123: The Foe
123: The Foe
ALMA
I felt a knot immediately tighten in the pit of my stomach as my eyes scanned the empty room from the doorway. The bed was empty, Velma wasn't here. Velma wasn't here?
It was 2 a.m. Why wasn't she in bed by this time? Panic was slowly setting in, and I could feel it claw it way up my stomach. Where was she?
My eyes shot to the restroom at the corner of the room, and I felt a bit of calm wash over me. Perhaps she was in there. I swallowed the uneasiness that had crawled its way to my throat, slightly panicking as I dashed across the room to her bathroom.
"Velma," I called as I knocked on the door or rather banged it but there was no answer, and I pushed it open, "Velma," I called again.
The door swung open, and my heart sank as it turned out empty too. She wasn't in the restroom. My head spun around the room, and my palm was beginning to feel clammy as I released the door and it slammed shut in my face. Where the hell was she? Where could she go?
My stomach tightened, and I could feel my heart crashing into my ribcage. The panic was beginning to set in, and so was the fear. I didn't want to be too alarmed or overreact because for all I know she could be downstairs for something. I backed away from the restroom, made a turn and descended the stairs two at a time.
The living room was dark, and that was enough to send my heart pounding even faster because Velma was definitely not going to be sitting in the dark by this time but just maybe. Maybe she had a sleepless night or something and she was just getting a glass of juice.
I hit the light switch, and looked around the living room, checking the kitchen as well but Velma wasn't there. She wasn't....anywhere. I could hear my heart kicking and screaming in my chest. My pulse resonated all over me, and my eyes were beginning to sting.
"Velma?" I called, my voice sounding a little choked from the shock that was now bubbling through my entire system. I wasn't supposed to be looking for my daughter in my own house.
The air was caught in my lungs, and my palms were clammy as I moved around the room with haste and dread like a mad person. I raked a hand through my hair, getting it out of my face. Velma!" I shouted, "Velma!" I nearly screamed as I hurried to Agatha's room now.
I didn't know where else to look anymore, and I was beginning to lose my mind. It was unlikely but if Velma wasn't here then she had to be with Agatha. It was the only other place I could think of. I banged on the door heavily, my fists clenched tightly with anxiety.
"Agatha! Agatha!" I called, my voice rising to a near scream. I banged harder but there was no answer so I squeezed the knobs, and the door creaked open, revealing an equally empty room, and bed.
My eyes widened, almost popping, and my heart stopped, everything else along with it. No! I barged into the room, looking around. The bed was made as if she hadn't even spent the night in her bed. It was horrifying, and my head spun around the room.
No, no, no, no. I couldn't make sense of anything. I opened my mouth to scream but I wasn't even sure if anything came out of it. The shock coiled inside of me as I collapsed into the wall, and slid down to the ground. Tears began to flow down my cheeks uncontrollably even though I barely understood anything.
All I knew was Agatha was missing and so was my daughter. My heart squeezed in my chest, and out of the horror, I heard my name, "Alma?"
I swung my head and saw Carl, standing in the doorway of Alma's room. From the looks of his face, I must have woken him. His eyes darted from me to Agatha's room, and then back.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Velma is gone, and so is Agatha," I broke into sobs, clasping a hand to my mouth, "I don't understand."
Carl's face burned with horror, "What??"
Hours passed, excruciating long hours that were slowly eating away at my soul. I felt paralysed on the couch with tears spilling down my cheeks as I laid my head on Beverly's thigh. She had rushed over this morning after learning about what happened from Carl before he left for the station. I wanted to go with him but he had insisted I stayed home with her.
I didn't have the strength to argue with him, and Beverly had agreed with him as well so I just stayed, crying my heart out. It was the only thing I could do. Each passing moment was hell, like a new wave of anguish crashing over me. I felt like I was drowning in a bottomless sea, unable to escape the crushing weight of my pain.
Carl returned from the station an hour later, and I sat up the minute he walked in, glancing at him, "What happened?" I asked urgently as he collapsed into the couch, looking defeated. It didn't look like good news.
"What did the cops say, Carl?"
"They have to wait 24-hours before they put out an APB for her. It's protocol, and they think that Agatha might return before then. They think she just took Velma out," he said
Bullshit. I thought.
Carl and I had taken turns earlier, calling Agatha at regular intervals but she didn't answer the phone. Not once. I had sent a few messages too but there was no response. It was killing me. I buried my face in my hands, "Oh God!" I groaned, "This is all my fault. I should have checked on her last night. I should have been more observant or something—"
"Hey, hey, hey. Don't blame yourself," Beverly mumbled, rubbing her hand down my back.
Carl moved over to my seat, "Hey, this is not your fault," he tilted my head, "It's not your fault. You're a great mom, and I promise we are gonna find her. Okay?"
I nodded, and he wiped the tears from my face, pressing his lips to my forehead as he hugged me, "We are going to find her. I promise you that," he repeated, stroking my hair as I cried into his arms.
The doorbell echoed through the house just then, and my heart skipped a beat as Carl released me from his arms and we glanced at the door. He looked back at me, "Do you think it's her?" I arched a brow, feeling a glimmer of hope creep into me.
"I don't know. I'll check," he said, and went to answer the door. I stood up, standing in the corridor and watching me as he opened the door. The door swung open and closed back in minutes and Carl turned to me. It wasn't Velma.
"It's a delivery," he said, holding up a small package as he walked back to me. I didn't care. The disappointment stung. It wasn't Velma. That's all I could think of.
"From who?" Beverly asked while I returned to the couch, wiping the brand new tears rolling down my cheeks.
"It didn't say," he mumbled, and almost dropped the small package but Beverly took it and unwrapped it.
"It's a CD," she muttered, holding it up and my gaze shot to her. Carl and I exchanged glances, and he grabbed a system, and played the CD, sitting next to me.
A gasp escaped my lips as the video popped on the screen, showing Velma tied to a chair. "Velma," I almost screamed, clasping a hand to my lips, "It's her."
Carl's face morphed with horror, and Beverly's as well. In the video, a woman appeared, and my jaw dropped to the floor at the sight of her. "Linda?" I glanced at Carl, "She's behind this?"
"Hey, Alma. Miss me?" Linda laughed, walking to Velma, and glancing at the camera as she stroked a finger through her hair, "She's pretty, just like you. Too bad she's your spawn," she grinned, "So, straight to the point. You have two options, say goodbye to your little princess or come to me alone. It's up to you but your time starts now."
The video ended
The cops are outside, and Carl is speaking to them while I watch the footage for the hundredth time today. Beverly goes to the kitchen to make us some coffee. I replayed the video after it ended, focusing on the background again, and my eyes finally caught it.
The portrait on the wall in the background. I recognized it. Shit. I know where Linda was. She was at our old place. The place we both grew up. I glanced at the kitchen, Beverly was busy, and so was Carl, and I knew they were just going to stop me anyway. I couldn't let that happen.
Velma's life was at stake, and I'd do anything to save her. I got out of my seat, and took the back entrance, sneaking out. I'd save Velma at all costs. No matter what.