Cancer...
A boy with a well done, brushed up hair in a combination of white and light blue tux fixed his tie. He hated his color of clothes this way. But he has no choice, his Uncle needs it.
He sighed to at least express his frustration. He sat on the ground filled with well-cut grass. He sneaked out from the huge mansion owned by the patient of his Uncle so he could read his book in peace. And it seems that the only peaceful place in there is the garden. He didn't even want to be there in the first place. He was still thinking of what he'll do if his Uncle let him stay at home when a girl in a blue dress irrupted from a rabbit hole. He jumped and stumbled, he cursed when he saw that it was just a girl.
But felt nervous when he realized that the girl who stares back at him just came out from a hole. The boy shut his eyes and smacked his head a couple of times. "No, I can not be crazy just like them. No, no, no, no!" He said to himself. "You're hallucinating a beautiful girl from a hole. Not good, not good, not good!" He added, still smacking himself.
The girl—who happens to be Suzy—stopped from dusting the hem of her dress. The dress is not ruined, yet it's hem is very dirty. Her cheeks burned from the compliment, but the boy's behavior disturbed him more. "Can I help?" She asked that made the boy stop.
"You're talking," he said.
"Uh…" she have no idea how to deal with the awkward situation. And the boy seems to read the situation better now. He cleared his throat and fixed himself. "Do you mind? What are you doing from that rabbit hole?" The boy winced when he realized what his question is. What kind of question is that?
She didn't answered his question, but she asked one instead. "How far am I from the town with the amphitheater?"
"As far as I know, the town you're looking for is right next in this town, just past the woods."
Suzy gazed back at the hole. "Is he serious?" She asked, but the rabbit on the hole just shrugged and jumped into it.
"Was that a rabbit?" The boy asked.
Suzy looked at him, she felt panic when she saw someone from afar is coming. So she run, leaving the boy confused.
"What a strange girl," the boy commented.
"Alexandro!" A maid from the mansion called the boy. "Dr. Masters wishes to see you, immediately." The maid said and hurried back to the mansion.
Alexandro never liked that maid, like he never liked his name. He preferred to be called as An. He looked again at the way Suzy went. He had the urge to follow her, but he shook his head and took the way where the maid went.
"An, where have you been?" His Uncle asked him. "The Mayordoma of the house says that you sneaked out again."
The head maid of the mansion looked at Dr. Masters, confused. Because of the word he used they're not familiar with. "You should've let me stay at home, Uncle." He said, ignoring he confrontation.
An old guy with white hair entered the room, his black tux is neat and shiny. A cane supported his weight as he walk around the room. "Dr. Masters," he greeted.
"Lord Ascot," Dr. Masters greeted back.
"I can see that you brought your nephew along the way."
An lowered his head. "Nice to see you, Lord Ascot."
But the Lord didn't bother to greet him back. He made himself comfortable on the chair behind his desk. "How is my daughter?" He asked to Dr. Masters.
"Stable," he answered. "I have already told you what her situation is, Lord Ascot."
Lord Ascot scoffed. He is pissed. In his point of view, his daughter is sick. Very sick. That's why he asks for Dr. Masters' assistance. But there is no use, even the greatest Doctor can't cure her. Because no one can cure someone whose not sick in the first place.
Dr. Masters kept silent. He wanted to make the Lord Ascot understand the situation of his daughter but he just can't. He doesn't want to.
"Your assistance is no longer needed," Lord Ascot said as he scanned the parchments and letters on his table. Dr. Masters bowed, picked his coat and hat, and exit the room. An on his tail.
Dr. Masters and his nephew went out from the front gates of the mansion, riding in a fancy carriage. They passed down the long yards of land Lord Ascot owns. An asked as he look outside the window. "Why are we always going back here?"
"Because this is my job," Dr. Masters yawned.
An sighed. A few moments passed they already reached the busy crowd of the town, people chattering at the same time, taking the different routes and vendors selling different products. But something caught An's eyes in the middle of the chaotic town. A girl wearing a dirty, tattered cloak, but An's eyes didn't missed the sight of a strand of her golden hair underneath. And he can't be mistaken because of that blue dirty dress and that white laced boots. It's the girl from the rabbit hole—Suzy.
"Stop!" He exclaimed that startled the driver, making the carriage suddenly stopped. He opened the door and run after the street where he saw her. He looked around as he run, but he can't see her anywhere. He stopped and catch his breath when he reached the dead end of the street. But she's still out of sight.
