12 What Happened to Darmae Farona? (1/2)
”What do you mean?” he asks annoyed.
”Well, everything's wrong here! Although, Mr. Johnson I highly doubt you wanted us to help you with Bradley.”
”Excuse me?!” He looks at Ms. Ipruk, ”You're just going to let her say this shit!”
”Sophie, can speak her mind and you won't interrupt her until she's done.” Ms. Ipruk says sternly, almost like she's scolding a child.
”Thank you, teacher. You're also going to stop underestimating me. I don't appreciate being ignored and looked down upon. As I was saying, When I revealed that I made contact with the Shadow Beast, you seemed really taken back.”
”Of course, I would! I was afraid you would have killed-”
”Stop interrupting me. Mr. Johnson, how much control do you have over him. Does he have any free will?”
”You think I'm some sort of monster?”
//Yes I do! You're wearing your son's body for heaven's sake!//
”No, I don't have him under control or anything like that.”
”Hm but then how did he end up here?”
”I told him to come here and he listened to me. Clearly he trusts me since I'm his father after all.” he sneers.
”Did you tell him to not speak to strangers too?” she mocks.
”Yeah. I didn't want to risk the chance of you finding and hurting him.”
”If you told us from the beginning then there would be no risk of that! And yet he appeared to me, what does that mean?”
”Hmph. Who knows.”
”I think he trusts you, dear.”
//You make him sound too obedient but I doubt he was. You must have him under some control because otherwise you wouldn't have been so shocked to find out he spoke with me. He must have broken it temporarily. He trusts me… He must have wanted to tell me something without you knowing about it but what? The song, ”Dear Mom and Dad”, of course!//
”He told me something. Knowing this, I know that he doesn't trust you. Not completely. Or at the very least your relationship isn't as good as you said it is.”
”He can't say anything! He's…”
”True he didn't say it, he whistled it.”
”...?”
”Remember when I asked you what your favorite song was?”
”You asked that?”
”Yes and there was a reason. You were trying to impersonate your son. And even though it was pretty bad you did say that he liked Joy Coy, meaning that you care enough to know what he listened to-”
”And? Get to the point already!”
”But you're just a parent who only knows the surface of their child's true feelings. The song you said, 'Dear Mom and Dad', he whistled it to me. With this, I know you're relationship isn't good.”
”Oh please, now you're calling me a bad father.”
”If you actually paid attention to your son's interests and the lyrics. You would know that he has some issues with you. There's no doubt that song was a clue. Regardless, if you're able to perform Spiritual Magic so easily, wouldn't you be able to switch back by now. I mean you're all healed up. I feel like you want us here for something else.”
”You don't understand anything.”
”But I will.”
Ms. Ipruk who remained silent this whole time, had a question of her own, ”Even though I would want nothing more than to help your son, Sophie makes an excellent point. You should be able to 'set things right' by now. What do you actually want from us, Mr. Johnson?”
”What I want? What am I'm paying you for? Did you forget already?”
”The ghosts…”
”Yes! Get rid of them. That's what I want. Haha.”
Sophia knows she has to move forward. The most important part of this case, she'll solve it. She has to. She made a promise to them
”The ghosts. Are they really so scary?”
”Hahaha! Yes! They keep getting in my mind they won't leave me alone. How can I possibly help my son when they torment me so.”
”How do they torment you?”
”... Memories. And feelings of pain. I want them to go away.”
Sophia nods, ”I see. Then tell me, Mr. Johnson, tell me everything you know about Darmae Farona.”
”Ha? You're bringing up that maid again? Is she the one who's haunting me? Of course she would be. She fucking hated me.”
”Why?”
”Jealousy, probably. I had everything she wanted. So pathetic, truly. And then one day she simply disappeared from this world. A sad existence. What a sad woman.” Even though his face remained neutral as he said it, she couldn't help but notice the fire in his eyes. Fire of absolute hatred.
”She clearly didn't just 'disappear'. She died. And her haunting this place must mean that you know something about her death. She must of died here.”
He doesn't laugh or dismiss her theory. He does something much more unsettling, he slowly gets up from the ground and starts walking towards them.
Sophia has to fight the urge to step back, fight the urge to run, this pathetic man is beneath her, she's not scared of him. She won't be scared.