I was walking deeper into the woods, heading to the Everlasting Fall as I kick everything in my path. Sulking at the fact that Jeddy has ditched me for work. If he thinks being a yellow short would make him closer to me, then he is wrong.
Aryan is a possessive man, grandma said. The only people in the Manor would be his most trusted guard. After what happens to Joseph and Sarah, he made it into law that even the slightest interaction between the boys and Dolls which has no connection safety-wise will be persecuted and he means that LITERALLY.
As my feet begin to bring me closer to the fall seeing the greenish-blue grass is already in sight, I continue to march feeling upset until a sight in front of me made me puzzled.
Surprised and also annoyed because I wanted to be left alone but there was a boy, so much taller than me but I know he is not an adult. He still has a youthful face of a man around 15 years old.
He has dark tousled hair, wavy and thick, tall, broad-shouldered figure. Brown suspenders and dark brown trousers. He wore a white shirt that looks smudged and his sleeves were torn. Though his face from the side looks smudged too, I found him to be a beautiful boy.
I could feel my heart pounding against my chest when I gaze at his vivid gray eyes, tanned skin, and broad cheekbones. I could look At him all day until I notice how close he is to the edge of the waterfall.
Right above us is the mountainside where the top is covered by clouds so no one can see where the tip of the waterfall comes from and when it falls, there is a curved hold where the water would flow rapidly no one could see where is the end of the waterfall and just across the waterfall is the ledge.
There was only a forest down there. No one lives in that area as rumor of the Rebels resides near the barren land. It was pretty close to the forest and from the hill, they were in, I could see the land. Desert and nothing...no living thing could possibly survive there and with the Rebels, grandma says one would wish they were dead just from the bad activity they do there.
I made a short run just behind the boy and yelled loudly.
"What are you doing, boy?"
It must've startled him since he looks back in shock. Holding his hand which has dark red stained around it.
"Who the fuck are you?" His front hair was slightly wet from the sprinkles of the waterfall so he brush it back and look at me angrily.
I was furious at what he said to me that my mouth was in a wide O and I cup both of my waist like a grandma when I did something wrong.
"Ugh! How rude! Can you not use proper language when you talk to a lady?"
He sneered at me when I say that. "You're no lady. You're just a little girl."
"And you are a rude boy, sir!"
He rolled his eyes when I says that. "Not boy. Man. What are you doing here alone anyway?"
I walk a little closer with my hands crossed and i tilt my head when I answered him. "I always come here. It's close to my home."
He finally turns his full attention and body to me and I realize once more how big he is compared to my teeny tiny body. It almost hurts to look up at him that long.
"Home? The only place close here is... wait, are you a Doll?"
Frowned, he got closer to me to look at me clearly. I hesitated to answer that because grandma once said how he abhors the word Doll on me but...
"For now? Yes."
"Why for now?"
"Just. For, now. That's what my grandmother told me." Of course, until I am 16 or when grandma is able to pay Aryan's debt and, leave before being auctioned later.
"I don't understand what you are talking about. Just go. Leave. This is a dangerous place." He rolled his eyes and was about to turn back to the waterfall ledge.
"If it's dangerous, why are you here?"
Blood drips from his arms and I hear him hissed in pain. Tightening his hold on the red-stained spot.
My heart begins to ache for him. I feel my brow fall and I sucked in a deep breath to finally realize why he was in such a state. I feel silly for scolding him earlier. No wonder he was antsy and sensitive.
Did he think I would hurt him?
Surely I'm not strong enough to even scratch him.
"Are you hurt?"
Again, slapping myself internally for asking such an obvious question.
"What?" He looks down at his arm and shook his head.
" No! Just go!"
"You arm..." I pointed at it, not realizing my finger was shivering when I did that.
"Who did this to you?"
"Nobody! Just leave already!" He yelled at me and I took a step back since his scream was louder and scaring me than the last time.
Surely, other people would be angry to be spoken down like that and leave him to bleed.
I suppose I'm not that person.
I ran inside the woods back and was grateful that the manor and farm were not too far. When I arrived at the farm first, I decided to go to the vet's office because I know how there were so many medicines there.
Thankfully everyone was busy and no one was inside so I look around to find a medicine that a human can use.
I almost give up out of frustration when all the medicine here is only for the farm animal and I had a hard time understanding what each medicine or vial is for until my eyes drifted to the wall.
There was a rectangular white box written " Emergency Kit". It is bigger than the one grandma has kept in our room and every Dolls have it in their room in case anyone got hurt.
