Opal

Chapter 6

I stood up straight in my chair.

"My parents?!" I exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes, they know better than anyone about what happened to you. You cannot trust them until they tell you the whole truth."

"I already tried talking to them, they kicked me out." I explained.

"So? You're their daughter, and if they really did plan to kick you out of their lives, you would be."

We slowly drove up to my parents driveway. As I was opening the door, Eritrea grabbed my arm. "Don't leave that house until you know where your daughter is." I nodded in agreement and walked up to the front door. I remembered my parents put a spare key under the plant that was stationed just next to the door. Since my parents did not seem very inviting the last time I was here, I decided to let myself in. Walking through the door, I instantly saw my mother. She was in the kitchen wiping down the counters, but I didn't see my dad. As soon as I took a step forward, my mother saw me all thanks to the creaky floor boards.

"Monica Elizabeth Gallinger," my mother said firmly. I shuddered. "Who let you back into this house? Leave at once!" My mother threw down the sponge she was using to clean the kitchen. I was so scared that I almost left just because of her tone, but then I realized I wasn't here to make peace. I was here to do a job and that job was to find out information.

"No." I said taking more steps closer to the kitchen.

"Excuse me?" my mother walked around the counter meeting me halfway.

"Look, mom, I did not come here to make peace with you or dad. I came here because last time I visited, you both were lying to me for a reason and I'd like to know why."

My mom seemed appalled and distressed, like she'd just seen a ghost, but there was no ghost here, just me. Still, however, my mother tried to play it off. "I have no idea what you're referring to. This is the exact reason why your father and I asked you to leave. You accuse us of the worst things! Please, Monica, drop these wild accusations and go home, or better yet go to work. I'll ring Ameera to come get you."

I acted fast, I could not let my mom call for backup. I did something entirely based on impulse. I bolted over to my mom and smashed her phone on the ground.

"Monica!" my mother exclaimed.

"You are not calling anybody, "mother." In fact, you're coming with me, I have a new friend I'd like you to meet."

I saw fear in my mother's eyes, but never the wiser I took her arm and led her outside to the car.

"Who is this?" Eritrea said as I opened the back car door.

"My mother. She wanted to go for a little joyride in the morning sun." I said while buckling my mother into the car. I closed her door and went to join Eritrea in the front. "Drive." I wasn't worried about anything at that moment. I just knew that I was angry.

We soon reached the location just outside an abandoned hospital. I stepped out of the car on the rocky ground and scanned the area. There were rusty fences and tree branches that seemed to have been cut off in a way, like if lightning had struck them. The actual hospital itself seemed all around creepy. Although it was midday, the structure of the place looked as if it was night time. There were no windows, let alone frames, and it had been nearly entirely covered in vines. It gave me the chills. Eritrea went ahead and let my mother out and threw her on the ground.

"HEY!" I rushed over to my mom and fixed her so that she was sitting up straight against an old fence. I was upset with my mom, but that didn't mean I stopped caring about her. She was still my mother. We had not tied her up, but I knew but mom wouldn't run seeing as she was old and not at all athletic. I took that upon myself and started taking pictures of the hospital.

"Okay Ms. Monica's mom, where is your husband?"

My mom ignored Eritrea's question and went straight for me.

"Monny! Don't let her talk to me like this! I am your mother. Take me home at once."

I put my phone in my back pocket and turned around to face my mother dead in the eyes. "I love you mom, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm going to need you to answer all of our questions or you won't be of much use to us." I felt sick saying this but I needed answers and I knew my mom wouldn't call my bluff.

"Are you threatening your own mother?"

"No, mom, absolutely not. I would never do something so horrid. I am simply suggesting that you do as we say, else face the consequences."

My mother looked at me for a moment then directed her gaze towards Eritrea. She looked back and forth between us before she burst out laughing. "Oh, Monny! I truly thought you were serious for a moment, oh dear," my mom wiped tears from her eyes. TEARS! I guess she did just call my bluff. "Oh, do take me home before your father gets back."

By now Eritrea was getting fed up, I could tell. She walked back to the car and got something and put it in her pocket. I had no idea what it was but it all happened in a blink of an eye that I had no time to even process what happened. Within a flash Eritrea stood in front of my mother and pulled out a pocket knife. She crouched down and cut my mother's cheek. My mom was in shock. She touched her face and looked at her fingers, blood was the only thing she saw.

"Now, I just cut you with a poisonous knife, and I have the antidote right here." Eritrea took out her necklace from underneath her shirt and showed my mom. "You have about five minutes tops before that starts to get into your lungs, so I suggest you stop with the tea party laugh and answer our questions, yes?"

My mom looked horrified, but she never answered so Eritrea got persistent. She leaned forward and spoke firmly, "yes??" she said again. My mom nodded, frightened. We spent about three minutes asking my mom questions but they never led anywhere. The poison from the knife started to become visible around her neck, but neither Eritrea or I pointed it out. We were wasting time, so I took it upon myself to ask a question.

"Mom, what do you know about my daughter?" I said.

My mother looked back at me blankly. She looked worried and as if she had just been found out. "Now, Monica..." my mother began.

"Are you serious?!" I exclaimed. How could my mom do this to me?

"Monica, it wasn't on our own accord! You have to believe me."

"Our? So, dad knew as well? You BOTH knew and kept this from me?" Through all my rage I was completely blinded by the million thoughts racing through my head. I didn't even notice when my mom started calling my name because the five minutes was coming to an end.

"M- Monica.." my mother called out weakly.

If not for Eritrea pouring the antidote down my mothers throat she would have died, I'm sure of it.

I turned around and saw what was happening. I fell to my knees on the floor and cupped my mother's face in my hands. Eritrea nudged me, showing me that she had given it to my mother, but I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't sure if it had worked. We took my mom and put her in the back seat of the car. I sat down with a sigh and wiped away the tears that were forming at the corner of my eyes. Eritrea put her hand on my thigh.

"She didn't leave us with nothing. I heard her whisper a name before she passed out."

I looked over to her skeptical, "oh yeah?" I said. "And what name was that?"

"CJ."