Faceless Instincts

Ashford Manor for Sale

I was tapping softly on the table when Lucy walked in with a loaded plate of food; the meal of the lifetime. Shortly Will placed a glass of wine and water in front of me, "let me know if you need anything" he said and walked away.

I reached for my phone to go over it while I ate but I didn't find it there. I imagined I might have forgotten it back in my room and went on with eating.

However, each bit became harder to swallow for two reasons, one I couldn't replace the prevailing events and their dire impact on my mind with something good and for the second my stitches were hurting.

It took me so long to finish the food that I was the only one sitting there by the time I finished. Every other family had left almost thirty minutes ago. I moved my plate a little far and dabbed my mouth with a napkin when Lucy walked in and placed a hand on my shoulder, "hey" I said in reflex but stopped when I realised that I didn't know if she could hear, as if sensing my dilemma, she pointed towards her ears and gestured with her hands to assure me that she can indeed hear.

I sighed with relief, "I am sorry I didn't know"

She walked in front of me and placed a cup of steaming cinnamon tea, "I... " I was genuinely confused about what to say but then I heard a voice from behind, "it's on us" I turned to see her son walk in, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"You didn't have to do this." I said and Lucy instantly started gesturing to his son he looked at her and then turned to me, "she says you look as stressed as a mother who has lost her newborn puppy, unable to express her worry" but looking frantic as... Well you know"

Avoiding the fact that it practically dubbed me a bitch in the scenario - mama bitch, I focused on the sentiment. Which was not wrong, I indeed felt like it.

"I am just a little stressed about work."
Lucy's brows tensed, and she said something to will, "you are not here for vacation?" He said to me.

"No, I am here for work" I lied or did I

He looked at his mother, "She thought you are here to relax, being such a mess, broken ripped, and presumably weak. Also, its Christmas"

I chuckled, "I.. yes. But I need this work done if I want to celebrate Christmas at all"
She sighed and stood up, gesturing me to wait she walked to the backside of the room, "She has taken a fancy to you" a voice said, and I swivelled my head to see Xavier, he took the seat where Lucy was sitting,

"She said she sensed how troubled you are"
I glanced back at her and I know it was just her motherly instincts hitting but I can't blame her that I felt good. Someone finally understanding how I felt without requiring me to say it out loud.

More than fifteen years had gone by when I last held my mother close and she lulled me to sleep. However, today, seeing Lucy understanding me just like my mother would have chocked me to tears and I had to fight them back, "I understand why she must feel so, I am indeed troubled because of my work."

Lucy had returned with a box, she gestured towards Will and opened the box, "she's asking what's troubling you?"

"I am a lawyer..." I started but stopped when Lucy held my face, "I..." I protested, "shh," she made a shushing sound and I fell quiet. She applied an ointment on my bruises and then placed a few band-aids in front of me, "use them whenever you wish" which Will translate for me.

I kept them in my pocket and continued, I knew if I played my cards right here, I could get some kind of help, if not exactly what I want but at least something, for that to  happen I recalled every bit of information that I had about the Ashford people and their house, "I am a real estate lawyer, I was phoned here for the documentation review of the house that is being sold but the mediator of both parties who were supposed to handover me the documents and introduces me to my side of the party has quit his job" I took a slow sip of my tea, "so now I am stuck"

"A house is being sold in our town?"

I hesitated, "well... Umm, it's still in talks right now"

He nodded, "Which house is it?"

I gulped, I can't mess this up, I had to use my very limited knowledge, effectively, "I can not share much because of the ethic code" I said flatly, "however, the only thing I can share is that the property belongs to some, Ashford," I noticed Lucy flinch and Xavier share a look with Will, "it's been empty for almost fifteen years."

The colour evaporated from their faces like I had chanted a spell to summon Satan himself.

"Are you people okay?" I asked
Xavier came out of his trance first, "yeah... Yeah... I was trying to remember a house like this, but unfortunately I don't."

He was lying. I knew it, by the way, he neglected the eye contact and shifted in his seat. They knew something.

It was around two at night when I got out of bed and walked towards the window. Despite the cold, I opened the window a little and let the air smooth my skin. It was completely dark and I sat on the window sill. A deep breath later I got scared by some kind of movement in the garden. I squinted my eyes to see what I was hearing, and I saw someone moving in the garden. I ducked a little and then I heard another voice. Neglecting the fact that my anxiety and paranoia had settled in and I was sweating like a maniac.

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness on the outside, my eyes darted towards the window on the other side of the garden where I saw Will standing by the foot of his room, I stressed on my ears to listen but it was of no use they were too far. I did get my luck worked up when I saw them climb the window and get inside the room, the lights turned on for a while during which I saw Will scramble for something in a drawer and the girl practically sticking herself to him - which made me roll my eyes- but then I remember Dorian and the feeling I got when he was close to me or atleast when my mind thought that he was, I smiled to myself realising the difference between young love as theirs and the love like Dorian and mine, my eyes went wide when i realised what i had just thought, i shook my head and cleared my yead.

Not wanting the knowledge or the sight of what they were about to do I closed the window and snuggled inside my bed, making my mind work overtime to plan how am I going to make these people spill whatever they knew about the Ashford house.

But before that I had to go back to school where little Dorian ran around.