Chapter 40

There was everything here. The 2.5x6 ft bed, and the drip stand, all except for the patient. She was gone. As far as everyone was concerned, she was not well. She was way too weak to climb on that open window as a way of escaping.

"This woman!" Carlos groans, slamming the door behind him, "What the hell is happening around us? And you," He looks at Arletta, "I knew you looked familiar in some way. What? You wanted to hide her?"

"What about you? Did you want her for good? As far as my heart tells me, non of you are good for my sister. And I am done with all this! I am going to find my sister and make sure you never see her again!" Arletta runs, "Anahi!" She shouts.

"We better find her before she does," Carlos groans.

"No, I better find her before any of you do. And you," Back to the guy, "We will talk about this later, Maurice. Your betrayal can't go unnoticed."

Behind the church was a forest. Carlos and Regina believed she would go there. Arletta was confused. Was she really there? "Think Arletta! Think!" She keeps turning around over and over again. The woods or the houses? She was sick, she would need some help. She sighs as she walks in the opposite direction. She goes to the houses, knocking one by one.

"Excuse me, have you seen a woman this tall?.."

"No, I haven't seen her,"

"No,"

"Get off my property!"

And others would close the door before she even finished. That's it. She was gone. She was wrong. Anahi must have gone into the woods. She failed her. For the first time, she has gotten the courage to do something for her sister and fails her.

She goes to her car. Her hand tries to open the door but it keeps on trembling. If she gets inside then it's over. That would mean she has failed her sister, wouldn't it? She crouches down, tears falling on the ground like rain. How would it be so hard for her sister to live the life she wanted? Why was this happening to her? Why did both of them have to be so afraid of their mother to the point she did all of these things and nothing happens to her?

Her mind adjusts again, wiping away the tears from her face with her hands as she sobs. She sighs, "It will be okay, Arletta. She will be fine and you will find her," Just as she was about to get up, her hand widens in shock and fear, clamping her lips before she screams. A bruised hand coming from under her car keeps extending itself towards her.

"Oh, my God! Is this a ghost? Is she dead already?" But no. This was just an illusion as she thought. Maybe that is how stressed she is to see what she was seeing.

She swallows her liquid, her chest almost wanting to escape. She extends her hand and touches the ghost's hand, and she finds out it's not actually a ghost. It's a normal human hand. "Anahi?" Her sister's hand, "Oh my God! Anahi!" She helps her get up. They both sit on the ground, Anahi lying against the car, her whole body trembling and shaking.

She was wearing a white satin dress. Arletta takes her off her hoody and helps her wear it, repeatedly failing to control her tears. Anahi was pale. Her body lost too much weight. The wounds were still in bad condition. Being left in a place like that surely left her vulnerable to infections.

Arletta hugs her. Happy but sad, "Sister you will never have to face this again. I will..." She sobs, "I will not allow that to happen I promise,"

Arletta cries too, wrapping her hands around her sister, " I miss you too,"

Arletta pulls her from the hug. Wiping the tears away, "We need to get you out of here. They are looking for you everywhere,"

"Okay,"

"Get inside through my door. If we open two of them, in case someone is seeing us, he might notice," Anahi nods and Arletta opens the door. It's also a good thing the car has tinted windows. In no time, she starts the engine and they leave.

Meanwhile,

"I love how this time she was able to escape both of us," Carlos laughs at Regina. Currently, in the woods, they have gone almost every corner of it and not even a trace that someone was here is seen, "Well I have to admit, I have never been good at these things. Let's go home, Regina. Let the investigators be the ones to do this. We are not giving them their rights. They studied for these kinds of things,"

If glares could kill, Carlos would be dead by now, "Shut the hell up," She demands, "Sometimes I understand why she always runs away from you, if only it was not the law of God!"

"Unfortunately is it," He sighs, "And you love him so much you are willing to sacrifice your own daughter and you'd almost killed her,"

"Carlos!"

"Why else would she be here? With the drip stand, the monitors? You can't seriously tell me it wasn't you Regina," He laughs, "How should we make this story? A woman version of Abraham and Isaac. A mother who beat her daughter to death as a punishment and was ready for everything, even if it was death. How crazy would that sound? And how the hell did you manage to make me believe she run away from your hands?"

"Carlos you are testing my patience,"

"You are the one who has been testing my patience, woman!" A sudden change of expression. He grabs her hand and squeezed it hard, making Regina gasp, "You know how much I needed your daughter in the campaigns and you know well how important those fucked up politicians are in my business and yet you decided to punish her anyway," He grits his teeth.

"I will repeat once more, the business is not yours mister and stop harassing me!" She shouts.

"And I will repeat it again, it is the way it is because of me. So bear with it. The company is technically mine." He pushes her hand, "You better make sure she is in my hands within two days or I don't know what I will do to you," With the drama being at the end, he leaves. Silent curses of Regina are expressed by one scream, "Damn it!"

Arletta reached the destination. It was a local motel that very few people knew because of its location. Once or twice came with one of the fathers, "We can't go to those fancy hotels right now. This is better for now," Still in the car, both of them look at the building, Seemingly blue and yellow and a size of a normal house, plastered with 'Blue motel' at the top.

"Let's go," Anahi opens the door. They both get inside and book a room, "You are pretty lucky it's the two of you. You are the only ones around today, and me of course," The old lady in her sixties charmingly says.

"Thank you," With that, they both go to the room which was at the far end of the building. Getting inside, the calming yellow paint with a medium-sized bed welcomes them, "Wow, it's beautiful," Anahi says.

"I agree," Arletta now seems relieved, "Tonight is beautiful by the way. The day wasn't though,"

"Arletta," She closes the door behind her, "There is something I want to tell you," She takes her to the bed, holding her hand tight, her eyes frightened.

"What? You're scaring me," Now she is more nervous.

"When I went to the islands, I met a guy,"

"And?"

She sighs closing her eyes, "I think I am pregnant with his child,"