NovelEnglishBrandon drove straight to the apartment complex where Sophia lived.
Having been there a couple of times before, Brandon knew the place like an old friend.
After parking the car, he made a beeline for Sophia's place on the 15th floor.
The door was shut tight as always.
Brandon rang the doorbell, but no one answered.
Knocking didn't help either.
Brandon wasn't sure if Sophia was simply not in the mood to open the door, if she wasn't home, or if she had moved yet again.
When Brandon last sought her out in Wye City, she had packed up and left overnight.
After one last ring of the doorbell with no response, Brandon let out a long sigh, retrieved his phone, and dialed Sophia's number.
The call went through, but no one picked up.
He called several times to no avail, and heard no ring from inside the apartment.
Clearly, nobody was home.
Pocketing his phone, Brandon took a moment to inspect the peephole camera, then turned around and headed back down.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe elevator descended quickly to the ground floor.
As the elevator doors opened, Brandon paused for a second to eye the unfamiliar hallway before stepping out.
He didn't leave the building but simply stood at the entrance hall, gazing out at the complex.
The complex was serene, holding a hint of autumn coolness, especially after last night's rain in the West district—perfect for a
stroll or taking in the breeze.
The community bustled with people, mostly grandparents with their grandchildren.
Brandon glanced at the crowd and moved to exit, pulling out his phone to call Don.
His car was parked just outside the complex, as there was no chance of finding a spot inside on the weekend.
He had to pass a rockery and then a kids' play area on his way out.
Brandon had just walked past the rockery when a pink balloon escaped from the play area and rolled out in front of him.
Brandon, who was walking fast while on the phone, failed to notice the balloon sweeping into his path and inadvertently popped it
with a crisp "Pop."
Brandon looked down to see the pink balloon reduced to little bits.
He frowned, looked up, and caught sight of a little girl rushing over from a nearby path. He paused for a moment.
He recognized her—she was the girl he had met once at a Wye City restaurant.
She wasn't dressed in traditional attire today, wearing a simple pink cartoon jumper dress, with a fake two-piece look, her hair
neatly braided at the back with bangs, and clutching a baby bottle—adorable and innocent.
The girl hadn't noticed Brandon.
She had been chasing the balloon and upon seeing the remains of it under Brandon's foot, her little mouth puckered up in distress,
tears beginning to circle her eyes. Yet, she fought back the tears, muttering under her breath, "My balloon."
She ran toward Brandon, but as she drew near, his stature seemed to startle her; she hesitated, slowing down and looking up at
him with a mix of sadness and wariness, wanting to pick up the remnants of the balloon but too apprehensive to approach.
Lost in thought, Brandon's gaze remained on her.
His phone call continued at his ear.
Don, not hearing a response for a while, grew anxious and called out, "Brandon, Brandon?"
Having called out twice and received no reply, Don raised his voice, "Brandon, you there? Is everything alright on your end?"
The sudden loudness jolted Brandon back.
"I've got something to deal with right now; I'll call you back," he said, then ended the call and regarded the downcast little girl
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmlooking up at him tentatively.
She seemed a touch frightened by him and hesitantly pointed to his feet, "My balloon."
Brandon glanced at the remains and then squatted down in front of her.
"The balloon's gone," he said. "Sorry, | was distracted and didn’t see it."
The little girl's lips quivered more, but she whispered, "It's okay."
But no sooner had she spoken than tears poured down like pearls, flowing freely. She tried to stem the tide, bursting into sobs
before quickly silencing herself, her efforts both pitiable and a tad comical.
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