Chapter 5 and 6 are short at a combined 5600 chapters.
http://lindaleighblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/be-mine.html
Umm, so I wanted more stuff to happen here but I was at a loss for things for them to do. So I focused on character building. At this point I knew HOW this was going to end and HOW I was going to do it.
Monday morning I waited outside my door safely enclosed behind the white picket fence. I had been instructed to pack light, with only one suitcase I had found in grandmother’s closet and a carry on bag.
I was anxious to do a bit of traveling and was oddly excited to leave. From what I had read the City of Bordeaux was a wonder in it’s self.
Although I was just a maid I tried hard not to look like one. I wore a cut gray ankle-length skirt with heels and a high neck blouse. Ms. Ginger lent me a pair of her diamond earrings for luck and Kayla gave me one of her hairclips that was holding back a strand of my hair.
Clomp clomp clomp
The ground shook slightly and looking towards the road a white horse was making its way into to Litany Lane, attached to the horse was an enclosed white carriage.
The driver, and older man with a toothless grin, stopped right in front of my house holding a piece of paper with a crudely drawn map.
There was supposed to be something about Mr. F not liking to go out and use public transportation. He could have taken a car but he figured this would have made Clara more uncomfortable.
“Oh, no.”, I whispered
Taking my bags I walked to over to the driver and waved to get his attention.
“Tell me you’re lost”, I hoped
“Are you A. M. Fierro?” he asked.
“No, I guess I’m plus one.”
“Didn’t mention a plus one. . . but there is plenty of room.”
Of course he didn't mention me.
The driver hopped off the carriage with expertise, he placed my suitcase into the back of the carriage. While we waited I ran my hand along the horses soft nuzzle.
I had been one of the few little girls who actually got a pony for Christmas; it was a gift my parents immediately regretted so one day Magic had to be sent back home.
Wow, Clara you had a pony named Magic ? Really ?
Just thinking about my parents almost bought the heat of oncoming tears to my face. I had been tempted to “see” them again but knew better.
At exactly 5 am Mr. Fierro’s front door open. He stopped at the front door and locked it and repeated the motion at the fence.
Mr. Fierro was dressed in his usual detailed fashion complete with a brimmed hat. He kept the rim low and didn’t even look at the driver.
Like me he had one bag and stuffed under one arm was a elegant white box and a parasol
“Good Morning, Mr. Fierro”, I said
“Ms. DeLune.”, he greeted me.
I stepped out of the way as Mr. Fierro got into the carriage. My skirt had very little give and after the first few attempts I was able to swing myself in. Once the door was closed Mr. Fierro removed his hat.
*is self-consious* He’s wearing the hat to blend in.
He sat with his back to the driver while I sat on the other side, our legs on either side of each other.
I looked down at his chalk hands, there was no indication that he had ever worn a wedding band.
The driver hummed a few church Hymns for the first hour but he grew silent and the only sound was that of the horse’s hooves.
“Mr. Fierro”, I said as the carriage went over a rough stretch of road, “Does the train not go to the City of Bordeaux ?”
Of course it does. Mr. Fierro feels like people stare at him (being Albino and all) plus it would rob him the ability to be in an enclosed space with the woman who looks like a young version of his wife who is so totally not technically his granddaughter.
He looked up from the manuscript he was writing and took a pot of ink from his pocket. Carefully unfolding the hankerchief he let it fall across my knees and handed the ink pot to me
“Hold this, Ms. DeLune”
I held the ink and after a few sentences he reached over and dipped the fountain pen in the ink and without even looking he let the excess in fall over the hankerchief.
I felt myself slowly growing frustrated with this, did he really need me to be a human ink-holder? I tried to convince myself that this was exciting, I was traveling to a new place.
I used to love doing that.
Of course you do Clara with your first class traveling
“You know Mr. Fierro. When I shopping in town. . . I was tempted to see my parents again. I just feel so human, like I’m not really here. . dead I suppose.”
“I can assure you Ms. DeLune. You are no longer human and the Specters are much less than that.”
Oh, no she’s making him think about Lucie
“Yes, I understand but I still feel.”, I consciously touched the side of my face, “It seems to want to be on Earth furthers that need to be human.”
