She must have been so tired that she woke up at almost ten in the morning. Her breakfast is on her dining table has gone cold. She looked around if she was transported back to Novalia, but she's still in her small hut.
Disappointed, she left the bed and cleaned herself. Since it's already too late for breakfast, she decided to visit Hasher's grove to grab some food and walk her way to Raven's palace.
"Alex, it's me. Can you drive me to Hasher's Grove?" Isabel called at the walkie-talkie, sounding tired.
"Hi, it's me. Sonia, I'll pick you up." This is only the second time Isabel heard Sonia speak and the second meeting since the first day.
She wears jeans today as a preparation for moving a lot. She tied her waist-length hair so it won't be a distraction and a simple white t-shirt. Coincidentally Sonia is wearing an almost identical outfit with her.
When Isabel notices the similarity, she burst out laughing. Sonia shrugs her shoulders looked at herself and smiled.
"Here, can you bring this back for me? She gave her untouched breakfast.
"Sure. I've heard you wanted to visit the Raven's Palace?" She asked Isabel, turns out she's warmer than Alex.
"Yes! I think there's a conne.." She will supposedly answer a connection between Elizabeth the sacred stone, but she held her tongue.
"There's a what?" Sonia tried to probe her.
"Ah, I'm into art and needed to study Mrs. Raven's technique." Shaking her head made Sonia dubious of her answer.
"Would you need me to accompany you?" Sonia offered.
"Nah, I just want to explore." Smiling, and shakes her some more.
"Okay, I'm just one called away." She drops Isabel off at Hasher's grove and waved her goodbye.
Hasher's grove looks abandoned today. No one is around except the people who manage the stalls.
"Why am I alone in the grove?" She casually asks the old man from the barbeque shack.
"Are you new?" She hated it when she asks a question and questions her back.
"Yes." She answered shortly.
"Well, you better go back to the worship center before you are punished." He said. Isabel notices the old man's right brow is strange.
Her brows creased with what he had said and asked.
"Why would they punish a dying patient?"
"Oh, you're a patient." The old man lowered his gaze and pretended he is very busy.
And then he spoke in a very low voice but made sure Isabel can still hear him.
"If they let you choose between a red or a blue pill, don't choose. " He said while handing her the grilled beef and then continue murmuring.
"You'll know when the time comes. And if you decided to join them, don't say I didn't warn you." He looks very serious and concerned, even if his overall appearance screams violence and roughness.
"Here's your beef. If you need more, just let me know." Then he went inside the stock room.
The old man mistook her as a staff because of her outfit. Do they punish staff if they failed to do their duties? She wondered what kind of punishment. Her Dad is a fan of the Matrix so Isabel knows what he meant by choosing a red or blue pill. Did he mean this place is a computer simulation? That sounds ridiculous.
She was thinking about it for a little while but was distracted by a soft melody from the little musical platform in the center of the grove. It calmed her mind, made her sit near the music platform, and listen to the lady playing the harp. It's so mellow, almost a little mournful but satisfy your ears with its softness.
"Do you like it?" The harp player asks with a smile on her face.
"Yes! I love it." Isabel returned the smile.
"Would you like to try?" She offered her hard.
"I'd love to, but I have somewhere else to go." She said, looking disappointed because she really wanted to. But she has to focus.
"I thought you wanted an escape, but you can find me in that hut anytime." The woman pointed to a small old shack on a hill behind the wisterias. She didn't notice that location until the woman pointed it to her.
"I sure will." Beaming at the woman showing all her teeth.
"My name is Liz and you are? The woman offered her hand.
"Isabel." She introduced herself back and accepted Liz's hand.
"You are blessed by the Mistress of the senses." She held Isabel's hand tightly, like uncomfortable tight.
"Go, but our paths will meet again." Liz let her hand go and played her harp one more time as if nothing happened.
It's a little bizarre, it's like she is in that classic series twilight zone or a set in a witchcraft drama series. She left the place because she felt eerie, her body hair even raised.
She tried taking that unexplainable feeling off while she's walking towards Raven's castle. It has a tall gate and security outside, but since she has an access card, she has no problem going in.
She is a little bit thankful to Alex and Sonia because they toured her here on her first day. She first goes to Elizabeth and Hasher's matrimonial room. Aside from the luxurious appearance, nothing special about the room. All Elizabeth's cosmetics are still there preserved and maintained.
She is not allowed to touch so she took photos of Elizabeth's things. All angles she didn't miss. She even took photos of the bathroom.
The master's bathroom is dramatic, it has seashell decorations on the surface of the bathtub and laminated sand inside, made you feel like you're bathing on a beach. On the window, there is a narrow plank that made you think you're in a cottage. It is beautifully polished, just like the arch of the resort itself.
Isabel can't help but touch the smooth surface, she knew it's not allowed, but, there's a compelling force that made her touch it.
When she runs her hands on the plank, Isabel expected that it would be smooth but when she touches it, there are rough patches. Suddenly a wooden chest popped up. The patches serve as a lock. The chest is not very big, could it treasure?
The compelling force dragged her to take a look and dig her hands in. They are lightweight, to better see what's inside. She places the box on the bathroom floor and tries to see what's all inside.
Letters! It is not sealed.
The heck. She has violated the rules anyway, so might as well give it a go.
She opened the letters. It was addressed to Baby Hash. Do they have a son? But Alex said they don't have children. Maybe nobody knew.
In the letter it says, Elizabeth's heart died the day her son was taken away from her. Her husband said the baby was stillborn, but she knew her son was alive. The letter is dated back to the nineties.
"Mommy will find you wherever you are, and I will make sure I will let them pay for what they did to us." That was what Elizabeth said to her son. The letter was written in dried blood and signed not by Elizabeth Raven but by Elizabeth Jerson.
Elizabeth Jerson that must have been her maiden name.