by Dakota Lake
“Narmi wait,” I said.
But she ignored me. So I stood in front of the doorway blocking her escape.
“It's okay Narmi. You're not going to get into trouble for talking to me.” She looked up at me considering this. “Cam's not even here. He's away. Please.” She put her basket down on the table. “So you all know about my ability?” I asked. She nodded but didn't say anything. “Narmi was I bought here as a baby or was it all a lie? Has Cam been lying to me?” She looked at the floor. “I get that you don't want to tell me because you're frighted that you will get into trouble with Cam. But will you at least tell me what this place is? Where am I?”
“What do you mean?” she said.
“I mean what is this place? Where am I? Because the more I think about it the more obvious it becomes that this place isn't normal. Pink blackbirds are not normal.”
She frowned like she didn't have a clue what I was talking about.
“I don't understand what you mean Miss Ruby. This place has always been this way for as long as I can remember. I was even born here, my mother and father both worked for Master Cameron. This place looks no different to what it has always looked like.”
“Maybe to you, but I don't think I grew up with oranges that weren't orange. You are obviously used to it but I know what's normal and some of the things I've seen here are anything but normal. And I have a really bad feeling that I'm a long way away from normal.” I said.
Narmi looked at me confused, she had no idea what I was talking about. To her this was her home and everything outside was normal.
“Why were you told not to talk to me?” I asked.
“I don't know.” she said panicking.
“Narmi calm down, I only want to ask you a few questions.”
“We were told not to talk to you. Minimal talk if necessary and if you asked any inappropriate questions we were told not to answer them. We were also told not to have any thoughts around you, not to talk inside our heads.”
“So you really don't know where this place is? Does it even have a name?”
She shook her head thinking about it for a moment.
“I am only a servant Miss Ruby but I am sure there is someone else who will be able to answer your questions.”
“If you mean Emmett, I can't ask him anything. I think he knows everything that's going on but he's not going to share any of it with me. I don't even trust him, he would tell Cam straight away if I was asking questions.”
“What about the boy in the hat?” I assumed she was talking about Kenzie.
“Kenzie, I don't think he'll tell me anything, even if he wanted to he's too close to Cam.” “Maybe someone else, someone from the third floor.”
I looked at her and remembered the way Alex had been acting around her and the time I had caught him in the garden watching her. I might be able to get my answers from someone I wouldn't have even considered.
“Narmi, do you have a boyfriend?”
She smiled and giggled. “No of course not.”
“Oh are you too young to date?”
“No, I just haven't met anyone. My mother and father both met while they were working here and got married. I have always hoped I would meet someone and fall in love but no one really notices me.”
“I'm sure that's not true. In fact I'm sure I can think of one person that has noticed you. The name Alex mean anything to you?”
She smiled and picked up her basket.
“I'll take that smile as a yes. Are there rules on who you date?”
“No but it would have to be someone from the manor. I rarely go to the town only occasionally when the market is there. So it would make no sense to fall in love with someone from the town.” “So anyone in the manor, including the boys on the third floor?”
“Shhh! Don't be silly Miss Ruby. None of those boys would be interested in me and especially not this Alexander you speak of.” she said looking flustered.
“Hmm,” I replied formulating a plan inside my head.
“I have to get back to work.” she said smiling.
She appeared more relaxed around me, not as worried as before about talking with me. “Miss Ruby,” she said stopping at the door.
“Yes.” I replied.
“Cam has told me to report anything unusual or strange I might find in your bedroom back to him.” “Yes, I am sure he has. What about it?”
She reached into her basket and pulled out Mack's long sleeved black T-shirt.
“This doesn't look like something anyone from here would wear. It looks dirty and worn and covered in black stuff.”
“So are you going to show it to Cam?” I asked.
“I will keep your secrets Miss Ruby if you keep mine and don't tell Master Cameron that we have been talking.”
“Sounds fair.” I said.
