a fluorescent light up on the ceiling that lit the room up. The room gave an eerie atmosphere, but what struck her the most in the room were the canvases laid out all around the room they were more than twenty and the floor board and the walls was stained with different colors of paint, paint supplies were on a shelf at the other side of the room and some were littered on the floor too.
'The room is being used alright', she thought. Curious again she walked up to the canvases and began to open them one by one.
The paintings were extraordinary beautiful. Mari noticed the style of painting was gothic art like, it looked like it was carved out from a fairy tale.
Mari admired the paintings that held lots of secrets in the room, she briefly wondered who in the Paris Mansion would have such beautiful talent like this. Her mind leaned in on either her Allison and Amelia.
Reaching the last covered canvas at the far end of the room, she observed that the clothing was much older than the rest of the ones in the room due to the dusty coloration of it.
Uncovering the canvas her breadth hitched as she stared at the drawing in horror. It's not that this one wasn't as mysterious like the rest were it was because the painting was strikingly familiar with the one her mum painted years ago.
Her mum, Marissa was an amazing artist. It was a hobby for her. she remembered her mum would always stay in their little garden at the backyard and paint whatever she sees or imagined. When her mum's visions turned into nightmare she painted her last drawing, it wasn't bubbly like the rest of the drawings it was unusual and more gothic.
That day her mum was crying at the same time trying to explain to dad the drawing, but they couldn't understand what she was saying. All she remembered was her mum repeating the words 'That there's danger and they needs to leave here' on and on again but it made no sense to them.
Now looking at the drawing on the canvas, it was exactly as she remembered. The town in the painting was crescent fall but in ruins with depictions of smokes everywhere and houses on fires . Humans were running and screaming for their dear life while supernaturals and monsters were fighting each other and destroying things while some looked like they were watching her it felt like they were staring into her soul and it made her blood run cold. It was war.
So many actions in just one painting, it was scary and beautiful at the same time.
"What are you doing here", she heard a voice say startling her as she jumped a bit backward knocking down the painting she looked down at the painting on the floor the stretcher frame was broken but the canvass was still intact.
Muttering a 'thank goodness' under her breath, she looked up to the source of the voice and was met with a pair of blue eyes looking at her coldly.
"Alex"