Daniel and Celeste drove further west until they went north on Waterview Parkway. She glanced from house to house, trying to jog her memory over which one it was. On their second pass, she remembered and Daniel pulled over. They were trying one last place that she knew Lain might be. Carrie was Lain’s best friend and Celeste knew if anyone could tell her where Lain had gone, it would be her. Celeste got out and glanced up at Carrie’s house. It was a beautiful white plantation style home complete with four large pillars. The shutters were all painted a deep charcoal, almost black, and the yard was kept in pristine condition. She gaped at the perfection and knew that they rivaled her own gardens. Not a single tulip or gardenia looked out of place, and the boxwood was perfectly trimmed and rounded. The landscaping was impeccable. Colors of every spectrum surrounded them.

She smiled at the familiar oak trees that lined either side of the path. The path was one of those winding sorts that twisted from the curb and had a few steps every so many feet. As they walked up a few flights, the front door became visible. It was painted a bright cherry red complete with a large, golden knocker in the shape of a lion. Two additional lions stood guard in front of the door. They looked so real that she half expected them to get up and walk. It was stunning.

They climbed the last set of stairs and finally reached the front door. Daniel stepped in front of her and pushed the doorbell. His hand had barely left the button when the door cracked open. A darting pain shot through her skull. Celeste winced and grabbed her head. A low hum sounded as thousands of insects clicked and chattered around her. The frail woman stepped into the light. Her sharp eyes jumped from Daniel to Celeste, and she tapped her cane. All at once the noise stopped. Celeste sighed in relief as the terrible clicks subsided. What was that all about? She thought. Daniel uncovered his ears, looking just as confused as she was. “Sorry about that, can’t be too careful these days,” the old lady bellowed. She extended her hand and gripped Daniel’s in a firm handshake. “Name’s Matilda, what can I do you for?” Daniel smiled, “Afternoon, ma’am, I’m detective Wallis and this is─”

“Celeste, my god, it’s been damn near six months─ ever hear of a cell phone? It’s a strange and magical contraption used to communicate.” Matilda spoke the last sentence as if she were talking to a group of three year olds─ fanning her arms out as she said ‘communicate.’ Celeste burst out laughing. Same old Matilda, she never held anything back. Daniel quickly composed himself. “I see you two have met.” Celeste nodded at Daniel. Matilda turned and walked inside, “Well, you all going to come in, or are we going to collect dust on the porch?” Celeste shrugged at Daniel’s confused look and followed Matilda inside.

The hallway was surprisingly long. Most plantation homes Celeste had been in were known for their wide open foyer with either sweeping dual staircases, or one large staircase from the entrance. This was odd. Every inch of the hallway was lined in paintings. They must have been a newer addition, because they weren’t here the last time she stopped by.

Each painting was a night-time garden scene depicting a large, and intricate hedge maze. In the center was a path that divided around a three-tiered fountain and then met on the other side. On the fountain sat two girls, opposite of each other. They gazed at their own reflection in the still water. The light from the Moon kissed the two girls’ skin. One was fair haired, and the other was raven haired. In the next scene, it depicted them walking along a road of crimson. Lining the walkway were tall bushes and various animal topiaries.

Celeste peered closer and realized they were distinct in shape and size, all twelve of them. The animals were clearly highlighted by the moon as the girls strolled hand in hand. There was a: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and finally the boar. She started, realizing what they represented─ the Chinese Zodiac. Each animal held a gift and bowed to the walkway. However, there was one topiary creature that sat alone on the opposite side of the rat.

It lay on its side, curled around its gift, asleep. She remembered a story as a child that her mother had told her: The rat, jealous of the cat’s beauty, decided to trick the cat and lie about which day the banquet was held for the animals in heaven with The Jade Emperor. The cat, not realizing the trick, slept through the feast and was never allowed a seat at the table. For this reason, the cat was never part of the Zodiac and hates the rat to this day. Celeste had always felt a deep sadness for the cat. She pictured his lone form outside of the gates in heaven, staring in at the grand party in which he would never be a part of. To be separated from what you truly cared for, that was unforgivable. A profound sense of loss moved her, and she had to walk past to the next scene.

The golden haired maiden was dressed in a long, ruffled white dress, complete with separated bell sleeves, and a blue obi. The obi was traditionally worn around a kimono however, both of the girls were adorned in flowing, tiered dresses. The tails of the obi extending all the way to the ground behind them. The front of each dress came to just above the girls’ knee, and then tapered at an angle to the floor. In contrast, the dark-haired beauty was shrouded in black, with a red obi and matching black bell sleeves. Contrary to the smooth ruffles of the white dress, hers was trimmed with a jagged lace that sprouted from the bust of her gown and along the tops of her sleeves. Their hair was parted to the opposite side of the other girl’s, drawn up in an elegant side bun with locks that draped over their shoulders and reached to their waist. The shape of their hair reminded her of butterfly wings, especially since they had chains of silver and gold interlaced throughout the length of it.

