Love Of A Stranger (On Hold)

Part Three

A's Note

I had this and the next part written for a couple of days now. The hold up was because I wasn't sure on the amount of detail to put in it. The main character is blind but this isn't a POV story. Its my first time writing as an all knowing third party watching the characters life unfold like a well scribed play. So from the advice given to me by my friend I have decided to ignore the fact that Eloise is blind and put the detail in there anyway. This chapter is decatied to him. I hope you like it. Please COMMENT and VOTE  if you like it :D

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Part 3

Eloise listened to Bowen’s footsteps. When she heard the door to his bedroom close she got out of the bed and held out her arms. She carefully walked forward until she reached the wall. She then traced her hand along the flat wall going to the right. She found a door and twisted the metal knob.

 To her surprise it opened and she fell in, landing on a tile floor. She felt around the tiny sea green bathroom and found a window. It was too small for her to fit through. She left out the bathroom and continued to trace her way around the bedroom. She found another door and that one was locked. It was the door that exited the room. She found an empty closet and long dresser with at least nine drawers before she reached the windows in the bedroom.

She pulled back the crème colored curtains embroidered with rich chocolate lace that matched the carpet and comforter in the bedroom.  The double pane window was locked but when Eloise flipped the latch, she was able to slide the window open.

“This is too easy.” She said as a cold breeze filled the room. The window had a diamond pattern screen. After a few minutes of fiddling with the window screen Eloise got it off. She climbed up onto the windowsill only to find out that the window was barred.

 She kicked the floral wrought iron bars a few times to make sure they weren’t just for show. Feeling defeated she climbed down from the windowsill and staggered he way back to the queen sized bed.

“There has to be a way out.” She sighed laying in the middle of the bed. She fell asleep trying  to think up another plan.

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A few hours later she was awaken by the cold. She returns to the window and holds her hand out. She could still feel a little of the heat from the sun. There was still time for her to escape. There was still hope. Armed with a new plan she took the screen and went to the bedroom door.

 Going to the door again she realized the door wasn’t solid but made with planks, it was similar to a wooden fence. The door wasn’t professionally done so there was error to its construction. There were gapes and loose planks.

Eloise bent the metal frame of the screen until it snapped. Then used the metal part to pry apart the wooden door. When she got the three planks that went across down. She kicked at the door. The two middle planks came loose. She used her hand to take the rest of the planks down to squeeze though. Eloise was out of the room but she still wasn’t free.

She sat on the floor right outside the room with the mangled door and listened. She could hear Bowen’s steady breathing he was still asleep.

She was going to feel for the front door and pull it apart like the bedroom door. As she felt her way around the room she bumped into something that didn’t feel like wood. The surface was hard and flat but covered in some kind of cloth material. It didn’t feel like a wall at all and it was warm. As she ran her hands across it trying to find out what it was when it moved.

Eloise jumped back and tripped over the rug but was caught before she could hit the floor. She was then lifted back up onto her feet. “You destroyed my door.” Bowen said with the girl in his arms. She was speechless. She could have sworn he was asleep.

“If you weren’t so loud you might have gotten away. All that kicking woke me up.” He smiled at her. He was impressed by her boldness and smarts.

She stood with her mouth open and his arms still wrapped around her waist. Bowen slipped a finger under her chin and closed her mouth. “You’ll catch flies.” She couldn’t believe she had been so foolish to kick at the door and make all that noise.

He let go of her and walked to the front door.

Eloise stood frozen like a statue. She didn’t escape which meant she would never go home. She would never again her mother’s voice or smell her perfume.

Her fate was sealed she was to marry this man or die. At the moment both seemed to be equal choices.

“I’m taking you home. Come on.” Bowen said from the door. Snapping Eloise back into reality.

“ What?” She knew this had to be some kind of trick. Or that maybe she heard him wrong.

He took her by the hand and guided her out the door. The cold November air nipped at them. Eloise tried to pay attention to the direction that they were going and how long they were walking. She still had hopes that Bowen’s offer would still stand when they made it to where ever they were going.

“If you manage to escape I won’t chase you. Even though it is very unlikely you will ever escape.” His words echoed in her head.

 They walked until they reached the sounds of a babbling brook.

“Where are we going?” Eloise asked. There was no river in the woods that she knew.

“Home.”

“Mine?” She asked full of hope.

“Ours.”

They reached a stone bridge with a headway covered in ivy that crossed the river. They stopped in front of it.

“Klaatu Barada Nikto.” Bowen bellowed out.

When they stepped onto the bridge and cross it, the world around them begins to change. Everything is moving and morphing in to something new.  When they reached the end of the bridge they were in another world. There wasn’t any snow it wasn’t even winter. The warmth of spring greeted them with open arms. Eloise could smell the large gardens of flowers that surrounded the estate.

“Where are we?” Eloise asked confused by the warmth of this place.

“Your back…and who is this young lady you have with you?” An elderly man dressed in a tailored suit asked. He came descended the stairs of the mammoth building that Bowen called home.

Bowen pushed her forward slightly to get her to answer. “Eloise Hirsch.” She answered in a weak voice.

“Pleasure to meet you Ms. Hirsch.” He took her hand and kissed it. Her nose was filled with the strong smell of peppermints.

“I like the name Eloise. It’s pretty.” A much younger girl said behind the elderly man. She had black hair and grey eyes like Bowen. “I’m Juniper but you can call me Juni or Jun if you want, Eloise.”

“Juniper. Find a room for Eloise to stay in.” Bowen told the girl.

“Of course. This way Eloise.” Juniper said as she walked to the door. She noticed that Eloise didn’t follow. “Well come on. What are you waiting for?”

“She’s blind.”

“Oh.” Juni said coming back down the stairs and taking Eloise by the hand. “That’s okay. I’ll just lead the way.” Eloise and Juniper disappeared into the house.

“You’re never brought one back so young.” The old man said to Bowen as they watched the girls leave.

“Yes Daniel. But there was something about this one.”