[Mafia] Who Breaks a Butterfly?

(11) - The Living Dead

| The All Knowing |

"What do you mean she's gone missing?" Elena frowned, her heart beat fastening at her brothers' distressed visage.

"She's just vanished, she isn't at home!" Elliot explained, his hands continuing to rake though his hair whilst he paced back and forth in anticipation.

"Did you try calling her?" She wondered curiously, Elena's hands bunching up the material of her clothing in attempts to bundle the stress and fear in the seams of cloth.

"Of course I tried calling her, do you think I'm stupid?" Elliot scowled, his anger leaking through each word with anguish etched into the curves of his features.

"I'm just trying to help." Elena seethed as their old childish bickering filled the air. "Are you sure she hasn't gone out with one of her friends, maybe she went to visit Aunt..."

"I have called everyone and they have no clue where she is, the guys have gone looking for her - she has left everything behind and she's vanished Elena!" He concluded and the warm tears ran a path down Elena's face, worry filling her cranium and her heart aching, where would she even go? They didn't even finish on good terms.

"We need to look for her." Elena demanded and finally pulled herself away from the edge of the fountain.

"No! You are going to stay here; we don't know what exactly has happened to mum so until then we need to ensure your safety." Her overprotective brother declared and Elena couldn't help but sob, the anger pulsating viscously through her veins, she knew the guilt would eat away at her if she didn't even endeavour to help her mother. "Stay inside," Elliot demanded before pulling a set of pristine keys from his pocket and motioning his head towards the front door.

"Whatever," Elena hissed before pacing towards the front door; she paused momentarily in front of the towering door before slowly turning around. "Why won't you let me help?" Her bottom lip quivered watching Elliot walk in the opposite direction towards a car.

"You're the one who said to keep you out of the business," Elliot answered icily and made no effort to turn around and comfort his sister instead he sped up his pace and an exhausted sigh escaped his lips when he heard the front door swiftly slam shut with a strident bang, he just wanted to find his mother without losing anyone else.

Elena paraded through the hallways with determination, her feet leading her towards the dim sunlight that leaked through the window panes and door, she was oblivious to all the house staff that stood cautiously in the halls - she was focussed on reaching her destination. The tears trickled down her face, rolling against the raw skin. Her slim fingers battered against her face as she attempted to stop the drops of water from leaking. Elena's nose crinkled up before she pulled the pristine phone from her pocket and dialled a familiar number.

She roughly pushed the backdoor open and ignored the presence of the guards, she need a calming walk and her garden provided the perfect opportunity for just that; she set foot on the decking and listened intently to the ringing sound before making her way across the supple grass towards the large portion of wood that surrounded her house.

"Lena!" Charlotte's cheery voice echoed through the phone and resonated through her ears.

"Mum's gone missing, give the phone to Jake." Elena spoke bluntly, her voice coming out croaky whilst she stepped foot into the scattered leaves, her heels crushed the crisp leaves beneath her leaving the resonance of broken twigs to echo behind her.

"Wait, Elena what happened?" Charlotte panicked.

"Please, just give the phone to Jake." Elena sighed forlornly, the woods bringing back so many memories, she remembered being a little girl and running through the greenery. Her brothers heavy footsteps thudding behind her as he chased her through the wrath of the leaves or when her father helped her climb a tree for the first time.

"Butterfly?" His husky voice pondered and Elena's hand instantly begun to shake, the phone pressing further against her ear.

"Please find her." She sobbed, the wind wailed and willowed between distorted trunks, carrying the sickly stink of wood rot. Elena moved faster, ignoring the briars that caught at her jeans and the damp leaves that soiled her skin. She hastily lifted her face, letting the light and shadow dance across her skin. She was alone.

"Elena are you crying? Who would you like me to find? What's wrong?" He questioned, the worry evident in his voice, it was apparent that he was just as worried as Charlotte at this point.

"Please find my mum," Elena whispered before hanging up and quickly turning her phone off. The forest was disturbingly beautiful and inviting in day, the rattling wind swam through her hair and directed over her shoulder into the distance.

The sun was disappearing as if the world was not yet used to the bitter shadows. Then a thought struck Elena's mind, the kind of thought you wish to not think about because it can only bring misery. In the woods, the trail on which she ventured she could not see through the trees and it worried her. Was she really that gloomy that she could no longer remember her own land? She cried as she ran, she felt so lonely, that pain that would not leave. She crossed over to that globe, where common sense is disillusioned by fortitude and a final ray of optimism, like a gleaming tea light in the vigorous wind.

"Miss De Angelis," a voice beckoned, her heart beat racing and her eyes clenched shut in fear. "Miss Huntington and Mr Carter have come round to see you," the same polite voice informed and a wry chuckle escaped her lips in relief, her emerald orbs meeting the face of her guard.

"Let's go greet them," Elena sniffled and acknowledged the sympathetic look that flickered across his face, she couldn't help but wonder for how long she had been wandering through the woods lost in sheer thought.

Elena entered through the back door and entered into the kitchen. "Tell them that I'll be with them shortly," Elena smiled softly towards her guard before making her way towards the sink and opening the tap. She quickly began to scoop up the warm water and splash it against her face to try and lessen the fact that she was crying, she was sure her face was puffy and pale from the wind and icy tears and she didn't want everyone to pity her.

"Somebody bought you flowers Miss Huntington," her house maid cooed and Elena's head instantly shot up, she eyed the sweet lady curiously as she held a familiar bouquet, they were once a bunch of fresh roses organised in a beautiful array of baby pink, yellow and white.

"Who brought them?" Elena asked inquisitively, her face still wet from the water.

"Why don't you check?" Her house maid smiled and handed her a tiny card, Elena's slender fingers opened the small piece of paper before skimming over the words.

"My love for you is eternal sweetheart,

- Romano De Angelis."

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the reads and votes along with the comments. It means a lot to me, I know people usually skip this but I had to express my eternal gratitude for the support and consistent readers and voters that I have. You are all amazing.

- Sunanda