MISERABLE PAST

As the evening was casting down, the autumnal breeze was whispering as if it was a beautiful story longed to hear playing in both up-tempo gusts and gentle lulls.

The artistic and pretty fashioned black iron gate opened on its own, majestically, and a fine black car entered, headlights on full beam. It came to stop in front of a flight of stairs that led to the entrance of the mansion. Three servants came forward to open the car's front door and the rear doors as soon as the chauffeur stopped the car.

Vilian stood near the entrance, her hands brought in front clutched together. Her genuine smile faltered as soon as she saw a white McLaren come to hold behind Demus' car.

As the rear door of it opened, a fair lean man got down from the car.

"Viliii..." Running to her sister as Daniel screamed excitedly and hugged her sister causing Demus to frown and grit his teeth.

Vilian glanced at her father. She could see him glaring at her, not liking what he was witnessing, and saw her stepmother whispering something into his ears, and he nodded with a sigh.

"Vili, you won't believe where daddy, mommy, and I went! Come lemme show you something," He said dragging her toward the car's trunk. but Vilian stopped him causing him to pull her.

"What's the matter, Vili?" questioned the boy with a cute frown.

Leaning forward toward the boy, she said as she held his temple, "Danny, You can show whatever you want and tell me all your stories. I will be all ears, but not before you take a shower and refresh yourself, ok?"

"Really? Pwomish me?" questioned Daniel unbelievably bringing his pinky finger forward for a promise.

Vilian entwined her pinky finger with his and said, "Promise. Now, off you go, my prince," ruffling his hair. He said nothing and ran into the mansion with a big smile on his face.

Bowed her head as her father and her stepmother passed by her but then saw him stop and turned towards her causing her to freeze.

"Eric? Meet Vilian," he said raising his hands towards Vilian glancing past her.

"I'm Eric Fenan. Nice to meet you, Ms.Frost," Eric introduced himself and moved his hand forward for a handshake.

"Let's move in, shall we?" said Demus as he patted his back and laid his hand on his shoulder causing Eric to put his hand down and they walked past. Both Eric and Vilian glanced at each other as he walked past her.

Why was he here? thought Vilian standing idol as she frowned.

A cold wind swept past her bringing her back from her trance. She shook her head and walked into the mansion with a jumble of thoughts hindering her.

Entering her room, she went straight to her ensuite. Turning on the tap she let the water run as she washed her face with the cold water and glanced back at her reflection in the mirror. Sighing out loud and calming her unsteady heart beats she stepped out of the ensuite and fell onto her bed in a daze.

'Ric! Stop! Stop! No! Please!'

'Even though you knew who I was you still came to me.'

'Ric! You weren't like this. I know you're not the same as before, so why do you have to do this?'

'Right, you made me do it... so bear it for me,'

'Ric!! S-stop!! Stop!! Please! Don't do this. You're much better than this!'

HELP!!! HELP!!

"...lady! Wake up! Mi'lady, wake up!" Lily shook the girl, who was screaming and gasping with her eyes shut tight. She was very much soaked in her own sweat and hot tears slid down from her closed eyes.

Lily shook her violently not knowing what to do.

Suddenly Vilian sat upright as she gasped out loud finding it hard to breathe.

"Mi'lady! What is wrong with you? Let me call master," said Lily as she got down immediately from the bed, but Vilian caught her wrist tightly as she shook her head.

"I- I... need... W-water." As soon as her stuttering word slip out of her lips, Lily's wobbly hands reached the water and helped Vilian to drink it.

Vilian still felt uneasy, and the searing pain was anything but helping.

As she sipped down the water, she felt it easy to speak. Her chest rose up and down as she heaved and gasped now and then whenever her chest loosen its pain, but it hurt the most when it showed the sign of subsiding but intensified than it earlier was.

"L-lily!" She patted her chest violently.

"Mi'lady, please let me know..." pleaded Lily, "How can I help you? Do I have to call Mia or it's better if we call master?" said Lily holding onto Vilian's hand as she begged. She was on the verge of crying as she could not bear to see her lady in such a miserable state.

"L-lily... Take me to the patio!" said Vilian as she breathe in and out profusely through her mouth. Lily ran toward the patio and slid the curtain as she opened the patio door and ran toward the bed. She circled her hand around her waist, letting Vilian's hand rest on her shoulder as she helped her walk toward the patio.

Vilian took a deep breath as soon as she felt the fresh air hit her.

A bitter smile crept on her lips as she looked at nothing particularly.

"Lily? How do I look?" She questioned. Lily glanced at her as she didn't know how to answer her. "So miserable, aren't I?" she said as she laughed mockingly at herself.

"Can I hug you, Mi'lady?"

"Sure thing, my sweet little sister," she said glancing at Lily with her tear-filled glistening eyes and she hugged Lily.

"Lily, will you promise me to never leave my side?" Lily nodded her head as she cried. Vilian bit her lips trying not to cry but a tear slipped which she wiped away and broke the hug. "I bet you haven't had your dinner yet, right? Go have it? I don't want you to starve just because of me," said Vilian patting her shoulder, and giving a smile that broke in the end.

Lily could not leave her side but Vilian insisted she does so.

She had just fallen onto her bed but sleep absorbed her into her miserable past. A past she could not still get rid of. It had been 2 years and if weren't for Lily, she wouldn't have made it out.