Chapter 5 - Missing Paris

LONDON'S POV

A FEW DAYS LATER.

"London!" 

"London!!" My mother tapped me, waking me from my sleep,

"Have you seen Paris?" She questioned, with her hands resting on my shoulders as she searched my face, from the urgency in her voice I could tell that something was wrong,

"No mom," I responded drowsily as I tried to focus, suddenly the words hit me and my eyes popped open

"Huh! Paris?" I Inquired, my voice rising from the words that had hit me,

She got up upon hearing my words, fidgeting as she bit her finger, while I stared at her, waiting impatiently,

"Paris is missing!" The words rushed out of my mother's mouth in a tone matching mine, she paced to and fro, her fear palpable as she spoke,

I jumped out of bed immediately after I heard the news and walked toward her, 

"Mother, how do you mean?" I questioned, searching her face but my mother didn't respond,

"That's a prank, right?" I said as I searched her face for any hint of deceit in it, but my mother ignored me, and continued in her business of pacing around,

"Mother!" I called, my voice rising above the pitch as I held her hands, "Say something I beg you." I added, my voice a little shaky from the fear that had gripped my heart,

My mother looked at me and her knees buckled, I noticed her weight was going down, I tried to stop her but her weight was too much for me, she fell to her knees and started to sob, 

"Mother? Mom? Mom?" I wrapped my hands around her as she freely fell into my embrace, shivering as she cried in my arms,

"What's going on here?" My father, already dressed for the occasion walked in as he adjusted his tie, from the sound of his voice, I could tell that he wasn't concerned about my mother who was already crying uncontrollably,

He turned around, and not finding Paris in the room, he asked, "Where is that lousy daughter of yours?" His tone conveyed the anger in his heart as he spoke, not bothered about the chaos in the room,

Just then, Alfred ran into the room, his eyes reddened from long hours of crying,  "Mommy, I couldn't find Paris anywhere." He said, immediately he saw his father, he wiped his face and tried to control himself.

"What!" My father exclaimed as he turned to face Alfred,

"What do you mean you can't find Paris? Huh?" He inquired and then turned towards his wife who was on the floor and had never stopped crying, I immediately, drew Alfred to myself, in an attempt to shield him from my father's impending outburst,

"Is it true? Huh?" He questioned as he closed up the space between them, but my mother remained silent as she brooded over our missing Paris,

"I'm talking to you, you stupid woman." My father's voice came again, his voice heavy in the air like a thunderbolt and at the same time, pulled my mother's hair, which infuriated me, I quickly took short steps towards him and tried to grab him but he pushed me aside with his other hand, making me crash against the floor.

"London!" Alfred's shrill cry pierced through the air, as he ran to me, while I struggled to sit up wincing in pain, my hand hurt from the force of the crash, I checked and realized I was bleeding.

"London, are you okay?" Alfred cried, seeing the blood flowing from my hands, from the expression on his face, I could tell he was scared,

"Yes Alfred, I'm fine," I lied and forced a smile to my face to enforce my claim, but Alfred didn't stop crying,

"All of you are useless!" My father yelled as he continued to pull his wife's hair, while my mother sat quietly on the floor mourning the loss of our sister, 

Even though my father was hurting her, I knew she was more hurt by my sister's disappearance, and as I stared at him, I couldn't control the anger that coursed through my veins, 

I stood up immediately and marched towards my father, fuelled by the determination that coursed through me, I pushed my father away from my mother with every ounce of strength in me, staining his shirt.

"You useless girl!" He cursed, staring at his stained shirt, he lifted his hand to hit me, but I covered

Thank my face with my arms, his hand hung in the air for a while and then he turned and walked away.

I immediately ran to my mother whose tears had long stained her face, she looked like the shadow of herself, "Mother!" I called, shaking her off her state,

"Paris, where could she be?" My mother asked her desperation for an answer palpable as she stared at me, then her eyes landed on my bruised hand,

"You... You... are bleeding." She said as she grabbed my hand, 

"Mother don't worry, I'm fine," I said, as I tried to console her, "please stop crying, I would go and clean it," I said, got up, and walked to the bathroom.

