Chapter 18: Unsolved Case: Cathlia (part 4)

"This is what they all got!" I said as I slammed the folder on the table in front of Louie. "They don't know who killed Cathlia and why she was killed. It was all planned by the suspect"

Louie grabbed the folder and glanced its contents. "Okay, they can't find the fingerprints and all thus making the case more difficult for them to solve"

I sighed and hand resting on the cheek with the index finger pointing upwards. Lucia is the possible suspect of Cathlia's death. There are no neighborhood around the log cabin in the KirkView Hillside.

"I'm going to read some books", Louie quietly said as he stood up and went to the book shelves. I laid back on the chair and looked around the library. It was quiet, people are on their books and was reading quietly. My eyes laid around a 9-year-old girl, standing in front of a book shelf. Her back is on me, and she seems busy reading on something. My eyes glance from head to toe, her white ragged dress was covered with mud and has dirt stains. As I looked up, her complete red eyes, gushing out of blood with a creepy smile on her face meets mine. I couldn't speak.

"Lily? Lily? Hey!"

I snapped back when Louie poked my shoulders. "Y-Yeah?"

"You seem staring at someone", Louie said and looked at the direction where my eyes laid to.

"There was just a 9 year ol-" My sentence was cut off as I looked back and it was a regular kid.

I shake the thought and looked at Louie, "A-Anyway, what's that?"

"Oh! I've read an article." He said as he placed the newspaper on the table. I grabbed it and read the context. I'm suddenly interrupted when my phone rings. A lot of people were alarmed and their eyes on me. I gave them a subtle smile and turned it off.

Louie looked at me, "Why did you turned it off?" I shook my head, "Not that important" I said as I looked at my phone. Shit.

"Louie, sorry. I gotta go, I forgot my counseling is today and Mrs. Foyer is looking for me", Louie nodded and smile, "it's okay, I'll try to find some clues for Cathlia"

"Okay and I'll also try to look for it. Bye" I grabbed my bag and went out.

I glanced around as I walked my way to Mrs. Foyer's house. The local stores were open and ready for their customers to come in. Passing by the food local stores and seeing the customers eats inside, I noticed Louie and I straightly went to the police station but didn't eat breakfast. I'm hungry. I dig out of my pocket and fish out my phone.

"Hey, Louie. You hungry? You should eat. I forgot that we didn't have breakfast"

"It's fine. I'll eat once I've finished reading this articles. Thanks for the concern, lily"

I grin and shove my phone back to my pocket. Louie really helped me in finding clues for Cathlia. Louie is a type of person that easily gets scared like Ivy but he did accept the challenge. To face what he fears.

I halt my tracks and looked at the store it reads "The Pancake Stompers". I went inside and I can smell the pancakes that was served. The yellow and brown colors matched the chairs where customers sit and enjoyingly eats their pancakes. I went to the cashier and ordered a pancake.

"Thanks" I said as my pancake placed in front of my table. I messaged my Mom that I was on my counselor and couldn't go home early. Looking outside through the glass window, I can see people marching themselves to different local stores. The mellow music filled the store and my 5 stacked mocha caramel pancake with sprinkled chocolate syrup that is served with a milkshake. As I'm digging in, I noticed that girl again. She was just staring at me across the street. People passing by couldn't seem to notice her. I looked down and eat my pancake. I know this is just my hallucination since I didn't have breakfast. I looked back and yep, the girl was gone. I went straight to Mrs. Foyer's house as I finished eating my breakfast.

"Sorry, Mrs. Foyer that I'm late" she opened the gate and just smiled at me, "It's fine, Miss Barkley and oh! Where have you been?" Mrs. Foyer probably noticed my camping bag that I'm carrying on my back.

"Just went to the mountain"

Mrs. Foyer is amazed and led me to her office again. The office that has chairs and plant was improved, there are already book shelves and a humidifier.

"Nice place, Mrs. Foyer" I said as I sat down across from her and let go of my bag and put it down. Mrs. Foyer smiled, "Cookies?" she offered as she pushed the cookies that was in front of her table to me.

"Thanks, Mrs. Foyer" and grabbed a cookie.

"After a week, how are you, Miss Barkley?"

"It's been great!"

