Here it is!

The first chapter of this story.

Hope you like it.

Enjoy.❤

☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽

I tried to make an aesthetic for my story for the first time! How's it? 🙈

☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽

༄ ONE: Everything is Blue. ༄

Six years later.

What a wonderful day! I thought as I looked around and saw the beauty that nature holds in itself. 

I was in love with the weather of St. John. Especially this weather.

Today everything was more refreshing, after days of pouring. The sky looked like a painters' imagination drawn on the canvas with white clouds of different shapes and blue sky of different shades. It gives a different kind of satisfaction to the eyes by looking at it. 

The sound of birds chirping and winds making tree leaves to wave and make different tones that almost feel like music in making. To admire and appreciate.

And I was definitely doing that with my little Angel by my side, holding her tiny hand in my bigger one.

We were going home from the City's National Park because today was 'Prisha & Dee-Dee Day' and no one could change that.

Actually I, myself quite looked forward to spending my weekends with Prisha. She was a stress reliever for anyone without even knowing it. She could brighten your day just by showing her sunshine smiles and non-stop talks.

Prisha, my six-year-old, and the most adorable kid that I had ever seen, little sister. With her cuteness and enthusiastic self, she could make anyone her fan. Always ready for anything. Just like an energetic ball, ready to bounce. 

And today was one of those days when she couldn't control her excitement. Because this park was one of her most favorite parks.

She couldn't stop talking about this all week, like what she was going to do, which rides she wanted to take, food, games to play and so on. Finally, she did all of that today, without any complaints. 

So now both of us didn't have much energy to do anything else. No no, not both, you, only you, I thought. Yeah me, I was more tired than her. Because trust me this girl had the energy of Ninja turtles, whenever it comes to play or outings. 

But I, on the other hand, was the laziest person on this planet. So after the first ride and looking after her (more like running) I was dying already, but she was only getting readier for more fun. 

After having so much fun and playing around it was noon already and now we were going home because she was tired. Finally.

Holding her hand in mine we were walking on the footpath, going to the bus stop that was five minutes' distance from the park. 

And we both love to ride on the bus.

It was easy transportation here at St. John and the population was not that much to overcrowd it.

"We should bring Pororo here next. She is going to love this place", Prisha said with wide eyes full of enthusiasm. She was still looking as excited as she was in the morning when we left the house.

I, on the other hand, sure looked like I just had a fight with a bunch of raccoons for my cupcakes made by my mom.

"Yeah, we should, Angel. But it won't be easy to bring her here as you know she doesn't like to ride on a bus." I said looking down at her, with an as convincing smile as I could muster in my tiring state. 

Now I just need a shower, my bed, and some music or a new good book online to read.

We were getting closer to the bus stop. As we passed by a local park, Prisha tugged my hoodie to get my attention.

I looked down at her and waited for her to say what she wanted to say to me. But she didn't. She just pointed her little index finger in the opposite direction of the road. I looked where she was pointing and couldn't help myself but smile instantly. 

Cotton Candy shop! Of course. 

"You want cotton candy?" I asked her, already knowing the answer to my question.

"Yes! Yes!" She said, jumping up and down on the sidewalk in front of the local park, where we were standing. I laughed lightly seeing her response and that wide smile on her cute chubby face.

"Okay. I'm going to get that for you. But on one condition." I said holding my index finger in her direction.   

"Anything. I'm going to behave, I promise," she replied instantly, showing me her tiny pinky finger to make a promise. I tried not to smile at that gesture. 

"Good. So you are going to sit on that bench, see there ''pointing at the bench in the local park behind her, where I could see some people sitting and kids playing around, she nodded her head.

"And I'm going to cross the road to that store and bring you your favorite Cotton Candy. Okay." I told her. She already told me she was tired and I could tell she was. So it was better that she sits there on the bench than tag along with me all the way across the opposite street to the store. 

Mostly elderly people and children were there in the park sitting and playing so it wasn't like she was alone there. And I could still see her from the other side of the road too.

She sat on the nearest bench to the gate of the park, an elderly couple sat one bench away from her. 

"You are going to sit here okay. Don't go anywhere. I will be here in minutes. And... Stranger Danger", I kissed her cheek and stood to go. 

"Don't worry Dee." She said, giving me her toothy smile.

I smiled back. After making sure that she was comfortable there and giving a smile to the elderly couple I made my way to the store.

Crossing the road when I reached the shop I looked back at the bench. She was sitting there looking at me. And then she waved at me with this big smile on her face. 

My little girl.

I smiled and waved back at her. 

After buying three cotton candies of different colors with my favorite blue one, I reached the crosswalk but this time I had to wait for lights to turn red so I could cross the road. 

This was another reason not to bring Prisha with me. 

At last, it turned red and I started to cross the road but when I looked at the bench where Prisha was sitting I couldn't see her sitting there anymore. Not wanting to panic I crossed the road, thinking maybe she was playing with other children there in the park. 

Reaching the empty bench I looked around the park for her glimpse but to my absolute horror, I couldn't see her. She was not there anymore and that elderly couple was gone too.

Uhh Ohh.

I searched the park but couldn't find her or that couple for that matter. My nervousness was increasing promptly. 

I asked the children and people that were still sitting there about her but no one saw her. After searching the whole park several times and asking the people in the park again and again I came to the conclusion that I was dreading to voice.

She was not there in the park. 

It was your fault, why did you leave her alone here. 

She was not alone here, the couple was sitting beside her.

Oh wow. And you trusted them just like that. After everything. She is only six years old for God's sake!!

I know, I know!

I was cursing myself for leaving her here thinking it was for the best. 

This is all my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone. I should have taken her with me.

She will be somewhere around here. Don't worry Sherline. I was trying to comfort myself. But it was not working. My hands started to perspire heavily and it was nothing to do with how tightly I was holding those sticks of cotton candies. 

