by L M Wilson
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Days pass in a blur of cooking, cleaning, and school. By the fifth night, I’m starting to settle in, but it still feels like a prison. Lathum drives me to and from school, but still wont take me to see my father or let me leave without him. I’m starting to go stir crazy being trapped inside the castle grounds every night. While at my father's I always had the freedom to go out whenever I wanted, but Lathum's rules were that I couldn't leave the grounds at night, not for any reason. Which led to my complete bordom. I've read every book I brought with me, even a few I'd borrowed from the library, but even books can't satisfy my need for human companionship.
While at school today I found out that a friend of mine is having a party tonight. I figure since Lathum can’t leave; he’d be unable to stop me from going.
I wait until an hour after sunset before attempting my escape. Due to my new job, I now have access to all of his things, including the keys to his car. Being careful not to make a sound, I creep past the door to his bedroom, down the hall and into the lounge room. I’m almost to the door when I hear a very pissed off Lathum.
“Briar!” Without waiting for him to get any closer, I open the door and make a run for the car. “If you leave, I’ll call the police!” He shouts after me.
I can’t let him do that, it’ll only cause more trouble for my father, so I stop and turn around to face Lathum.
He takes one step towards me then doubles over, screaming in pain. A gasp leaves me. I watch as what looks like sword wounds appear all along his arms and bare chest as if Lathum is being sliced open by an invisible foe.
He thrashes and twists, before he falls to the ground, curling in on himself as though the pain is too much to endure. Without thinking about it, I run to his side, grab his arm, and drag him back towards the castle. The whole time sobbing like a child. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t believe you when you told me you were cursed.” I drag him up the stairs and into the lounge room. He’s too heavy to lift up onto the couch so I just lay him down in front of the fire while I run to the kitchen and grab a bowl of water and some cloths.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because its my fault you got hurt.” I whisper as I wrap a cloth around a particularly bad cut on his arm.
“You could have left me there to die. You’d be free.” He flinches as I wrap another makeshift bandage around his ribs.
“What kind of person would that make me?” I ask.
He’s silent for so long that I don’t think he’s going to answer me. His beautiful blue eyes close, but just as I’m standing to get some more cloths, I hear him whisper, “A better person than me.”
I spend the whole night tending to his wounds and keeping an eye on him, but he doesn’t wake up, not even when I shake his shoulders, call his name, or slap his face. In my panic I even thought about kissing him like the prince did for sleeping beauty, because obviously some type f magic is at fault here.
I spent my entire life not believing in something, only to have it shown to me in the most brutal way possible.
Watching Lathum as he writhed in agony was worse than seeing the scariest movie ever. I'm even more afraid of the fact that nothing can rouse him from the deep sleep he’s in.
◆◆◆
As lunch time approaches, I begin to panic. What if he never wakes up? What if he dies? Should I take him to the hospital? If I do and they keep him over night will he die, or will they be able to treat each of his wounds as they appear?
I have so many questions and not a single answer.
More time passes and I really start to worry when a see no improvement. His wounds are still bleeding despite the bandages and Lathum still hasn't woken up.
Not knowing what else to do, I go searching the property, looking for anything that might help. I’m not really sure what I’m looking for; information, someone who can help. I really have no idea.
I’m just walking through the busted doorway to the west wing of the castle when someone grabs me from behind. I let out a piercing scream only to find someone’s hand slapped across my mouth. “Urgh! Don’t scream like that, it gives me a headache.”
“Lathum, you’re okay.” It’s not a question, more of a statement. I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tightly.
“Um yeah, I’m fine. It usually takes a while for my body to heal after I get caught outside at night.” His arms wrap around me as he speaks, and my heart begins to beat really fast.
◆◆◆
Changes: Lathum
She’s in my arms, like seriously, she’s in my arms.
I don’t know what to do.
Do I keep hugging her or do I let go?
What the hell do I do?
I’m not even sure why she’s hugging me. Was she scared I was going to die? Should I tell her that I’m immortal? That if I die, I’ll come back to life within a day.
“It’s okay. I’m okay.” Wow that sounded stiff.
She pulls away from me and I suddenly feel like she’s taking all the warmth in the world with her. I drop my arms to my sides and just stand here staring awkwardly.
“You’re really okay?” I go to respond but she keeps talking, “Because what I saw was definitely not okay. Your skin just split open. That is so far from normal that I just… I don’t even know what to say right now.” She’s shouting by the end of it and I laugh at how ridiculous she’s being. “Don’t laugh at me, I was scared and worried and it’s all your-.”
Her lips feel like the warmest, softest pillows. She tastes like mint with a hint of coffee. The thing that amazes me most about kissing her though, is the way she responds. I’d only meant to shut her up, a quick peck on her lips to stop the tirade she was about to unleash, instead I find myself kissing her with all the pent-up frustration and passion that she, herself is responding with.
