***A forbidden romance, mystery-thriller short story***
Due to depression, anxiety and financial issues the 20 year old Arlen stumbles across a forest in the intention of giving it all up once and for all, what he doesn't know is he'll stumble acros...
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Arlen ruffled his hair and looked around trying to find his beauty around the forest.
He knew she would be hiding in that tree hole again. Smiling, he went there only to find a squirrel eating and cracking a nut peacefully. Looking at Arlen it ran out of the hole.
Arlen looked at the running squirrel with a confused expression on his face.
If nay h're, then where? He thought and walked forward looking at every tree trying to find his Emerald.
After trying to find her for quite sometime now he gave up and sat down on the log.
"Hail! Emerald!!" He shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth. His voice echoed and a flock of birds jolted out from a tree. But no Emerald.
He huffed and laid down on the grass.
Where are ya Emerald? He smiled thinking about her still hiding, wanting him to find her, but that smiled wiped off when he had been searching for her for quite some time now, that the then, scorching sun was now setting.
He flared his nostrils and pulled his hair in frustration.
His eyes lit up when suddenly an idea coursed through his mind.
He ran through the forest hoping he remembered his way through the greenland.
He had been running for quite some time now, when he finally saw little bushes and a big brick building in front of him.
Panting and grinning, he walked towards the beauty's house.
He saw the same guards in front of the building and he smiled at them but received grimace looks.
Rolling his eyes he walked towards her floor.
He saw the same soiled brown door and knocked on it smiling at the thought of meeting his beauty and finally confessing his love to her.
No response.
He knocked again but he recieved the same, No response.
His smile dropped when he knocked thrice more and received no reply.
His patience ran thin and he banged on the door.
Due to all the noise, an elderly man came out of a room right next to Emerald's.
The man smiled at Arlen but Arlen just gave him a tight lipped smile banging on the door again.
"What are ya doing my child?" The man came towards Arlen and worriedly looked at him.
"She is not opening the door." Arlen answered short and massaged his beard contemplating what to do next.
The man's eyes widened. He was afraid to ask this question but he did, wanting to take out the boy off his misery, "May I ask who?"
Arlen looked at the man annoyed. He wanted to talk to her, confess to her and leave.
"Emerald. I want to meet her. Is she out somewhere?"
The elderly man leaned forward, his ears pointed wanting to listen to the utter bullshit Arlen was feeding him.
Arlen rolled his eyes when the man asked him "Who?", again to which Arlen answered the same.
He looked at the elderly man who now had tears brimming in his eyes.
The man, without saying anything more or giving Arlen his answers, left.
Arlen looked confused and irritated just wanting to go to his beauty.
He rushed down to where the guards were, "I need the keys to the room on that floor" he pointed at the floor.
The guards boredly looked at him.
"Which room?" The guard leaned back in his seat and opened the drawer filled with keys.
"The soiled brown one on the third floor."
The men instantly knew which room he was talking about. The guard looked at him with his head tilted trying to figure out if the boy had gone nuts.
He looked back at the other guard who was looking at Arlen with a sneer.
"Are ya nuts, why do ya want the keys to that room?" The guard at the back asked giving Arlen a once over.
Arlen narrowed his eyes at the guard wanting to punch the life out of him but instead balled his fists and relaxed himself, "Nay. Iam nay nu-"
"Then stop acting like one!" The guard at the front shouted banging his fist on the table making Arlen flinch.
But Arlen didn't budge. He wouldn't go anywhere without taking his beauty with him.
"I-I want to meet Emerald. She is nay there."
The guards looked at each other and bursted out laughing.
"What kind of a hookah did ya drink today?" The guard asked causing both of them to laugh again.
"Iam nay joking! I want to meet my beauty!"
The guards stopped laughing at Arlen's sudden outburst.
"I came with her that day. Ya men saw us. S-she was behind me. Emerald."
The men had no expression on their face. They looked at each other wanting to know what sick game the boy was playing at.
"I do nay think ya are in your right mind." the guard spoke smirking.
Arlen clenched his jaw and rushed over to guard having enough.
He grabbed the guard from his collar and in a menacing tone asked, "Tell me where Emerald is, before I commit a sin right h're."
The guard snatched Arlen away from the man making Arlen stumble.
"There is nay Emerald h're. Ya churl!"
Arlen saw the elder man approaching them and walked to him.
"Tell them that I want to meet Emerald. Ya know her. She lives right next to ya."
The man looked at Arlen and then at the guards who had disrupted expressions on their face.
Receiving no response, Arlen stomped to the guards. "Tell me."
The guard behind, walked forward and laughed. "She was with ya the other day?"
Arlen nodded and sighed finally thinking someone knows what he's talking about.
The guards once again bursted out laughing with their chuckles echoing.
"Look at this churl!" He pointed at Arlen and all the people around laughed too.
"Emerald ya say? The girl who has been dead for the past six years."