Mr. Fierro tapped his pen against the paper. Suddenly he raised his hand and slashed the pen’s pointed edge across my face.
I felt the silver pointed-tip graze and cut my skin, a thick trickle of blood running from just under my eye and down my lips. And though the pain was dull I was still in shock that he had cut me
I wiped the blood before if could reach my blouse.
My blood was a thick black stain on my hand. I wiped at it a few more times as realization set in.
I wasn’t bleeding.
I couldn't
Retrieving a compact from my pocket I saw a line of drying ink running from under my right eye over the bridge of my nose and down over my pink painted lips.
I couldn’t even look at him as I began wiping my face with the handkerchief across my lap, the ink had fallen to the floor.
“In the words of Shakespeare”, said Mr. Fierro as he returned to his work. “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are dead. Grieve. And quickly get over it.”
Not that I let things go easily or anything.
Our eyes met quickly and he continued working.
+++
We continued on our journey for three hours in complete silence. Mr. Fierro rested with his eyes closed, but not really asleep. I had attempted to do some knitting Ms. Ginger had given me but just created knots.
“Alright, folks”, said the driver, “Loretta needs a break, we’re going to stop for a bit.”
“Very, well”, said Mr. Fierro.
We had stopped in an expansive rest area with a little general store and open park. A few trees dotted the landscape.
Mr. Fierro wasted no time in getting out of the cramped space. He was a few steps out and turned back.
So, in my notes it said Chapter 5-7 – Make them fall in love. It didn’t really work out 100%
I had intended on staying inside when Mr. Fierro handed me the parasol he had been carrying. The sun was warm and shining for the mid-autumn weather.
Mr. Fierro adjusted my hand so I was holding the parasol over him, blocking his pale skin from the sun. Given his previous performance this was clearly a habit and not necessary.
I unbuttoned my jacket, the air was very thick and humid. Mr. Fierro just seemed to be walking.
He stopped walking and offered his arm to me so we were walling together the parasol shading us both. He was careful to keep a distance and appeared none to happy about being kind to the help.
“You can pretend I’m her.”, I said
To late
“Excuse me?”
“Often I close my eyes and pretend I’m somewhere other than here. Of course I usually end up hurting my self. . . getting too lost in the fantasy”,
I kept any further thoughts to myself as we headed back to the carriage. He carefully removed my arm from his and closed the parasol before stepping back inside. I looked to see the driver chatting with someone by the general store.
Oh right, this whole skin sensitivity thing gets thrown right out the window in that other thing that isn’t HOF
I walked around to the horse and petted it while we waited. After a few minutes the driver returned.
“Ready Ma’am ?”, he asked
“How much longer ?”
“’bout 6 hours give ‘er take”
I took a deep (and unnecessary ) breath and continued on the journey.
+1+
Somewhere along the way I had let myself fall asleep. I slipped off my shoes and my legs curled underneath. I could feel Mr. Fierro watching me but I kept my eyes closed.
I don’t know how long I slept but slowly I began to dream. . .
My cell phone had rang somewhere in the dark classroom, I had quickly turned the light back on and shuffled around till I found the buzzing blackberry. Peter was calling.
“Hello”, I’d said into the receiver
“Clara ? Where have you been. Your mother called me worried.”
“I was at school. .. just doing some last minute cleaning before the summer vacation.”
“Am I going to have to deal with a future wife who disappears on a regular basis ?”, he joked.
“Of course not, Peter.”, I said, “I’ll call my mom as soon as I get home.”
“I’ll see you when I get back from Milan.”
“Okay, bye”
He hung up quickly and I let the thought of playing my classroom piano run through my mind before going home but decided to get to my home, it was getting late, and the piano would be there tomorrow.
I hurried out of the lobby and towards the faculty parking lot. My black SUV sat in a well lit area yet I felt self conscious about how alone I was.
I guess she should have had a range rover.
Once inside my car I turned up the WXQR as high as it would go , Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was playing as I pulled onto the street. I hummed along with each note, It was a quite and monotonous drive ,until I pulled on to Old Mill Road.
