ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN

SHIMMER'S POV

'You took my little niece or nephew with you? What was Arianna talking about? It mean that Anisha girl was already pregnant? Eww, what a schemer! She wanted to use the child to get closer to Dylan. She knew that once she and Dylan had a child, the chance of him ever divorcing her would be slim. And probably she hoped that I was going to love her more once she gave birth to a child. Stupid, silly, brainless girl! And my Arianna was crying so loud for that hopeless woman?' I could not help but curse under my breathe.

Roderick hugged me tight and he too cried. 'Come on, everyone. Was she that important to you all?' I secretly rolled my eyes before I started sniffling and crying too. I saw through the corner of my eye, Dylan seated on the floor, his knees brought up. He buried his head in between them, and his whole body shook in pain. For a moment I felt sorry for him, but I quickly dismissed the idea. He was going to be fine. I was there to make sure that he got well. I was available to help him; and so was Delicate. We were there to comfort him all the way. I trusted myself and I trusted Delicate. Dylan was easy to handle. We were going to manage.

The elevator door clicked again and out came Mrs Silva followed closely by ….by…..huh? What?

'What's happening? Anisha? Anisha Meyerton? 0028? THAT ORPHAN? Why is she here? Why…so…she is alive? How? Why? So…so then, why is everyone crying? Huh? What on earth happened?' Someone had to tell me, and they needed to tell me urgently, so

"Who died?" I screamed, starting to shiver as I failed to imagine who had died. Iris looked at me, and Roderick's face was full of both shock and pain.

"Shimmer, I know it's difficult to take it in at first, but it has already happened," he began to speak.

"No Roderick! Who died? Tell me now! Who died! Who has died?" I screamed in anger and pushed Roderick away such that, if it was not for Carl who supported him, my husband would have fallen to the floor. Iris was about to hold me but I hurled her angrily away. Honour Octavia came forward and held me.

"No don't touch me! I am asking a question! I asked, who died?" my voice, totally refusing to be controlled by me, came out as a deep hoarse roar, shaking so bad that I almost failed to hear what I was saying.

"She is in denial," Honour wept, talking to Roderick.

Dylan, who was still on the floor, stood up and hugged his crying wife. They both came to me and she was about to hug me but I pushed her away with all my might. The girl staggered backwards and fell into her husband's hands.

"Shimmer," Roderick tried to tell me to control myself but I wailed all the more.

"Who died! Tell me now!! Who died!!" the entire place was silenced by my loud roar.

"You have to accept it, Shimmer! Sit down, you need time to accept it!"

"To accept what? Just answer me! I asked who died?" I was itching with anger.

"My wife died! You hear that! My own wife! Ciera. de Milo. Octavia. She died, while carrying our first child, she was shot today, and she died!" Keith Junior went down on his knees, and his parents held him up.

What? What did he just say?

"No!" I shouted. "No! My Ciera is not dead! She is alive, she is coming to Clear Opal today, to tell me some good news! She is alive!" I stamped my foot aggressively on the floor, and started to see darkness. The people and items surrounding me started to go around in circles, slow at first, and then faster as time passed by.

"Ciera is alive!! I said Ciera is alive!!" I cried in desperation.

How? How could she be dead? Did Israel make a mistake? Did he not know Anisha? Was it because they both had black hair, such that he ended up confusing them? But he knew Anisha! He knew Anisha; they shared a house for a very long time. He had to know her, for crying out loud! So then how? How did he make that mistake? And what was Ciera doing at Dylan's place?

"I want to see her! I want to see her! She is alive! You made a mistake, she must be alive!" I cried frantically, feeling all the strength draining from my body.

With Iris and Honour holding me, I was led into the ward. A white bed sheet covered the figure of a woman. A part of her black hair was showing. That hair…that has to be Anisha's hair. That is Anisha's hair! But...but I just saw Anisha outside. She is alive and well. So then this one lying here is…could it be? Was it her? My own Ciera? The first fruit of my womb? No! Impossible! It was not possible.

Roderick was the one who lifted the white cloth slowly, and uncovered her face.

