Lost Will of the Dead [Book One] (On Hold)

IX : Madeleine

Madeleine Carter's eyes fluttered open. Shafts of sunlight illuminated the dim interior of her humble home. Birds from afar chirped their usual morning harmony. She groaned inwardly as her temples pulsed in agony.

She propped up her elbow beneath her and tried to sit up. A wave of nausea overpowered her senses as her strength waned. Her arms went limp as she fell back down on her plush bed.

She placed her hand on her head and whispered, "What happened?"

Memories buried deep within the core of her mind were excavated out as she began recalling the events of the previous night.

She remembered most of them: she slammed onto the balcony of the second floor and was knocked unconscious for three hours, disguised herself as a male guard and fought with the chief, entered the house through the pet center, saw the gorgeous living room, and then...

Madeleine halted as her mouth parted to speak. "Living room? What was I doing in the living room?"

The events that transpired the moment she set foot on that maroon carpet and onwards were nothing but a blurred screen of gray. The lady thief's memories were bits and pieces of last night that either did not make sense or far too absurd to occur.

As hard as she might, nothing would come to mind why she would lose such a recent memory.

She could not explain the peculiarity of the feeling that she was experiencing. She could only hope that she succeeded and the unsettling feeling she had was just the trauma of victory--if there was such a thing.

The piercing noise of her alarm clock blared from somewhere beside her. She rolled on her side and slammed her palms on the silent button with a wham. "Shut up," she muttered.

Madeleine paused as she saw a cup of Earl Grey and a plate of bagel atop her bedside table--a great way to start the morning. Glad for the mellowing throbs of her temples, she sat up and touched the cup and the bagel.

Both were stale.

Whoever made this for her most likely prepared it a few hours ago. But only a selected few knew where she lived. And neither of them were qualified to make Earl Grey for her.

This morning just keeps getting creepier.

Beside the cup of Earl Grey, Madeleine noticed a pale white sealed envelope embroidered with golden intricate floral designs.

Gingerly, she picked it up by two fingers. Scrutinizing the back and the front of the envelope, she didn't find anything that might be the sender's address. There was only a blue wax seal in the center.

Classic.

Cautious as she was, she illuminated the envelope by the bright morning light showering her room.

She saw a silhoutte of something rectangular in shape within the envelope. It might be a cardboard but she couldn't be too sure.

It wouldn't be a harm if I would just check it out.

She shrugged her doubts off and tore through the wax seal of the envelope.

Her eyes bulged out of her sockets and her jaw fell to the floor when she saw what was inside.

It was a bundle of money. She did a quick estimate and came to the conclusion that it was at least fifteen thousand dollars--or even more.