I heard loud rock music blasting in the distance and looked in all directions for headlights but saw none. I stopped at the red light at the deserted intersection of Old Mill and Springsberry.
Oh, This road gets mentioned again in all the other serials.
I pulled down the mirror to put on some make up when A little sports car went past me at 150 miles per hour. It was maybe inches from the side of my car I had barley gotten over the shock when I heard a horn.
The pressure of another car ramming into my SUV's back end sent me over the dashboard, there was a crack as my head hit the steering wheel. My SUV was pushed to the side of the road.
The pressure had caused the windshield to shatter, constrained by my seat belt I could feel it digging into my skin. For some reason I began to reach for the outside but I was stuck and unable to move.
Blood was pulling into my eyes and I couldn’t scream. I head someone yell “Oh, Shit” and the car that hit me backed up and maybe they panicked because they were drunk and hit my car again.
"Holy, shit", the voice said again.
This time I screamed in pain, I attempted to reach the car horn so they would know I was still alive, but they never came.
“Help”, was the last word I said
That’s when I saw the white light. . .
The white light was the Spectre
“This simply will not do”, I blinked at the sound of Mr. Fierro’s polished voice.
“I’ can do the best I can, sir”, said the driver.
I sat up quickly and hit my head against the top of the moving carriage.
“There has to be some other way—“
“My, God”, I interrupted
Once I had situated myself I caught a glimpse out the window. We were moving along a cobblestone path, right in front of us was what could only be the City Of Bordeaux
At first glance the skyline pertained of a beautiful palace with high towers and intricate iron work and stone but beyond that reaching to the sky was the making of a modern city scape. Skyscrapers and aircraft hovered above the city center.
We looked so close.
“I’m sorry sir.”, continued the driver, “I have to go around the courtyard to enter The palace. Take ‘least an hour or so.”
“We’ll have to across walk then. Come along, Ms. Delune.”
I was barley awake and still in awe over the strange city. I slipped on my shoes as Mr. Fierro paid the man and went to get my suitcase.
Clutching my carry-on to my shoulder I took my suitcase from the back along with Mr. Fierro’s black one.
“Take this”, he ordered handing me the white box he had arrived with.
Mr. Fierro was not the type of man to run but he walked at full speed across the Castle lawn and towards the drawbridge. It seemed to be ages away but I followed. Weighted down by everything I was carrying.
The Mud was soft and my tiny heels sunk unmercifully into the ground. Looking up he was several feet ahead of me.
“Hurry along, Ms. DeLune”, he called to me.
“I’m trying, sir”, I took another step and the suitcases toppled down.
I attempted to get myself situated when he walked back to where I was.
“I have an appointment to keep, Ms. Delune. You will not make me late.”
“I’m sorry, sir”, was all I could say.
“Lose this suitcase”, he said taking the white box from me.
I looked up at him confused when he emptied the contents of my suitcase on the grass. My clothes, perfume, shoes and make up lay gathering dirt.
I stuffed as much as I could into my shoulder bag and hurried along at a faster speed. My new suitcase left on its own.
That
was a short chapter. Bring on
Chapter 6
My heels echoed on the marble floor as the drawbridge behind us closed shut. I could only look ahead as we walked down a massive hallway lined with what I assumed where guards.
They didn’t move or stir as I followed Mr. Fierro down the hall. About midway down there were two corridors on either side. They were labeled in about 20 different languages.
East and West.
An older woman with bright blonde hair appeared from the East wing, a keen eye on her watch, two younger women also followed behind her. They were all dressed in simple yet elegant dresses almost like bridesmaids.
They smiled as they got closer and the younger women took the heavy bags from me and headed in the West direction.
I followed Mr. Fierro and the woman towards the East.
“My brother took a leap of faith when he agreed to meet with you, Fierro”, said the woman.
“I can assure Victor that I would not intentionally be late.”
“My twin brother has no patience”, said the woman
“Is that so, Victoria ?”
At the end of the East Wing, Victoria pushed aside a set of double doors. I looked at the gold nameplate outside the door.
“THRONE ROOM’
Was engraved on the front.