I immediately grab a chair and push it to the wall. I took the box from the wall and almost fell down by how heavy it was.
I got down and ran back to the forest while making sure no one would see me. It took me a while to run back to the fall and my heart was racing at the feat of the boy who might have jumped or even ran.
If any of the boys would see him around this property, God knows what Aryan or the boys might do to him.
I could finally release a sigh of relief when I stop running. Just passing the tree, I saw the boy was still there but he was no longer standing up and wanting to jump.
He was sitting beside a huge rock. His back turns to me and he was taking some water from the fall to wash his wound.
I hear him hiss and groaned. I quickly ran over to him and stop right beside him. Surprising the boy which made him taken aback from me.
"Why are you coming back? I hurt you didn't I? So, go! Don't come near me. I will only hurt you again."
I rolled my eyes and sat down beside him. I open the kit and see a few familiar items grandma and the Dolls have used. Antiseptic bottle, wire gaze, cotton, cloth wrap, and some ointment.
I turn my attention to the boy and say, "I don't care. Your arm is bleeding. Let me look at it."
"What are..." He didn't get to finish what he say nor did I care for his responses as I pull his hand to mine, making him curse under his breath and groan in pain.
I was relieved to see it was just a cut but it was long from the top which is the height near to his chest area to a few inches above and behind his elbow. I almost panicked for not knowing what to do but I saw the cut is no longer bleeding and only the upper part that was cut a little too deep hence the blood.
There were also graze marks and a few spots have turned maroon.
" This will not last long so just make sure you will get adult help later, okay?"
He was silent until a dab of the cotton soaked antiseptic made him hiss loudly.
"Fuck!"
"Ssshh, this won't take long. I've seen my grandma treat the boys when they got hurt."
I dabbled again and see that his pain waned. I feel his gaze on me the whole time I clean his wound. I was nervous being watched like this but my focus was on the wound first. Next, I place an ointment on the wound.
"Does that hurt?" I ask not looking up.
I hear him snort. "I've felt worst."
As I continue to dress his wound after placing cotton dabbed with ointment, the boy spoke to me.
"You're just a kid. How do you know how to do this?"
"I have to do. Grandma says it will keep me alive as a Doll."
"You are very mature."
I blushed at that statement and shook my head shyly.
"Not really. I still like playing with dolls and hide and seek. I'm... okay."
He didn't respond to that. He only Starr at me the whole time and once I'm done helping him. I pull away and gaze at my work.
It looks better than I thought.
If only Grandma can see the little bow I made at the end.
I smile when the boy pulls his hand away and gently moves it around. He looks at peace with it too so I insert my hand in the pocket of my dress and held out candy was keeping for Jeddy.
"Here's candy for you. It is blueberry flavor."
He looks down at my hand and frowned when he looks back at me.
"A candy? I'm 15 years old."
I shrugged. "So? Everyone likes candy. Even my grandma eats this all the time."
He leans his back on the huge rock, legs spread open as it rests on the ground in an inclined position.
"Why are you a Doll when you have your grandma?"
I shrugged again and turn to keep the emergency kit item back in its box.
"Because I have no father and mother and it's the only place I call home."
"Couldn't your grandma bring you out of there?"
"Not yet. That's all she said. How did you get hurt, boy?" I put the box away, sat beside him, and lean my back on the rock too.
It actually felt like the food there since the tiny droplet from the waterfall made me cool in the warm weather.
The boy chuckled for the first time and I can't help but turn my attention to him. He sounds lovely.
"It's not boy, kid. It's Will."
"Will? "
He nodded. Still keeping his gaze on me up. " Will. And you, what's your name?'
I smiled. "Lilibeth."
"Lili..."
I got up and put my finger on his lips. I looked surprised and he too responded with a surprised expression. I shook my head and spoke to him. "No, Lilibeth. Only people I care about can call me Lili. Grandma does but Aryan uses it too and I can't tell him to stop because he owns us."
"I kinda get that, kid." He looks sad at first but he smiled and nod his head.
I sat back down and look at the trees across from us. There was a long silent moment between us until I hear him speak again.
"Can I call you Lili instead?"
I frowned. I look back at him to see he was smiling.
"But I do not care about you."
"Well, you did bandage my wound. That must've meant you care about me."
He waved his bandaged-up arm and I look at it for a long while. Trying to understand what he says to me and I can't help but agree.
"Hmm.. when you put it that way... okay. You can call me Lili then."
I nodded and smile at him and that made him smile even more.
He looked so handsome.
"Thank you so much, Lili."