Chapter 33: Witch Detective Claudia

No, no, no, no, no, this isn't supposed to happen. Why does this even happen to me? 

            I felt the mark which represent the most wicked being of my past life, and now I've become what I always avoid on becoming.  

            When I calmed down, I began to think that this might have been inevitable and I truly deserve to be a witch. Deep down I still want to deny it, but it's pointless arguing over a mark. Once I've sorted my mind, I was reminded again on Lora's circumstances. Exactly what kind of family had she been living with? Before I get to know her, I did felt she was a lifeless girl. I tried to recall the times we spent together and try to sort her information, but then I realize I almost know nothing about her. 

            I wasn't sure if I remember correctly, but we've been together for about a year and had shared a lot of things. There should be things I know as her friend like… her favorite ice cream flavor. Just the other day, I had her taste my favorite bubblegum caramel flavor, and we both were addicted to it. 

            Yet, at this crucial points about her past, her family, her pain, I knew nothing about it. What frighten me most though was the dark aura that woman emits. 

             It's only been something I heard, but for someone that has the mark,I heard  it's possible for them to feel a tainted soul. I've never get to know what it means, but now, I somehow got the gist of that feeling. Around that room and when her mother met with my eyes, there was an unpleasant feeling that coiled my spine, and a pleasant ecstasy welled up on my chest. It made me wonder what kind of person is her mother, and what kind of burden she's carrying to drag Lora along?

             The next question should be on how I'm going to proceed next? I don't even know Lora's problem and it's highly unlikely she would share it. If I want to help her, then I need to know her family history, her past, and get to the bottom of things. 

              That's right, this is the debut of the Witch Detective Claudia Robertson, reporting for duty. Tomorrow is the school founding day, making it a holiday anyway, so I then plan to look into the closest place where I could get information on her.

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Maybe because I had a horrid face after I came back yesterday. My parents didn't probe further other than to remind me to always tell where I am when I'm going somewhere and was banned from the internet for a week as punishment in the house. 

            That's why, there was no problem when I asked of them to take me to my old preschool. 

            It's been 3 years since I last set foot here and as expected, there were few changes around. They raised the building into a three story floor, the playground was larger, they make bigger shoe rack at the near entrance. I was almost at lost where I was going with the unfamiliar halls and the loud children that kept running against me. 

            In the end, I found the nostalgic Apple Class that barely changed from what I remember. I slide open the glass door covered with many childish ornaments and handmade picture fruit. I opened slowly and silently, there, 20 or so children were huddled up around Miss Lissa, with a book on her lap, reading a story with her usual soothing voice. 

            I thought I would talk after she would read her bedtime story to them. She was telling a story of an armadillo who loves to sing and yet can't so he travelled the land for a way to sing only to be ridiculed. The sadden armadillo all tired and tattered, one day met a wizard. He beg the wizard for a way for him to sing and he told the armadillo the only way to sing was for him to die. Instead of getting depressed, the armadillo was overjoyed and would gladly give his life to sing. The wizard took his life and turn his shell into a unique flute that he then gave to the most talented musician in the land. The graceful music he played even make those who once ridiculed the armadillo celebrate in joy, knowing the armadillo…can finally sing. 

            As usual, Miss Lissa kept on telling tearful story. I thought I had gotten used to it but tears began to welled up on me. When the children was done crying, they were put to bed at the next room. Afterward, Miss Lissa had beaten me to the punch and went up to me with a cheerful smile. 

            "I can't believe it, Claudia right, It's been so long, how have you been?" She gave me a huge hug, yet I felt it was smaller since she last hug me. To think she remembered me after not seeing me for so long, she has a good memory. 

           We talked about myself, the school where I go to, the people I met, my well being and all those other stuff. "Enough about me, what about Miss Lissa, any changes in life?" She made a mischievous smile before she showed me the diamond ring on her left ring finger, she said this as I gaped, "Alan proposed to me and now we're engage."

            That wimpy guy finally went out and even proposed to her? "It's about time…"

            "Pardon?"

            "Ah, no it's nothing"

            She talked about the night he proposed an the romantic things he did, if I was a normal 8 year old child, then I would have fantasize with a blushed face, wishing the same thing happen to me. Trying to get the conversation on track, I went toward the main point of my visit. "Miss Lissa, do you remember Loranne?"

            "Do you mean Loranne Howard?"

            I raised a question mark above my head, never hearing that name before. "I meant Loranne Hutslesky" this time, it was Miss Lissa that furrowed her eyebrow and began touching her chin, sorting out her mind then put her hand together as if remembered something. "That's right, she changed her last name, I had completely forgotten."

There was a slight lag of reaction from me hearing this for the first time, "when did she even changed her name?"

            "You haven't heard Claudia, wait…knowing her father, I'm sure they don't want it to make it public on the family. Around 2 years ago, her father died accidentally from the 7th story of his hotel at the time" 

            The answer I urged her turnout to be a news flash for me, and more questions started to pop up. 

            Because Of the fact Lora lives with only her mother and the loving way of speaking the mother had for the corpse, I thought for sure that skeleton was her father. If it became a news though, there's no way of hiding the corpse inside their own apartment since the police will surely take custody of it after they hear the word. 

              Then… whose corpse was that?

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An early chapter I know

If things go well, I'll update a triple chapter in 5 days.

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