GHOST SQUAD

CHAPTER 29- DEATH

Tristan parked his car outside Pearl's boutique and stepped out. Aria had texted him to meet her here, and he had rushed as soon as he had gotten her message. He had to tell her how he felt. 

However, all thoughts vanished from his head as he entered the boutique and saw her.

Aria was sitting on the floor of the boutique. Her eyes were rimmed red. Her hair was open,  stuck to her face with sweat and tears. Her clothes were muddy and torn from the side.

"Aria?" Tristan called out, dropping to his knees beside her. He looked around, but there was no sign of the old lady who had been there last time.

"Aria, what happened?" Tristan asked, gently holding her by the shoulders.

Aria looked at him. Her lips were dry and chapped. "Au..," She began in a voice which was barely above a whisper.

"Yes?" Tristan prompted.

She raised her chin. "Aunt pearl is no more!" She said, crying uncontrollably as soon as she got the words out her mouth.

Tristan felt as if he were underwater and was hearing everything at a slow pace. "What? When did..," He broke off.

"She had a heart attack this morning, and by the time they took her to a hospital it was too late!" Aria swallowed hard. "Aunt Lorine and Uncle Mason are at the funeral and....,and I didn't think I could make it. She was..," Aria stopped. She shook her head. "I didn't know what to do, who to call. Knave doesn't know what she meant to me and Aunt Lorine is acting weird ever since she forgot Knave and Uncle Mason is struggling to handle everything and..," 

Tristan noticed she was just rambling. "Aria, breathe!" He ordered.

Aria did not seem to hear him. She continued, "And I felt like I was dying when I heard the news and then your face came into my mind and I realized that the only person I can call is you!" She suddenly looked horrified. "I am sorry if I bothered you!" She said, backing away from him.

Tristan did not let go. "You did the right thing," He hugged her tightly. "It's going to be okay, Aria!"

Aria hung on to him as if she were drowning and he was the only one she could hold on to.

Tristan sat on the floor of the boutique, holding Aria as she rested her head on his shoulder, deep in sleep. She had been crying for hours until exhaustion had finally worn her down. Tristan had held her the whole time, fighting to hold back his own tears that came as he had watched her break down. He let his tears flow now.

"Why me?" Aria suddenly asked in a very quiet voice.

Tristan wiped his tears with a hand. He did not know when she had woken up. His voice was so tight with grief that he could barely speak.

Aria however, was not waiting for an answer. "Why do the people I love get taken away from me?" She asked. "Why am I so cursed?"

Tristan was not sure if she was questioning him or herself, but there was no way he was going to let her think that the fault was in her.

Gently, he drew away from her, only so he could see her. She seemed lifeless. Her eyes had lost all their shine. The same eyes he always lost himself in, were now drowned in sorrow. That tore him apart. He couldn't bear to see her like this.

"Aria, do you know how gold is formed?" He asked.

A little surprise crept into her dull eyes. She slowly nodded. "By melting the ore."