Frog Tale by JT Schultz

the woman and disliked her further. There was something incredibly odd about her and he couldn’t put his finger on exactly to what. He had no reason as to why he thought the idea, but whatever he couldn’t identify as being off with her, truly emanated wicked. He turned his attention to his father. “I was hoping to talk to you alone.”
    “Absolutely.” He turned to Ella. “If you’ll excuse me I have much to catch up on with my son.” His father turned back and wrapped an arm around Luciano’s shoulders. “First you might want to phone Albert and let him know you have arrived safe and sound. He was worried about your flight since the weather here has been stormy. He’ll be pleased to know you’ve made it home in one piece.”
    Home? This isn’t home. My mother is dead and I left my heart across the ocean with a young girl in Beverly Hills.
    Ache penetrated through him, shattering what was left of his torn heart and soul.  He longed to talk to his mother about Chloe, knowing she’d adore her and now he found himself longing to talk to Chloe over the loss of his mom, but had made a promise not to speak or see her.
    Ramona had turned him into a frog and had called him nothing, only now, standing in his family’s castle did he truly know the meaning of the word. He felt nothing but emptiness and longing. His body numbed.
    I love you Chloe, I always will.
     
    Grief consumed her. Chloe listened as her father’s voice echoed into her ears. Her mental state left little for understanding and she couldn’t comprehend a word he spoke. Everything from her mind to her body and most of all her heart had shut down last night and had failed to restart. She mourned her friend and experienced the loss of love. Despite her sister Stella’s denial this morning, she knew there was no other explanation. Her sister had done something to her frog and she blatantly ignored her father’s rant since he seemed to have taken―surprise surprise―Stella’s side.
    “Chlo e!” The loud boom of her father’s voice pulled her attention off the pile of blonde hair on the coffee table and onto him.
    She said nothing, but stared, waiting for him to continue.
    “What possessed you to cut Stella’s hair?”
    Why had the small amount of guilt last night she had felt after shearing the blonde locks vanished? She sat there feeling not the slightest bit of remorse. Under normal circumstances she would have, then again, under normal circumstances she would never have done something so outwardly mean to Stella―no matter how much she deserved what she had coming. Only now, normal and lucid were gone and apathetic had filled her veins.
    “Answer me Chloe!” he father again raised his voice. One would have thought he’d have clued into the fact that his yelling held no effect on her―nor did she care.
    She blinked and debated her words. “A demon from the seventh layer of hell? Oh, no, wait! The devil made me do it.”
    His expression revealed he didn’t find her comeback funny. Maybe not, but at this exact moment; she didn’t really care about her sister’s hair. She didn’t care about anything. Even inhaling and exhaling, the simple task of her lungs function was a hard task due to the invisible heavy weight sitting on her chest.
    “ Chloe―”
    “No!” She snapped at her father for the first time in her life. He flinched slightly, not expecting her temper. No one ever did―but now times had changed. The loss of Luc had changed her.
    “I didn’t do anything that Stella didn’t deserve. She is ruthless, cruel and I hate the fact we share parents. I hate the fact she is part of this family and we have the same genetics in us. Obviously, all the evil yucky ones went to her and her cold hearted bitchiness.”
    “What a horrible thing to say.” Her dad shook his head.
    “Oh, but her verbal and physical abuse toward me day in and day out is acceptable?” When her father didn’t answer, she nodded. “Fine. I will deal with