There was one rather unimpressive red chair with delicate bronze arms in the middle. Seated in it was an inattentive man who had the same blond hair as Victoria, his was curly even from the distance I could see his dark brown eyes held little attention,The relation between was undeniable.
Age however was irrelevant. They could have been mother and son.
Wow, this makes no sense. I don’t remember making Victor blonde but okay.
None of the seated people turned at our entrance, but something made me freeze at the door as Victoria and Mr. Fierro made their way down the descending stairs towards the man.
“Victor”, announced Victoria, “It seems our guest has arrived.”
“Our late guest ?”, Victor questioned.
Victoria nodded, “Mr. Fierro of Litany Village.”
“My apologies”, started Mr. Fierro his eloquent voice sounded less melancholy, “I’m afraid my watch does not keep very good time—“
Cause I keep a picture of the wife who left me in it. Totally not my fault
“And your guest ? Does her watch not keep time?”
Although I could not see he face, Mr. Fierro seemed for a second to be confused. Carefully turning to following Victor’s gaze to where I was standing.
Mr. Fierro fixed his on me for only a second before turning back to the twins. It was then that it occurred to me that I had inaccuracy assumed I should follow Mr. Fierro.
“She is just my servant”, he said, “not a terrible smart one, I’m afraid”, he said more to me.
That was just mean
“Nonetheless”, Said Victor, “Today’s Assembly is out of session. Perhaps you can attend the next one”
Victor : Now I’m going to go hit on the hot girl you bought with you
“When will that be?”
Victoria began flipping through a large leather bound calendar book. The siblings whispered to each other briefly.
“Eight days”, they both said at the same time.
Somewhere a silent signal sounded at the people seated gathered their items and filed out the doors.When the crowd thinned I saw that Victoria and Victor must have fled out of a back door as Mr. Fierro and I were alone
+++
For a moment I tried to forget why I was rushing down the hall trying to keep up with Mr. Fierro’s quick steps.
As our shoes tapped in unison I was inexplicable drawn to the beauty inside the palace walls. The high ceilings were octagonal shaped each one sporting a fresco that would do the Sistine chapel shame.
The floor had bright blue and white decorated tile that reflected everything around it. We passed what must have been the sixth marble bust when a draft of wind pulled in. I backtracked and realized what I had assumed to be a beach side painting was an open window.
O
I broke myself away from the window and looked down the hall. Mr. Fierro was gone.
“Mr. Fierro ?”, I called but not to loudly.
I went a few feet in the direction I assumed he went in when I was met with 2 corridors
SOUTHWEST
SOUTH EAST
Followed by a door labeled ‘ STAIRCASE’
“Oh, no, I said to myself.
My first thought was to wait for him to come back for me but chances were he forgotten I was here. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking I could not find my way around.
The halls were erriely quiet.
I pushed open the door that lead to a stairwell and continued. After 3 flights I began to hear voices. The door at the bottom floor swung open on it's own.
I was standing in a courtyard, a locked gate more than a few feet away with a city street. I Could hear the ocean behind me.
“Hello ?”, I called but none returned my call.
The gate appeared to be the best way out, and although it lead to a strange city, I was willing to take the risk.
“The gate is locked”, a familiar voice said.
I looked up and saw the man from earlier, Victor, holding peering down from a balcony.
“Wait”, I called up, I’m a little lost”
I hurried back through the door I had arrived in and minutes later I was standing side by side with Victor. All of this was beside the fact as I couldn’t’ t help but to notice he was holding my red suitcase.
“Where did you get that ?”, I asked
“It was on the lawn, I think you dropped it.”
“Something like that”, I said as I took it from him, “Mr. Fierro honestly wanted to be on time, you know”
I didn’t know why I was defending him but Victor seemed to considering this.
“I did give him a second chance”, he said, “after the holiday.”
“Holiday, it's October isn't it ?”
“Just a little Hollow's Eve ball.”
I wondered if he saw the Irony.
We passed another window and I slowed down slightly for another gaze out the window. Victor seemed to notice.
“Water is beautiful”, I said
“Well, it’s no River Styx but I like it ?”
Or is it ?
“Very funny”, I said
Oh, Victor is so charming. I wish I had written more on him.
