Scarlet Vows

10

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"Where are we?" Aren asked, trying to figure out where I had brought him. The tall beige coloured villa stared back at the both of us while I looked at it with a grin and Aren just stayed bewildered. Probably he expected me to take him to a party or buy him some drinks. I wondered if vampires liked our booze or not.

"This is my comfort place." I told him, "You will know why soon."

I led him towards the tall gate that opened into a wide garden. We were let in by the guards, obviously, since they recognised me instantly. I led him through the path lined by various rose plants of different colours -red, white, baby pink and peach. As we got closer to the intersection that will lead us right to our destination, I saw the small cherry tomato plants with fresh fruiting and smiled.

We took a left and the villa became visible in its full glory. And right there was a gazebo where four children sat down on a table, two of them playing some board game while the other two were busy doing their own thing, probably writing or drawing on their papers but it was not easy to know from our angle of sight. To the gazebo's right, there was a mini kid play space with swings and see saws. A few of the kids were playing there.

"These are a lot of children" Aren said. I turned to see how he was receiving all of it and found a small smile on his lips, his face a little more relaxed than it was in the car.

"There are lot more inside" I walk alongside him and reach the few steps that take us right into the villa.

"Seraaaaaa" The scream followed by the sound of stomping feet. And then, my favourite kid in the place grinned showing how he lost a few milk teeth on the front.

"Simon!" I spread my arms and bend down on one knee, beckoning him to come to me. Oh, he does. He runs enthusiastically, only to stop a few inches away from me, but clutch his arms together and give a tiny wiggle. I knew he wouldn't hug me. He was not comfortable. But, I spread my arms every single time to let him know that I love Simon immensely.

"You're back!" He shouts again, the volume of his voice several decibels higher than normal.

Some of the other kids there shut their ears and groaned. Some get up to find themself another spot. One daring young girl gave Simon a bemused look and said, "Don't shout. Please don't shout. You are so loud and I don't like loud. No...no...I don't."

"Okay" Simone said instantly, as if he was used to her correcting his tone, "Sera is here, Daisy! Sera, you know...you know..."

Daisy wasn't there but the little girl was getting agitated with Simon's screaming.

"Ahan, let me meet Sera first!" The mature female voice came from the stairs in front of us. Gliding down the staircase was a female in her mid fifties, with gorgeous long tresses, simple brown eyes and a wide smile. She had her hands clasped around a stick, green in colour with a round palm grip, extending to a tapering end. She always had it with her. It's her comfort object, something that keeps her nerves at bay and her mind sane and focussed. She had told me several times.

"Helen!" I almost scream excitedly and hear the disappointed whine of the girl who corrected Simon. I looked at her to see if she was doing okay and found that she was glaring at the floor. As soon as Helen reached the end of the stairs, the girl walked to Helen and said, "I don't like any of them! All are loud!"

Helen chuckled softly, "This is Amy." She introduced the girl to us, "Amy likes dolphins and Amy hates loud sounds"

"I saw dolphins..." I told slowly.

Amy spun around so fast that I struggled to lodge the laugh in my throat, not to let it out.

"You...you...saw dolphin?" She meets my eye for a split second and looks away immediately, a grin spreading on her beautiful baby face. She must be around the age of the twins.