005

  George's eyes brightened, a flicker of rage, mixed with the rough aura of confusion, rushed through his vines as he stared into the eyes of the stranger.

Even with his lowly state, most people would rather avoid him rather than directly confront him.

Besides, it was a fact that he was a Berger, the most dreaded family in the city.

And as though that wasn't enough, her hands caught a firm grip of his jaw,.causing his lips to pop up like that of a little child.

George could feel the blood rush through his vines as his eyes met with the flames in the eyes of the stranger.

"Don't you ever dare treat any child in such a manner against " She roared, swinging his face off from her path.

Lucy clutched the hands of Arizona as they stomped off from the hall while George watched from behind, still frozen in state.

After a few moments, he snapped off from his daze with his shoulders slumbering to the ground. He growled rage passing through his eyes.

His body quivered with fury and the heat boiled right through his vines. "We will see each other again!" His growls echoed through the almost now-empty hall.

"And when we do. Your knees kissing the ground won't be enough to calm my temper."

**********

Lucy's heart tightened, stomach squeezed right into her heart as they highlighted at the place she would come home now.

Her mind remained glued to the stranger that she had seen earlier that day. Those eyes that still caused her heart to bang loudly.

They looked like she had seen it somewhere before and she had paired deeply into it. Or she was just overthinking it.

"How can I even still care after what he did to my daughter!" Lucy snapped with a loud hiss.

A stare at Arizona who remained sleeping on the couch caused her chest to tighten painfully, once again and a flicker of sweat shattered all over her face.

Lucy's fears of the new world that was being thrown into replacing her old fear as eyes watered, staring blankly at the space before her.

"Don't worry. This is going to be the best stay for you!" A voice pierced through like a stab running right into the heart of Lucy.

Lucy's gaze met with the sinister smile of Linda, foaming with so much excitement, a darkened grin spreading to both sides of her ears.

"Is that fear I smell? Don't worry, you could survive a few weeks or more! Who knows."

"But don't worry, we will keep some part of the money for a grand funeral. The Lincolns always got you back!" Linda's words tore open the wounds of her heart.

Linda's proposal to escort her to the place where she would meet her husband was never out of the goodness of her heart, filling Lucy's ears with her words that stuck like a dagger to the heart.

Stepping out of the car with the child in her hands, and away from the trouble of her soul caused a deep breath of relief to sink into her lungs.

"Are we here already?" Arizona's sleepy eyes shuttered open as slipped off from her mother's arms.

The ear-pounding sounds of Lucy's heart returned as they ventured into the new place that they would call home.

As they stepped into the gloomy old mansion, Lucy's heart sank to the bottom of her feet. The faded walls and paint seeme to take a tale of the past. 

Arizona's eyes sparked with curiosity as she was forced to inquire.

"Are you sure we aren't in the wrong place? Mom?" Her voice was laced with doubts as she spoke without her crimson eyes leaving the building.

"I doubt this is another of Linda's schemes. It's not about the place. It's about the who!" Lucy commented.

As they ventured deeper into the mansion, the echoing sounds of their footsteps filled their ears, almost deafening.

Lucy's mind wandered into the unknown. Her thoughts were consumed with questions! 

'How will George treat us!'

'Is he just as good as everyone sees him to be!'

Her eyes once again sped off towards where Arizona stood.

'How is she going to take all of this!' 

Lucy's feet felt like Jelly. She was expecting at least there was going to be some sort of welcome. But it seemed there was nothing of such sort.

Her eyes in an attempt to distract herself sped off towards where Arizona stood. However, Arizona's feet pounded the floors through the halls and caused such loud noise, the dust on the floor forcing Lucy to chock.

Her heart suddenly tightened against her stomach as she watched Arizona run off with so much excitement.

Her face went pale with fright, confusion clouding her sense of judgment seeing Arizona behaving in such a weird manner.

Lucy's pace tripled with speed, trying to catch up with the little lad.

"Arizona. Arizona?" Her voice fell below a whisper, trying to keep the calm that they had been accustomed to in the old mansion.

Finally, Arizona stood close to a wall as she called out.

"Mummy. Mummy!" Her excitement-filled voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"Arizona? What was that for!" Her voice raged out from her guts with shuttering eyes.

"Mom, look!" Arizona's hands were tangled in a pattern that had been engraved on the wall.

Lucy stopped. Her gaze fell on the discovery. A flowery pattern with a horse at the center 

The rough surface of the pattern met with her hands and her eyes shot off from their sockets.

"They look so familiar!" The words graced her lips at the moment.

The familiarity of the patterns stung her. It felt like a metallic hand was squeezed right into her heart

However, the point of recognition of these patterns seemed to elude her, no matter how hard she searched through her brain.

"Isn't it so perfect Mommy? It seemed to have been done by the same person!" Arizona's voice grew wilder as she spoke, taking off something metallic from her pockets.

Arizona's pendant, the same that Lucy had given to her.

It was the last piece that she had found of her parents in her futile attempts to search for answers, back with the Lincolns.

However, Mrs. Lincoln had almost destroyed that last piece of the past. But she was fortunate enough to be able to save it from the flames before it was destroyed, leaving her with the permanent scar that glared at her each day in the face.

But it was all worth it. Seeing it perfectly fitted into the neck of her daughter at all times. She could never ask for more.

'But why would the same pattern be here? And why?' Lucy's mind reeled with thoughts as her hands continued to caress the patterns.