Petals floating by

Chapter: A place of shudders

An involuntary shudder went through my body. I rubbed my underarms, trying to make the goosebumps dissapear. We were standing in the great hall of the Manor, we being Aaron and I. I was way colder than I was when we were outside; the big, stone walls of the Manor, did a very good job at isolating the place. Too bad it also blocked out the summery heat from outside.

"Great place, huh?" Aaron said, a vague smile turning the corners of his mouth up. I didn't answer, right now being very aware that it was him who had brought me into this situation. I felt him looking at me, but i kept my glance at the grey wall of stone. I felt like the heavy walls were caging me in, I'd had that feeling every time I was in this hall as an infant. Aarons eyes were still plastered to my face as he said: "Ahh come on now, no need to be angry with me for very much longer, Lilyflower."

Now I looked at him, narrowing my eyes, trying to make him feel as if being burnt up by my gazing. "Do you know what you have done?" I spat, my voice filled with as much despise as I could produce. He seemed a little taken aback by my anger. He moved a little, seeming quite uncomfortable. It satisfied me the very most to see him like this. He grunted:

"Hey now, don't be this mad. I did you a favor actually." He had the courage to say.

"A favor?" I hissed. "You've just taken my whole life away from me. So, what did they promise you? Glory and forever fortune? PATHETIC." I screamed the last word. The high pitched sound echoed back from the stony walls and enveloped me and Aaron, who's face was afflecting pure confusement. "Taken away your life? What do you-"

I continued without letting him finish: "Get out, go enjoy yourself, you've done enough. Go claim your gold, or whatever they've promised you. And while you're at it, maybe you could go drown yourself."

He stepped very close, grabbing me by the shoulders. His hazel eyes looked straight into mine: "What the hell do you mean: taken away your life?" His voice was very loud.

A little shocked by Aaron's sudden change of mood I said, not sounding quite as angry as before: "You've brought me here. They'll ruin me." All of the anger went out of my voice at that last sentence. Instead it was replaced by fear. Awfull, defeating fear.

Aaron's face twisted into a puzzled expression. He opened his mouth to say something, ask me something maybe, but then closed it again.

A sudden sound of footsteps made me flinch. I quickly turned my head in the direction of the sound. A broadbacked, blonde man was approaching from one of the corridors. He stopped and looked at Aaron holding me. Aaron slowly backed away, still with the puzzled look across his face.

I looked at the man in front of me. He looked so different from the enraged guy who tried to stroke me this morning, wearing his formal clothes, seeming all in controll. But I could swear that I saw a mad sparkle in his azurblue eyes. "This way." He said, all polite. Not at all wanting to recognize the violent turnout of our crossed paths earlier today. But then again, he probably weren't as drunk anymore.

"This way," James said again, guiding me towards the corridor, completely ignoring Aaron, who stood there, arms down his sides, looking confused and slightly angry. "I'll take you to Mama."

Oh help me.