How it Started Part IIII

"To lie to love, is a lie that you love, for truth is word of love," - Chloe Barbaro

While walking back, a small hallway caught my eye. Without thinking, I entered.

Portraits of what seemed to be Mr. Barbaro's children lined up the hallway. They looked like portraits of him, with brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to carry anything but happiness.

Despite all the pictures in this hallway, one stood above the rest, a large portrait hung, covered with a white sheet.

Removing the sheet out of curiosity, I revealed a beautiful blue eyes woman, and alongside her was a woman who looked eerily similar to me.

Despite how old the picture seemed, I could feel the joy from the portrait.

"Ms. Chloe, you shouldn't be here," said a voice, dragging me out of the hallway. I followed her back without protesting.

Could that woman have been my mother? If so, what was she doing here?

In a blink of an eye, I was seated in my room.

"Who was that," I asked the maid.

"Mr. Barbaro's late wife," she replied, leaving unsatisfied.

"Who was the woman standing next to her," I asked.

"I'll be taking my leave," spoke the maid, evading my question.

I watched her leave, unable to muster up the energy to ask her any more questions. Plummeting down on my bed, I disregarded every question I had about that picture.

With that, I slowly closed my eyes, my mind fluttering into an unconscious state.

****

Jolting up from my sleep, I looked around only to see it was dark outside. Taking a deep stretch, I sat up from my bed, realizing I was still in the same clothes as in the afternoon.

Thirst slowly filled me, causing the dryness in my through to grow.

Opening my suitcase, I grabbed a pair of pajamas and my mother's necklace and changed before heading downstairs. I slowly opened the door to not make noise due to my habits at the orphanage.

We had to sleep together in one room, and the little kids were light sleepers, so being stealthy was one of the many things I specialized in.

I gradually creep down the hallway, sleep still clouding my eyes. I subconsciously rushed to hide at the sight of a group of maids running down the hallway.

"Hurry," whispered one of them. That one sentence was enough to drain the sleep from my eyes.

I analyzed their movements before following behind as closely as possible. I softly slammed my back to the wall when I saw them entering a room with open.

For some reason, I felt drawn to whatever was happening in that room. I wanted to know more.

I cautiously watched the door, breathing a sigh of triumph when the maids exited the room with a woman dressed in a white gown who appeared to be a doctor.

Making sure they were far away, I moved towards the door, slowly opening it. The room was brightly lit, and a woman lay on the bed. Making my way to her, I gasped.

She looked exactly like the woman from the portrait.

Grabbing my locket, I opened it revealing a tiny picture of the same woman.