OPHELIA: Chapter 9

Blurb

Elizabeth Lockwick wants one thing… to ensure Ophelia remains dead.

For years she’s weaved a life seen through rose-coloured glasses in idyllic Vermont with her husband Sebastian Lockwick, an alluring man with a broken moral compass, whose intent lies in protecting his wife. However, apart from her unorthodox understanding of Sebastian’s dark and gritty hidden nature, she finds herself slipping away from her sanity in maintaining this picturesque life.

After receiving a gruesome gift from an unknown sender threatening to expose her, she finds herself haunted and possibly hunted by her buried past.

In order to make things right for herself and ensure that her secret is hidden, she reluctantly travels back to her sleepy small hometown in Wisconsin. A town where young girls seem to be mysteriously disappearing. There, she reunites with the dysfunctional Pierre-Louis’, a French-American family who sheltered her in their manor in her time of need.

With time slipping away, she struggles with her guilt and a dangerous affair and realizes that perhaps Ophelia wasn’t dead after all these years.

Elizabeth suddenly finds herself caught in a game of cat and mouse, unsure of which she really is this time and who she can trust.

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Chapter 9

The sunlight burglarized its way through the drapes and entered the cracks of her eyelids. Pushing herself to sit upright on the bed she brushed her fallen hair away from her face. The time was unknown to her, perhaps midday she thought. She had already been behind on the presentation for her boss. That had to be done right away she reminded herself. Sebastian must have left for work already. Last night felt like a blur to her. A sudden state of confusion flushed through her pores. Grabbing her cell phone, she entered his number and placed the cold screen to her cheeks.

“How are you feeling, love?” His charmed voice melted into the phone.

Closing her eyes, she pretended for a few seconds, it was alright.

“Sebastian,” she breathed into the call, “Did I faint last night?”

“You haven’t been eating properly. The doctor said it was nothing serious other than it being anxiety driven. It’s best if you take a day Elizabeth, go outside. Staying indoors hasn’t been treating you very nicely.”

“I have a deadline, Sebastian.”

“At least take the proper medication on time. I placed them all in our bathroom cabinet. The doctor labeled your instructions on them. And listen, I may have to be away for a few days to finalize a project.”

“What? Sebastian, you can’t be serious.”

“I know you’re upset but try and understand.”

“Okay.” She whispered tiredly into the phone and hung up. She wasn’t in the mood to be stubborn, nor did she want to risk fainting again, especially not in front of these guests.

 The day had been falling apart fairly quickly and she was, fortunately, able to complete the presentation sooner than she expected. Still, however, there was no positive feedback from the detective about Claire Marie’s whereabouts. Something about this situation was not feeling quite right. No matter how much she tried to brush it aside and try to think positively, the thought of anything happening to that young girl because of her was beginning to mentally destroy her from the inside out. Stepping outside her room and walking along the hall, she heard the faint sound of heavy talking and hushed frustrated voices too distinct to miss which came from the guest room. Elizabeth didn’t mean to pry but the word steal caught her attention.

“I came here to prove that I am the right man for the job, Kristen.”

“And are you? They’re enjoying this, thinking of themselves above us. Her husband made advances on me and I was constantly brushing him off for your sake. And that wife of his, she’s been so cruel to me, Christopher. She likes to taunt me. Just because I have you now she must be so jealous. The witch.”

What a fking liar. Elizabeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The nerve of this woman, coming into her house and speaking such foul lies.

“Let’s just bear it out. It won’t be for long.” Christopher tried to reason but she refused.

“No, let’s just take what we can and leave. When she was downstairs I took a walk into her bedroom and looked inside her closet, her jewelry collection is mesmerizing. Half of those were diamonds, Christopher, even if we just take a few I’m sure we’ll be well off for a while. You know that Daddy won’t be willing to lend me any more money.”

“Keep your voice down!” He angrily hushed her. “Have you lost it?”

“I don’t care anymore. All you do is get lost in your thoughts about her.”

“She means nothing to me, Kristen.”

She scoffed at his response. “I’ve been sent here for a reason. Understand that,” he fumed.

Elizabeth hurried back to the bedroom and locked the door behind her. They were such ungrateful pieces of sh*ts. The fact that they wanted to steal from her was beyond her. Sebastian was no saint but this was wrong. Money and jewelry, however, meant nothing to Elizabeth. She valued the simple hidden things within her life and she was fixed on securing that first. Opening the door to her closet, she reached for the dainty chest box which was buried at the back of her hanging jackets. After the fire, she remembered securing this as it was the last birthday gift her mother was able to gift her. She kept it with her everywhere she travelled, yet away from her reach, in the furthest part of the house. She kept it hidden away, where her memories weren’t able to taunt her to a state of misery.

