BURNING LOVE

77

08 AM, the morning of Lorelei's episode

"Has anyone seen Lori this morning?"

Mrs. Kamali inquired, her voice laced with concern as she scanned the Queen daughters' faces. The pre-dawn light cast long shadows in the living room, and despite the familiar hum of the refrigerator, an unsettling silence hung heavy in the kitchen  air.

"No, mama K," kayley, the elder sister, replied using the way they had decided to call Lorelei'smother."She has difficulties to sleep, We thought it was best to let her be."

"Hmm, I don't know," Mrs. Kamali muttered, a gnawing unease twisting her gut. "I just... have a feeling."

"We can go check on her if you're worried," Alicia, the younger sister, offered, sensing Lorelei mother's disquiet.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs. Kamali sighed, her gaze flitting back to the stairs, whirl they were talking,  they had move to the living room where they each sat on comfortable sofas waiting for Martha the bring their coffees.

"I should have known better." Kayley muttered wondering why she had not thought to stop in Lorelei's room before coming downstairs,  it would have been good to put mrs Kamali at ease.

Exchanging a worried glance, the sisters rose in unison and followed Mrs. Kamali towards the stairs. The old but radiant woman, a pillar of strength for all the time they have live together, seemed unusually frail, her hand lingering on the railing for support. They had lived with her for years now, yet her presence still held a weight of authority, a comfort they couldn't quite explain.

"It just feels wrong," Mrs. Kamali confessed as they ascended the stairs.

"Even this morning, I felt compelled to check on her, but I didn't want to intrude or make her feel like..." Her voice trailed off, a mix of worry and something more veiled in her eyes.

"Like a babysitter?" Kayley finished with a light laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"We promised to tone it down after the last time, remember? That is why to be true, I hesitated myself"

Alicia shivered, a memory of last night flashing in her mind. The full moon had been a potent one, its radiant glow casting an unearthly light through her bedroom window. It felt almost intrusive, as if it were peering into her very soul.

"Wow, you know what's funny?" Alicia remarked, her voice hushed. "I felt the same way this morning. I mean, Did you see the full moon? It was incredible, almost as if it was trying to get my attention, I barely slept,  I thought maybe that is why Lorelei was not the earlier birdie in this nest today. It was... like, impressive, it was almost like in plain day..."

Mrs. Kamali stopped abruptly, her grip tightening on the railing. She turned to Alicia, a deep crease forming between her brow.

"Full moon? You said 'full moon'?" Her voice was a mere whisper, laced with a sudden urgency. "And impressive? Kayley! Go find Lori father. Martha, tell your the guys to come up. Now!"

A sense of foreboding washed over both sisters. Lorelei mother's frantic tone sent shivers down their spines. Kayley hurried towards Lorelei parents' room, while Martha, the housekeeper
raced down the stairs to find her husband Norman and his brother Sloan.

Mrs. Kamali's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing in her ears, as she did her to run all the way to the bedroom of her only child. Despite downing a sleeping pill the previous night, the weight of dread sat heavy in her stomach. If what Alicia said was true, she knew it wouldn't bode well for Lorelei.

Bursting into the bedroom, Mrs. Kamali and Alicia froze. The bed was empty, its unmade sheets a stark contrast to the pristine order lorelei normally maintained, even when she was sleeping.