Under The Wildflowers | ONC 2024

Chapter 4.

Rolling his eyes, Dominic hastily made his way back into the supermarket to retrieve his bag.

"Hey Steve, I'm leaving early today. Tell Martin I'm not feeling too good," Dominic lied.

"Of course, you don't," Steve muttered, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Dominic exited the supermarket, only to discover Key casually seated in the front of his van.

"How on earth did you know this was my van?" he demanded, tossing his bag into Key's lap in a mix of annoyance and bewilderment.

Unfazed by the action, Key simply shrugged off the question."I'm observant."

"A stalker is what you are," Dominic mumbled under his breath, smoothly backing the car out of the parking space.

"What was that?" Key questioned.

"Nothing," Dominic lied, speeding out of the parking lot. "So, where are we headed?"

"To Maybourne, of course," Key replied, as though it was the most natural destination.

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When they finally arrived at the cemetery, Dominic parked the van in front of the gate.

In the distance, he could make out Celia kneeling by her sister's grave, her face hidden by the gravestone before her.

The sight of her grief-stricken figure, so young and yet so profoundly touched by loss, stirred a deep sadness within him. She, too, was grappling with the pain of losing someone immensely dear to her, navigating through the sorrow years after the fact.

He frowned as he looked at his watch. St. Peter's school was still in session, likely just resuming classes post-lunch. Given the rules, students weren't permitted to leave the premises until the school day concluded. Yet there stood Celia, her uniform as disheveled as it had been during their encounter that morning, prompting Dominic to wonder.

Could she have been here all morning?

"Celia!" Key's voice cut through the air, beckoning her over with a wave of his hand as he stuck his head out the van.

Dominic watched from the driver's seat, his curiosity piquing as Celia made her way towards them. The way Key called out to her, laden with an unspoken urgency, left Dominic wondering about the necessity of her presence.

"Why do we need to get Celia again?" Dominic questioned, attempting to unravel the mystery behind Key's insistence.

Key returned inside, his features tightening into a frown. For a moment, it seemed like he would divulge the reason, his lips parting slightly as if to speak. Yet, just as quickly, he closed them, sealing away his thoughts as he stuck his head out of the vehicle once more.

Meanwhile, Celia had reached the gate of Maybourne. The grandeur of its rusty ironwork loomed before her as she stood there, her hands weaving through its open crevices. She leaned forward, resting on the cold metal, her gaze fixed on them.

"Key was it? What do you want?!" Her voice carried a mix of curiosity and impatience as she addressed him from behind the gate.

Her eyes found Dominic's figure in the car, her expression softened into a sweet smile. "Oh, it's you," her tone warmed considerably.

Caught off guard by her sudden attention, Dominic could only manage a close-mouthed smirk in return. His response was automatic, yet it carried an unspoken acknowledgment of their interaction this morning. She still wore the poppy he had placed in her hair, the red petals accentuating the beauty of her face.