I pull back, breathing hard. Briar blinks up at me, her eyes wider than saucers, her soft lips parted slightly. “I…” She shakes her head. “I….” Before I can say anything, she turns on her heel and runs back to the east wing of the castle.
I don’t know if I should go after her or not, so I just stand here, rubbing the back of my neck and watch her as she disappears inside.
◆◆◆
I don’t see her all afternoon, when night finally falls, I creep over to her bedroom and lift my hand to knock. The door flies open, and I back up a few steps. “I’m sorry.” I say simply.
“No, it’s fine, heat of the moment and all that. I understand. It won’t happen again.”
My jaw hits the ground. Won’t happen again? Is she for real right now? That was the best kiss of my life and she wants to pretend that it never happened?
“Could you move please, I have to get back to work.”
I step aside, still staring at her with my jaw hanging open. I snap it closed and shake my head. What the hell just happened?
Briar completely ignores me as she walks past. I turn to follow her but think better of it. She’s obviously not up for company and as much as I want to hash things out with her, I just can’t bring myself to open my mouth. What if she tells me she doesn’t want me?
◆◆◆
Days pass and Briar begins to relax around me, she spends her days at school where we avoid each other and her afternoons cleaning like her life depends on it. By the end of the day she looks so warn out that I can’t help but feel sorry for her.
◆◆◆
Friday night comes and I’m reading in the lounge room when she comes in and sits down right beside me. “What’re you reading?” I hold the book up and show her the title. It’s just an old book of fables with multiple stories from different authors. “Would you read me one?”
Not wanting to say something stupid and ruin the moment, I simply nod and turn the pages back to my favourite story. She shifts to get comfortable and I move over closer to her, so the book is propped between us.
“Once upon a time…” I’m not really reading the story so much as reciting it,
glancing at Briar every few minutes. She’s so wrapped up in the story that she sighs when I get to the part about the girl losing her parents. She smiles when the girl meets the prince, growls when the evil man kidnaps the girl. Briar laughs when at the ridiculous way the bad guy is killed, and she sheds a happy tear when the girl and the prince finally declare their love for each other.
“Another one?” I ask, trying to prolong our time together.
“Maybe tomorrow night.” I watch Briar as she gets to her feet, stretches then walks away.
◆◆◆
The following night we read again, this time she sits closer, her thigh touching mine. Again, she leaves when the story is over, but this time she pauses in the doorway. “Goodnight, Lathum.”
My heart skips a beat as she stands there with a small smile on her face. I'm falling hard for this girl and my own guilt at having taken her away from her life gnaws at me.
I'd do anything to see that smile light up her eyes, even though I'm not sure a muderer like me deserves someone as pure and sweet as her.
◆◆◆
Sunday dawns bright and sunny, I leap out of bed and prepare breakfast before Briar even stirs. I want her to see me as something other than the man who forced her to be here.
She wanders into the kitchen just as I’m serving up.
“Bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, and is that muffins?” She asks with a smile that lights up her entire face.
“I thought I’d give you a day off.” I smile at her but her own smile drops. Did I say something wrong? I don’t get the chance to voice the question. My heart drops to my stomach as she turns around and leaves without a word. The food sits untouched as I stand there staring at the now empty doorway.
Not knowing what else to do, I package all the food up and put it away.
◆◆◆
Night falls and I still haven’t seen Briar, not since breakfast. She didn’t come out of her room when I called out that lunch was ready, and she did the same when I made dinner.
I wait for hours in the lounge room, book in hand but after the clock strikes ten, I have to face the fact that she’s not coming. With a heavy heart, I go to bed.
The next morning, I find Briar in the kitchen reheating the food from yesterday morning. I mumble a good morning, but it feels anything but. As she puts the plates on the table, I look up at her, she sighs, running her fingers through her hair.
“Look Lathum, I think it would be better if we don’t pretend this is anything more than an employer-employee relationship.” Her words cut straight to my heart.
Our meal is eaten in silence, a silence so depressing that I lose my appetite
I’d started falling for her, but I guess those feeling only go one way.
◆◆◆
Avoiding Temptation: Briar
I’m starting to fall for him. I can’t figure out what I’m truly feeling. Is it Stockholm syndrome, that thing where you begin to have feelings for your captor, or is this real?
I sit by the fire in the kitchen thinking over everything we’ve been through over the last few weeks. The first week was stiff and we were formal towards each other, then that kiss the night I helped him. That kiss was amazing. It wasn’t my first kiss, but it was the first one that made my mind numb and my body sing. The gentle way he held me and the passion behind that kiss, it was just too much. I needed to get my head straight so I avoided him, but I couldn’t stay away. When I found him reading fables by the fire that night, I joined him, and it was the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced.
But then he had to go and remind me that I’m not here for his enjoyment or my own. Telling me I had the day off like I could afford to miss a day. All that would achieve is my sentence here being longer.
The more I think about it, the more I know I made the right choice in telling him that we need to be nothing more than employee and employer. Feeling only complicate things.
