Page 45 of Forbidden Knots

Somehow, she looked like she was more than forty years old, but her mind was stuck on being just a twelve-year-old girl. At this point, I started to rub my eyes and pinched my hand, trying to check if all of this was just a dream. But that awful smell brought me back to reality, making all of this real but also clouding my mind, making no sense of it all being clear.

Death surrounded us, but even though we were alive, we belonged there with them, as none of us were resting in peace.

TWENTY FIVE

Shadow

Ifinally got the courage to call the police to report Sophie missing. This made all of it real. I sat down, then got up, my feet betraying me as my body felt so weak. Sophie was all I had left from my family, and even though I pushed people away and found peace in loneliness, I was afraid of being alone. The walls seemed to close in, my heartbeat faster, and I couldn't breathe anymore. I screamed, glass hitting the wall as I fell to my knees, my palms buried in my hands as I thought of losing everything.

I had her, and now I had nothing.

I prayed to God to bring Thalia back to me. I needed my Storm so much to lighten my path with thunder as it became so dark in my life that I thought shadows would swallow me whole. But someone as sinned as I deserved no prayer upon me. I deserved the pain, those scars on my soul, but they didn't. So, I prayed for her, for Sophie.

I held my hands close, my eyes upon the ceiling.

"Please, please bring her home,"I whispered, drops of saliva falling down as I spit between my tears.

Christian came up to me, lifting me. He was barely dragging himself towards me.

"Police are here," he finally said.

We went downstairs, two police officers standing at the front door. One of them was short and chubby, holding a notebook, and the other one was tall and slim, holding a plastic bag in his hands.

"Buonasera,you Tristan Morgan?" the tall one asked with a thick Italian accent.

I simply nodded, approaching closer. He placed a glove on his right hand and pulled out a blouse, white with little blue butterflies, the one that Mom gave Sophie for her birthday. I stared at it, my gut tightening my intestines. I was not able to move; not a single word came out of my mouth.

"From Sophie Morgan?" he asked.

I nodded again, now tears falling down my cheeks.

"We found it in the woods, close to the well next to three pine trees," the chubby one said. His English was better than the taller one, but his accent was thicker.

I didn't dare to ask about her. I was afraid they might say something I wasn't able to hear. I sat down at the bottom of the stairs, my hands holding my hair, giving me a bit of courage to ask what was necessary.

"What about Sophie? Any traces of her?"

"We found blood, sir," he answered, his words slicing right through me. "But we can't for sure know it's hers until the results come back."

"But she can still be alive?" Christian said, breaking his silence as I gasped, holding for breath.

The taller one shook his head as the shorter one held his mouth closed, his lips in a straight line.

"We called upon all witnesses. They saw a blonde woman running from the woods, but we can't find her either," they said. "If you hear something, please come to us first."

"Blonde?" Christian asked, and before he was going to continue, he sought approval from my eyes, but the message was clear. I needed to speak with Thalia first.

"Grazie," Christian said, seeing the officers out the door. As he was closing it, I noticed Lotta standing just outside.

I have to see Thalia. I need to save her before she saves me, but if she had anything to do with Sophie's disappearance, I would be the first one to make her pay for it. Even if that breaks my heart, even if I fall apart doing it, I will punish her until she loses it.

My eyes filled with anger, and I stood up, turned, and ran upstairs to the bedroom. I closed the door behind me, waiting for the dark so Shadow could rise and find its Storm.

As soon as it got dark, I was ready. I slipped into my black jeans, put on my sneakers, and threw on a black sweatshirt. My heart was pounding like never before when I noticed a black backpack in the corner. I came closer and saw rope, a knife, and tape inside. I was afraid of myself and what I could do. Blood was flowing in my veins, but I knew I had to do something.

I looked out the window, and as soon as the light came on, I went downstairs. Descending the stairs, Christian was alone on the couch, drowning his sadness in whiskey. He didn't evennotice when I came out. I crossed the street, looked up and down to see if anyone was looking at me, and as soon as I saw no living soul, I walked to the end of the street and climbed the stairs to the balcony of a house without an address. I hurriedly jumped from balcony to balcony and climbed up to the window of her house.

Clinging for life, my heart raced as my palms hit the window frame. As I lifted my body up, above me, Lotta stood in her blue jeans, pacing her foot on the floor.

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