The Mist *rank#5 in The New Writer's Award 2018*

chapter 28: the white lady

Shiela start to cry emotionally as she looked into my face.

"Please do not arrest me miss Peters I was just instructed to do this," she begged me.

I locked the door and came to her.

"Instructed by whom?" I asked her.

"I cannot tell the person's name miss Peters but I have little details on what they needed me to do but please I beg you do not arrest me. I have an ill sister that I need to look after." Shiela continue to cry.

"They? meaning it is not just one or two persons that instructed you?" I asked again.

"I cannot say but you know them very well miss," Shiela answered me.

"Okay Shiela, let us make a deal. You tell me their names and I will not tell anyone about this at all especially to grandma Elina and I will not surender you to the cops either but I beg you I need to know who plotted this mad situation." I told Shiela seriously.

"Miss Peters, my younger sister was very sick that time and until now she still is and her name is Clarisa. That person wanted something so bad from your family that they wanted me to do their dirty work for them." Shiela stated.

I stood up and help Shiela stand up and sit to the chair.

"What dirty work exactly?" I asked her as I wiped her tears on her cheeks.

"As we all know, your family is so rich that you Peters will soon leave a legacy-- and that legacy is this manor and your businesses." Shiela stated.

"Go on, Im all ears." I said.

"This person forced me to search for something valuable here in grandpa Gregor's room and said that if I will not do as told, they will ruin my service here to your family thus leaving me penniless and not a single cent to spend for my sister's maintenance medicines." Shiela's tears drop again.

"So that is why you were forced to do this?" I asked her and she nodded.

"They forced me to dress as a white lady because they wanted all of you to think that there is a real ghost in this manor that want to scare people." she added.

There was a moment of silence.

"What are they looking for?" I sat down in grandpa's bed.

"She mentioned to me something about a document with a gold seal that symbolized your family's last name," Shiela answered but she forgot that she changed 'they' to 'she'.

"She-- who is she?" I asked her again and finally she looked at me with a worried face.

"Miss Peters if I tell you now, I will lose my service here to you," Shiela said and she bowed her head again.

"Shiela you have to tell me her name now before anyone of us could get hurt or worse. I give you my word, you will not get fired here and we will help you and your sister. Please believe me." I said.

"I give you my full trust miss Peters," she replied.

"And you have my word." I answered.

"It is none other but your father's sister; Grace Smithson and her daughter Shane."