Whispers on the Wind

4

Brian stepped into the dining room clad in his holiday attire. His mother and their neighbor, a doctor, stood by the table, busy with light snacks. Though everything seemed ordinary, Brian was experiencing a storm inside. He could barely comprehend what was being said, giving nonsensical responses. Still under the influence of a brief but significant encounter with Lily in the hallway, he could feel her presence in the room without seeing her; he forced himself not to look. After dinner, he retreated to his room, restless. He paced around, listening intently to every small sound in the house, hoping to hear Lily's footsteps.

Meanwhile, the dominant personality within Brian, not only made itself apparent but had also overwhelmed his previously prevailing, gentler side during earlier visits and that morning in the village. Now, he was completely under the sway of this fearsome persona. Despite his attempts, he couldn't catch Lily alone that day; she seemed to be avoiding him. However, in the late afternoon, Lily had to enter the next room to prepare a bed for the visiting doctor. When Brian heard her steps, he quietly followed her into the room like a criminal. Lily, fixing a clean pillowcase, turned and smiled at him when she heard his voice; but her smile was not joyful as before, it was anxious and sad. This smile made Brian pause, feeling wrong about his actions. An internal conflict arose. While one voice inside him echoed his feelings for Lily, another urged, "This is an opportunity not to be missed, do as you wish." Eventually, the latter voice prevailed. Brian moved towards Lily, inhaling her sweet scent from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Lily blushed and pleaded, "Sir , what are you doing? Please let me go," just as Nora's footsteps were heard. Brian whispered, "Then I will come to your room tonight, are you alone?" Lily, taken aback, protested, "No, I don't want that, don't come," but she was also very confused; each time she saw Brian, her stomach churned, unable to understand her excitement. Indeed, it was Nora who entered the room with a quilt and scolded Lily for bringing the wrong item. Brian left the room silently, realizing from Nora's look that the old woman disapproved of him; he felt he was doing something wrong, yet he couldn't restrain the overwhelming emotions that controlled him. Throughout the night, Brian was unsure of himself; he was clueless about what to do next. He moved between his mother's room and his own, ventured out into the courtyard, his mind occupied with thoughts of how to catch Lily alone. However, she kept avoiding him, and Nora was trying to keep a watchful eye on Lily. When night fell, the doctor, his mother, and the others went to bed, leaving Nora in her mother's room and Lily alone in the servants' section.

Brian stepped outside; the air was dark and damp, but not very cold. The last snows of winter were melting, shrouded in a dense white fog. From the depths, near the bottom of the slope by the stream, the sounds of cracking could be heard; it was the ice breaking and snapping. Brian, avoiding puddles of melted snow on the frozen ground, approached the window of the servants' quarters. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it, and he struggled to breathe. Inside, a small lamp was burning. Lily sat at the table, her head in her hands, lost in thought. Brian stood still, watching her. He wondered what she would do. After a while, Lily raised her head and smiled weakly, as if she had resigned herself to her thoughts.

Listening to the sounds from outside, Brian sensed an enduring force silently at work. The ice continued to crack, and thin layers shattered like glass. Brian could read the turmoil inside Lily from her distant expression. Oddly, his feelings of sympathy for her only intensified his passion. It enveloped his entire being.

When he tapped on the window, Lily jolted as if struck by lightning, a look of agony on her face. As she approached the window and saw Brian, her seriousness surprised him; he had never encountered such a grave expression on her before. When Brian smiled, Lily smiled back tremulously, but her smile was laced with the fear in her soul. Brian gestured for her to come outside, but Lily shook her head no and continued to stand by the window. As Brian was about to call her, Lily turned toward the door and left the room; someone inside must have called her. Brian moved away from the window.