Runaway Slave

Full of Surprises

She found a vase for the daisies putting them on the fireplace for now. She looks at the colors she has to choose from. She goes for the caribbean which took a couple days to get that color. She was happy with the results, though it was the perfect amount of dark and light mix together. She slowly starts painting the walls before getting tired. She takes a break halfway through for lunch then she goes back to painting the other half. While the first coat dries she looks at the fireplace and decides it needs a good cleaning. She finds a bucket then adds soap with water. She starts washing it making sure nothing is lit in it. She takes a bath when she is done leaving the living room alone for the night. She heads to the upstairs hallway looking at the massive entry way for the hallway.

"This will take a week by myself.."

She shakes her head but at least looks at the paint colors and decides to paint the hallways the same colors as the entrance. She starts working on the hallway until it got too late to do anything. When she woke up the next morning she got started doing the second coat in the living room and the beginning of the upper half of the house. She gets halfway done and starting on the corner when the door swings open.

"I'm home, Claire?" calls Alexander

"Upstairs, don't go into the living room, the paint is still wet," says Claire.

Alexander goes upstairs to see that Claire has started on the upstairs half. Claire hands him a paint brush.

"Don't come home in clothes that you are afraid to get paint on," says Claire.

"*laughs* Fair enough," says Alexander.

"We need to start decorating the bottom half tomorrow," says Claire.

"Alright, what about tonight?" asks Alexander.

"Well after we finish this wall it needs to dry so I don't know what to do tonight..." says Claire.

"Why not go out with me tonight?" asks Alexander.

She blinks not expecting that but thinks about the danger.

"Are you sure it's safe?" asks Claire.

"Where we are going, most definitely," assures Alexander.

"Uh..okay," says Claire.

"Great, put on a slim dress trust me the big ones will be too much for where we are going," says Alexander.

Claire nods not knowing what else to say when they finish up, Alexander excuses himself to the bedroom telling her to meet him downstairs by sunset. She agrees going into her closet she finds a slim yellow dress that has a hat to match putting it on as well after pinning back her hair. She meets Alexander downstairs she blinks surprised to find him in a button up shirt with some blue jean trousers on and some sneakers.

"My don't you look stunning," says Alexander.

"Thank you, Alexander you look handsome yourself...where are we going?" asks Claire.

"It's a surprise," says Alexander.

He offers his arm she takes it gently trusting him to do her right tonight. She doesn't know where she is going but likes this side of him. A little while later she is surprised to find that they are in the woods. He takes her hand leading her inside the woods being careful. She doesn't know where she is going so squeezes his hand out of fear. 

"I won't hurt you," says Alexander. 

She doesn't say anything just lets him lead her where he wants feeling regret that she trusted him. He smiles looking out in front of him is a cabin in the woods near the lake. She looks at the place surprised at where she was brought. He unlocks the door on the cabin leading her inside the beautiful place. The cabin has a fire place, a closet, small bathroom, a big kitchen, and one bedroom. 

"My apologies..I will take the couch tonight," says Alexander. 

"Alexander...what is this place?" asks Claire. 

"Home actually, this was my mother's place," says Alexander. 

"But...the place in the city..." 

"That is home too but nothing compares to this place. This will forever be my home, after my mother died I worked my way up to my wealth I wasn't born into wealth Claire. My...father....hired me out of pity. He says he loved my mother dearly and me but he left me and her to starve every month. I took nothing from him, I kept this place to get away from it all. My father owns the house we stay at. I only took that so I would have a warm place to stay. The stuff in the house though, I earned  that." 

Claire sees that he is getting uncomfortable so squeezes his shoulder gently in a comforting manner. She makes some fish for dinner that he catches that night and gives him the extra blanket for the couch. She warms up the cabin for the night shyly kissing his cheek gently. 

"Your mother would be so proud of you, Alexander." 

She smiles seeing a smile play across his sleeping face as she goes to bed for the evening. The next morning she goes out to fish herself. She finds the right equipment and copies what she saw Alexander do the night before letting him sleep in that night. She finds an old photo that has been smashed, so she leaves a note on the table telling him not to worry about the missing photo and that she would be back that evening to wait for her. She knows that this is a dangerous task but feels that he is worth it. She knows she will have to say she is in town for her master but doesn't mind. She hopes that Alexander sleeps until she returns later.