Chapter 33: Fear On The Surface II

**It was working.

Her breathing stabilized and she stopped shaking.

"Sharon, what are you doing on the floor?" Victoria entered and saw her.

"Nothing, I, I dropped something and I was just picking it up," Sharon lied.

"Ok. Hector's done cleaning out your new studio and we're taking everything in so come join us," Victoria told her.

"Do I have to?" Sharon asked not wanting to go out because she was still a bit affected by her panic attack and all she wanted was to lie down, alone and away from everyone and everything.

"Si, you kind of have to. You're the one who's going to be using the room, a lot. You need to decide where everything goes, so come on."

Sharon reluctantly walked behind Victoria to the store and into the room. The three of them spent the next hour setting the room up until it was finally ready.

"This is perfect, guys. I'm going to start painting by tomorrow but right now, I really need some rest. I'm exhausted" Sharon said.

"Of course. Go take a nap," Hector told her and she went back inside.

Victoria watched her as she left and was even more suspicious that Sharon was keeping something away from them.

"I'm telling you, Hector. There's something that she's not telling us."

"As long as it doesn't affect us, then it's none of our business. Let it go, Vic!" Hector advised her.

"l just want to help her," Victoria told her brother, letting him know that she only had the best of intentions.

"If she needs your help, then she'll ask for it. Come on, back to work," Hector told her and she grumbled back to her post.

Sharon went into her bedroom that had been prepared by Hector for her to sleep in. She fell on the mattress with tears in her eyes. She opened the little drawer beside her and took out her drawing book. In between the covers was a little picture.

She took it out and stared at the photo sadly. It was a photo of her and her parents when she was still a little girl. It was one of the few things that didn't get destroyed in the fire all those years ago, although it had little burn marks on the sides.

Lily's mother, Mrs Karen had managed to recover it and gave it to Sharon the day she was adopted by Addicus and left for Colorado.

She had kept it safe and taken it everywhere she went ever since it was given to her.

*A treasure worth more to her than silver or gold!

This picture was the only thing Sharon had from her old life; *that and her memories.

"I miss you, Mom and Dad, so much. I've been so alone and the closest friends I made are dead. But I'm not giving up. I don't know how or when, but I will get justice for you both," she said and kissed the picture, tucked it around her body and cried herself to sleep.

Deep in the night, Sharon woke up from her sleep. She turned on the lamp and quietly went downstairs and into the shop.

.

.

.

The next day, both Hector and Victoria woke up and couldn't find Sharon. They searched the kitchen, bathroom, and even the attic but she was gone.

"Where could she possibly have gone?" Victoria asked her brother, really feeling worried.

Hector, on the other hand, didn't think too much about it. He went to the kitchen to brew himself a cup of coffee.

"She probably just went to the market or something. I'm sure she'll be back soon," he said.

"And how are you so sure about that?" Victoria asked.

"AIl the things she bought are still here. Her new clothes and shoes and everything. There's no way she left without taking her stuff with her."

"You're probably right. Brew me a cup also while I go get the shop ready for opening," Victoria said and went into the shop.

The sight she beheld was breathtaking. The spectrum of colours illuminated by the glow of the sun rays that entered through the window was magical and she felt like she was in an adventure book. Hector's shop had never been this stocked or pretty since he got it.

She walked towards the open door of the studio and saw Sharon completely focused on a painting, so much so that she didn't even notice her presence. Victoria slowly went back into the house and stood in front of her brother, falling short of words.

"Hector?" She said, almost in a whisper.

"Yeah?" Hector answered after taking a sip of coffee.

"I found Sharon. She's in the shop and you'll never believe what she's done."

Hector put down his cup and walked hurriedly and angrily towards the door leading to the shop.

"She stole my paintings, didn't she? I knew we couldn't trust her and I told you but you didn't listen to me. Now, what's going to..," his words were caught in his mouth when he saw the last thing he had expected.

The store was filled with different, beautiful paintings hanging on the walls, standing on easels, and outside in the display case. There were at least twelve different paintings in the shop.

Hector was left speechless. He moved cautiously towards the various paintings, almost like he felt that he was in a dream and wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real. He touched the edge of the paintings, one after the other, and couldn't help but smile in total ecstasy.

"This... is... incredible! How did this happen?" He asked Victoria and she pointed at the studio.

Hector walked into it and saw Sharon seated, savagely stroking her paintbrush against a canvas.

"Sharon?" He called out.

"Yes?" She answered without tearing her gaze from the canvas she was painting on.

"How long have you been out here?" He asked.

"I had a few ideas in the middle of the night and so I came down here to paint."

"Well, it's morning now. Did you even get any sleep at all?"

"Sure, I did!"

Hector stared at his sister and they both weren't sure what was happening but they were sure of one thing; Sharon was an artistic prodigy.