Each girl’s sleeve and the bottom of their skirts were trimmed in the color of their obi. Celeste looked at their hands entwined, and noticed a thin string of red joining the two at the wrist. They smiled tenderly at one another, wrapped up in a world of their own. As they progressed down the path holding hands, a new section of the garden was revealed. She watched as they walked further away from the viewer to a fork in the path. Celeste was in awe of the size of the painting─ it was as tall as she stood, with the symbol for infinity far in the distance, above the branching road.

The oddity of the symbol was that it was overlapped by a secondary symbol for infinity, slightly ajar from the first. The girl’s backs were turned to Celeste and they each walked a separate path. The string had torn into two pieces from their wrists and trailed all the way back to the point of their disconnection, the tail of the string hanging intact and flapping in the wind. She traced her finger along the symbol, childlike in her fascination. These were not here the last time she had visited Matilda and Carrie. Something about them made her want to cry.

Celeste turned to find both Matilda and Daniel crossing the living room, and then into the dining area. She glanced back and then quickly caught up with them. Matilda’s voice was soft as she pulled out the chairs for them to sit, “You know, child, that painting is very old. Older than me,” she chuckled and pat Celeste on the shoulder. Matilda walked into the kitchen and returned with three cups and a pot of tea. She set them on the table and pointed toward the hall. “I dare say it’s been part of the family for centuries.” She walked to the back and sat down at the end of the table. “It was said to have been drawn by Orihime, woven just after the loss of her child,” Matilda finished. Celeste gaped at her, “You mean, as in, the daughter of Tentei?” Matilda smiled, “None other,” she said.

Celeste beamed at Matilda as she poured herself some tea, “Do you have any idea how much that would go for in Japan? A piece like that would be a sensation. You should consider having it appraised.” Matilda just shook her head, “What would I do with all that money? I’d just have more of the grandkids holding out their hands. Carrie’s the only one with any sense around here.” Sadly, Celeste knew she was right. Most of the cousins had tried to steal away the family money. It all started with Carrie’s parents. Her mother was a journalist and her father was the camera man. They had followed a lead to cover in Iraq and Syria.

News traveled fast and Carrie was told, via TV, that her parents were not coming home. They had barely been there a few years and no one knew what happened to them. There were theories of a religious movement that tried to convert followers to their belief, and then released back to the U.S. Other theories suggested that Carrie’s father had been killed, and her mother sold in the human trafficking market. Either way it didn’t look promising.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

That poor girl, like Lain, they had so much in common. It was no wonder they got along. It was sad that Lain didn’t have a supporting family to help her. That was one thing Celeste never understood about many families here. The sense of togetherness was almost non-existent. Even though her father was busy, he took the time to listen when she really needed him to. She had to be careful about what she said, because of his tendency to go overboard─ but she was truly blessed to have a father like him. Thankfully, Matilda wasn’t too old to take Carrie in and they granted her custody of the child.

Daniel stared between the two of them and then finally spoke, “Do I need to ask the obvious?” Celeste turned her face to him, “Hmm?” She asked. “Who the hell is Orihime and Tentei?” Celeste gaped openly at his ability to pronounce the words. She smiled warmly at him, realizing that he would have no clue about the old tale. “It’s a fable about two star crossed lovers,” she explained, “Orihime, daughter of Tentei, the Sky King, wove beautiful cloth along the bank of Amanogawa,” Daniel scrunched his face in confusion, “The Milky Way,” Celeste clarified. “Ah,” he said.

She smiled and continued, “Lord Tentei loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it as beautifully as she could. However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work, she could never meet anyone and fall in love. It was her most desperate desire to find someone to fill her loneliness. Concerned for his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, the cowherd star, who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When their eyes met, they instantly fell in love and married shortly thereafter. Once married, however, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray in Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became devastated at the loss of her husband and begged her father to let them meet once more. Tentei was so moved by his daughter’s tears that he allowed the two to meet on the seventh day, of the seventh month once a year, as long as she agreed to work hard and finish her weaving. The first time the lovers tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was not a bridge. Orihime cried day and night until a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings, so that she could cross the river. It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the festival in honor of the two lovers, the magpies cannot come and the two lovers must wait until another year passes to meet.”

