UNKNOWN

Chapter 2/ Sylvana

You might laugh at me, but the first thing I did after stepping the foot outside was curse. Thanks to the rush, I forgot to take my to-do list for today. But I guess I never made such a problem out of it because I have a really good memory. So I imagined the list as if it was right before my eyes.

1. Water the garden

2. Do the laundry

3. Pick up the flowers

4. Visit the store and sell the flowers

5. Pay a visit to granny and check how she's doing

,,Fuuh" I sighed.

I looked up at the sky again and knew, that I won't be able to finish all of this definitely. I debated with myself a little bit and chose to pick up the flowers first. So I ran to the garden. The garden was situated behind the house. It wasn't too much big, but it was enough for me and my mom to grow our flowers. From my granny I know, that the flowers have to be picked up in the morning after the dew has dried. It is not good to pick them up during the heat of the day. While I was checking the flowers and picking up the right ones, I was thinking about what my granny used to tell me. When I was a little girl, I was always close to her. She was the closest person to me. With my mom always running around the house and trying to make some money, it was hard for me to make some close connection with her. In the start I was angry with it. Many girls in my age had perfect and whole families, with their moms being their best friends...I never really had the chance. But as I grew, I understood everything. Mom was doing it all for me and I'm grateful. While she was taking care of me physically, my granny used to care for me mentally. There were times when she had enough strength and she came to our house every night to tell me stories. Fairytales, which became later stories as I grew, about love and friendship. The ones I grew fond of, were the stories about mysteries and love. Usually it was the forbidden love or when the good person fell in love with the bad one. I never really understood why I'm being so captivated by the villains. Normal people like the heroes, no? So why I was so curious about villains and their stories? I thought of me strangely, until my granny told me, that "even a villain deserves the love, cuz also he was a good person once. Villains are not born, they are created". And I think she was right. I kept dreaming about meeting one of my own villains and be the one, that will show them the love. But as the time went and I grew, those wishes became just a part of those stories...and my wish about the villain, just my memory.

I finished picking up the flowers and I bought them inside the house. I took the vase, filled it with water and put the flowers inside, leaving the vase on the table. I went into the bathroom and took the clothes, that had to be washed. As I walked out of the house, I also took the bucket and start my walk towards the lake. As I got to the lake, I looked around and checked my surroundings.

,,No one...as always" I smiled. I'm not the loner but I enjoy some time alone. Mostly while working, because it gives me the space for my singing. I never really made my own song and I don't think I ever will. When I'm singing it's just a melody, that I'm humming and it's enough for me. So I sit down on the shore and dipped the first piece of clothing in. The water felt cold against my skin but also really refreshing and the small lake fishes nibbled on my fingers which made me laugh softly and I started to sing.

The singing brought me peace and I forgot about the world around me. So I kept singing and washing. When I finished with the last piece of clothing, I stopped singing and dumped everything into the bucket slowly getting up without any emotions. And it would last this way, if it wouldn't be for the man behind me, leaning against the tree.

I screamed. ,,Who are you? And why were you just standing there?"

The man looked down and smiled, while taking a step closer to me. Then he looked up at me and said: ,,I'm sorry miss. It seems that I got a little bit lost in those woods, but then I heard your lovely voice and followed it. Hoping, that there will be someone able to help me"

Only now I looked at him fully and acknowledged his appearance. Tall, skinny but build really nicely, with the muscles hugging his bones. Wavy dark brown hair, almost black falling down to his neck and the face looking so smooth and nicely shaved. Dressed in long black pants and long black buttoned up coat. I noticed he's not holding any bag, which is funny for the lost traveller. The only thing I couldn't make out were his eyes because of the distance.

,,And how long you've been standing there?" I asked.

,,Long enough for me to know that your voice is really extraordinary" He smiled at me again and this time something in his smile, made shivers go over my back.

,, Well that's not really polite of you. You scared the hell out of me" I said and took the step back.

He took the step towards me and I backed away again. ,,I am really really sorry. I hope you can take my apology".

As he was stalking slowly towards me, I started to feel as a prey that he's trying to get to. I was thinking about the response, when I heard the thunder and quickly looked up into the sky. It was really close to rain.

I breathed in and looked back to the stranger, only to find him right before me. This time I lost my balance and almost fell down into the lake, if it wouldn't be for the strong arms wrapping around my waist. As I looked up into his face, I kept panting and trying to whizzle out only to find that my own body isn't listening to me. It was mesmerized by his eyes. Two dark blue eyes staring into mine almost looking black.

"Interesting color" I thought to myself.

It seemed like the time stopped and then the stranger spoke. ,,Careful darling. We do not want you to get hurt, do we?"

I just kept breathing, not being able to say the word. Then the stranger pulled me up to my feet and let go of me.

,,I think I deserve a thank you, but maybe we'll leave it for another time" He came closer to me again. Close enough for me to feel his breath on my left ear as he got down to it.

,,Don't forget your clothes darling" He said.

And only then I felt that I'm no longer holding my bucket.

I looked down and found it close to my feet. I must have dropped it when he scared me.

,,You should go back home. It's getting dark and close to raining" he breathed down onto my neck and sent shivers down my spine again.

,,I'll see you soon...Sylvana" and suddenly his breath disappeared. I looked back up and found him no longer there. The man just vanished into the air.

I quickly got down and took the bucket. Then I stood up and started to run to my house.

And as I was running, there were only two thoughts in my mind. The first one was: "Why didn't he ask for the help anymore?"

And the second one: "How did he know my name...?"

The man was a real mystery.