Murder Mystery - H.S

44

Juliet.

"Mommy?—Wake up, mommy." A sharp ache pulsed through my brain, as if a thousand needles were pricking my temples, as I gradually came to, my skull throbbed with a relentless, pulsating ache, each beat echoing with a dull yet piercing agony. From the base of my neck to the top of my forehead, it seemed like a constant drumbeat.

"Don't be silly, mommy." Soft giggling and little, icy fingertips touching my face. Her laughter rang in my ear, alerting me to my surroundings as I recognized the voice as being familiar.

A metallic taste at the back of my throat and a fuzzy, confusing fog in my head followed the experience. Every thought and action sent shockwaves of anguish through my already-throbbing head as if I had been thrown into a realm of shadows and torment.

She pressed a kiss on my cheeks and said, "Mommy." When I heard her call for someone named Mommy—who she is calling for—I sighed and balled my hands into a fist. The ache grew worse with each passing second, as though my brain were protesting the collision it had experienced during the unconsciousness. I gingerly touched the area where I must have struck my head, and a sharp, shooting pain coursed through my scalp.

Peeling my eyes open again I looked over at Azriela with a big smile on her face. "Good morning, mommy! Why are you sleeping on the floor?" I didn't have any energy to answer; my throat felt dry, and I felt dizzy, confused, and scared. My lips parted to open, and I looked down at my hands. There wasn't any blood, which was a good thing, but the pain hurt every time I blinked.

It was not just physical agony; there was a profound sense of vulnerability and unease, like a storm raging within my consciousness. The headache and the memory of the blackout intertwined, creating a tapestry of discomfort and disorientation that left me feeling utterly helpless.

When my eyes were fully open and adjusted to the strong lighting, only then did it dawn on me what she was calling me. My head was still throbbing, and I was still sitting on the ground with a towel wrapped around me. My entire body hurts, head to toe. Every joint and muscle seems to be throbbing and sore, making even the smallest movements painful. It feels as though I was imprisoned in a perpetual state of agony, where the slightest contact might be painful.

"Good morning," I muttered, feeling rough and with a burning throat. Despite how broken I felt and how badly I wanted to be left alone, by myself, with nobody, I paced while holding onto her back and tried to smile. My heart feels as though it is under a tremendous amount of weight. It seems as though a menacing storm cloud has engulfed my thoughts, spreading a dreary pall over everything.
"Good morning, Mommy," Azriela says, smiling and cupping my cheeks.

Mommy.

She called me mommy; she really thinks of me as someone like that. A person with such a prestigious name. My heart feels like it's about to burst with joy. I smile because it makes me feel as though a warm, dazzling light has filled all of me.  She felt confident enough to address me as her mother.

She sees me as a mother figure who can love and look out for her. She trusted me enough. She has trust in me that I didn't find in anybody else. Not even my biological mother.

"Are you hungry?" I questioned as I rose from the floor, grabbing onto the counters, feeling lightheaded, queasy, and dizzy. I turned to glance around the restroom and she nodded at me. "Do you want to wake up your sister?"

Before I can say anything, she nods and exits the restroom, and I simply lack the energy to go after her. I'm unable to even walk. Walking into the room, I looked through Harry's drawers, pulling some sweatpants and one of his hoodies. I felt safe and comforted by his smell, which encircled me.