(Pacey Michelyne)
- - - - - 9 : 30 AM - - - - - England - - - - -
"Miss Pacey! ," the maid called out into the quiet expanse.
The voice continued calling, echoing through the halls and blending with the distant sound of arrows hitting their targets with precision.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Pacey slowly lowered her bow, examining her results with a critical eye. Four arrows in rapid succession, all hitting the bullseye. She smiled faintly at the sight.
"Miss Pacey! Ahh, there you are," the maid, Mandy, said, finally locating her.
Pacey inquired, "What is it, Mandy?"
"Someone named Noon is asking to meet you" Mandy replied, her voice tinged with confusion.
Pacey, surprised and slightly apprehensive, handed Mandy the bow and arrow bag before heading inside. "Noon?" she questioned aloud as she walked.
In the living room, a figure quickly stood up from the couch. "Pacey," Noon said, her voice filled with urgency.
Pacey gestured for Noon to sit. "What are you doing here?"
"Mother is dead," Noon stated bluntly.
Pacey's face darkened. "I see... If you need anything else, just tell me."
"No, no, you've already helped too much," Noon said, shaking her head.
Pacey continued, "I'm sorry."
"No, this was the best option. Mother was in the last stage of cancer; there was no certainty she would live long. Thank you, though, for sending money so Mother could get treatment. We're very grateful," Noon said.
Pacey smiled sadly. "It was nothing. Ms. Bell helped me through my childhood; this was the least I could do for her."
"I want to work with you," Noon suggested, her eyes determined.
Pacey raised an eyebrow. "You want to work with me? (laughs) Noon, I'm very strict, and not many people can handle me. I don't want another person to hate me."
"I won't Pacey. Those people just couldn't understand you. Besides, this is the only way I can repay you," Noon insisted.
Pacey sighed. "You don't have to do that, Noon."
"I can be your manager or secretary, whatever it may be. You need me, Pacey; I know you do," Noon said firmly.
Pacey paused for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, suit yourself."
"Mr. Thompson! Please prepare a room for Noon," Pacey called out to her butler.
Later, as Pacey walked into her room, her eyes fell on a picture of herself and her nanny, Bell Prinya.
—----Flashback—-----
Pacey met Bell Prinya at the park on a sunny afternoon, during a rare picnic outing with her busy parents. They thought Pacey was acting up when she screamed in the middle of the night, claiming she'd seen a ghost. First, it was inside the house, but later, Pacey started running outside and hiding wherever she could.
That afternoon, Pacey thought she was having the best day of her life. She played with a young girl around her age in the playground, laughing and talking, but then someone suddenly asked, "Why are you laughing to yourself?"
Another added, "Weirdo."
"Freak," and the taunts kept coming.
Pacey got mad, knowing she was talking to someone, but the others made it seem like she was crazy. She ended up in a fight with one of the girls, resulting in a scratched knee and a few bruises on her face.
Sobbing on a bench, she looked at her parents, who were laughing and chatting happily in the distance. Not wanting to ruin their moment, she continued to cry. The little girl she had been playing with earlier appeared in front of her.
"You're not real, are you? I hate you! Go away! Leave me alone!" Pacey screamed at the girl. She should have realized. It was no surprise, Pacey couldn't hear what she was saying. Even though Pacey was able to see spirits, strangely she could not hear them.
Bell, passing by, stopped and asked, "Are you okay, honey? Why are you bleeding? Did someone hurt you?"
Pacey glanced at Bell, then at the little girl, but she had vanished. Why had she disappeared? Pacey recalled that the spirits she saw never left her alone, no matter how much she wished they would. Hugging Bell tightly, she continued to cry, her eyes desperately searching for the little girl in vain. Was it because of this woman?
"Pacey! Honey, what's wrong? Why are you—" her mother began.
Pacey's father, noticing her injuries, asked Bell accusingly, "Did you do this to Pacey?"
Bell backed up, "I didn't do anything. She was already crying, and I was just trying to help."
Pacey's father scrutinized Bell, but Pacey interjected, "Papa! I hate you! Don't do that to her! She was comforting me!"
Her father, realizing his mistake, apologized, "Pacey... (turns to Bell) I'm sorry. I was a little heated up."
Pacey broke away from her mother's embrace and ran to Bell, hiding behind her. "I want her to go with me, Papa!"
Bell, unsure of what to do, stood there. Pacey's father, noticing the job poster in Bell's hand, asked, "Are you looking for a job? I can pay you tenfold of whatever you're applying for."
And that was how Bell became Pacey's nanny.
Bell introduced Pacey to Buddhism and meditation, teaching her how to remain calm and protect herself from harmful spirits.
She was the only one who understood her and never treated her like everyone else did—as a freak.
—----Present—-----
As Pacey sat on her bed, her gaze shifted to a bow hanging invisibly on the wall. It was her weapon against the evil spirits that constantly tried to attack her.
Tied to the bow was a dark reddish string, a cherished gift from Bell during her childhood.
Noon was the daughter of Bell and a friend Pacey had spent countless hours with during their youth. They had been inseparable until Bell moved back to Thailand 8 years ago. The distance created a chasm between them, and their contact dwindled to sporadic letters and rare phone calls. It wasn't until recently that Pacey discovered Bell had been diagnosed with cancer. Without hesitation, she began sending money to Noon to help cover the mounting medical expenses.
Pacey, the CEO of a small yet burgeoning company, was perceived by many as arrogant and unapproachable. Her demeanor was often misconstrued as indifference, a barrier she had built to protect herself from the overwhelming emotions and visions of spirits that constantly plagued her. She never truly clicked with anyone, her differences creating an invisible wall that few dared to cross.