Chapter 5

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The Story Retold

- "The white room, was only a shade for the darkness. And Victor could no longer take it. We could hear him pounding the door, and scraping the walls. He no longer wanted eyes."

- Elenore Hill, her first report on Victor Dummont.

***

October 11th, 1999

 10:45 pm.

Victor was sitting down on his bed, a bunch of newspapers infront of him, all scattered along his bed. Each and every one of them had the same picture of the same little girl on them. Along one of the paragraphs, there was written:

- "Protect your children!

This is a warning to all parents of Anquel, Satch Grounds. Local girl, Lilith Jones, Daughter of Sir. Duke Leo Jones and Esme Dummont - Jones, was reported missing this morning. Neighbors say they have no idea where the little girl could be, but they are trying all they can to find her. Her father, Sir. Duke Leo, has a suspicion that someone has Kidnapped her, and is urging the kidnapper to come forward, or he will take drastic measures.

Police are ordering search parties all around the Country, so if there really was a kidnapper, we do not wish to make the scene bloody."

Baffling was that. On the page right after the paragraph, there was a photo of the parents. Sir. Duek Leo was wearing was seemed like an generals outfit, with multiple badges attached to the sash of the uniform, giving him a high ranking. The mother, Esme on the other hand, had a simple floral garment dress on.

- "If she even was alive till now, she would go for his mother."

- "What do you mean by that, Victor?"- Aurelie asked confusingly.

- "She looked exactly like his mother, but she didn't have her hair. It was as if his mother had worn a wig, and disguised herself."

***

October 12th 1999

12:48 am

The night stole the sky, as the clouds started to form. The streets were empty, and the cobblestone had been left wet with the rain of Autumn. His house was all so quiet, lights out completely, fast asleep under the moon's gaze. 

A slight ringing of a bicycle bell, and the strolling of it's wheels along the streets of Saint Jane. That bell woke up Victor instantly, and he got up from his pile of newspapers. It seems he fell asleep on his researches. Slowly moving up from the pile, he walked towards the nearest window, and starred outside in the outer world. 

At the end of the road, along the higher hills, he saw a girl riding away with her bike. But before he knew it, the girl had already left..

***

7:15 am

- "It's yet another morning! The sun is surprisingly fully out today, melting all of the snow from the roofs of our homes! Expect today for all workers to be on break for Trash Tuesday, as all the town gathers to town center to pick up each and every garbage from the Town Center all the way to the hills of Saint Jane. Have a great morning!"

About a week ago, Mary Ross had promised Victor to tell him all he knows about the disappearance of Lilith Jones, as she had lived next to her with her family, when they were still alive. 

Quickly putting his shoes on, he went to meet her. The woman was rocking on the rock chair by the porch, and as she saw Victor she gave him a slight smile.

- "I didn't expect you to be on a hurry to know the story."- she gestured to a stack of chairs, and Victor grabbed one to place it down next to hers.

- "Sorry, I just got very interested.. you said you knew a thing or two?"

- "Yes, but, where would you like me to begin?"

- "Anywhere."

***

Mary Ross's POV:

My parents were business partners with Lily's. Sir. Duke Leo was always inviting us into his back yard for barbecue, when he wasn't on duty, or out of the house. On August, 1959, my mother send me to the hospital, and I finally got to meet her. She was so tiny, you wouldn't think she would be a free spirit. When my parents were talking to Esme, I realised that Sir. Duke Leo wasn't there.

 He was kind, at least to my family. He would order his wife and daughter around, even if his wife was exhausted, and Lilith, when she turned three.  In the nights where I would get out with my parents, I'd hear a scream or two. Those were also the nights where Sir. Duke Leo was home. During the days where he was serving, I would always play with Lily in their backyard.

When she finally turned four, in 1963, I started to play with her, out here on the streets, inside her house, or just in her backyard. She would show me that bike of hers, which she loved with all her heart. Though, we would only play when Sir. Duke Leo was out. When he'd come back, Esme would tell me to go home. I never understood it then.

It started out as a routine. I'd come when he left, I'd go when he arrived. But, after the very first week, I started noticing these.. marks. On both Lily and Esme. I was too afraid to ask, so I just ignored it.

When she turned seven, in 1966, she began being distant. She refused to play, and I saw more and more marks on her. I finally had the courage to ask, she just ran away. I was fourteen at the time, and having a runny mouth, I told my parents. When my father spoke to Sir. Duke Leo about it, he only said that Lily was a rough player, which was not true. I wanted to do something, anything to help her, to know what the marks were, to just play with her again. But... in 1976, when she turned seventeen, I saw her fully bruised, and cycling up the hill of Saint Jane.

And I never saw her again..

That's when the posters started appearing everywhere. On light poles, on business's windows, and everywhere in the newspaper. Given the fact that Sir. Duke Leo was the most known soldier in all of Anquel, everyone went to the search parties, for months and months. But they never found her. I don't know whether she was still alive or not, all that I know, is she didn't deserve it. I was leaving that morning, when I saw her cycling away.  I was leaving to Miner Vice, because of a job position. I was going to live there, and when I saw her, I was in such a rush, that I didn't chase after her. I didn't try to help her, and I still regret it till this day.

- "How old would she have been, if she were alive now?"

- "Exactly forty. It's been a good twenty-three years since she's been missing."

- "Thank you for telling me, Ms. Ross."

- "You're more than welcome to ask anything else, child."

~~~~

This chapter is a filler, I only wanted to slightly explain Lily's Story because I realised I really didn't earlier :((( Anyway hope you liked it!


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