by Anna Collins
Danny brought the car to a halt. "Frey, please look at me. I'm sorry" he touched me by the shoulder and I looked at him.
"See Freya, you know me, I never dress up this much for anyone. But today I'm wearing this white dress shirt and blue jeans because you said you like to see good-looking guys in white" he blinked.
That made me smile "oh it means, you are trying to announce that you are good-looking?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have a doubt on that?" he asked in disbelieve.
"Maybe a little. I think you are overestimating yourself" I teased.
A frown became apparent on his face, "really? Then what about the girls who go all ga-ga over me?"
"Umm...maybe they are blind" I pursed my lips to stop myself from smiling.
He furrowed his eyebrows as he caught me laughing then he too smiled and kept looking at me.
"What? Now don't tell me, I look bad because that's not going to offend me" I pouted.
"I can never say that, because you are breathtakingly beautiful" he whispered in a trance-like manner and the intensity of the moment almost caught me.
What the hell was that? Was he trying to hit on me?
I shook my head and the next moment I stepped out of the car. Jeez! how much I needed that fresh gust of air.
Oh, that's why he had stopped the car, we were right in front yard of Tipple Apple Restaurant. I was standing on the grass carpet, surrounded by trees that had twinkling white star-lights on them. The unruly gusts of wind felt a bit rough against my bare arms. And I cursed myself immediately for wearing this half-sleeved bottle green dress, at least it went below my knees. Seeing Danny's weird behavior, I regretted getting out of the home in the first place.
Did he know that the sizzlers of this restaurant are my extreme favorite? Ahh! Kate! That bitch might have given him a full list of my likes and dislikes. At that moment I just wanted to punch her right on that makeup covered face of hers.
"Frey, is everything okay?" Danny asked while locking the car.
God! This was super awkward; I didn't know what to say to him. Freya, relax. You are just overreacting, maybe you are getting it wrong, Danny can't hit on you. I took few deep breaths and decided to follow the suggestion of my inner voice.
"Hello, Freya, you were never so dull like this. Man! I'm feeling like I'm hanging out with a lifeless dummy. You used to be so fun" he shook his head.
Whoa! Now he is acting all casual and friendly? Ugh! Guys, when will I ever understand them. I shook my head.
"Now don't give me that you-are-mad-Danny look. I just lose my track around you. I can't control my feelings anymore" he held my hand and looked deeply into my eyes.
No, Not again.
"Feelings? What feelings?" my eyes popped out in shock as I almost jumped.
"Cool down, your face is scaring me" he gulped.
Really? Then what about your words?
It was so damn uncomfortable. I kept looking here and there to avoid his please-love-me face. Ahh, I so wished Robert was here if he was here he would have pulled me into his arms by wrapping his hand around my waist and his claiming eyes and lethal attitude would have given Danny the perfect answer.
But then again, it was nothing but a segment of my imagination. My life was not a fairytale and neither was Robert Hudson a prince charming. He was the villain of my life, the blood-sucking Dracula.
"Freya!" Danny shook me by the shoulders.
I looked up to him "Danny, this conversation is getting too heavy for me" I blurted out.
He sighed and left my shoulder, then looked down. "I know, and I am sorry. It was not my plan to blurt out my feelings like this. But you are looking so beautiful and it seemed like a perfect chance as you might need a shoulder to cry on" he said and then shut his eyes tightly as if he had regretted his last words.
Shoulder to cry on? Was he even for real? Now this was a direct hit to my self-respect, what did he think of me? Was I the kind of girl who kept smearing her mascaras by crying on the shoulders of guys? And on top of that, he thought that I would take him as a rebound?
My fist clenched, enough of politeness, now I needed to show him a hint of Freyaness. I rolled my eyes "cry on your shoulder? And then? What else have you planned for this night, Danny?" the tone of my voice raised automatically, some people who were around us and were entering or leaving the restaurant, we attracted their attention.
"Hush, Freya. People are looking at us" Danny whispered, gripping on my wrist.
I jerked away his hand "I don't care" I uttered.
"Please Freya, don't react like this sweety. This is totally new for me. You know what, just forget everything I said. Frey, I'm your friend, I'm your old brainless Danny. That's what you used to say me right?" he touched my face.
"God! Freya, you look hotter when you are angry" he said in almost in a trance-like manner.
I slapped on his hand "don't you dare try these silly pickup lines on me" I warned and instead of getting angry he laughed.
"Okay, I will do everything you say, but please don't go away from my life. Slap me, abuse me, yell at me, but don't ever hate me Freya. Please," he urged.
A part of me was almost touched by his sweet recitation but again, none of my parts were working properly, Robert had damaged them already.