She put the T-shirt back in her basket. “I will not ask you questions about where it came from or who it belongs to. But I think it would be best if I took it away and discarded of it, encase someone else sees it.”
I nodded but a small part of me was sad to see it go. It was the only real thing I had that reminded me Mack wasn't just my imagination. She left and I caught a glimpse of the clock. It was 8.45am lessons started in fifteen minutes.
Chapter Six
Grayson was back to his usual self during lessons, he spent most of the lesson commenting on the lovely whether which seemed to be getting warmer by the day. I wasn't overjoyed by the weather as it left me feeling uncomfortable and clammy in my tight dress. After lessons I went to the kitchen and helped myself to one of the freshly baked blueberry muffins off the side.
Alex and a couple of other boys walked passed the windows. He looked in and caught me watching him. It looked like he scowled at me, but he looked away so quickly I wasn't sure. But things made more sense to me now. Alex was annoyed with me because I was keeping Senka here. Alex wanted Senka to leave and travel with him but Senka had stayed because of me. I felt a tug on my heart strings. I knew Senka cared for me, would he have really taken my memories? It was the question I'd been asking myself since he'd walked out the door this morning. Alex was now leaving for work or maybe some other place, maybe even this town Narmi had mentioned. I would have to catch him later or another day. I knew what I wanted to ask him and now I think I had a way of making him talk.
I didn't want to be found today, I felt like hiding. I hadn't seen Emmett yet but I knew he wouldn't be too far away. Wherever I turned there was a guard or a servant and I felt like they were all watching me today. I felt suffocated. I went into one of the empty guest bedrooms, I doubted Emmett would look for me in there. I think I was safe from being found. It was one of the rooms I'd never been in before. The style of the room was more Victorian, the bed was much bigger than mine with a large curtain canopy over the headboard. The room was painted dark red with drapes to match and had a balcony the same as mine. I looked out the glass door and saw Emmett weaving his way through the garden hurrying away from one of the dogs. I went over to the bed which seemed much higher from the floor compared to mine, just trying to climb onto it took some effort. I pulled the blanket that was draped over the end up and covered myself over. There was no way I was getting under the covers they looked very heavy I would probably get stuck under them. I closed my eyes and focused on the one thing I wanted the most, the one person I wanted to see the most. The one I trusted the most.
It happened so quick I hadn't been expecting it. I blinked adjusting my eyes to the darkness. I was in some sort of tunnel. Lamps on the walls burned giving off a dim glow but it was still too dark. I saw a long chain attached to the wall with a handcuff on the end of it. It smelled of damp earth and fire, like bonfire smoke. The tunnel walls looked to be made out of rock and earth. I touched a section of the wall closer to the light. The wall appeared to glisten. On closer inspection I could see black glittery rocks embedded into the wall. I walked along the tunnel wondering where I was headed. What was this place? I heard a chain rattle
in the distance, I stopped moving and listened carefully. What if this was one of those realistic dreams I had been having recently? There could be a dangerous animal or monster up ahead. Panic set in, if I became injured down here would it affect me after I woke up? I could get bitten, I could lose a finger or a hand. The thought of it had me clenching my hands into fists keeping my fingers in. The chain up ahead rattled again and I found my feet walking towards the source of the noise. My curiosity getting the better of me again. I was probably walking towards my own death was the last thought I had before I heard someone coughing. I wasn't alone down here. At least the cough sounded human. I edged my way along the wall and slowly peeked around the edge trying to stay out of sight.
A boy with black hair stood holding onto the chain. He was shirtless and his back showed two long scars. He wore black cargo shorts and dirty boots and had one wrist chained to the wall. He coughed again and continued yanking at the chain causing it to rattle loudly. He stopped and fell against the wall sliding down the side, he pulled his legs up and rested his arms over his knees and hung his head down.
I slowly approached him. “Mack,” I whispered.
