The Devil's Bride

The Shadow

After retracing her steps around the villa, she decided to ask for help from someone. She was tired of roaming the house, it made her even more hungry. She was sure she was just walking in circles in the big house.

Her feet were hurting as she was walking only on her bare feet. Her clothes were torn almost in all places except for her sensitive parts. Her long black hair hadn't been combed since she got here. She confirmed she looked like a monster now. Just as she was about to take a big heave of a sigh, she heard a voice.

"Looking for something?" A voice rang. She halted on her spot, looking around to see where the voice came from. Her little cold feet trembled on their own like they had the mind of their own.

"Stop looking around. Look below you instead." The voice instructed. Linda looked almost frustrated thinking it was a prank that was being pulled on her. She stomped her feet angrily, deciding not to listen anymore to the weird voice.

Since she had gotten here, strange things had been happening to her. For example; when she went to sleep last, she saw a mark on her neck. It looked like a tattoo. She had tried cleaning it but it wouldn't get off. Now, she was lost in this big villa.

"Pretty stubborn, he won't like that." The voice tsked. Deciding she wasn't going to listen to the unknown voice, she walked away into nowhere. She didn't know where she was going but she still wanted to walk. Away from the voice.

"I can help you if you want." The voice spoke, a little amused by the girl's behaviour. "I'm sure you need help." It sounded.

After the voice spoke, she noticed the voice to be that of a female voice. It sounded so husky like a man's but when listened to carefully, it was a woman.

She stopped and turned around with a pout on her lips. She was getting fed up with living in the house and without food or water. She wondered how she hadn't passed out even yet.

"How can I help you?"

"Food." Linda blurted out. She clasped her hands around her mouth, with a shocked gasp. The voice gawked at her little but cute action. She understood humans needed food to live but she couldn't help with that task.

"I'm Uria." The voice was introduced.

"Linda." She said with a sad smile.

"What are you doing rounding all around the villa without a mission. Aren't you suppose to be at work?" Uria asked looking at the girl from top upwards. She looked dissipated. Her clothes looked tampered and she looked peeled out of food.

"I was directed to the gruth's place," Linda answered softly shivering from the cold that blew past by. "I don't know where that is. I wasn't even given direction." She spoke, goosebumps settling on her skin like dots.

"Ah, yes!! The gruth is a kinda dangerous place like beauty like you but I'll accompany you there if you tell me what you were sent to do." Uria granted.

Linda bit her lips, sucking in some harsh breath. Richard told her she was to go clear the dried leaves and remove the cobwebs. But after Uria had talked about how dangerous the place is, she was starting to have doubts about going there. She wanted to be safe from danger even though she was already in danger without even knowing it.

Uria said, "Death markers attacks easily near the gruth's place."

"Why is it named the gruth's place?" Linda disputed looking around to see if someone was watching. It would be quite weird if someone saw her talking to no one in particular even though she was talking to a shadow only she could see.

"Some few years ago, human's died there. They were killed by death markers and so, history named it the gruth's place meaning, 'Death's spot" Uria ended off.

Linda quivered like a dried leaf in her place. She wished she had never come here in the first place but it wasn't her fault also. What she fretted the most was never seeing her parents anymore. Principally her mother. She had come here for a mission to stay with Mr. Andrew only to find herself being eddied in weird surroundings and truths.

She whispered. "Oh,"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll lead you to the gruth's place." Uria validated walking on the cemented floor while Linda followed up trying to keep up with the shadow. They both turned to the left of the hall, the wall's light leading them as they walked.

Linda pushed open the corridor's gate that was locked with a silver chain. It wasn't locked, just bounded together to close the door together.

"Woah Woah!" Uria whistled.

The gruth's place had been abandoned a long time ago by Andrew. To come to think of it, no one really came here. Linda was a little worried as she looked around the place that had cobwebs and a lot of dust. It was like an abandoned hut.

What bothered her the most was the antiquity of the place. Since she lived with a death Marker, she didn't feel another Death marker would want to kill her. But it was a distortion. Not all Death markers are the same.

"How am I supposed to clean all this place in just 3 hours?" Linda mumbled to herself. She spotted a small brush by the side and brought it to herself.

She started by cleaning the cobweb that was diverged on the ceiling and some that were on the wall. Coughing and sneezing, she took out a small rag that was in one of her torn pockets and tied it to her mouth.

"So," Uria began. "How did you end up in this place?" She asked standing on the other side of the place.

"I was deceived into coming here." Linda began leaning on the wall after cleaning the cobwebs and decided to take a rest. "I didn't know it would turn out like this. I was misled thinking I was going to live with Mr. Andrew." Linda said a string of hurt being pulled.

She sucked in a gruff air and continued. "I came to realize that the person I was going to live with is a death marker. Mr. Andrew was killed by Andrew." She rounded off.

"How did you know about death markers?" Uria asked.

Linda answered. "When I was little, momma use to tell me about them and how they looked. I didn't believe her until I started leaving with her."

"Hmm." Uria hummed, a little mockery at the back of her tongue.

Linda advanced to clean the gruth's place until the next bell came. She wiped her sweaty forehead with her handkerchief and returned the brush and broom.

"Wonder what the bell is all about now," Linda muttered feeling her legs ache. She succeeds in tracing back her steps back to the hall only to see all the maids fill the hall and Richard watching them fill in. His eyes landed on her, causing him to scowl.

"You're 2 minutes late, you fool!" Richard insulted hauling her by her arm. She was made to stand in front of all the maidens which was kinda embarrassing as she smelled.

"Gross," A maid whispered. She was in fact as much worse than Linda and she had the audacity to talk.

"You've been spared by the lord's mercy today." Richard started staring at each of the maids carefully. "You'll be given some clothes to wear and take a bath. You'll be served food and that would be eaten in your chamber." He continued.

At once, almost all the maid smiled oozing some of their terrible breath out. Richard rolls his eyes and turned to look at Linda.

"You better be thankful. All this is all because of you!"

Hey, butterflies!

What are you guys up to?!?

Just wanted to inform you that a posting schedule has been made and that I'll only post on Wednesday, Monday and Saturday!

3 TIMES A WEEK!:)

I want to take this book nice and slow. Come on!! Join me on my adventure!

1371 words