Maybe my emotions got mixed up or something like that but I just wanted to cry loudly, like a baby. Everything just looked so messed up, my emotions, my life, and my existence.
"Danny don't behave like this, you are my friend. You, Kate and Rick, are everything I have. Everyone abandoned me and I can't bear the burden of any more broken relationships" I sighed, feeling extremely tired.
The people who were staring at us were bored and got busy in their own works.
"I am sorry" he held both his ears.
"Let's just forget that this conversation ever took place. Okay?" I asked, removing his hands from his ears.
He held my hand and smiled "great now can we go and eat something? I am starving" he made a puppy face.
I smiled and nodded my head in yes.
***
The glowing embers leaped and twirled in a fiery dance; flickering, weaving under the spell it was sparked into. Soon the blazing fire transformed itself into a big hexagon which got brighter and brighter with every movement of her blood- red lips.
The foul Smell of rust drifted through the house like incense. The powerful smell and the dense puff of white smoke almost made the scene look like a dream. Any normal person would have gotten senseless and not to mention extremely weak in that ominous environment, but again Rebecca didn't fell under the general definition of a human being.
Rebecca closed her eyes and it seemed like she was listening to something very carefully.
"Master is very upset and this can only mean disaster for us" she murmured to herself.
Then she opened her eyes and looked around as if trying to find something. When she saw no one, a slight hint of disappointment became prominent in her dark eyes.
"I will try again" she announced and got back to her ritual.
Then all of a sudden a puff of black smoke formed at the very end of her hexagon. Soon the shapeless smoke started taking a shape, Rebecca looked at it carefully as the black smoke transformed itself into the figure of a woman.
Rebecca looked at the figure in a way as if she was trying to recognize it. Her forehead was wrinkled too, then the next moment her lips curled into a devilish smirk "I knew it! it is the time to get you a new bride, I was just waiting for your indication, I have the perfect girl for you. Very soon you will be married again."
As soon as Rebecca said it the flames of those thousands of candles started dancing, and the yellow color of the flames showed all the seven colors of the rainbow. It looked like as if the flames were dancing. Rebecca smiled for a moment but then a sign of agony appeared on her face as she murmured to herself "how will I convince Freya? What if my spell of hypnotism doesn't work on her?"
***
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Freya
"You were so right. These sizzlers are to die for" Danny said chewing on his piece of meat. He was so messy.
"Hmm," I said.
I couldn't wait for this evening to get over.
"Hey look, the channel is showing some news about Robert Hudson," said a girl who was sitting on the table next to us.
The sound of the name Robert Hudson immediately made my heart skip a beat and I turned my head to the flat screen TV.
I was disappointed again, they were not showing Robert on TV, it was a casual interview of Joe Hudson, Robert's uncle. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the TV, it was clear that they were anticipating for a news about Robert.
The reporter: Joseph Hudson. First of all congratulations for being the 'whole and soul' of Hudson Industries. It has been one month and you are handling everything on your own. Is the absence of Robert Hudson bothering you?
Joe Hudson (with a sad face): yes, I miss him a lot, he is like my elder son.
Reporter: But where is he? It has been more than a month and no one knows nothing about his departure, it just seems like he vanished in the thin air. Some people are even saying that he is no more.
I gripped on the white table cloth as the reporter, very casually, talked about his death. Calm down Freya, wherever he is he is just fine. He is the Robert Hudson, even death fears him. I told this to myself and again looked back at the TV.
Joe Hudson (a bit tensed): I can't completely deny this because I am in the same place as you are. He hasn't contacted me either. Before leaving he just told me to take over the business.
Reporter: You didn't try to find him?
Joe Hudson: No, I can't disobey him. He asked me to leave him alone.
And no more questions please as you can see I am very busy with my new responsibilities.
Reporter: so viewers that was Joe Hudson. And this is me, Tina, signing off.
"I think he is dead," said the girl beside me. "Robert Hudson was very possessive about his business empire there is no way he could let an amateur like Joe Hudson handle his hard earned empire," said the boyfriend of that girl.
Their conversation rang a bell in my head. And the words of Robert's last email flashed in front of my eyes "Bye Freya, Bye Forever" something was not right about these words. The words sounded too plain to be coming out from the mouth of Robert Hudson. What if he had not written that email?
That night when he melted in my arms, he showed me his scars and his feelings too. Though his lips said nothing, but there was a promise in his eyes that told me that this guy didn't have it in him to stay away from me anymore. Then what about that email?
"God! I will die" I held my head in frustration.
"Freya, are you okay?" he asked with concern dripping from his voice.
