Call Me Eden [ON HOLD]

Fourteen

A strange mixture of iron and coal instantly hit my nostrils as I stepped foot into my brightly, lit room. The smell was invited along with the pleasant feeling of a strange sensation of relief.

I took a few more steps into the room, noting other things around me, making myself adapted to my new surroundings. To one side of the narrowed crafted room stood rusty metal bed, a bedside wooden table alongside it. Despite its rough looking structure, the silky innocent sheets wore an immaculate aura, its soft large mattress urging me to go and rest. Right across the bedside table was another door, probably leading to the bathroom.

From across the two properties hung a circular mirror were a looming, dirty reflection stared back at me. Her eyes held so much hate, love, guilt, regret. It made no sense whatsoever.

I tore my weary eyes away and fixed my stare on the window halfway covered by silky, slightly transparent curtains, dancing gracefully against the floor with the wind, rushing in through the open window. I strode towards it, no longer being conscious of my filthy body and clothes. Although I wasn't used to wearing such things, I didn't really take much thought into it anymore as I locked my eyes onto gaze down at the bustling crowd. They were all clinking their heels away through the hard, dried mud underneath their heels, not taking any notice and stopping only for brief smiles to each other.

A gesture of respect.

I sealed my gaze towards the small markets that had hemmed the village together, a few other small marts almost emerged together within The Camp, opposite the entrance. In the center of the The Camp stood a beautiful fountain filled with pure streaming water. It was a simple bowl-shaped made up of an irregular pattern of bricks. A single jet within the second bowl sprayed the pure, sterile water up into the air, dripping back down in the process.

A smile tug at my lips as I saw a small child draw to the fountain and slip some water in his hands and into his mouth. He had a natural bleach to his hair that would have been easily mistook for white. As he turned, his pale skin glowered through the sunlight and had such green eyes that could easily pierce through someone. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

And then his eyes finally settled on mine.

Before he made any other move a tall, lean man with jet black hair joined him but the child's eyes were still sealed on mine. A small smile emerging onto his lips as he continued to stare at me.

The man seemed to want to discuss something with the child, but he payed no attention to him. Suddenly, the man- with a run through his hair, glanced to where the child's attention was at.

By reflex, I moved from the window as I heard the knock on the door.

The door creaked halfway open, revealing an old maid from the other side. She didn't step inside before smiling gently at me.

"May I come in?"

I suddenly was brought back to my stance and walked to the door, fully sweeping it open, giving her room to enter. "Please do."

She had a few set of elegant clothing in her hand folded immaculately. On the other hand she held a piece of bag that held no clue as to what's inside. She headed for the bed and laid down the clothing and bag. Turning her back to me. She wore worn out clothes but looked as though it was knitted back into place. She had grey hair, salty specs of strands shining in the sunlight as it hit her hair through the window.

She straightened up and faced me fully. After a few moments of utter silence she spoke. "Do you want to get out of those clothes, deary?" She said, a gentle smile playing at her lips.

I looked down at my clothes and felt the blush creep through visibly on my cheeks.

An hour had already passed with me and the maid- Janet- who had introduced herself to me, brushing my hair mildly in the bath. She refused to leave me alone and always craved to care for people. She told me she wasn't able to have a child, partially due to the fact that she was 56 years of age.