Back in Claire's room. Where she stood in front of her closet holding her dress, grappling with the unsettling situation, her emotions swirled around her like a tempest.
Her gaze was enough to convey just how sad she was about everything, from her birthday celebration being cancelled to her brother going missing. She couldn't stop wondering how a day that should have been filled with happiness had turned into a tense situation.
She recalled her father's words, which had carried a weight of concern, and in that moment, Claire understood just how vulnerable she could be, if Eric went missing in the home city, what could happen to her, when she's away from home? Could something happen to her too?
Amidst all this thinking, she sensed a figure looming behind her, which sent shivers down her spine.
When she turned and immediately threw the box with all her might, she realized later that the figure was none other than Jane. In her panic, Claire nearly struck Jane with the wooden hanger.
It's another thing that Jane who stood on a distance instinctively had raised her arms in a desperate attempt to shield herself from the unexpected blow. But the box hit Jane hard, resulting in a small cut above her eyebrow where the sharp corner of the box scraped her skin and landed by the corner of the room.
A sharp pain seared through her skin, where it got marred by the scar on her otherwise smooth surface.
Jane's voice, tinged with shock, "Hey! What's wrong with you?"
Claire shot back, her heart thundering in her chest from the sudden fright that had gripped her, "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU??? You scared me."
"And you, you shocked me. First with that box and then with that hanger in your hand from which you nearly thrashed me," Jane replied, wincing as she examined the sting on her forehead.
"Then you should have made some noise while creeping around or at least called my name! I was completely taken by surprise!" Claire exclaimed, her anxiousness evident in the sharpness of her tone.
"Well, what can I possibly do about it? It's just the way I walk," she retorted, her eyebrows raised.
"Then, you were bound to encounter something like that once in the life," Claire mumbled, turning to put the hanger back in the closet, her face annoyed.
"What do you mean? Look, your door was wide open, so I walked in..." Jane paused as her voice grew a little heavy with emotions, as she thought she could talk to Claire since she felt overwhelmed about Eric's situation, but it seems she can't at least for now, because she was behaving differently.
"Maybe I should just leave, and I'm sorry for startling you." she added, before turning around to leave, her fingers delicately brushing over the scratch on her face, a somber expression on her features.
Just then, Claire closing the closet door, turned and noticed Jane's gloomy expression, the weight of anxiety clearly visible on her face. The gloom that settled on Jane's features sent an unsettling chill through Claire.
She realized that she had been so wrapped up in her own feelings that she had completely overlooked how deeply the situation had affected those around her. The look on Jane's face made Claire aware that Jane was experiencing the same dread and anxiety as she and her parents were feeling.
Thus, she couldn't help herself before stopping her, "Hey, wait a minute," Claire's voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere.
"What now?" Jane replied, turning slightly.
YOU ARE READING
Entangled Strings Of Fate
General FictionI vividly remember my earlier years, during which I grew up witnessing my parents' deep admiration and affection for each other. Their bond felt like a magical force that created so much happiness, bringing them together in a way that seemed unbreak...