His head whipped up and he quickly stood up rushing towards me but the chain restricted him and he stumbled back a step. I closed the distance between us and flung my arms around his neck. I felt his arms around me pulling me closer to him. I eventually pulled back to get a better look at him. “Where are we? What's going on? Are we dreaming?” I said panicking.
“Shhh!” His hands found my face and his thumb brushed away a single tear that fell. “Ruby it's okay. You're safe.”
“I fell asleep it happened so quickly the last thing I remember was, I was thinking about you and I wanted to see you. Are you sleeping? Am I in your dream?” I said rushing my words as I looked at our surroundings.
“No I wasn't asleep. I was digging in my section, then it all went blank and I woke up here and everyone else had gone. You must have found a way to access my mind without me having to be asleep first. I think you somehow disabled me and took me away from it.”
“So are you asleep or not?”
“I don't know, I'll find out when I get back if I'm lying on the floor.”
“So where are we now?”
“I think you found a way to get to me wherever I am. This is where I was a moment ago but there were others.”
“This is crazy. I can't believe this is really happening.”
“At least you know you can get to me without me having to be asleep. Your mind is getting stronger.”
I shook my head. “I think someone might have erased my memories of my past. Permanently. So I may never get them back now.”
“Ruby if that was true you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't remember me. But somewhere inside of you, you still remember and you told me about the candles at your bedside. If someone had taken your memories permanently from you, the candles and witchcraft would no longer be necessary.” I stood quietly for a few moments thinking it over. Maybe I had been wrong to jump to such quick conclusions about Senka maybe he hadn't taken my memories. Mack shuffled around the floor, rubbing at his wrist where the handcuff had rubbed against his skin.
“Why are you chained up? Where are we?”
Mack watched me carefully.
“Where are we?” I repeated louder.
“The word for this place that you're most likely to recognise would be Hell. There are other names for this place but I'm guessing when I say Hell you get the general idea.”
“What? No that can't be right. You can't be in Hell.”
“Yes I can.” he said walking back to the wall and leaning against it.
“Okay so why are we.....no why are you in Hell? Are you dead?” The words had barely left my mouth before I clamped my hand over it.
“You can't be dead.” I said, my breathing had become unsteady.
“No. Not dead. I've had a lot of time to think about it and I'm pretty sure I'm not dead.” “How can you be so sure? You just told me you were in Hell. What are you on vacation down here?” I said loudly.
Mack laughed.
“What's so funny?”
“You.” he said looking up at me.
“Me?”
“Yes, I tell you I'm in Hell and you joke about it.” he said laughing. “That's so you.” “Mack concentrate. What are you doing in Hell?” I said nearly screaming it at him. “Well for a start I didn't die. I went to find your friend Carly. These idiots had kidnapped her probably thinking she was you. When I found her and Micah they were both been held inside some warehouse outside of Heaven's Point. I'd just entered the warehouse when a fire suddenly broke out, there were fallen running out everywhere but I still went in. I found Micah and Carly and managed to get them both out but then I went back inside to make sure you weren't in there. You'd run away from me an hour before and I wasn't sure if they had picked you up and were holding you somewhere in the warehouse. There was smoke everywhere, but smoke doesn't affect us like it affects humans it would take a lot more than smoke to kill us. The last thing I remembered was searching through the smoke then I felt something hit me on the back of my head and I mean something really hit me. Someone wanted me out cold. Then I woke up here chained up with the rest of the animals.”
“Animals?” I asked, silently wondering if I even wanted to know.
“Sick and twisted people the worst kind of humans. The ones that deserve to go to Hell. From what I've heard dead fallen don't get put down here they end up somewhere else, which makes me even more convinced I'm not dead. I think I was bought down here and locked up for some reason. I have no idea why though.” he said crossing his arms. “Welcome to my world.”
“Miss Ruby,” I heard Narmi's voice but it seemed to echo all around and bounce off the walls. I looked over at Mack but he hadn't heard anything. “What is it?” he asked.