“I prefer the pool on the roof.. . but it’s closed this time of year.”, he said with a wink
Flirty Flirty
Victor easily navigated through the giant maze that was this palace.
He headed down the southwest corridor and Inserted a key in a locked door. I expected to see more empty halls but I could feel the traction of carpet underneath my feet and I was standing in what appeared to be a luxurious hotel hallway.
We continued down the hallway took a turn left.
Instead of numbers or letters each room door had a single name plate hovering just over the peep-hole. One in particular had Fierro written across it.
Because Mr. FIerro used to live in the city till he married Lucie. Then they moved into the green and red house.
I reached to knock when Victor pressed a little gold doorbell. It made an elegant chime and right on cue the door swung open.
Mr. Fierro’s dark eyes looked to Victor and then to me and back again. Although he didn’t show it I knew he was surprised.
Mr. F POV : Hmmm, I don’t like seeing them together. I know how Victor is. Am I jealous ?
“She must have wondered off”, Mr. Fierro explained as if I were a child, “I’m terribly—“
“No need”, said Victor, “You are quit a delightful woman”, Victor said to me.
I smiled, for reasons I wasn’t even sure.
Mr. F POV : Hmmm, not liking this. Time to make her realize she doesn’t have a chance with Victor.
“Ms. DeLune has work to attend to”, Mr. Fierro who seemed none to amused, “Thank you,Your Majesty”
Your Majesty?
Mr. Fierro led me inside and shut the door quickly.
“That was the king?”, I asked.
Mr. Fierro nodded.
Mr.
F POV : Take that Clara, there is no way a person from royalty would ever want anything to do wit her.
Although being complimented by royalty was not all to unusual, it was the personal interest he seemed to have that made me slightly smitten.
And Mr. Fierro seemed to be jealous.
+++
The hotel room was impressively elegant with white furniture and fireplace. The mirror in the hall had been covered with a piece of equally elegant fabric.
There was a winding staircase that lead to an enclosed glass balcony with a view of the ocean.
I walked around the suite while Mr. Fierro was down the hall in the phone booth. As far as I could tell there was only two bedrooms. I descended the stair case just as he reentered
On the penultimate step I began to notice a sweet floral fragrance in the air. It was the familiar scent of the red and green house on Litany Lane. I looked towards Mr. Fierro, wondering if it was his cologne.
He puts flowers in the vents. I think this comes up in one of those other things.
“Ms. DeLune”, he called.
“Yes, sir ?”, I said in a rather bored tone.
“I will be very busy preparing for the next Assembly. Please try not to do anything other than what I tell you—“
More importantly he doesn’t want her hanging out with Victor.
“Aren’t you already prepared, Mr. Fierro ?”, I said, “you’ve already written your speech.”
“Revisions are always necessary, Ms. DeLune. As I am sure you realized we will be staying a few extra days.”
He reached into his pocket and took out a silver key and extended it towards me.
“You’re giving me a key to your room ?”
“No, this is for your room”, he said, “Take the lift down to level D room 16.”
He handed me a to do list and ushered me out the door.
The Lift was easy enough to find, I scanned the rows of buttons until I found a the letter D and I was on my way.
The lift lurched a little and I held on tightly as it descended from the fourth floor, pass the ground level past the maintenance level and towards D.
I steeped out into a dimly lit hallway. The grown beneath me was worn pebbles that moved with each brush of my shoes.
Lining the hallways was what appeared to be doors. Each door had columns of rusty iron filled in with cement and a key hole.
I could hear chattering and saw a few men and women standing outside “the rooms”. Many of the women were wearing the dresses I had seen earlier; many of the men seemed dressed alike. Some just seemed to be standing and staring.
I found room 16 and upon closer inspection I realized where I was.
Level D.
Dungeon.
The room itself was quite beautiful and carved out of sandy stone. A relatively comfortable bed and dresser decorated the cell.
I head the sounds of boisterous laughing coming from the other servants a few men ran passed speaking in loud tones about a fight.
I shut the door which only seemed to amplify the outside sound and turned over Mr. Fierro’s list and scribbled a drawing of a piano on it.
