The Past & the Present (Completed)

Chapter Eleven: Lost

This short segment is told from the point of view of Cassandra Dimitrescu. And now onto our regularly scheduled program-

Cassandra - 

Of course Iulia had to pick tonight to get lost. The first night my favorite maid goes home. At this very moment she'll be walking home in the dark alone in the cold. There's no snow but there is a bitter, harsh wind with a spooky moan riding on the air. She'd be terrified. The smell would be intoxicating.

But no. My stupid youngest sister had to go and get herself lost.

Or god knows what she's actually doing. Mother is so blinded by her love for us. She especially overlooks Dani and Iuli's mistakes.

Dani is zooming all over like a fucking idiot. Meanwhile Bela is kicking in a bunch of snowy drifts like where we found her before.

With the keenest sense of smell I follow her little footprints. There are some dead crows and a dead lycan.

"Over here!"

We all proceed with our scythes at the ready. Daniela finds a sock. It's the world's dumbest article of clothing that was or will ever exist. Then she nudges another thing in the snow.

Bela picks it up and a worried look settles over her face, "She never made it to uncle Moreau's."

"So she ditched it, who wants your stupid bread?"

"This smells like the man thing," Daniela murmurs, "The one in the garden."

There's been a mysterious person invading our garden to leave gifts under Iulia's window. Mother has had us disposing of them and keeping an eye. She's sure that he knew her before she was ours and she's terrified he'll lure her away.

"We need to go back."

Something is wrong. Something is horribly wrong. I'm less scared of getting blamed for it, I'm more afraid that I can't hear her. Usually we can feel each other. We share a heart. The way she can sense us we could sense her. She's not nearby. I can't even feel her a long ways away.

"Mother!"

We burst into the study. Mother looks at me but I don't have to say a word. Her eyes narrow and she growls, dress straining as her wings threaten to erupt, "Bela, alert mother Miranda. Cassandra, Daniela, show me where."