Strong Body, Fragile Hearts

Her Gardener, Left Behind

Bells POV

I awoke in a strange room with a scream. Finni jerked up, he appeared to have been sleeping in a chair next to the bed. "Ellie, its all right, calm down!" Finni tried to sooth me. He brushed my hair out of my face, I flinched back from him. Hurt washed over his face and he pulled back. I scooted to the other side of the bed. Away from him.

"Ellie, I don't understand. What's wrong? We saved you." Finni asked me confused. I curled up into a ball and whispered, " Dagger liked you. So did Wendy and Beast." Finni jerked back as if he had been burned with the mention of my now...dead friends. "They didn't want to hurt anyone. But you killed them. You shot Dagger over and over, when all he was trying to do was protect Beast. You blew Beast up. You shot Peter and Wendy. and you, my sweet gardener who I screamed for when I heard the first crash actually battered Jumbo to death. I never thought you capable of such violence." I sneered and let out a bitter laugh. "Clearly I was wrong." I put my head in my lap and began to weep, weep for them, no matter what they had done to me in their final hours. They had been my family and Finni, Mey-Rin and Bard had slaughtered them all. I payed no mind to Finni's exit from the room. I could only sob in deep pain.

Hours Later...

No one had come to check on me since Finni had left. I was glad I didn't want to see their faces and be reminded of the murderers that lived inside them, any of them. I stood and tried the door handle. It was locked. Not to be deterred, I unlatched the window and climbed out. I saw a ledge beneath my window. I swung out and dropped onto the ledge. I began to walk along to edge until I reached the corner of the house. I slid down, landing into the one place I least wanted to be. The garden.

I wanted to turn and run, to leave without a word. Instead, I turned and moved towards the garden. I came to the place where my life had come crashing down. Where Finni and I had kissed for the first time. Where Joker had initiated his scheme that would lead to the deaths of almost every first stringer. I was still alive, Snake was probably still alive. Doll and Joker I had no idea if they were alive. Everyone else was dead. I sank to the ground and began to weep. They were all dead, killed in front of me. What scared me most was what Finni had done. He had killed Jumbo without a second thought and then proceeded to hunt Dagger and Beast done. It didn't affect him at all. How could I love some one who had that little of a conscience?

"Who might you be?", a smooth voice asked. I scrambled to my feet. Black. I didn't now what his real name was. He had tried out with the little boy in the circus. "You're one of the circus performers. How did you escape from the room you were kept in?" I glared at him. I didn't know him and I didn't want to know another servant who might be a murderer on the inside. " Not in the mood for talking, hm?" Black continued. His tone was amused and that irritated me. No one seemed to be respecting the fact that I was stuck in a house full of murderers!

I was done. I swung at the man with a right hook that he dodged with apparent ease. I was infuriated I began to swing at him wildly. "If you continue to act like a child I will be forced to discipline you." He warned, a crack of irritation breaking across his calm veneer. I smiled with satisfaction. I continued to swing, refusing to let up. As the butler swung out at me I performed a back handspring.His eyes widened in surprise as I sprung back at him, expecting to feel the impact of my feet into his smug countenance. I feel a hand enclose around my ankle and hurl me into the fountain. I gasp for air as I surface, coughing. "I did warn you. Now will you come back into the house quietly or shall I have to force you?" I glared at him, but stood and allowed myself to be led back into the house of horrors.

As we entered the building, Finni ran over to us. "Oh Ellie thank goodness, Mey-Rin, Bard, and I have been looking for you everywhere.", he exclaimed. I cringed at the mention of their names. "Sebastian where did you find her?" Finni asked Black. I blinked then turned towards Sebastian. "You are Sebastian? The one who cooks the food?" He nodded, "Yes, what of it?" I glared at the floor, "You make excellent sandwiches." Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian turned to Finni, "This was the girl that you had over? Hm..."Turning back towards me the butler continued, "The young master wishes to speak to one of the survivors. Finnian will take you to your room, Mey-Rin has allowed you to use one of her old outfits in replacement of your wet clothes. I will then collect you and take you to the young master's study." I felt gentle fingers close around my hand. I jerked my arm away and my gaze rose to meet Finni's hurt one. I held it, hoping he could see my pain. Then I dropped it.