Nailing it to the wall with the sharp end of Ms. Ginger’s earring I sat on the bed facing it.
I was only eight days away from my Piano.
+++
The next day I met Mille, she was from a place called Old City. She resided in the room next to me and worked in the Palace. She was a little older than me and although not the most talkative she showed me how to get in and out of the Palace.
This Old City place gets mentioned a lot even though no one goes there.
She explained that The fifth floor served as the business wing of the Palace while the fourth, third and second floors were used to house guest. The first floor, she explained, was for entertainment, lounging, checking in and Palace tours.
It’s like the Whitehouse
The City of Bordeaux despite the modest interior of the palace was a busy city filled with shops, theaters and taverns. Everyone seemed to have assimilated to modern fashion, the few who didn’t received a few curious glances
Everyone in the City seemed to do everything to get away from the reality of eternity, playing alive, I guess; People ate three times a day, slept at night, there was even a pharmacy.
With help from a detailed map I had completed my to-do list and spent a large amount of time, just wandering. . . but not getting lost.
So, Mr. F is keeping her out of the palace by giving her menial tasks
I padded back into the palace well into the afternoon,The elevator to the fourth floor seemed to take forever; Mr. Fierro’s door was slightly ajar so I knocked while pushing it open.
Mr. Fierro was kneeling in front of the coffee table. The white box he had when we arrived lay open on the floor. A few left over petals were strewn on the tissue paper, while the roses were being arranged in a glass vase.
Clara POV : What ? Is he kneeling instead of sitting, that’s so. . . casual. Just look at him being all creative and concentrating on flowers of all things. This is kind of attractive.
“Take these to Victoria”, he ordered no even looking up, attaching a small white box to the vase.
“How do I find her ?”
“She’ll be in the ballroom”, he said as if I should have already known
“Where is that ?”, I was getting frustrated
“first floor”, he said looking up at me.
“Yes, Sir”, I said looking more tired than I actually was.
“And, Ms. Delune”
“Yes, Mr. Fierro”
He moved to sit on the couch, slipping on a pair of glasses that I had never seen.
“Do remember keep your hair back”
Mr. F actually likes her hair down but he figures it would draw to much attention to her and Victor would take notice.
I ran my hands threw my loose hair that now spilled down to my lower back
Um, did I just indicate that her hair grew ? Oops. Clara is supposed to have really long hair anyway.
“Yes, sir”, I said
I felt strangely out of place on the first floor. The lift opened up to a rather hectic scene with a large concierge desk and lines of people checking in and out of the palace. I followed the signs towards the ballroom.
A line of men dressed in black suits were waiting outside, I approached them cautiously.
“I’m looking for Victoria.”, I said to them, “These are for her.”
On any other occasion the men’s unfavorable glances would have frightened me but they were nothing compared to the cold gaze of Mr. Fierro.
Once of them stepped inside and opened the door.
Victoria and Victor stood like little dots compared to the massive size of the opulent ballroom, the chandelier that was being raised looked to be bigger than my room. I couldn’t stop looking as I approached them in the center.
“Ms. DeLune ?”, said Victor, remembering my name.
“Clara, is fine.”, I said turning to Victoria, “these are for you.”
She took the card first and read it over twice before taking the flowers.
“These are beautiful”, she said
“First kiss roses”, I remembered watering them one day in the garden.
She nodded her head and opened the white box. I watched as a few rose bulbs scattered from the box and onto the floor. I chased after them.
“Clara, leave them”
Victor’s light voice carried through out the ballroom.
Victoria motioned me back over to her, “You can start tomorrow, get some rest.”
“Start what ?”, I had clearly missed something
“Planting the rose bulbs”, she gestured to the note in her hand, “like It says on the note.“
“Oh, of course”, I pretended to know what was written on the note.
I backed out slowly, trying no to trip over myself. Victor offered me one last wave as the door closed behind me.
+1+
Sleep didn’t come easy that night.
Just being in the Palace and with someone like Victor who, reminded me so much of Peter.
Cause they are both Royalty
Peter's and I engagement had grown out of a long term friendship, mutual love for the arts and our families He’d been my date to my cotillion and countless conservatory events. I could easily count the number of times we had kissed.
