Uncovering Dahlia's Truth

The Confession

Angel didn't sleep a wink the previous night. Thoughts swirled through her head along with the alcohol. The combination made her all the more hungover the next morning. She got up and went to her grandfather's bookshop in the city at about one, still as paranoid as ever.

She now sat behind the counter, jumping at every creek of the floorboards and every bird singing and every person laughing outside the shop. She rubbed her eyes and grabbed a pile of books, getting up and walking to the mystery shelf and started putting them in.

"Calm down," she whispered to herself and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of a little girl's voice and her tapping her little fingers on her back.

"Excuse me," she said and Angel smiled, calming down for a bit. "Where are the children's books?" She batted her little eyelashes and swayed on her ballerina flats.

Angel bent down and pointed towards the shelves at the back of the shop. "They're all back there, honey," she said and grinned at her. "Just shout if you need my help."

The little girl nodded her head, her golden locks bouncing like a slinky. She turned around and skipped towards the back of the shop and Angel sighed. She turned around and saw her grandfather walking through the front door, the little bell signaling his presence.

He winked at her. "Everything alright?"

No.

"Sure," Angel said and walked back to the counter.

Her grandad squinted his eyes at her and Angel gulped, realizing that his eyes are traveling to her shaky hands.

"Are you sure, Angel," he asked.

Angel waved him off and tucked her hands under her chair. "I'm fine, grandad," she lied through her teeth. "Just tired from everything, you know, being a first year isn't easy." She gave a small laugh.

Her grandad nodded his head and turned to dust off a shelf with his hand. "Okay," he sighed. "Just let me know if there's anything."

She nodded her head and had a burning desire to ask him if she could stay with him in his apartment, but felt like that would sound suspicious. Besides, she wouldn't want him worrying at this age. "Thank you, grandad," she said and he nodded his head.

She sighed and stared out the window at the people walking past with shopping bags and business woman and men babbling away at their phones. She smiled at a little boy acting as if he's an airplane, spreading his arms and swerving past an old lady walking her dashund. Angel sighed and thought about asking if Brooklyn would like to walk with her to the shops, just like all these people. Maybe she would feel like there's nothing wrong for a short while.

Angel felt her heart hammer in her chest. It's her. She's walking with a bunch of shopping bags around her, blocking most of her, but her white-blonde hair is noticeable anywhere.

Cathy Braxton.

Angel knew she wasn't crazy. Just then a scream echoed. Angel jumped up, her heart still pounding. "Grandad, could you help the little girl at the back?" She asked, breathing heavily. "I'm not feeling well, I need to go."

She flew out of the shop, hearing her grandad answer with a perplexed "okay" and dashed towards the streets. She stopped in front of a lamp post and scanned her eyes around. She looked left and then right, then backwards and then straight forwards. She found her. She was walking on the other side of the road and nearing an apartment block. The Maximus, one of the most expensive in Fynbos City.

She broke into a sprint, maxing through by passers as best as she could. She tripped over dustbin lid and felt her toe surge with pain, but ignored it. She pushed past two guys chatting and both of them yelled profanities, but she continued running. Her eyes stayed glued to Cathy's white-blonde hair, taking the stairs towards the center of the city, right by The Fountain of Good Fortune. Angel pushed herself to go farther and ran straight into a group of Chinese foreigners. They yapped away in Chinese and she mumbled an apology and continued running. She reached the steps and took them two by two, tripping half way and got up right away. She felt like she would pass out any moment, but she knew that if she didn't find Cathy now, she might not have the chance again.