Shoving the candies in the pockets of my hoodie without any care of them being smashed, I exited the park to look for her outside the park.

My mind and body were not making it easy for me to do what should be right at that moment.

Please be safe Prisha. Please.

I started to search for some of the shops that were on this side of the road in the hope that I could find her there or if anyone saw her.

"Where are you Prisha?" I whispered, helplessly. My throat was clogged with desperation and fear.

I was getting scared as seconds passed. Only thinking about her being safe I refused to think about what worst could happen. 

After asking in every store and not getting any information about her, I was on the verge of breaking down and the thoughts that were coming to my mind were not helpful either. 

Not wanting to stop and waste my time in thinking the worst of it, I came to the last store that was behind the park. I was out of breath as I stopped in front of the store. My heartbeat was too fast to call it normal. My stomach was in knots for the fear of the unknown. This place was my last hope. 

All the running around didn't get wasted coming here.

The couple who were sitting on the bench beside Prisha was in the store. Behind the counter. I felt a small comfort in that. 

I dashed in the store to where they sat behind the counter. My earlier comfort changed into anger but I was trying my best not to say anything rude to them  

"Where is my sister?" I all but grit it out at them. So much about not being rude. Not caring about the looks that I got from some customers in the store. I solely focus on the couple in front of me. Who now looked at me like I lost my mind.

Maybe I did because I was only caring about my baby sister and her safety, not how I looked right now.

The lady put the book she was reading on the counter and looked at her husband who was still looking at me like I had three heads. But after some seconds he looked at her with an expression that I didn't get. 

 Just tell me already. Dammit! 

"Oh, that little girl with a blue hoodie?" The old man asked and I nodded my head in confirmation, "Someone walked by the front of the park gate and she stood to go after him. We told her not to go and wait for you to return. But she said that she knew him and ran after him." The old man finished with a concerned look on his face. 

What the heck. Who was this guy?

Maybe Neil but why would he come here and not say anything to me? He had an important meeting today. Then Dad? No. He was on his duty at this time. They can't be here or if they were then they would have informed me.   

Now, this was making me more worried than before.

"Did you see him? Or where he was going? Or anything", please just tell me if you know anything.  "Please, I can't find her anywhere." The tears that I was trying to control, find their way out of my eyes onto my cheeks.

The couple looked at me sympathetically. The lady came to my side from behind the counter and patted my shoulder in a comforting gesture. " Calm down Darling, she will be alright. We had to come back to our store urgently because the guy who worked the day shift left for an urgent matter or we would have been there to help you out. She will be alright, don't worry, okay?" She said with a motherly tone that reminds me of my own mom. I nodded my head. 

I hoped Prisha was alright too. She had to be. 

"And you, just tell her already what you remember about that guy because if I could see better I wouldn't need your help with everything." She gave an irritated look to her husband "Don't make her wait. She's already scared. Understand." She all but ordered that to her husband with a stern look.

Who instantly obeyed but before muttered 'how do you read those fantasy books of yours then?' Under his breath that I was the only one who heard it. 

"I think he was going in the direction of the bus stop 22, and she ran behind him in the same direction before I could stop her, saying that she knew him." The old man said. 

I couldn't blame them for this. She was not their responsibility. She was my responsibility. And I failed. Miserably.

 I would never forgive myself if something happens to her. Never.

I thanked the elderly couple and apologized for my behavior. They reminded me of someone whom I met on my first day in St. John.

I hurried from the store in the direction of the said bus stop, where we were going in the first place before all this happened.

Knowing where she had gone, it didn't do anything to calm my nerves. I was more fearful now. 

Please be there. Please be there, Prisha. 

And who the heck he is? Whoever he is I don't care. He better not do anything to her or god forbid, for whatever happens next.

Don't think like that. Be positive.

I was trying to be as positive as I could but when you have got the experience of how cruel life could be first hand it was harder to have an optimistic mind. 

When I was at a distance from the bus stop. My legs almost gave out from the sheer relief that I felt at that moment. I took a deep breath and tried to relax my hammering heart that was beating way too fast in fear.

It was that little Piglet on the back of her blue hoodie that made me recognize her in one glance. There she was sitting at the bench of the bus stop in her matching hoodie as mine. 

Now I wanted to burst into tears for entirely different reasons.

I headed in her direction, more than happy that finally, finally, I found her. I just wanted to hold her in my arms tightly. And then scold her for doing something like this. 

In my delighted state that I found her, I didn't even notice that someone was there with her and the thing that made me stop in my tracks was her crying face and how he was trying to calm her down but failing miserably.

I tried to remember if I knew that guy, if I had seen him before or if he was one of Neil's friends but I was coming up blank.  'So how does Prisha know him? 'how can he let her follow him? He should have told her to go.'  There were many questions in my head that I needed to know and I'm about to find them. I couldn't just let him go without an explanation.

I moved in the direction of the bus stop. The relief that I felt a moment ago now turned into fury. Now it was important to know about this guy, whom Prisha was so confident enough to go after. Because Prisha was anything but friendly with strangers. Even at the age of six, she was smarter than most of the kids of her age.

As I stopped in front of the bench I realized two things, First, this guy was not a kidnapper (I was hoping he was not) and second he was actually genuinely trying to calm her down and make her stop crying by the way of him kneeling in front of her and holding her little hands in his big one.

That's what I was hoping he was doing.

But before I could listen to what he was trying to say to her, Prisha noticed me.

☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽☾𑁍☽

What do you think of this chapter?

Who is he?

What is going to happen next?

Do you like this chapter?

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Comment, like and share.💕

Thank you for reading. 💞

Stay safe.

PuppyBhai.🐾

Ps. Follow me on Instagram to know about future updates!