Eves Of Flora

Chapter Fourteen

Nathan's POV

(Flash back)

I woke up with a throbbing headache. When I say head ache I mean the kind when you feel as if someone is hitting your head with bricks. I blinked severally trying to clear my vision and remember what had happened earlier on. Realization hit me quite faster than I thought. I stood up to a sitting position, waving my fingers in front of my eyes, also checking parts of my body for any signs of injuries.

"No wounds!" There had to at least be a scar. Moreover I didn't feel any pains anywhere and I felt stronger. Flora, yes she is a fairy. She must have done something to me. I just need to find her and ask her about it.

I searched the house, I couldn't find her. I checked her room to find that her only pair of boots and favourite jacket was gone. Now I was certain that she went out and she probably went somewhere far if she took her boots.

I felt like I was missing a clue to where she must have gone. My eyes lit as an idea popped in my head. Of course she would have gone to look for Tara. She hasn't been home for a long time and she's probably worried. I mean, sometimes Flora behaves as the irresponsible, nonchalant one but she still behaves as a mother, looking out for her children. Now I just have to find Tara and hope to find Flora.

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I checked the main streets, shops, Lily's house, everywhere before I landed here, Elm's street. This was my last guess, since I couldn't find them any where. If they are here, that means they have been kidnapped. Why will someone want to kidnap them, do they know what they are ? Ugh! I need to block all these bad thoughts. I searched every house until I got to the last one. I slowly began to lose hope, could they have gone back to their world? And that without even informing me?

I went into the house after suppressing all my odd thoughts. I was shocked by what I saw. Like wow! This house looked clean as if someone's been secretly living there. Other buildings had their roofs pulling out, doors and walls collapsing but this was just awesome. The person who's living here must be really smart that they created an illusion. Every where on the inside looks so tidy but the outside looks so deserted.

I looked around the living room. There were high quality furniture lying around. The curtains, chairs, tables, even the carpet must surely cost a lot. Just like my house. My dad always goes for the best and only the best. But I still didn't get why the mystery owner of this house chose to live in this secluded illusion of a house. I was about to go upstairs, I paused. I saw something in the fire place. There was something wrong with the wall beside it. I squinted my eyes before giving up and going closer towards it. I was right, there was a gap in the wall. I pushed against the gap and it swung open. 'More of a door than a wall' . I thought. Secret house, secret passage! All these seemed like a mystery movie. Oh, how I missed watching TV. I peeked into the narrow, dark hallway before stepping in. The torches turned on immediately I stepped in. 'Woah'. I walked further into the room out of curiosity. A normal teen my age would've ran to call and adult but with me that was the opposite.

I noticed white liquid on the floor when I stepped further into the room. I squinted my eyes looking further into the room. I sighted two people tied with iron chains to chairs, they're probably girls considering the fact that their long hair is covering their face and one seemed to be putting on a skirt. I ran towards them and I realised two things: They were girls and I know these girls. Flora and Tara. If they were bounded by iron chains then that whitish, thick liquid stuff I saw earlier was their blood.

I called out "Flora, Flora, open your eyes".  Shaking her profusely, she slowly opened them. "What!" She yelled. I sighed. 'She's even stubborn even in a subconscious state'. "How did I end up bounded by these chains? Where is Tara?" She asked. I could tell that she was weak from the loss of blood and the person who tied her chains did so without mercy. They made sure to get every parts of her body. Tara's chains weren't that tight at all. Flora's blood must've been the one flowing out the room because the chains have already began to burn her skin to the extent that her bones in the hands were visible. "Don't worry. I'll tell you when we get home". I answered and she fell unconscious again.

(Back to present)

I looked around for something to cut the chains. I went out of the room to see if I could find a saw. I heard footsteps approaching the house. I stopped dead in my tracks looking for a safe place to hide. I ran under the staircase to hide behind the tools I was looking for. The men came into my view from the holes between the trolley of tools. They were youngsters, in their early twenties. They were both well built with one slightly taller than the other.

"Tom, I think somebody came here". The slightly taller one said and I gasped. " Oh Jimmy, what are you talking about. No one's gonna find this place ever. Look around this place is deserted. Nobody comes here anymore. Those chicks in there" he pointed at the fire place. " They got no family, no body to look for them. I know you feeling guilty, man. But I promise that once we get paid we're gonna leave this petty town and go back to the big city". Tom said.

I exhaled the breath I was subconsciously holding. After a while, the two men went upstairs. Then I crawled out of my hiding place, picked up the saw and the hammer fell off the counter.

Jimmy came running down the stairs. "Who's here?" Jimmy growled. "Come out, come out where ever you are!" I hid behind the couch, holding my breath. I picked up the extremely expensive flower vase and smashed it on his head. He fell unconscious. "Sorry big guy, but don't mess with my girls."

" Yo Jimmy, Jimmy! You okay?" Tom came running down the stairs. " Can this day get any worse!" I exclaimed. "Hey kiddo, you just had to ask. Now I'm gonna make you feel pain for what you did to my Jimmy." Tom threatened. I charged towards him with the saw in my hands. He caught my hand mid air raising me up in the air with his hand around my neck. I was suffocating but I was smarter than him. I used the hammer in my left hand and swung it across his head. Blood splashed every where. I dropped the hammer immediately. I fell to my knees. "My dreams tonight are going to be so messed up." I said. I checked his pulse and luckily he was still alive. Just a few stiches to his fore head and he'll  be fine. I'm sure his Jimmy is going to wake up in about thirty minutes and take care of him but I'll be gone from here by then.

I went to the mysterious room with the saw to cut the stubborn iron chains. I went to Tara first because I'd figured she had been bounded by the chains the longest and Flora would have wanted Tara to be free first. I started working immediately.

I paused from cutting the chains when I felt a sharp pain on my head. I fell to my knees, my vision becoming blurry till someone came into my line of sight. I recognise this face! "Sorry son, but I can't let you ruin this golden opportunity for me". My dad whispered dropping a base ball bat. "Seriously! Dad! Did you have to use a baseball bat. You know I hate baseball. I just escaped the clutches of death hours ago and now I'm sure I'll be getting a concussion when i wake up." After that I blacked out.