"Do you still have nightmares? " Mrs. Foyer asked, her eyes on the notebook. Mrs. Foyer seems to notice that I'm smiling at her. "Seems you don't have any nightmares" and smiled.

"Mrs. Foyer..."

"Miss Barkley?"

"I would like to thank you for telling me to believe in my gut and stand of what I believe." Mrs. Foyer, smiled. "No problem, Miss Barkley. You came here to ask my help, I'm just doing my job"

Mrs. Foyer and I stared at each other a while, smiling. This felt like a mother-daughter relationship. "Anyway, Miss Barkley... do you have anything to share?"

I stood up and went to her book shelves, "I went to the mountains to find some answers, Mrs. Foyer. An unsolved case. An Unsolved Case of two girls and its Cathlia and Felicia"

"Oh, that girl you said before Felicia?" I nodded at her. I grazed my hands with the books that was arranged in alphabetical order. "Using the Ouija board, seems both of them wants help and justice. And I'm going to help them" I said and looked at Mrs. Foyer.

"I see" Mrs. Foyer smiled at me as if she was proud of me. "That's so nice of you, Miss Barkley". I looked back on the books and laughed, "Mrs. Foyer, I'm not nice."

"But you are to me" I noticed a newspaper that was between on books. I pulled it out, it was a 1998 newspaper article. I went back and sit down across from Mrs. Foyer.

"Why do you have this, Mrs. Foyer?" I asked and lift the newspaper. "A few days ago, I was cleaning my attic and found that newspaper on my old bag. I couldn't remember that I kept that and since its way in the 90s, I put it on the bookshelves and I was also intrigued with its headlines" I nodded at Mrs. Foyer's response. A brown faded newspaper with its intriguing headline.

The disapperance of Aurelia Chanler and Emerson Forrester

February 1998—The couple was caught in the act of eating human flesh. Locals were saying the couple went for hiding and change their name after being discovered. Police and investigators couldn't find a trace, it was under further investigation.

And below was a picture of a woman and a man, dressed in a classy outfit. Aurelia Chanler and Emerson Forrester.

"Did you know about this, Mrs. Foyer?" I asked, eyes on the paper.

"It was said that they are a couple that has a good reputation but was caught that they're eating human flesh. After being discovered, they went for hiding. But I don't think they were hiding. Probably just a fraud statement from journalist that hate the couple or was envious"

"But after the further investigation, did the police and other investigators find anything?"

"No"

"Mrs. Foyer, I've heard a folktale from my mom. She didn't mention what's the year but there is a time that lot of reports came that kids were missing. If we say that my mom heard that folktale and that folktale originated around that year, do you think it's possibly the couple who eats human flesh is behind the kids that went missing?"

"Intriguing that theory of yours, Miss Barkley but I'm not sure... perhaps it's possible"

Lilith stared at the newspaper, "Mrs. Foyer can I keep this?"

"Sure, Miss Barkley. I just hope you can both find the truth of the sisters."

"Sisters? Are you referring of Felicia and Cathlia? They are sisters?"

"Not sure but I've heard a rumor that Felicia is an SFX makeup artist back then. Some rumors were saying that she has a sister named Cathlia Nishikido and some said that her sister took Felicia away from the other realm, maybe the cause of their death. There are no credible evidences yet. You know how rumors spread fast"

"But how could you know about Felicia? And when I asked you about Felicia. you seem didn't know her"

"A lot of Felicia in the world but I've remember her name after you came here for counseling. Felicia Nishikido is an SFX makeup artist and I was thinking maybe that the person you mentioned is probably the Felicia that you were talking about. "

"Mrs. Foyer, yes. That is the Felicia I'm talking about. Do you know any other information?"

"Sorry but that's the only information that I know" I nodded and looked back to the newspaper. "Okay, Mrs. Foyer. Thank you" and put it inside my camping bag.

Mrs. Foyer smiled, "Just believe in your gut, that's all I can say. I'm sure you can help both of the sisters. You are a one of a kind person, Ms. Barkley"

All I could reply to Mrs. Foyer is a smile. Her words helped me and I'm glad that I've seek help from a pyschotherapist like her.

"So.." Mrs. Foyer said, breaking the silence between us. "I'll see you again, Ms. Barkley. Glad that a week past from seeing me, you're doing great! I look forward seeing you again"