Elizabeth gently opened the box which revealed a spinning ballerina accompanied by a faint song. Its red velvet interior coating gave it an antique look. Family heirlooms such as pendants and diamond necklaces which seemed to etch old romances along with it stared at her in the face. At the bottom of the small keepsake chest, beneath the embroidered handkerchief with blue and white daisies, a neat filling of letters was placed. Some even dated back to the 1800s. Securing back the chest with its lock, she looked beneath to ensure the address which she had engraved into the wood was still there. In this case, if lost, someone with a decent heart would send it back to its rightful place.  However, she also accepted that this world lacked such humans. Elizabeth’s phone abruptly rang and she brought it to her ears. Sally’s chirpy voice sang through the cell in a greeting.

“Sally, how are you?”

“Wonderful! My husband and I decided to arrange a little housewarming party this afternoon and I truly want you and your husband to attend. We finally settled in with the moving and thought it is the right time.”

“Oh, that’s lovely, Sally. I’d love to join. Sebastian, however, won’t be able to make it.”

“Well, I’m just glad you can at least. I’ll see you soon!”

 ‘Soon’ came faster than she intended and for that, she was glad for the opportunity to leave the house, away from Sebastian’s guests. She secured the doors with locks nonetheless and put a word out to the butler to ensure there were no internal crimes occurring during her absence. Throwing over a casual white wool sweater and a pair of skinny jeans, she did a natural makeup look and let her hair down for the occasion. Grabbing a pair of nude kitten heels with the pointy tip, she simultaneously snatched up her housewarming gift for the couple as well as her purse.

Sally’s house wasn’t that far a walk, just across the street. Bright lights radiated from the inside as the music kept itself alive. Sally suddenly grabbed her into an embrace from the moment she was greeted at the door and ushered her inside where firstly she met her husband, Frank. Guest laughed and chatted amongst themselves while eyes followed Elizabeth. It was a shame, she had been living here for three years now and barely knew these people by their names, just faces. She tried to convince herself it was safer this way. She thinks she’s better than all of us. Her husband is never around, he must be with other women. What kind of woman is she? She’s so strange. Elizabeth humored at these women’s societal gossip while she drank the bottle of coke calmly. Sally frowned sitting next to her at the kitchen island. “Half of these women are such bitches.”

Her sudden words made Elizabeth laugh softly and continue to munch on the tortilla chips. “My advice is to never get attached to these people, nor places, nor jobs. Nothing’s ever permanent. These women are hateful, you aren’t.”

“Things have just been so lonely since I got here. I’m so grateful for you at least. Frank finally set up his office at home so he can have his sessions there. It’s just, well, I’m scared. Things are changing.”

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked genuinely confused.

Sally rubbed her hands nervously together and stood, “I want to show you something.”

 She stood outside a door along her upstairs corridor with Elizabeth silently beside her. Turning the lock and pushing herself inside, she switched on the room light which brightened the room and its contents. It was blue and florescent stars illuminated the ceiling, a crib sat anxiously at the corner and a large fluffy rug at the room’s center. “Frank and I are having a baby. Frank’s excited but I’m a little nervous. I get scared thinking of the future. What if I’m not a good mom?”

“Sally,” Elizabeth hushed her and gave her a kind hug, “We may not know each other for very long but I can assure you you’ll be a wonderful mother. I am so happy for you.”

The young woman’s face lightened a bit and it almost seemed like her muscles began to relax. She sat on the rug and took a deep breath while Elizabeth accompanied her. It had been a while since Elizabeth had a genuine friend. Someone she can truly trust and confide in, but she knew the consequences of confiding too much.

“You always look so lost within yourself,” Sally noticed Elizabeth.  

“I am,” she tried to smile back and placed her hand on her purse. Maybe she could trust Sally with this. It was safer with someone else rather than herself. Pulling out the keepsake chest, she sighed, “I know this may be too much to ask, but can you hold onto this for me? There are some guests that are staying in my house and I don’t trust that they’ll keep their hands to themselves. This belonged to my mother.”

“Oh Elizabeth, you treat me like such a stranger.” Sally laughed, “Of course, I can. I’ll keep it in the safe for you and whenever they’re gone you can collect it back.”

Elizabeth nodded thankfully and her eyes fell upon a painting on the wall. Her heart thumped and ached within her chest. “Sally,” her breath was slow and cautioned. “Where did you get that painting?”

It was a grey mosaic-like painting, done in strokes, its technique almost like Van Gogh. A woman’s portrait lay behind the storm of grey. Her eyes were a sharp vicious serious thing that could almost ice you into her soul. Calamity and softness embraced her demeanor. A face Elizabeth knew too well.

“Oh God, it’s so embarrassing. I know you must be thinking how quaint I put something like that in here. I actually liked it, I thought it was beautiful but Frank wasn’t so much a fan of having it in here.”

“No. I don’t believe she’s everyone’s cup of tea.”

“Indeed not.” Sally sighed, “It’s called Florence. Saw it at the back. I remember what you were telling me about paintings and I just wanted to add something with a little depth to my home too, you know? I got it from that shop we went to recently. Café Magnolia. The owner buys commissioned pieces from various artists and retails some to the customers. You should check him out.”

“I will,” Elizabeth assured herself, still staring at the painting. “Can I take a picture of this one?”

“Of course!” Sally beamed.

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