Silvertroll

Chthonic Dreams

The shopping centre is a trolley battleground, as pushable and motorised cages of steel compete to service patrons who appear split evenly between two social classifications; lazy exhibitionists and technophobic extremists. Alicia wishes she could have timed it better to avoid the rush hour, but she could not wait around, not with time conspiring against her, its hours screaming by, contributing to her anguish.

Alicia tracks down the small boutique jewellery shop, Chthonic Dreams, finding it located opposite the food court. The items in the window are not what she expected, the lustrous pieces much less contemporary than she is used to. She enters the shop and approaches the clerk behind the counter, who is busy sorting a panel of earrings.

The name badge displays the name, Libby.

Her face is unfamiliar, a fact that hits Alicia hard. Resisting the temptation to blame herself for not being more involved in Julian's private life, Alicia places the phone in front of the girl.

Libby looks up to see her standing there.

"Is this your phone?" asks Alicia, dumping her plans to move in smoothly.

Libby turns the phone over with suspicious eyes. "Yeah. I lost this a long time ago. How did you...?"

"Sim card was registered to you. How did you lose it, exactly?"

"Exactly? I don't remember."

Seeing that the girl is standing her ground, Alicia doesn't let up, "Do you recall a young man named Julian Caves?"

This triggers a change in Libby's face, her brow scrunches up, her lips tighten. "Who are you?" she demands.

"Why does that matter?" replies Alicia. "It's a simple question. Do you or don't you?"

"My question is more simple. Who the fuck are you?"

Alicia feels somewhat glad the girl is escalating. "I'm his mother." It also feels good to say those words aloud. This seems to have worked, for Libby's demeanour changes but in an undesirable way.

"Get out of my store," orders Libby.

Alicia pulls out and shows Libby her badge. "Sorry luv, can't do that. How do you think I found you?"

"Fuck!" exclaims Libby. Her attitude changes again, slipping into a more respectful mode, obliged to comply.

Alicia waits a second before starting. "If you knew Julian, you need..."

"I have nothing to say to you," she snaps. "You and your husband are insane."

"Who?"

"I don't want anything to do with you people."

This added another layer to her anguish. "Has my husband approached you?"

'Who? The Caveman? He's out of his fucking mind."

Her reaction shocks Alicia. "Asshole," she curses to herself.

"You're all out of your minds," says Libby. "I don't want any part of it."

"My son is dead." Alicia has run out of things to say, having reached the edge of her wits.

"I'm sorry," says Libby, fighting tears. "I truly am. But this has nothing to do with me."

Upon seeing the girl's distress, Alicia backs off the intensity. "Look. He's dead and there's a possibility that it may not have been an accident. If you know something, I need you to tell me."

Libby's anger returns. "I don't know anything."