COMPETITION AND BEAUTY | Benny Watts ♛

Twenty-Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

They took Townes' car to Khristina Romanoff's home.

Thunderous clouds boomer overhead, threatening to let its contents fall to the ground.

It wasn't a very nice manor, considering the walls were painted green with unappealing dark blotches. Who knows what could have been the dark streaks of reddish-brown lining the house?

Thea would rather think not of it.

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Beltik inquired.

His knees were jittery and nervous, repeatedly bouncing them up and down to relieve his tension. Unlike Beltik, Townes was calm, collected, and more or less believing that it would most likely be another dead end.

Thea was neutral on the subject, but she and her newfound determination were set on finding her mother.

You may ask- why just her mother? Why not look for both of her parents? To answer the question that Beltik and Townes had been asking her constantly, Thea had a sort of resentment towards the one who didn't even try to stick by her. Her father didn't help her mother, and she couldn't blame her mother and not being able to support Thea.

More than anything, she wanted her mother, not her father. How could she love someone who left so easily?

Slamming the car door, Townes complained that she should be more gentle.

In response, Thea gave him the finger.

Although she had this uneasy feeling, it did not stop her from reaching the porch and have a staring contest with the door.

Beltik complained, "What's taking so long?"

Thea jerked her head back, "Give me a moment, will you?" She returned to the door, with an on-edge feeling, but proceeded to watch herself knock on the piece of thick wood.

A few moments passed when the door creaked open, revealing a short-looking woman with reddish-brown hair. Thea had to look down on her to meet her eyes, and then again it still bothered her neck at that angle.

"Что вы хотите от меня?" The woman chanted in a thick Russian accent, puzzled at her present.

The woman did not resemble Thea in any shape or form.

"мы ищем мою маму." Thea quickly spat back.

Townes gave her a look of confusion, to which Thea reciprocated.

"Uh- английский?" She continued.

The woman replied, "Yes, I speak little English."

"Good. Would you allow us to come inside and ask you a few questions?" Thea asked politely.

The woman responded, "Yes, I will make tea."

Thea followed, a small smile planted on her face. As soon as the woman was out of earshot, Townes pulled Thea back.

"What the hell?" Thea asked, annoyed.

In a loud whisper, Townes asked, "How the hell did you- since when do you-"

Beltik intervened, "What did she say?"

"What do you mean what did she say?" She responded, quizzically.

They looked at her dumbfounded.

"Did you two not pay attention when she was distraught over our being here? Then I responded saying I was looking for my mother. Yes- she had a strong Russian accent but it's nothing you two boys can't understand now is it?"