The Lost Alpha Princess

"Grandma, you simply can't do this to me," Laura panicked as she shook her grandmother, who lay squarely on the cold tiles fighting for a breath in her own sweat. Her breathing was becoming slow and Laura didn't know what to do. Of course, she was supposed to arrange to take her grandmother to the hospital, however, her mind was blank. She was confused and panicking at the same time.

"Mamma, what's wrong with you, speak to me." She squawked and the old woman lying on the floor smiled, though she was fighting for her life she did not want her precious granddaughter to worry about her. She might not be making it this time around, her bone was weak and the same as her body. She is old, not quite old yet she feels she can really rest at peace now. She did not want to live anymore.

"You don't have to worry, my dear." She said slowly and coughed. Laura could see tears in the corner of her eyes that threatened to escape.

"I am sorry," Her voice trembled and Laura couldn't stop herself from shedding a few tears

"Mamma, I will arrange for you to be taken to the hospital, nothing will happen to you."

Laura finally thought about Hospital and she mumbled under her breath, " why did I not think about the hospital before? The time I wasted panicking would have been useful."

She stood up to leave but a fragile hand grabbed her hand.

"Grandma, allow me to go get help. You know I can't drive so I will at least find Michael to come to take us to the hospital, alright?"

"You don't have to go, your grandma is fine, see." She smiled but Laura could see how false her smile was. Who was her grandmother kidding? Time is ticking and she needs to get Michael, the next-door neighbor, to drive them to the hospital since she is not eligible to drive yet. She is barely seventeenth.

"Mamma, don't be stubborn. Let me get Michael." Laura insisted but her grandmother shook her, indicating what Laura wants to do is not necessary.

"Don't, my dear. It's not necessary." She difficulty said and gestured for Laura to bend to her level, "come here."

With every urge not to listen to her grandmother pushed at the back of her mind, Laura bent down and took the hand of her grandmother into hers. Maybe the quicker she listens to what the old lady has to say, the earlier she takes her to the hospital.

"Are you sad for your grandma?"

Laura shook her head, " No grandma, I am just worried about you. This strength you are using to speak, you are supposed to save it for later."

"Allow me to waste it, it's important I do. Who knows I might never get a chance to speak to you again."

She tried to wink but instead, she coughed and winced in pain when she coughed.

"Mamma please!" Laura pleaded and squeezed the hand of her grandmother. Her hands are so warm but still cold. What is she going to do without her grandmother? At least her grandma should let her take her to the hospital in the meantime.

"Allow me to speak."

"Alright, but be fast about it."

As she waited to hear what her grandmother wanted to tell her, she looked around the apartment they lived in for years. There were pictures of just two of them together in different places in every corner of the house.

For as long as she could remember, she had lived here in this small house on the outskirts of the town with her grandmother. Her father left them two months after she was born and her mother did not live long enough to see her grow.

It was fine for her because her grandmother was anything anybody could be for her and so she is indebted to her forever.

"Under my bed."

Laura jolted back and found her grandmother's lips moving.

"Yes, what will I get for you from there?" She quickly asked.

"Nothing, there is a box and a photo of your father, you will have to find him. Find him, Laura."

"Grandma, don't speak such nonsense. If that's all you have to tell me, I am afraid I am taking you to the hospital right away."

Laura was suddenly angry, she hated it when her grandmother brought up a topic about her father. Laura knows the picture she is talking about. She has always taken it out and confessed how much she detests him and had wished that any day she will see him, she won't mind driving a dagger into his heart for abandoning her.

Her grandmother sighed weakly, she was determined to convince her granddaughter to find her father because it's important for him to be found.

"Listen to me, you can hate him as you like. You can kill him if you find him but find him first. You necessarily have to and if you love me like you claim, find him for my sake. "

Laura had no option but to obey, "alright, I will find him and I will bring him to you since you desperately want to see him but please you will need to be alive before I do that. Now, it's...."

"Don't you worry, just stay with me for a little while. " She muttered and closed her eyes, surprisingly her breathing had returned to normal. It was a relief yet Laura couldn't help but feel there was a need to take the old lady to the hospital.

Never had she found her grandmother having a shortage of breath.

Laura returned her gaze to her grandmother a moment to see her shaking so violently with a white substance coming out from her mouth.

"Mamma, what's wrong with you? " Laura stood up frantically and went back on her knees. At that moment, her grandmother smiled and that was it, she stopped shaking, she had died.

A tear escaped Laura's eye and fell on the face of the lifeless woman but she refused to cry.

Poison!

That's it, her grandmother was poisoned. That's the only explanation for the whitish substances. But who poisoned her?

The realization came with anger instead of sadness. Who dares to do this to her?

Her precious grandma was poisoned and because she knew she was going to die, that's why she did not allow her to take her to the hospital.

Has she gone to get groceries and someone had sneaked into their house? or is there another explanation for the whitish substances? Of course, Laura knows poison when she sees one.

She sat numbly on the floor beside the lifeless body and stared blankly at nothing.

Her life had shattered, the only person who loved her was dead.

FOUR DAYS LATER…..

"Do you have to leave?"

Michael, Laura's next-door neighbor said behind her. Both have been standing beside the window for a while with each not uttering a single word. Michael was unhappy that Laura's grandmother had to die but he simply doesn't think it was enough reason for Laura to sell the house where she was born and raised and move elsewhere. What he doesn't know is that Laura's grandma had asked her to sell the house and go in search of her father. Laura was simply fulfilling a dead woman's wish.

Laura turned to face him as she stared at him for a while, she sighed before answering, "of course, I have to leave. There is nothing left here for me again."

Michael refused to believe that there was nothing left for Laura. Moving out won't be good for her, at least he would be here to look after her and assist her in any way he can. He wouldn't do much bu