An jumped when a hand rested on his shoulder. He felt relieved when he saw his Uncle's face. "Alexandro, what are you doing?"
"Nothing," he answered.
"Then don't run off out of the carriage." Dr. Masters said in a serious tone.
"I apologize, Uncle." An lowered his head. Dr. Masters turned his back on the street and find his way back to the carriage. An gave a final gaze at the dark end of the street before following his Uncle back.
An and Dr. Masters found their way back on the carriage. On the other hand, Suzy went out from the dark alley of the street. She was standing there at one dark corner, covering herself with the tattered cloak an old man gave her on her way out of the garden where she met that strange boy.
She murmured her gratitude at the corner, where a rat who eats a block of cheese lies on it. She started walking and looking for a ride. She wasn't far from the town. Surely they have warned them about her. She needs to find shelter.
But it looks like luck wasn't on her side. Guards who was having fun at the pub spotted her. Yes, they were warned about the girl who bombed the near town. Suzy ran when one of the drunk local guard pointed at her. The weather started to look darker, and drops of the cold rain started to fall. Everyone at the town panicked, trying to keep their products safe. The guards tried to keep up with Suzy, but she's small and fast. She ran into narrow streets and jumped into another one. She kept her cloak closed to her face. In a dim lit street, she found an opened door. Without thinking, she puled it opened and went inside. Warmth of the hearth embraced her skin. And a fat lady wearing dirty dress and her hair in a mess, sitting behind the counter raised her eyebrow at Suzy.
"Any reservation?" The fat lady asked, greatening the toothpick in between her teeth. Petting the dirty cat on her table.
"No," Suzy answered as she catch her breath. She looked up on the sign above the fat lady. Loose handwriting on a wood says Fat Lady's Lodge.
The fat lady stood up, holding her mug of ale, not pleased with her answer. "Then what are you doing in here?!'
"I was looking for a room I could use," said Suzy.
"Who sent you here?" The fat lady eyed her cautiously.
In panic, Suzy blurted out the first name she could think of. "Jerry."
The cat hissed at her because of the name she said. "Hush, Tom." The fat lady groaned at the cat.
The fat lady turned to Suzy as her forehead crumpled. "Jerry? That old drunk?! Glad to know that old hag can still use his lobe.—And since Jerry sent you here, I suppose he told already?"
"Told what?"
"The stairs, my dear! So tell me, who are you?" The fat lady started to walk around her, scanning her from head to toe. "You don't look like a homeless trash. With that fair skin, golden hair, and that pretty eyes of yours. I can sense how expensive your dress is in a mile away! Tell me, what are you running from?"
"I think you're mistaken," Suzy denied.
"Marriage? Wealthy parents? An abusive husband? Killers on your tale for your money?"
Suzy lost her patience, not wanting the intrigue. "I want a room," she said in a firm voice that made the fat lady stop. "Now."
"Well then," the fat lady said. She motioned Suzy to come near the counter. As soon as they finished the transaction, the fat lady led Suzy in the narrow stairs of her small lodge. Suzy stopped following her upstairs when she heard loud thuds from below.
"Keep walking," the fat lady said. "Never think about going down there."
"Why?"
"It's best for everyone to leave that room alone." The fat lady answered in a serious voice and proceed on walking. She led Suzy in small room with a single dusty bed, a lamp and a small window. The fat lady handed her the key and without a word, she closed the door
Suzy sighed. She hanged the muddy cloak on the wall. She lit the lamp more brighter than it was and sat on the bed. Gazing at the small window as the rain grew stronger.
She wished that the guards will eventually give up on finding her. Suzy was so disappointed with what happened back at the amphitheater. She always tries to build a normal and simple life everywhere she go. But it always ended up as it always is—she always needs to runaway.
She heard a squeak from the corner of the room. She smiled when she realized who it is.
"Thank you for showing me where to hide at the street." She smiled when a rat came closer to her. The rat returns her gratitude because she gave him the cheese. Suzy just smiled and expressed a yawn. Suzy felt her eyelids heavier than the usual. She stretched her arms and decided to lay down on the bed. "I'll just take a short rest, Mr." She said and drifted off to sleep.
Of course it wasn't a short rest. She slept almost the whole day. She even dreamt about that odd boy she met at the garden. Why would he chase her in that alley in the first place? It just does not make any sense