Chapter 27
Chapter 27
The realization that Seia had been gravely ill, and that she, Arietta, had been caring for her, sent a jolt through her weary body. The room was strangely silent. Lately, Seia’s declining health had confined her to her bed. Arietta had relied on the sound of her mother’s breathing, the rustle of the sheets, to monitor her condition. Now, the familiar sounds were absent. Arietta’s normally smooth brow furrowed.
“Mother?”
There was no reply. Arietta draped a blanket around her shoulders and approached the bed, a sense of foreboding clinging to her like the chill in the air. The bed was empty.
“Oh… please. Mother, why… really.” Arietta covered her face with her hands. ‘Where could she have gone, unable to even move properly?’
“It’s absurd that I didn’t hear her leave….” Arietta gave a hollow laugh. She was healthy, but not strong. Caring for an invalid alone had taken its toll. The Boss hadn’t provided any nursing help for Seia. Not that she’d particularly minded, but the constant care had led to an exhaustion so profound, she could have been robbed blind without knowing. And now, Seia was gone.
This wasn’t the time to stand around. She had to find her mother. Fortunately, Seia was too weak to even cross the threshold alone; she couldn’t even walk anymore.
Rain pattered outside. People often said the rain in Downstream was dreadful, claiming it seeped through skin and chilled you to the bone.
‘The rain must have drawn her out,’ Arietta thought. It was possible, given Seia’s current obsession with water. Arietta had even moved the water basin outside because Seia kept trying to submerge her head in it.
Though impervious to the cold herself, Arietta donned a coat, a habit instilled by Seia in her childhood. As she opened the bedroom door, searching for an umbrella, she noticed a small light flickering on the living room floor. It was the pager lamp.
‘Why is this here? I put it in the console drawer.’
Without much thought, she picked it up.
A single-line message glowed on the screen: [Arriving soon]. Due to the pager’s limitations, she couldn’t tell who sent the message or when it arrived. However, the blinking lamp indicated it hadn’t been received yet. Arietta traced the oblong screen. It had been a few days since she’d used the pager. The device on the floor, the unread message—it all pointed to one conclusion: her mother had summoned someone.
It was astonishing. For the past three days, Seia hadn’t even been fully lucid. Yet, she’d managed to operate such a small, complex device. Arietta grabbed her umbrella and stepped outside. The damp, distinctive smell of Downstream was intensified by the rain.
“Mother.” Arietta called out, but there was no response.
The rain had left a trail. A drag mark stretched from the porch. Seia had crawled. Arietta followed the unsettling trail, a dreadful premonition growing. It led to the water basin she’d placed at the edge of the yard. Her heart sank. But Seia wasn’t there.
Instead, a set of boot prints led from the gate to the basin. Judging by the stride and size, they belonged to a man. Arietta turned towards the gate. It was locked. The visitor had carried Seia out, then locked the gate behind them. Which meant they had a key. ‘Someone from Maud’s, then.’
Raindrops drummed against her umbrella. Arietta unlocked the gate. Venturing out alone on a rainy night was risky, but she felt no fear. The rain wasn’t heavy. The footprints leading away from the house were slightly blurred, but still discernible. Arietta followed them, her gaze fixed on the ground. As she focused on each print, a voice cut through the night.
“Hey.”
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