His HOPE

Chapter 1

Hope

Lightness. That's the best word for the emotion I'm feeling right now. My usual state of heaviness in my heart has surprisingly disappeared and I couldn't be happier. I blinked my eyes and tried to adjust them against the bright rays of the sun. Warmth rushed in my veins when my eyes landed and scrutinized the beautiful front yard of the unfamiliar but most beautiful and homely house.

I felt unaccustomed soothing feeling under my bare feet and looked down at its source. There was wet grass, tingling and soothing my soft skin under the feet and making my body feel peaceful and calm.

It was a beautiful and sunny day but the cool breeze was unashamed fully grazing my soft skin, blowing my long curls on my face and engulfing my body, causing goose bumps to appear on my neck and arms. I looked down at my white floral dress, shaking my head with displeasure at its thin fabric and its incapability of covering my legs as it ended just at my mid-thigh.

Anyway, deciding to ignore my under-dressed situation, I decided to look at the beauty of the house that was right in front of my eyes. It was a two-story, with a grand and gleaming entrance. There was a huge water fountain in the middle of it, which was surrounded by statues of fairies and angels. Royalty and sovereignty were dripping from its lavish walls and each brick.

My lips shaped in awe at the sight of it. I've never read nor imagined this kind of beautiful house even in my favorite fantasy novels.

The grand front door of the house made me curious. It was edging me to get a quick sneak peek into the inside world and reluctantly, I moved my hesitant steps towards it.

I've always been a curious person, but I know better than to give in to my curiosity. I very well know how dangerous it can be to walk into an unfamiliar environment, which sadly is the whole world to me except the old book store that I've gotten in inheritance from my Grandma and Pa. For me, that store is the whole world and the books in it are my only acquaintances and friends.

Except Watson.

Watson Hendrix.

My lips naturally turned upwards at the thought of him.

"Stop, I'll fall." Suddenly a squeaky voice with laughter came from nowhere and halted my immediate step that was taking me towards the front door.

Shit. I totally forgot there might be the residents of this lavish house around here.

That's too much of the adventure for today, little Hope. It's time to go back or else Pa will again start panicking if he finds out that I again tried to sneak out.

I was shaking my head with a sheepish smile at his over-protectiveness for me when the bucket of reality soaked me.

He's gone, Hope.

He is no more in this world.

He has left me too. Just like Grandma.

The reality hit me harder than the lightning strike and I stumble on the stone that hit my bare foot out of nowhere and almost made me fall.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts of another loss of my life, I took my steps back. Only to be stopped when the laughter from earlier again came into my hearing. Only this time, it was accompanied by the male's chuckle too. Their voices gave me an unusually warm feeling in my stomach and I don't know why but a lump started building in my throat. My body was immensely getting affected by those voices but my mind remained indifferent.

I don't know why but my usual control over my curiosity and mind became weak and involuntarily my legs started following the voices. The sound of their laughter was coming from the back side of the house. And, I don't know how but my steps became confident. As if they know where to find those voices. My mind was blank as usual but my body was getting more and more electrifying with each passing step.