Chapter 5
Mysterious Man
Ara noticed that the garden was connected to the deep and dark forest. There's something in the place that pulls her to move her feet to go and see what's hiding there. Ara glanced at her companions, Maddie and Cattie, who were happily watching the flowers around the area.
"Oh my, I wanted to pick roses and put them on the base above my table! But sadly, I don't have something to use to cut these roses. Ara heard Cattie say, "Like duh, Cat. Then go and get the tools. Or just use your claws." Right, Ara agreed, amusedly in her mind.
She crossed her arms in her chest and leaned on the tree behind her when she saw that Maddie and Cattie started to create a simple argument again. She wonders, how this two became friends, when they were together, they can't stop themselves from fighting.
Ara just amusedly stared at them.
"I don't want to hurt myself. Did you see those big thorns of the rose? I don't want to infect my skin." Somehow is right, rose thorn can be hazardous.
"If you hurt yourself then heal, you're a vampire for Pete's sake." Cattie raised an eyebrow.
"I'm a vampire, but you know, my power and ability have limitations. I won't use my power in small things." Maddie chuckled and tapped Cattie's shoulder.
"Alright, alright. As you said so, haha. Go ahead, then, get the tools. I'll accompany Ara here." Maddie surrendered.
"Oh, I don't know where the tools are located."
"I know, but I don't want to carry those if I'll be the one who'll get it." Cattie pouted.
"Please, can you get it for me?" she convinced Maddie; she even blinked her eyes two times to look cute. But Maddie just raised an eyebrow and shook her head furiously.
"Nope, I won't leave here." This time, Ara stood up straight and walked towards their direction.
"You two can get the tools. I'll stay here and wait for the two of you to come back." The two of them looked at her.
"Are you sure?" Cattie asked her, to which she nodded.
"Yeah, pretty sure. This place is awesome. Maybe I'll explore the place while waiting. Just see you two here later." Ara said while looking around the area. She loved this kind of place before, the beautiful flowers, relaxing scents, the birds and butterflies flying around. She misses all of those.
Her mother loves to plant flowers, and she and her parent were the ones who built the garden on the roof of the castle near her room. The place where her mother always told magical and love stories. But all of those changes, those events of her life, will just remain as memories.
She will never experience it again, never.
"Okay then. Enjoy exploring Ara. We'll be just quick." Ara just nodded her head. She watched them leave before turning around. A sigh escaped from her lips. She was now alone in this unfamiliar place. Ara looked up and closed her eyes. She felt the cold breeze touching her skin.
It felt so cold, but she's not cold. She's immune to this kind of weather, she even experienced the worst. She experienced to live below the bridges, it's cold, very cold because it's winter. But she survived, that was she's grateful of.
"I wish my life is still the same." She murmured in the wind. So much about the drama, she's not here to pity herself. She's over with that. She's tired of pitying herself. She slowly opened her eyes when she felt something, it feels like someone is watching her.
She glanced behind her, and she was right. There was a man in black cloak watching her from not so far. From its aura and figure, she knew it was a man. Who's this? He's wearing a black mask that covers half of his face. His skin is white as snow. It looks paler when you're near. Those thin red lips and raging fire-like eyes that might burn you if you stare too much.
Ara doesn't know why she can't take off her eyes on him, she doesn't even know why she can't move nor just open her mouth to talk. She just stared, stared and stared. No one of them dared to mumble a single word, not until the man she was staring at vanished in the air.
She looked around and search for his whereabouts, and then suddenly, she found herself being pulled and pushed against the tree beside her. She can't deny the fact that she's caught off guard. She didn't expect this to happen.
The man was trapping her on the tree, she couldn't see his face because he was too close. But the tension was there. She felt so hot suddenly that she had the urge to shift into her true form. The man's blood is so inviting. What is happening? She asked in her mind.
"Who the hell are you?" The mysterious man whispered hoarsely in her ear. His voice held so much power and authority. Ara was sure this man was powerful. His question was the question she wanted to ask too. Who is he to make her feel this way?
His warm breath was touching her neck, it's sending a tingling sensation all over her body. When the man noticed that she wasn't going to answer his question, he pushed her even more on the tree. Their body was touching; this is not right, but it feels so good.
"I'll ask again, who are you?" Ara found herself the courage to answer. She took a deep breath and calmed her nerves down.
"The new maid, Sir." She answered in a low voice. She unconsciously shut her eyes down when she felt his lip brush against her cheeks. The sensation is too much; this needs to be stopped.
"Ara? Are you alright?" She opened her eyes quickly when she heard Cattie's voice. The mysterious man is gone, she only saw Maddie and Cattie who's looking at her confusedly with a hint of curiosity in their eyes.
Ara nodded her head while standing straight, she fixed her clothes and sigh.
"Yeah, I'm okay." She answered lowly. What happened a while ago feels so surreal, does that really happened or just my illusion, Ara asked herself. She looked around again, searching for a hint if that was really happened.
"Did something happen when we were gone?" Maddie asked worriedly when she saw Ara is not with herself, she seems so lost. What happened to her?
Ara shook her head, "Nothing really, I'm fine." Maddie nodded her head in agreement.
"Anyway, guys, I'll harvest roses now. Want some to put inside your rooms?" Cattie change the topic.
"I would like to, but my man is allergic to roses, so pass, but thank you." Maddie decline.
"Aw, I just learned that now. Adam is allergic to roses? But he's giving you flowers before."
"Yeah, but it's not rose. It's tulips." Maddie explained. Cattie nods her head, "Alright, I see. How about you, Ara?" Ara looked at her and nodded.
"Sure. Thank you." She answered with a small smile. She still couldn't be getting off on what happened a while ago.
'Who are you?' she whispered.