◆◆◆
I’m just getting ready for school when he knocks on my bedroom door. “Briar, may I come in?” I open the door, avoiding looking directly at him. “I’m not going to need you here anymore.” He begins.
“No, please, my father might be a thief and a gambler, but he doesn’t deserve to go to jail.”
“You misunderstand. I’m going to release you both from the debt.”
“So, I can go home?” His face drops the second the words are out of my mouth, but he’s giving me my freedom, a chance to live my own life without having to pay off a debt my father incurred.
“Yeah. Go on, go pack your stuff, I’ll drop you off at your dad’s place on my way to school.” I’m so excited that I wrap my arms around his waist and hug hum tightly to me. Make the most of it, Briar, this might be the last time you ever get to touch him.
He coughs, pushing me away gently. “Go on. Go pack.” I practically fly up the steps and through the hallway. I’m packed and ready to go within twenty minutes. With a huge smile on my face, I carry my bags out to his car where he’s waiting.
◆◆◆
The entire drive is done in silence, no music, no talking, nothing. I’m excited to be going home, but at the same time, I feel like I’m leaving my home. Again, I wonder if maybe it’s Stockholm syndrome. He drops me off at my dad’s place and waits in the car while I run up the front steps to go inside. I knock but after nearly ten minutes, I realise that my father’s not home.
Not having any electricity out at the castle meant that I had no way of charging my mobile, so I can’t even call my father. Lathum hops out of the car and joins me on the porch. “Do you want me to wait with you?” I nod absently as I try to figure out what to do.
A car pulls up and a woman I’ve never seen before walks over to us. “Are you here for the open house as well?” She frowns at our lack of response. “I was sure the real-estate agent said that there wasn’t anyone else interested in this old place.”
“I’m sorry, but this is my home, it’s not being sold.”
“I’m going to call the estate agent, find out what is going on.” She walks back to her car as I slump to my ass on the top step.
Lathum sits down beside me and gently rubs my back. “I’ll see if we can borrow her phone when she’s finished.” With tears falling down my cheeks I simply nod, unable to form any words.
“Look the estate agent said the man who owned this house moved away almost a month ago. He sent in the papers to sell it then disappeared leaving only an account number for the money to be sent to.”
“May we borrow your phone?” The lady hands Lathum the phone without question. I dial my father’s number, but it just rings out. I try several more times while we wait for the estate agent to arrive, but each and every time it rings out.
The lady asks for her phone back and we hand it over. “What am I going to do?” I ask Lathum between sobs.
“We’ll find him, he must have moved, this is a pretty big house for just one guy.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “Says the guy who owns an entire castle.”
“Technically, yes. But you and I both know the castle isn’t really liveable.” I know Lathum is just trying to make me feel better, even though I’m sure that my father got himself into more trouble.
“It could be, if you followed through with your dream of renovating it.” I say to distract myself.
“What’s the point? It’s just me out there and I don’t have any use for all that space.”
“You might one day.” The words leave my mouth and I feel a twinge in my chest at the thought of some other girl living in that castle with him. I’m jealous of an imagined girl. I really did lose my mind out there.
“I doubt it. The only reason I’m still there is because I literally can’t leave at night. There’s no future there for me or anyone.” He pauses, looking me in the eye. “I’m going to leave you to it, looks like this might take a while to sort out and well, I can’t wait around all day, have to get back before dark.” He smiles sadly at me and kisses my chee
k, “Take care of yourself Briar. You might be annoying, but you’re an amazing person.”
The estate agent chooses that moment to show up and before I can say anything to Lathum, he gets into his car and drives away.
“Miss, are you Briar Rose Belladonna?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“I believe this is yours.” She hands me an envelope and goes back to talking with the lady who is buying my family home. I tear the envelope open and begin to read.
My dearest Briar,
I’m sorry for all that I have done to you. Were it not for me, you’d have been free. I’m going to set things right, but I borrowed a lot of money from a loan shark and he’s going to be here soon to take what he’s owed. I put the house up for sale and asked the nice estate agent to put all the sales money into your account.
Do not come looking for me, it’s not safe while I still owe so much money. I’ll find a way to pay everything back, then I’ll return for you.
I love you my darling daughter.
Dad.
I ask the estate agent if she’d be kind enough to drop me off at the bank and she agrees, which is how I find myself standing in front of a man who is telling me that I am a multimillionaire.
“I’m sorry, but this has to be a mistake.”
“No, Miss Belladonna. In the event of your father’s death all funds held in trust for you from your mother Rosemarie Belladonna are to be released to your account.”
“But my father’s not dead.”
“I’m afraid he is. His funeral is being held as we speak at the West Glade cemetery.”
I drop to the floor, harsh sobs escaping me before I can stop them.
“Miss, is there anyone we can call?”
“No. There’s no one left.” I wipe my eyes and collect the bank card he tried to hand me earlier. I have money, so I’m not without any way of finding somewhere to go, but truthfully there’s only really one place I want to be right now.