Eva's Sins.

VII

„Who called friendship unconditional love has been for sure someone's lover"

  The carriage that was taken Eva away from Image suddenly vanished at the horizon and no matter how hard didn't Beth try to see at least the carriage's ghost, that winding forest road quickly hid it behind the trees, and the sky became even more purple than before and Beth understood that it was everything lost and maybe it was the last day when she saw Eva.

  Then, bitter tears flowed on her cheek, and Beth finally stopped her weird limp which she called, just to deceive herself, a real running. And not only did her soul hurt her at the moment she had been abandoned by her friend, but also her leg, which continued to bleed, making the open wound badly prickle.

  That's why Beth sat finally down, on that muddy road: to look at the hurt leg that hurt her like hell. And... that wound looked very bad. But even so, it couldn't be compared with the cruel wound of her heart that was also badly bleeding.

  And her heart was bleeding because Eva abandoned her: her, Elisabeth Alby, the one who dedicated her entire life to the care of Miss Stonebridge. And because Eva has gone without saying at least goodbye was a huge betrayal for Beth, who couldn't understand at all why did Eva act like that, why didn't she stop when she saw her running behind the carriage, for Beth was sure that she saw her also falling and hurting her leg. That's why Beth regretted it so much and what she also knew so well was that she'll miss Eva's fragile body hugging her each time she felt sad.

  Suddenly Beth winced, realizing that she didn't even know where did Eva go after leaving Image. Also, she didn't know if they meet each other in that life or why did this happen namely that day that started like any other normal day and nothing announced the sadness coming. Yet, even if that day seemed extremely normal, it had also something distinct, which Beth considered a lucky sign - they met Brian at the lake, but it turned out to be the beginning of a period extremely painful for them both.

  That's why she decided, so suddenly, that she'll hate Brian since that day. And, if Beth decided to hate someone, that person simply stopped to exist for her. Even he could become an enemy from an ideal and, even if she didn't know the real reason why Brian came to Stonebridge, Beth could deduce that it had something to do with what happen because, you see, before his coming neither Eva said something about leaving nor the „master" ever talked about Eva's departure. But now, after Beneath had come by, Eva vanished so suddenly, abandoning those fairy-like places, as Image was, and Beth remained alone. Actually, she had been abandoned and she has also lost her ideal man, for Brian had been one for her. But even so, it didn't mean that Beth will forget everything only because she liked him. No, no. She'll look for the truth till the end of her life and she'll find out it eventually.

  Making up her mind and considering it her new aim in life, finding out the truth, Beth wiped her tears, mechanically. Then she bandaged her leg with a piece of cloth broken from her skirt and, laming, she turned back to Image. Behind her, the forest remained to shake its leaves, to murmur in silence about what it saw with the cold wind's whispered voice, a wind that suddenly started to blow and which, through its harsh kisses, made the sky cry and cold tears, rifted tears started to fall from the sky, soaking so much to poor earth.

  She got to Image when was dusk already and on to the streets almost nobody was seen: only a few passers-by that were trying to run away from the rain and who the night caught up in the streets, hurrying them to get home. And... even if Beth wished to be asked at least by someone why was she hurt, what happened to her, or how does she feel, nobody cared about this... everybody seemed to immerse in his own problems than care about others'problems. So, laming and gnashing because of the pain that was felt even harsher than before, only not to allow herself to cry there, in front of everybody, Beth continued walking toward home, accompanied only by that killing pain felt in her soul.