I was drying the wound when a scream from the living room caught my attention, my mind flew to my mother immediately,

"Mother!" I said, as I  ran to the living room and saw my father pointing a knife at Alfred, who was too scared to cry,

"Where's that foolish London?" He demanded, his voice ringing with anger,

"London, London, Alfred, please do something." My mother pleaded immediately after she saw me, her desperation palpable as she cried,

Suddenly, my father advanced towards me, "You must stand in the place of your sister, I can't allow you all to bring shame to my family, I'm going to end your life right here if you don't agree to do it," he said, as he closed up the space between us,

I stared at everyone, my crying mother who was almost going crazy, my younger brother whose life will never be the same, and my selfish father who didn't know how to make the right choice,

"You're trying my patience, I'll start with your stupid mother and then your good-for-nothing brother before you, just watch what I'm going to do," he said and Immediately turned towards my mother, fuelled by the determination that coursed through him, while I stood there too shocked to respond,

Immediately he got to where my mother was, he lifted the knife and aimed at my mother, immediately, I regained my ability for words,

 "I will do it," I shouted at the top of my voice, which made my father turn towards me,

"What did you say?" He inquired,

"I said I'll do it," I cried, "I agree to take Paris's place," I emphasized, as my heart raced from fear,

"Good, good. Now get dressed quickly, the Katz will be here soon and we can't afford to be late." He said, turned and left, while I sank on the floor,

FEW HOURS LATER

I walked into the wedding hall in a beautiful dress. I stood before George, who stretched out his hand to receive mine.

"Will you, Mr. George Katz, take Paris to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, money and poverty, till death do you part?" The priest asked as we stood right there before the alter,

"I do," George replied, his expression  stern, even though he tried to mask it with a smile, I could still see the hatred in his eyes as he stared at me,

"Will you, Paris Elorod, take George to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, money and poverty, till death do you part?" The priest asked me, which made my heart skip; I wasn't prepared for this. I looked at the crowd and wished I could just say no, 

"Paris," I muttered under my breath as anger swept through my heart, even tight there at the altar, I prayed for the door to suddenly open and for Paris to come to take her place.

"Miss Paris?" the priest called out which brought me back to earth, I looked at him and then turned to George, whose eyes had returned to the usual ice-cold.

"I do," I replied in a hushed tone, as I stared angrily at the man right in front of me,

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest said with a smile, which made my eyes bulge open, George leaned, and just then I realized it was real, that I had just gotten married, but I wasn't going to allow him to touch me unwillingly, so I quickly placed my hand over my mouth, which erupted murmurs from the crowd.

"What's happening?" the crowd went into an uproar, "how could she?" I heard another voice, I knew I had to do something at least,

I fixated my gaze back on George, whose expression conveyed the anger in his heart as he stared at me and swiftly grabbed my veil, I covered both our faces and then pretended to lean in, I stared at him with anger in my heart, which he didn't mind,

Everyone burst into laughter as they thought both couples were too shy,

"It seems you enjoy seeing my face," George said, with a smirk on his face which spoke more of the hatred in his heart, while I eyed him, and dropped slowly dropped the vail, forcing a smile on my face.

At the reception, George sat down with me, watching the dancers, even though we were sitting close our distance was felt by us, as we sat without saying a word to anyone,

Suddenly, his phone beeped; he picked it up and I knew he had just received a message, almost immediately, he got up and left, without saying a word to me,

As I sat there all by myself, bored from watching everyone, Alfred walked up to me, with tears streaming down his cheek,

"London, mommy needs you," he said, rubbing his eyes,

I looked around and carried Alfred on my lap, curious about why he had started crying again,

"Why are you crying?" I asked, feeling something was off,

"Paris is at home," he announced immediately, which made my eyes bulge, I told you immediately, and walked out of the hall, with my heart ramming hard against my chest.