"𝐣𝐣, 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡!"
～*:·ﾟin which the lost gold
leads the crew to the lion's den.
𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 sarah and john b's arrival
in the bahamas, it's a whole
'nother adventure.
[𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐜 𝐱 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛�...
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TIME FROZE IN PLACE whilst the scene in front of the young teen displayed. The man whom she'd heard so much about that she could swear she knew so much about, was reaching his hand out to her while standing by her mother who portrayed the biggest grin on her face.
"This is Ward."
Penelope waited for a response from her daughter but her goggly eyes must have given out something wasn't well, so the older woman laughed at the man standing to her right, before looking back to her daughter.
"Stella."
"Stella, it's such a pleasure to see you." Ward took the queue, grabbing her hand in hers which shook her off her daze. "Your mother does speak highly of you, I didn't think we'd be meeting this soon."
"Yes—"
Yes was the only word that'd leave her mouth in that second. And no smile was brought up in the face of the teen who was so highly known for her kindness and presence, back home.
A single word was all that left her mouth.
Stella currently held a thousand questions under her belt and although she was aware her curious, motivated mind always brought her places — she surely didn't expect it to bring her to her target this quickly and effectively.
"She must be tired," Penelope mouthed an emotionless laugh, while putting her hand in her daughter's lower back, as to guide her.
"Please, you can take her back to ours. I just have some further things to handle, but I'll be with you later."
Whilst leading her through the immense crowd that gathered downtown, the young teen took a second to look behind her back at the man she was so intrigued by. She could only imagine what things he'd have to take care of, none of it legal or good deeds.
As if he could read her thoughts, Ward made eye contact with her for a split moment before turning to other people who neared to greet him.
And she could swear in that moment, she'd seen some type of darkness in his eyes.
- ⋆ -
The car ride towards the unknown destination was awfully quiet.
It was the type of quiet you're in when you are in some sort of trouble and your parents will ground you for it when you get home, so they can privately tell you off. Although Stella hadn't known that feeling at all during her childhood.
She was only aware of the anxiety it was giving her.
After parking the Jeep, Penelope exited the vehicle and waited for her daughter to do the same. Stella stepped off of it slowly and looked at the large white mansion standing in front of her.
Perhaps this was the house the group spoke so much about. Perhaps this was once Sarah's household they mentioned.
From the rise in her chin that her confident poise carried, Penelope made her way towards the front porch and inside the house — assuming the teen was following close by.
"Want something to eat, sweet?"
Her calm demeanor made Stella all that more intrigued.
Was she faking it? Or was she genuinely not sure about what was going on outside these four walls. So many questions roamed the young Clemont that she felt dizzy and closed her eyes for a split second.
"I'm fine."
"You must be tired, no?"
"Yes, but firs—"
Penelope led her towards the upper floor without a chance to refute this decision, whilst grabbing her hand tenderly. They both entered an empty room off the far end of a long carpeted hallway and the door was closed behind them.
"Please, a sit." Her mother ordered, gesturing towards the empty bed.
"Mother, I—"
Taking the seat to her right, Penelope tenderly grabbed Stella's hands in one of hers, caressing her cheek with the other.
"I missed this pretty face."
"I missed you."
"We will be staying at Ward's. He was nice enough to let us stay all the time necessary and you can even have your own room."
Stella's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to look in her mother's eyes for some sort of answer.
No hint of worry or disbelief illustrated them. It was as if this whole endeavor was all one-sided on Stella's part. As if they hadn't just spent the past two weeks separated and somehow, they'd ended up in the same place.
As if... "Mom, Frank is dead!"
"My sweet..."
Penelope's hand now passed from her cheek to the teens long-brown hair, caressing through his length.
"He was shot, I had to run away—" the word vomit was bound to be spilled, that's until her speech was cut short by two chilling words.
"I know."
"You. Know?"
Shock fell upon her, as she saw the change in tone on her mother's voice.
"Stella, you mustn't believe everyone is trust-worthy."
"What do you mean, it's Frank—"
The darkness in her mother's brown eyes turned them grey and awfully terrifying.
"Frank isn't an exception."
"I don't understand."
"You don't, sweet. You have no idea."
"It was all so scary."
"I am aware of the whole episode. I'm aware Frank was not where he was supposed to be. And I am also aware of your little escapade."
"My escape?"
"You should know I have eyes and ears all throughout the island."
"Mom, I was forced to flee!"
"I know, Stella — I know." Penelope's hand stopped touching her daughter's hair as she rested both in her own lap. "Which is why I'm glad you found me. See, now I can protect you from the real danger."
"Mother, you have no idea what's going on out there. The things they're saying, it's all a lie! Ward is lying to everyone." The teen cried out in one single breath and she observed her mother get up and walk towards the door.
"You must be awfully tired from your long days of navigating."
"I'm telling you, mom!"
"I will let you rest and you must stay here — for your own safety."
After two further steps, the older Clemont stepped outside of the door and closed the bedroom door that separated the two.
"Mother, what are you—"
The sound of locking coming from outside made it all realer in Stella's head.
