Three's Charm(Messed Up Minds)

Epilogue

It was six am and Helma's house on the corner of the street was quiet. Everyone was still sleeping and only Helma's loud snores could be heard echoing around and through the thin walls. Alia, who slept in the spare bedroom awoke with a start. She looked around wildly, her eyes wide and panicked, her hair disorderly and her lips slightly parted. She held up her arms to look at them. She had never felt so itchy in her entire life. Her skin was red and irritated, even swollen a bit. Her neck felt itchy too. She felt like screaming. Everything felt itchy and she had only two hands, which were very itchy as well. Tears welled up in her eyes. She just wanted it to stop. She looked around for her mother, Mary who had been right beside her when they had gone to sleep. Her brows furrowed. The space beside her was empty. She huffed out a breath in irritation. Her skin was itchy.

"I'm sorry, I had an encounter with some flower that decided to discharge white powder all over me." A voice in her head said. Alia let out another irritated sigh.

"Of all things Sis. Of all bloody things, you had to get some itchy white powder? Are you kidding me?!" She exclaimed throwing her hands up and immediately bringing them back down to scratch. She mentally glared at the girl who looked very guilty in her head.

"Cut her some slack, she has left a surprise for you," another voice said excitedly.

"Yeah well, I think this is surprise enough. I couldn't possibly wish for anything else," Alia said sarcastically and Alisia rolled her eyes.

"Just wait and see."

"Can't wait," Talia quipped and Alia nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she drawled sarcastically.
"Can't wait."

Just then the door opened and a very panicked Mary rushed in holding a bag, quite big in fact, and closed the door softly behind her. Not that she had to, Helma slept like a log.

"Mom," Alia called, moving to kneel on the bad and sit on her knees.
"Is everything okay?" She asked and Mary jumped, a startled. Her panic ebbed slightly away when she saw Alia.
She took rushed steps towards her and sat before her on the bed.

"Honey, there is something I need to show you," she said, her voice a whisper.

"What is it?" Alia asked, puzzled.

"Well, you see, I went for a run today_"

"Isn't it a bit too early for that? I mean, we just got you back," Alia said and Mary rolled her eyes.

"Listen," she said sternly.
"I found this." She opened her bag and in it there was wealth. Ranging from necklaces to bracelets to rings, all in the most real and precious stones, emeralds, rubies, diamonds and chains made from real gold. Everything shimmered in the bag. An assortment of riches. Each rested delicately in the bag, the beauty a heartbeat of its own, almost giving life.

"Mom, where did you get this?" She asked in wonder, the itching long forgotten, with the occasional scratch of cause.

"On the sidewalk. I was running on my merry way, too lost in my thoughts you know, then I saw a bag. I don't even know how I did, I just saw it and there was a note. The handwriting looked awfully familiar, it said 'run away'. Just like that. " Mary said, her face beaming and her voice animated, quickly losing the hushed manner she had had before.

"That's_. Mom, this is_ this is a million dollars. What could we possibly do with this. What if we get a letter, I don't, I can't even fathom this. All of it."

"I don't know, I mean, we could just maybe, run away?" Mary said, her eyes searching Alia's. It had been weeks since Alia had last seen her mother. Weeks of pulling all the strings she could, taking all the favours she could get, making promises she wasn't sure she could keep. Her mother had been finally released, and had come home the previous night. She had been happier, louder more free than she had ever been before. She had sat for dinner and had eaten heartily, manners be damned. She had laughed with her eyes. Her voice had had a quality of laughter when she had spoken. She had brightened the house, and everyone was curious, but happy. The frown lines on Alia's face had disappeared over night. She felt she had slept most peacefully, only to wake up with itchy arms. Alia mentally cursed Alisia in her head.