That didn’t mean I didn’t love him.
I turned over as a new wave of conversation and laughter crept through the walls. Slipping on a pair of flats I decided to take a walk down the hall.
I circled around the women’s hall twice before I found myself walking towards the lift.
The lift opened on the fifth floor and almost in a daze I walked towards the door marked stairs.
The door opened with a loud creak. I walked up the stairwell till I reached another door that lead to the roof, the door was propped open. A ‘Closed’ sign hung on the door.
But I knew better
Remembering Victor’s little wink about the roof being closed.
Based on Victor’s wave at the end of the last chapter, she expects to find him up here. He would have been there but he got distracted by another pretty girl.
The rush of night air hit me before I could step through. The starry sky seemed unrealistically close as I stepped onto the roof.
The faint scent of Chlorine and stone wafted in the distance, I followed it towards the massive pool. A few keystone lamps light the way towards the spanse of water that was covered by a Grecian stone archway.
I carefully sat down on the water’s edge and let my foot dance across the water. slowly letting the buttons fall loose from my ruffle front dress. The cold weather blew through the silk chemise I wore underneath.
I shimmed out of the dress and considered taking the plunge.
My other foot rested in the water, Just making ripples.
Then I head splashing.
“Victor ?”, I called
Had he been waiting for me ?
Cause Clara is the kind of girl who can attract not one but two members of Royalty. Both living and dead.
"Hello ?", I called again.
I looked to the far end of the pool and saw a neat pile of folded clothing resting on the edge, I hadn’t noticed before. I took my feet out of the water as a hand reached out of the water, resting inches from my leg.
A very pale, very white hand.
I gasped as the familiar face of the last person I wanted to see surfaced. He opened his water logged eyes suddenly aware of my presence.
He didn’t know she was there
“Sir, . . .I couldn’t sleep”, I confessed for reasons unknown to me.
He moved a few strands of wet hair from his face, his eyes trained on the tile floor. I was at my wit’s end trying not to look down.
At this point Mr. Fierro is somewhat attracted to Clara and it doesn’t help that she for looks like a younger version his ex-wife.
Mr. Fierro moved a little closer in the water until he was infront of me. I was careful not to react as he came closer, his shoulders rising between my knees. He ran his fingers over the silver ring on my left hand, his eyes ran over the rings engraving a few times.
“What does this mean ?", he asked
"It's personal I said", taking my hand back, "My father gave it to me."
It’s a promise ring. Just like the one Lucie used to wear but never used. I’m sorry that sounded awful.
Anyway I had come up with the idea on how to get Clara back home so this was my way of introducing it.
I splashed my hand in the water as if to clean the rings from his touch, as he pushed off from the pool wall and swam carefully towards the other end.My thumb slid over the engraved words; 'My, Beloved I will wait for thee'. I tried not to think about my father's love and pulled myself together.
Mr. F POV : Hmm, you know since my wife left me I’ve been trying to find a way back to the world of the living without becoming a Specter. That way I can be with Lucie (I mean it’s okay if she’s a ghost we will work it out) and get revenge on the man who killed me. There was this one legend that talked about sacrificing virgins to win favor in the corporal world but I don’t know. I mean using a woman’s virginity as a plot point seems anti-feminist to me be it’s your story
LiLe : ummmm. Corporeal ?
Taking a deep breath I let the water consume me. Once fully submerged I pushed myself towards the bottom of the pool. The need to breath quickly dissipated and I allow myself to suspend beneath the surface.
My arms and legs felt light and I was surrounded by the calm blue water. The only sound was water gently passing over me. I don’t know how long I floated there, inches from the bottom, but I could have done it forever.
I began to reach for the surface letting myself glide just inches from the top. I closed my eyes and pretended I was alone, pushing the water underneath my arms.
We swam tranquilly over the water’s surface, carefully not to invade the other’s space. It was so silent and still I could have fallen asleep. Drifting on my back I fixed my gaze at the star filled sky for hours. The world to me now was the black sky and blue water.
For the first time since I died, I felt like I was in heaven.