(JEANINE)
I stay with Lawrence for a few hours, sitting with Adam. I look up at the clock to see it reads 11:43pm.
Adam gets up, ready to leave but I grab his wrist. "Stay... Please,"
I stare deeply into his dark eyes which read me like a book - scanning along the words, page by page.
He moves back and sits beside me. "It's late,"
"But I'm sleeping here, no matter how uncomfortable it is for me. I am doing this for my sister." I scowl at him. "You staying then?"
He sighs. "Might as well- wait."
"What?"
"I can somehow communicate to Lawrence."
I lean close to him. "How comes? Is it something to do with your powers? Relationship?"
He shakes his head. "I can appear in her thoughts because... Well... Have you heard of the Phoenix and Dragon legend?"
I tell him that I have heard of the name but no one ever told me the legend.
"Well... The Dragon is "yang" while Phoenix is "yin", and they complement each other in creating yin-yang balance to harvest successful matrimonial bliss. Lawrence is the Phoenix. I am the Dragon. Between them both is the balance. And the balance means-"
"Yeah, I get it." I say. "So you can communicate with her now?"
"I'll try," and he closes his eyes, resting himself then he zones out.
As he is unconscious, I grab Anne's diary from the chair which I sit on. I open the book and I flicker through the pages and I read through it.
"Not long now. I will not regret it.
My beautiful daughter's eyes glimmered in the moonlight as I ran out, cradling my child, sheltered her under my raincoat as rain pattered onto my shoulders.
She didn't cry at least once, not even when I layed her on the concrete. Instead, she placed a hand on my cheek, giving me a confused look.
I stared at her, raindrops rolling down my cheeks like tears. I move her hand off my cheek and I walk away from her and that's when she says, "Mummy?"
I continue to walk away from the babbling child.
"Mummy?"
"I wanted to kill her but this is the most passive way possible..."
*
I stand in front of 23 Eastwood Drive alongside Steven.
"This is the only chance we can finally kill her," he says, pressing his hand on my shoulder. I want to shake it off but then I look at him.
I can hear the familiar voices talking to each other in the house. So I knock on the door three times.
No one responded.
So I knock again with three pounds.
And again.
Again...
"Is that Lawrence Anne Holloway, I hear?" I question as I press my ear against the door. And that's when the voices die down. I hammer against the oak door once more but no answer.
"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" I raise my voice with anger. "I CAN HEAR YOU AND THE OTHER SETTLER!"
Steven pushes me behind him and busts the door down and I see Natalie Whitehall trying to shield Lawrence Holloway, hoisting a pistol, pointing it at us.
"Hand her over," the woman pulled out a pistol from her dark blue bag which she was carrying. "then you won't die. Nor will she."
"Why? Why are you here?" Nat snarled at me, still holding her shotgun in her hands.
I load my pistol. "She is someone important to me... very important-"
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER!" Nat yells. "L, RUN! NOW!"
Lawrence flees the building and I didn't want her to escape but she does. I point the gun at Nat but then guilt tugs at me and I put the weapon back down.
Steven roars at me in anger. "Give it here!"
I give him a glare, saying that I am in charge of this operation but it is too late, he grabs the pistol from my bag. I try to take it out of his grasp but his grip is firmly locked on the handle. So I try to divert where he is trying to aim.
"RUN!!!" I scream at Nat but she remains stationary, now pointing her weapon at Steven.
He pulls the trigger.
And the bullet shoots out, tearing through the layers of clothing and skin.
Nat gives me a sorrowful look before collapsing onto the floor, blood spilling out of her chest.
The bullet hit between the ribs. She wouldn't have survived that.
*
"Jeanine?"
I thought we were back at when I first had the flashback. But I am still here, sitting beside Lawrence. On the arm of by whicker chair, a piece of paper is folded into uneven quarters.
I unfold it and read through the letter.
"Lawrence is alive.
But she has discovered a deep secret which no one had found.
She is our only hope.
~ Your friendly neighbourhood Adam Wilbur Brown"
I look up and I see Viola standing by the frame of the door. She looks like she is about to leave but she just remains there, hand pressed on the white frame.
"Viola..." I whisper underneath my breath, trying to hide a blush underneath my pale skin.
She walks towards me, kneeling before me. "I am sorry I doubted you..."
I can see Viola's green eyes reflecting in the light. She gives me a gentle smile and she tucks a thumb by my face, rubs my cheek gently.
"Come on. Lawrence is alright. She will wake up tomorrow." Viola encourages me.
I look back to my sister and then I stare at Viola. "Okay then..." I stand up and I look down to Viola. "If only I can see her early tomorrow."
She smiles. "Of course..." and she leads me out of Lawrence's room.
My heart will not stop racing and I don't think her's is slowing down either.
We enter her room and I can see a crimson red wall, centre of it is a white. The carpet is printed with the Eclipsed Hippogriff on the left, the Solar Dragon on the right and what binds them both together is the Lunar Phoenix's wings.
She sits down on her bed and stares at me.
"Don't worry. Check the wardrobe to your right,"
And I do.
I see clothes which seem like they fit me perfectly. One of which is a red and black dress which could fit a 6 foot person.
I pick it out and I can not stop staring at it. The silk is the most smoothest thing I have ever felt in my life.
"Saw it in New Elizabeth. Planning to get it for my mother but she died as soon as I got home."
I frown. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Before I found out Lawrence was my sister, I would not give two shits about Viola Redwood's mother dying. I wouldn't care.
But I feel sympathy towards her.
My mother died.
I only had my father.
Until I saw her, kidnapped her and I wanted her gone.
I knew she was bad news.
But I never had a family bond like Lawrence and I...
It seems like Viola and her mother was close too.
I go into the alcove and quickly get changed into the dress.
I come back out and Viola smiles at me. She pats on the bed and so I do like an obedient dog with their owner.
She coils her arms around me and falls on her pillow, dragging me down. I am stunned by her actions but quickly... Ever so quickly: I grew comfortable in this position.
Emerald meets hazel.
Tanned meets pale.
Brunette meets blonde.
Female meets female.
We get close to each other and our lips brush against each other.
Slowly, we pull apart. Both smiling but then I reach for her buttons on her collar and she reaches for the zip on the back of my dress.
Undoing out clothes and again, we kiss but this time, hungrier than before. We undress and we press against each other.
Viola reaches for a button beside her and presses it.
CLICK.
The door is locked so that's good.
We make eye-contact once more and we kiss again. I feel her hands run down my back soothingly.
Okay. Remember me saying that the dress is the best feeling?
Scratch that.
This is better.
So this is love...
If so...
Then I like it.