"No! No it can't be! She is asleep, please wake her up! Wake her up for me please, Dylan! She is my child, she can't die!! Why so soon?"

I shook off Iris and Honour's hold, and rushed to where she lay. With all the determination of my life, I shook Ciera and cried,

"Wake up, Ciera! Wake up, my baby! You are coming home today, remember? You're coming to Clear Opal to tell me some good news! Iris prepared dinner, didn't you, Iris? Didn't you, Iris, answer me!" I screamed so loud that I think my throat must have cracked a little.

"I did ma'am," Iris spoke in-between her sobs.

I turned to face my child and told her in a loving tone, "Iris prepared dinner. Come home, my child. Come and tell me the good news. You have to come now! Roderick help me, let's carry her. Hold her up, Roderick, let's take our child home!"

I roughly wiped off my tears and told myself I was not going to cry again. I could not afford to cry, for my mind told me that my girl was only sleeping. She was asleep. She was going to wake up, have dinner with me, and tell me the good news.

"Mum," Dylan pulled me slightly from behind, and I pushed him. I saw Arianna through the open door, still wailing her heart out.

"Did it have to be so soon my sister? Did it have to be this soon? You just told me your good news, I was planning a surprise for you! I wanted to surprise you, I wanted to rejoice with you in a special way! You took my little niece or nephew with you! You robbed me! Ciera you robbed me! I should have been an aunt, now you robbed me of that! Ciera, did it have to be this soon? Why, Ciera why? You failed to hold on? You could not hold on? How? Why? Ciera I know you! You are strong, you could have fought for your life! You gave in, my sister! Oh Ciera, why now? Why so soon?" Arianna writhed in great pain.

Her husband faithfully stood by her side and comforted her, while he too cried silently. I marched over to her and shook her, "she is alive!" I shouted.

"She is gone, mamma! Ciera is gone!" Arianna cried some more.

I held her by the wrist and forcefully pulled her into the room, where I violently shook Ciera.

"Wake up! Wake up now!! I said wake up!!" I shook with all the might that my body had. I told myself in my mind that no matter what, I was not going to stop. I intended to shake her until she woke up, even if it meant spending the rest of my life shaking her.

"Your sister is crying, your husband is crying, we are all crying, Ciera! Enough of the prank! Wake up now!" I shook her violently until Roderick held me. I pushed him away with strength which I never knew I had, but he was also holding me with greater power.

Dylan stretched his hand to hold me but I pushed him away. He took a step or two back before coming back full force to hold me. I saw from the corner of my eye, Anisha crying.

I despised seeing her there; standing the alive and well, while my own Ciera lay cold on the hospital bed. It felt like something, or someone, was controlling me, and at that time I failed to control my actions. Whoever, or whatever it was that was controlling me from within, was doing a great job. I must have lost A part of my mind; I felt it. The world had suddenly turned up-side down on me; and I regretted each and every action I had done which led to the death of my first daughter.

"Shimmer, you need to control yourself," that was Roderick addressing me.

"Let go of me! Let go of me!" I cried.

At the doorway, I saw Hayden coming in, and I spoke loudly to him, "Hayden, tell them to let me go! Tell them that I have a right to see my child and to wake her up! My child is alive! Ciera, you are alive! What were you doing at Dylan's house, anyway? Were you not supposed to come to me; to share with me the good news? Enough of that drama, wake up now, Ciera!"

I cried with my eyes on her face. I wanted her to move. I wanted her to open her eyes and start blinking. Yet she lay motionless, nothing of hers was moving.

"WAKE UP NOW CIERA!!" I shouted a threat, believing in my heart that if I threatened her enough, she was going to wake up. The little girl in Ciera was going to stop the prank and do the right thing. The little girl in Ciera was going to wake up and come back to mamma.

I refused to believe that my child was dead. That was not the plan. That was not the plan at all! What happened? How did Israel make a mistake? Ciera had to wake up.

"Do you think she needs to be sedated?" an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"I think so," I heard Roderick's voice.