No. I was not okay, and nothing could make me feel better. I needed to find out the mystery about Robert' s disappearance. I was so lost in my own emotions that I forgot about logic.
"Danny, bye. I am not feeling good. I am going home" I said while getting up from the table and then went out without turning back to check on Danny's reaction. I knew he could be mad at me but at that moment nothing mattered.
Chapter 42
Freya
"Sis, what is the problem? I came as soon as I got your message and what are you doing in the middle of the road?" Rick said as he got down from his car.
"Rick, thank God you are here" I sighed in relief and went up to hug him. He patted on my back till I felt a bit okay.
"It's not safe to discuss it in the middle of the road. Let's talk in your car" I suggested and we sat inside the car.
"I have even locked the car, now tell me what's making you feel so stressed? Wait...you get this mad when the scene is about your beloved monster. As far as I know he is not in the picture, then what is hammering you?" he asked desperately.
Wiping out the drops of sweat from my upper lips, "it's about him. Something tells me that his life is in danger" I said in the gap of taking heavy breaths.
Rick sunk in his seat "then what about the email?"
"He didn't write it," I said confidently.
"How can you be so sure? And if he didn't write it then who? Does it have something to do with the mysterious, veiled woman?" Rick asked shakily.
"Maybe that's it! Rick, it's their joint enterprise" I almost jumped.
Rick straightened his back "you mean, Joe Hudson kidnapped him with the help of that veiled woman?"
"That's all I can think of. Maybe Robert found out about the illegal actions of his uncle" I added.
Rick's previously lit up face now went gloomy "sis, if they can kidnap him, they can also kill him," he said and pressed my hand.
My throat went dry at that thought.
"What if we are too late? One month is a very long amount of time, anything can happen" he said.
"Don't scare me. I am not reaching to any conclusion without any proofs" I said rigidly.
"Then there is only one way to find out. Let's visit Hudson Mansion" he said with excitement.
I looked at him with a slightly shocked expression on my face "I can't believe you are actually excited for this" and shook my head.
"To be honest, I love to go on this type of sneaky adventures with you" he rubbed his hands as his eyes became playful.
"This can be dangerous Rick; I can't risk your life," I said softly.
He smiled "don't worry sis, we will handle everything".
~
"Damn, this place looks scarier at night," Rick said as he hid behind me.
"I told you to stay back, we haven't even entered the building yet. What is scaring you? This back wall?" I scolded.
"Sis, we should totally go inside. This place is so huge I am sure they have hidden Robert here only, if he is still alive" he spoke.
"Shut up. He is not dead and to find out more, we need to jump over this huge wall. Damn! Why did I wear this dress? It will raise up to my waist if I even attempt to jump" I cursed Kate.
"And I am not going alone without you, I'm too scared" Rick gulped.
I looked here and there, trying to think of a way to enter the building.
"Freya mam, it's so nice to see you," said a middle-aged man as he approached us. He was carrying a shopping bag and why did he look so familiar?
He was dressed in a black and white suit, his blazer reminded me of one of those magician's who picked out white rabbits out of their hats.
"He looks like a butler" Rick whispered.
Jeez! Me and my short term memory. He was Henry, Robert's butler.
"Hi, Henry, um how are you?" shit this was awkward since he caught me in the middle of my trespassing act.
"I am fine, what are you doing here?" he asked curiously, scanning me and Rick from top to down.
"We are not trying to enter sneakily" Rick blurted out.
And I hit him on his feet with my high heels.
Idiot! Why did I tag him along in the first place?
"Don't worry, I am not here to charge you. I know why you are here, please come with me I will help you get inside" he urged.
Ahhh Thank God! I sighed in relief.
"Sis, why is he behaving so nicely with us? There must be a catch. What if Joe has sent him?" Rick whispered in my ear as we followed Henry.
"Ahh, please, don't assume everyone to be a villain. None of the servants liked Joe Hudson, maybe that's why he is helping us. Let's see what is in store for us" I tried to reassure him or maybe myself too.
~
"God! does this place have an end?" Rick did sound very much disturbed.
I didn't bother to answer but clearly someone else was disturbed too and the picture got clear when Henry spoke up "Sir, please stay calm, we are taking the short cut. Joe Hudson will dismiss me if he ever came to know that I am letting you guys in".
"Stop Rick. Henry, then why are you doing this? You might have the idea that our intentions are not wise. Then why are you sneaking us in?" I asked with a serio
us expression. Yes, I really needed to know this.
Henry sighed "because I know that Joe Hudson is a bad person and he is plotting to take over Robert Sir's property. And I also know that only you can stop this disaster well at least you are trying. That's why I decided to help you. Robert Hudson is a nice person and he doesn't deserve this betrayal" he informed.
