Chapitre 23: The Little Girl (2)

"When?? How??" Staring at the young girl's death certificate in her trembling hands, Madeline still found it difficult to assess how this was possible.

She knew what she saw that day at the lower East quarters, it was still vivid, and it was one of the memories she found crucial to toss aside. The girl's alarmed expression when she looked at her for the first time. She chased the girl herself so how is she dead???

"If you don't believe me, I could take you to her graveyard so you can see things for yourself." Cassian said suggestively. The look on Maddie's face still showed she was doubting the authenticity of the death certificate, and he was willing to prove that the girl is long dead.

"But..but how?" Madeline's shoulder dropped when an unknown weakness overwhelmed her heart and body. She wasn't concerned about how the girl got missing at this point, but finding out that such a little girl had passed away hit her deeper like a sword to the chest.

"She went missing in November last year," Cassian sat up properly as he began the explanation, "when I found out, I had to start digging from scratch, wandering around different quarters and connecting the pieces I could find. By the time I got valid information, I was this close to saving her from the bastard responsible, but instead, I found her body, lying on the cold ground at the back of an alley." His tone became dull as he remembered seeing her lifeless body on the ground.

Madeline no longer knew what she had to say and just stared at the death certificate with a look of pity. The girl is such a little girl, who on Earth could be so cruel to take the life of an innocent child??

"Did you see the person responsible for her death?" She asked, but the young lad shook his head to both their dismay and leaned back against the headboard.

"Not yet, whoever is responsible has surprised me with the skills he/she possesses, cause I found no trail that could lead me to the mastermind behind all of this."

Brushing his hair through his fingers, he continued, "I've been on this case for a while, but I've made sure to keep it low-key. The King has been supportive of my decisions cause it made sense, and you my dear, are going to help me solve this mystery."

"Me?" Madeline pointed at herself, just to confirm if he was referring to her or someone else.

"Yes, you." He closed the file. "It's one of the major reasons why I married you." He smirked, but Madeline still had difficulty grabbing the meaning of what he was trying to say.

"I... don't understand."

Getting out of bed, Cassian closed the windows and covered the curtains, leaving the room with a dim light that came from the lamp on the side table.

"Call her name." He said, "tell her you see her, and she'll come to you."

"Call who?"

"The girl." Turning to look at the puzzled Madeline, he made a gesture, indicating she should call the name on the death certificate.

"Call her name."

"But she's dead, isn't she?" None of this made normal sense to Madeline. Why should she call the name of the dead girl? Even if his intentions were starting to become clearer, Madeline didn't believe in such beliefs about summoning ghosts or spirits.

"Call her name first, tell her you see her, and then see what happens." His voice sounded expecting. His Amber-brown eyes glinted with such mystery that had questions flipping through her brains, but she couldn't open her mouth to ask him those questions.

Madeline's mind at the moment was a current mess, but even though she didn't believe in such fallacy, she chose to do as he said and looked at the name on the death certificate.

"Lily Jones_"

"You need to be more audible, speak like you're actually talking to her."

"Lily Jones." Madeline's voice came out louder this time around, "I_I see you."

After she said it, an empty silence filled the room, and nothing happened. Madeline, who had closed her eyes in fear after saying the name, couldn't stand the anticipation of waiting and opened one eye to take a peek. The room was just the way it was, and nothing happened.

Was she expecting something to happen?

Madeline was about to call this situation nonsense when the lamp lights suddenly flickered and instantly went out, leaving them in the darkness and she let out a shaky gasp.

"C_cas?" She jolted to her feet when she could no longer see what was before her. The room had turned pitch black, looking no different from where those goons had locked her in after abducting her in the alley.

"Cas?" She called his name, hoping he was still around somewhere, but she got no response, which only intensified her fear. She was starting to get a feeling that she was no longer in her room with Cassian.

"What...where am I?" Her heart pounded with each second that ticked by. Fear pricked her skin till she was starting to sense the presence of another behind her.

Someone suddenly touched her by her arm, and when she turned around, hoping it was Cassian who was trying to frighten her, the death certificate in her hands dropped to the ground, seeing the little girl standing before her.

Her dark brown hair fell across her face and shoulder, her white gown which was stained with dirt did nothing to help the situation, and her skin, it looked so white that she would appear transparent under the sun.

Madeline lost the ability to speak as she took a step back, but the girl took one step forward, looking right into the horrific eyes of Madeline.

"Can you really see me?" She asked with an uneven voice, as though they were more inhumane voices that needed to be heard.

There was a need for attention.

Rather than giving a response to the little girl, Madeline's mind went blank, and she fainted to the ground.