I am not her - A chilling hate (13.)

"Why do you ask me when you already know?" Anne's voice was surprisingly calm and steady. It was almost as if the two were talking about the weather. Anna stood at the table almost like an ice statue, but inside it was all screaming at her to beware.

 

"You're right, little girl." The old lady's voice was saturated with a strange joy, which made Anna tense up and wait for a knock because this madam knew nothing but how to destroy the lives around her. Especially now Anna's, for the shopkeeper hadn't had a quiet moment since Glotylda Omelgl had entered her life, and this one was not likely to be an exception.

 

Anna's gaze shot apprehensively to the two people who were nearby, where Michael was in the process of setting up the tables that Anna, with a little silent argument, had finally agreed to set up for him.

 

"You owe me that debt now," a sentence rang out through the shop, causing Anna to gasp softly and the world to rock with her for a moment.

 

"Excuse me?" her voice wavered, and so did her stance. She felt as if a black hole had reopened around her, and she was about to fall into it again. Slowly, she turned her gaze back to Madame and saw a frosty hatred in her charcoal-black eyes.

 

"You hear well, my dear," she uttered, almost too softly, and took a sip of her coffee. "Hmm, quite good. Where do you buy it?" she continued as if it were really no big deal.

 

"Will you be wishing for anything else, ma'am?" asked Anna after a moment, not letting on how upset she was.

 

"No, I have everything for now," Glotylda smiled falsely and turned her head to the window. Anna was about to leave then. She grabbed the food cart that had brought the coffee and took a step forward with it when... "But I wish to speak with you later, if possible," she was stopped by a tone of voice that brooked no objection.

 

*

 

"Aunt Anna, I'm afraid," Julia piped up, tugging at the young woman's sleeve.

 

"Of what, sweetheart?" she asked, looking up at the woman. The little girl was taking a bite of cake, and her gaze was directed to Madame Omelglova, who was now looking at them, a look that would have frightened the devil himself.

 

The woman began to think what she could do to reassure Julia. The girl hadn't moved a step from her or Michael and was pendulating between them. Immediately, several ideas ran through Anna's head as to how she could do this.

 

"Come here," she said to Julia, leading her to a table that wasn't set up yet. "Sit here, I'll tell you something."

 

She waited until Julie was settled and sat down in the empty chair next to her. As she did so, she looked over at Michael, who was setting up the table next to her. The man caught her eye and gave her a soft smile. "You know, sweetie," she looked back at the person in front of her. Julie's gaze was fixed downward, and her whole posture, in general, was kind of apprehensive. Damn, what could have happened yesterday to upset this little one so much? She thought but immediately pushed the thought aside. She pushed herself away from the table a little. "Come here, princess," she began in a completely different way than she had originally planned.

 

She rested her cane on the edge of the table before holding out her hands to Julia, who finally looked up at her. In an instant, the fear disappeared from the child's face and there was hesitation, but it was replaced by a look of happiness.