Daniel made her blush as he listened to all of her words and sat quietly for a moment. “That is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard, yet very sad,” he said. She nodded, “It was one of my favorites as a child.” Celeste turned her head to Matilda, “But, what does that have to do with the paintings? None of that was depicted in the story.” Matilda grinned at her and answered, “You noticed, clever girl.” Celeste thought for a moment about the story, she knew that it was taken from the Chinese fable of The Jade Emperor, instead of Lord Tentei.

It was called The Weaver Girl and The Cowherd. The difference with the Chinese tale was that the boy was a lowly cowherd and had stolen The Jade Emperor’s daughter, Zhinu’s, magical robes while she came down to Earth and washed near the river.

In the Chinese fable, the cowherd hid the beautiful robes and claimed that he did not see them when Zhinu asked if he knew where her clothing had gone. After the cowherd, who was quite smitten, proposed to her, Zhinu agreed to be his wife. Several years went by and they had many children, she had fallen in love and was happy. However, one day Zhinu stumbled across the robes. She missed her father terribly and decided to put them back on and visit heaven.

The Jade Emperor was so angry when he found out, that he forbade her return and separated the two lovers across the Milky Way. Zhinu pleaded with him, and The Jade Emperor decided to take pity. Once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, he allowed them to visit each other. There were differences in the story, but there was nothing in the paintings that looked remotely like the tales that Celeste had known and grown up on─ aside from the Zodiac creatures that resided with The Jade Emperor in heaven.

She looked to Matilda and frowned, “I know of the Chinese story and the differences between the two fables, but nothing rings a bell about what the paintings depicted.” Matilda folded her hands in her lap after brushing non-existent crumbs from her apron. “That is a story that has been told wrong for centuries,” Matilda explained. She said it almost dismissively, as if talking to a young child that wouldn’t understand what she was saying.

Celeste looked up at Matilda, “Well, there are many different versions─” “That were all handed down throughout the years by a bunch of gossips,” Matilda said firmly. “Celeste, if there is anything you must have learned by now, it is people’s fascination with bending the truth.” Celeste was about to answer, when her phone went off in her purse. She sifted it out and stared at John’s number. Celeste wanted to scream and throw the phone across the room, but instead she let it drop back into her purse. She didn’t have time to talk with him now, besides there were more important things to take care of. She would give John a piece of her mind later.

She glanced at Daniel and then turned to Matilda, “Fairy tales aside, I’d completely forgotten what I came here to ask,” Celeste said, “Have you, by chance, seen Lain recently? Her foster parents reported her missing. I saw her Saturday, but I haven’t seen her since.” Matilda looked hard at Daniel from across the table. Finally she spoke, “You a cop?” He nodded, “Yes, but I’m on the girl’s side. I don’t think those people have any right having kids. Honestly, I just need to know she is okay.” He shifted and leaned forward, “Legally, I have to tell them if she is and ask that she be returned to her guardians.” The look on Matilda’s face nearly made Celeste choke on her tea. She looked like she had rancid garbage held under her nose. I don’t blame her, Celeste mused. No one liked those people. “Well, I can’t say I like it, but I’ll cooperate.” Matilda pointed toward Daniel, “On one condition.” Daniel cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy. Matilda walked over and sat in the chair next to him. She placed her feet on his lap and grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Rub an old lady’s bunions?” she asked wiggling her toes. That did it. Celeste lost it so hard her sides ached from the laughter. Daniel was looking to her like a lost child. Poor guy, he didn’t understand how sly Matilda could be.

Daniel joined in the laugh and shook his head. “You two are something else,” he said. When he didn’t reach down, Matilda crossed her arms and eyed him expectantly. “Wait, you really─” “Damn right I do, boy,” Matilda interrupted. “Get to work, especially on the right one. The floors kill my feet in this house.” Celeste had to give him credit, he didn’t complain and got straight to it. “Wow, is that all it takes? I want one too,” Celeste joked. Daniel ignored her and kept rubbing, his face bright red. Matilda sighed in bliss. “Now let’s see─” Matilda paused for a moment, thinking. “Yes. The girl stopped by here and stayed Friday night. I offered to make her breakfast, but she had something she needed to take care of on Saturday morning.” Daniel looked up at Celeste and she nodded at him. “Yes, she came by my house early Saturday afternoon to take her lesson,” Celeste said.

“Have you seen her since Saturday morning?” Daniel questioned. “Afraid not,” Matilda said. She sounded disappointed. She had a feeling that Matilda would take the girl in a heartbeat, if she could. Matilda removed her legs from Daniel’s lap and patted his leg. “The only thing I can tell you is if I hear from her, I’ll call and let you know. I might not like her foster parents, but I’d rather her have a roof over her head than nothing.”

* *    *