The Dissappearance fo Madeline Shultz, Ren Willi [speed reading book .txt] 📗

though there were fresh Helleborus’ growing in their place. Oscar looked back inside to see Alice searching for something on the wall.
“Don’t you want to look outside?” He asked her.
“No, we won’t find anything there,” She murmured.
“How do you know?”
“I just do,” She said. She continued searching until she spotted a full body mirror that stood against the wall a few feet away from the door. “This is weird,” She said.
“It’s a mirror,” Oscar criticized.
“Who puts a mirror in this part of the house, though? I mean bedroom, fine, bathroom, fine, even the living room isn’t that bad but right next to the back door,”
“What do you think it means?” Oscar asked.
“I think it means,” She gave the mirror a hard push and instead of no reaction it creaked open just a crack. Alice pulled it and it opened more to reveal and tunnel. “We’re close. Do you have a…”
“Yeah,” Oscar said, pulling out a flashlight and turning it on.
“You brought a torch with you?”
“I brought finger dust to, if you need it,”
“No thanks,” She said, and took a step into the tunnel with Oscar following behind. The tunnel wasn’t too small, although Alice found that she had to duck just a bit. It was dusty, which was to be expected since it was a secrete tunnel, but there where clear spot on the wall of tiny fingers and small footprints on the floor. They walked and walked throughout what seemed to be an endless tunnel. For a moment Oscar felt like it was pointed when they came to a small, rectangular room.
In the room there was a bed and on the bed were two figures. One was Madeline Shultz and the other was…
“Madeline’s twin?” Oscar exclaimed, waking the two girls from there peaceful slumber. They both looked at them with alarmed expressions; there blue eyes wide and their mouths agape.
“Don’t be afraid,” Alice said. “We’re just here to help.”
“You’re here to split us up,” One girl said.
“You can’t we’re sisters,” Said the other.
“We’re not here to split anyone up, I promise,” Alice said. “We’re only here to make sure you’re safe. You two need to come out, you can’t stay in here forever,” She stretched out her hand. “Come on, I promise you’ll be okay,”
They both looked at her with wary stares, then one whispered something in the others ear. Oscar thought she might have said ‘I am hungry,’ but he wasn’t sure. They both then nodded at Alice, got up and took one of her hands each. They walked back toward the mirror entrance in silence. When they came out Alice led them to the kitchen where Mrs. Shultz and the staff were all gathered. Grover was saying,
“I don’t know, she just said that they found all they needed and then…”
“Mara!” Charlotte said when she spotted them in the doorway.
“Madeline!” Isidore said when she turned around. They both raced over to them and picked one up each. “Where were you?”
“She was in the secrete tunnels that were made in this house,” Alice said. “Probably created for personal reasons, keeping treasures safe and what not. They were probably forgotten long ago and that’s why when you bought the house you weren’t told about it. There are many different doors, one of them were in Madeline’s room, and her, being a child, spotted it,”
“But why would she go in there all this time?” Isidore said confused.
“Better question, why are there two of her?” Oscar asked.
“Both of the questions are linked, closer than you think. See I did recognize Charlotte but I never met her. I had seen her face in a newspaper about 7 months ago. It was a short article about how she had lost her daughter, Mara, in the market and couldn’t find her. Because she was who she was there wasn’t that much of commotion about it, but I had always wondered what happened to Mara. And then, something Isidore said told me,”
“What did I say?” Isidore asked.
“That Madeline had met a friend in the market, and had called her her new sister,” Alice said. “And why would a child say that unless they thought it was true? See, there was another picture in that newspaper of Mara, and I knew as soon as I saw Charlotte what had happened. Mara and Madeline look almost identical, with the exception of the mole right next to Madeline’s right eye. When they saw each other they thought they truly were sisters, and Madeline convinced Mara to come and live with her. Somehow she got to the house and stay in the secrete tunnels, only coming out when Madeline knew it was safe. It was a good idea, and, obviously would have gone unnoticed, if it wasn’t for you,” She pointed at Charlotte.
“What did I do?”
“You noticed the similarity one day while you were searching for Mara and saw Madeline. You thought that the Shultz had taken your daughter when they came home from Paris and lied by saying they had her there. You applied for the job as a maid and waited for the right time to strike. And you did, and you almost got away with it but had made the mistake of leaving Madeline alone to open the window in her bedroom. Madeline took the three rolls of bread you had taken and went into the secrete tunnels to hide with Mara,”
“How dare you!” Isidore exclaimed.
“I just wanted to find my Mara,” She pleaded. “She’s my only daughter and when I saw Madeline I just wanted to get her back. I was sure when she saw me she would run to my arms but she looked at me like I was complete stranger, and now I know why. I’m sorry Isidore, I never meant any harm,”
“It’s okay, I’m sure she would have done the same thing,” Alice said. “Right Isidore?” Isidore sniffed and nodded. “Right then. That’s enough drama for one day. It’s almost Christmas!”

After that Isidore and Charlotte made an agreement for the girls to continue their friendship. The two moms eventually made up and Christmas was comfortable once more. Detective Greene took the credit, of course, for the finding of Madeline Shultz and Mara. Oscar told her that she should tell the truth, but she didn’t care. It was Christmas.
Imprint

Text: Lauren Williams
Images: Bioshock 2
Publication Date: 02-04-2013

All Rights Reserved