“I think my maid is trying to wake me up. I can hear her calling me.”
“You should go.” he said walking over to me.
“Mack, I don't want to leave you. I can't...I can't leave you down here.” I looked up at him. “Ruby I'll be okay. Don't worry about me. Anyway you know how to find me now.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him. His hands slid up my arms and his fingers dug into the top of my arms as he pulled me closer to him. Then his lips came down on mine, they felt sore and cracked. I closed my eyes and stood in the moment letting him hold onto me tightly. When I reopened my eyes I was expecting to see him but he was gone.
Instead I saw red walls, I was back in the bedroom. I sat up still a bit overwhelmed and flustered from the kiss and didn't see Narmi holding a tray of food. My hand flew into it and knocked it to the floor.
“Narmi, I'm so sorry.” I said diving to the floor to help her. “You startled me.”
“It's my fault I shouldn't have interrupted you.”
I picked up the pieces of chopped fruit and put them back on the tray while Narmi soaked up the orange juice with a towel.
“You don't have to...” she started to say.
“It's fine I have two hands I can help.”
“Who's Mack?” she asked.
“What?” I replied placing the bowl back on the tray.
“Right before you woke up you said 'Mack, I don't want to leave you'.”
“It was just a dream, I can't even remember it now.” I said brushing it off as if it was nothing. She smiled. “I wanted to bring you some lunch. You've hardly eaten anything the past few days.” “How did you even find me?” I asked.
“I checked all the rooms.”
“All of them, how long have you been looking for me?”
“A while,” she laughed. “It's a nice day outside in the gardens, why don't you go and get a book to read and sit under the gazebo and I'll bring you out some fresh food. Emmett disappeared upstairs a while ago.” she said smiling.
Outside was warm and a faint breeze brushed my face but it didn't feel like enough for this heat. I felt like I wanted to
switch a fan on, it was a bit too hot today. I sat in the shade under the gazebo hoping Narmi wouldn't be too long as I really needed a drink to cool down. I distracted myself with the Rubik cube, the current novel I was reading lay unopened by my feet. I laid on my back twisting the colours going over the recent information I'd found out from Mack.
I closed my eyes but quickly reopened them, I was worried that if I concentrated too hard thinking about Mack I would end up back inside his head. Twice in one day might be too much. What if he didn't want me dropping by so often? But if he didn't want me there he wouldn't have kissed me. I felt the edge of my lips curl up in a smile at the thought of it. We had known each other before I lost my memory and I was starting to think we were more than just friends. Then I felt a small shred of guilt I had only been kissing Senka not too long ago, in some weird way it felt like I was cheating. But I wasn't even dating Senka, I didn't know what we were doing? I let out a frustrated sigh and dropped the Rubik cube, it rolled off the cushions and out of sight.
Someone dropped down onto the cushions above my head. I craned my head up to see Kenzie. “Come on it's not that hard, You nearly had it.” he said twisting the Rubik cube.
I sat up and spun around to face him.
“It's too hot.” I complained.
“How about a dip in the pool? I'm back now until after dinner.” he said.
My last visit to the pool was blurry but I still had an outline in my head and it wasn't good. “Okay, but make sure I don't drink too much or fall asleep in the pool.”
“I think I can keep you entertained enough not to fall asleep.” Kenzie replied laughing. I couldn't be bothered to go all the way back to my bedroom to change into my bathing suit so I pinched Kenzie's vest that he'd left at the side of the pool before diving in wearing only his underwear.
“Turn around while change.” I ordered Kenzie.
He laughed and floated on his back. I quickly changed out of my dress and pulled on his vest tying the bottom into a knot. Kenzie didn't care what I looked like and neither did I, so the vest and panties would do just fine. I jumped in sending waves in his directions. We floated around for a little while and soon enough Narmi arrived with a new tray full of food and snacks. “Thanks,” I called to her.
