Jigsaw Puzzle by Joysi Green (7 ebook reader .txt) 📕

Lily's eyes are drawn to the missing part of puzzle game she was playing with her baby sitter.

“Miss Anne did you see the missing puzzle piece?”, asked Lily to her baby sitter, Anne.

“It would be right near the table”, claimed Anne.

Lily got annoyed. Her puzzle would not be completed with any piece missing. Her eyes grew wider, lips pursed her anger could be seen through red flustered cheeks.

“Please Miss Anne. I need your help!”, sighed Lily.

Anne smiled at her anger. She is amused by the wrath of a 7 year and said, “Why don't you see behind the couch?”

Lily reached her tiny hand and grabbed the missing piece.She pushed the last piece on the board. She jumped and danced in a frenzy.There was a knock on the door. It was Mrs. Lee, Lily's mom.

Anne left and was content with her part time payment.

Anne went home. She sipped her coffee and checked her mail. She reached her hands to get her mobile instead she took out a puzzle piece. It was Lily's. Anne thought she might have dropped it in her bag.

Several days later Anne didn't get ant call from Mrs. Lee.

It was holiday. Anne was walking in the street acknowledging the beautiful pavement across the road. She fixed her eyes on a beautiful flower. She bends and pluck it. She saw two pink shoes standing near it. Anne raised her head an saw Lily.

“Morning Lily. What are you doing here?”, greeted Anne.

“I was looking for you Miss Anne. We have a puzzle to finish”, Lily insisted.

Anne agreed and took her home. Lily brought Jigsaw puzzle with her. They played all day. Anne was a little annoyed.

“Lily. We have been solving one puzzle after the other. Keep some puzzles for tomorrow”, requested Anne.

“No! We MUST finish it! A puzzle is left!”, exclaimed Lily.

“Calm down Lily. We can finish it tomorrow”, explained Anne.

“A puzzle is missing.”, mumbled Lily.

Anne got a call on her moblie. She went outside to talk. “Alright. Just one more puzzle.”, she said but Lily was gone. She went out of the apartment to look for her but nobody near saw her.

“She must have felt bad”, thought Anne.

Next day Lily came and insisted Anne to play with her. With each day Lily got more aggressive about the puzzle game. One day while they were playing Anne couldn't play it anymore. “Stop it! We have been playing same puzzle over and over again.”, shouted Anne and continued in a hush tone, “look Lily, I cannot play this. Go to your friends and play with them. I'll call your mother. She will take you home”.

“No! The puzzle must be completed. It is left. The Puzzle.....is missing.I cannot go without the puzzle. It is here! It is left.Puzzle is missing.I cannot go without the puzzle. ”, muttered Lily.

“Are you okay? Lily?”, asked Anne. Anne knew Lily is not OK. Lily sat on the chair staring intently on the puzzle pieces still muttering not heeding what Anne has asked.

Anne approached her cautiously and touched her hand. Lily stood still and whispered, “I cannot go without the piece, Anne”.

This was not Lily. This was not her tone. Anne was worried. This was the first time Lily had called her just 'Anne'.

Anne hurried to get her phone in the bedroom, while Lily was staring in the void. She called Lily's mom.

“Hello?”, greeted Mrs. Lee.

“Mrs. Lee. It's me Anne. Lily is not well.”, informed Anne.

“What are you talking about Anne? It is not nice to ridicule a childless mother”, rebuked Mrs. Lee and started crying on the phone.

Mrs. Lee hung up the phone.Anne couldn't understand. She squeezed eyebrows. Something is wrong she thought. She went to the living room, but Lily was not there.

Anne scurried to Mrs. Lee's house. Mrs. Lee was still crying, her eyes had swollen and red. She sat on the couch with Lily's toy around.

“Are you alright? Mrs. Lee?”, inquired Anne.

“She was so young. She was so young to die”, recalled Mrs. Lee.

“She died a week ago in an accident. We were taking her to you. She said she had left a piece of puzzle in your bag. She wanted to complete the puzzle. Puzzle is still in her room. Left uncompleted”, added Mrs. Lee.

Anne was terrified. She is the reason why Lily is still around. Her last wish was left undone. Anne ran home to find the piece and brought it to Lily's room. She took the piece and pressed in the incomplete jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle contained a picture of best friends on it.

Lily's spirit was bound by the game. She requested to take the completed puzzle. Mrs. Lee agreed. At the cemetery, Anne brought the puzzle and assembled it on Lily's grave. She reached her hands to touch Lily's grave one last time

“Good bye Lily”, whispered Anne and got up.

She got up and turned back. She saw a shadow of a little girl with a puzzle box in her hand, transcending into void.

The End.

Publication Date: 04-04-2019

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