The Unexpected Encounter

"Melancholy and despair follows me everywhere I go," Ellen whispered to herself. "The sun was gleaming bright above, yet why is it so dark? I guess that's just my fate." Ellen closes her eyes faintly and rests listlessly on the tall grass, perhaps to escape the end of life for it had consumed her from the beginning.

"Rose! Rose! WAKE UP ROSE! It's almost noon. How long are you planning to doze off? You're at work, remember." Rose languidly opens her eyes to find a blurred appearance on top of her yelling madly but tenderly.

It's Luke. His usual gruff, hoarse voice, bleak demeanor, a scar that stretches up to his forehead and a burn that has taken both his eyes; a dreadful countenance that's hard to withstand, yet he clings to life and doesn't drown in his own anguish; working fastidiously he breaths every breath as if it was his last.

His existence is the remedy to all her dissatisfaction. Because working with someone more vulnerable than you, but still living their best, provides you with a sudden boost of courage that you can do it too.

"I'm up, I'm up! Still,me being up wouldn't really bring us any new customers, tho." Rose yawns. Luke's eyebrows start twitching as he bites his tongue. He rests his right arm on the seat behind and sits down to calm himself.

Rose gets up to bring him some water, but as she leaves the room and goes down to the restaurant, she finds a foreigner standing by the reception.

Blonde long hair that falls down her back like lustres of light, eyes like rubies which look so calm, yet they resemble the pacific seas filled with more greed than water, a sinless face clean from every human flaw, and an unearthly body which is like the portrayal of beauty itself. But a menacing aura that gave Rose chills down her spine.

Rose stands speechless, but flustered as she may be, she hurries to the reception to greet her day's first customer.

"Good afternoon Ma'am! Thanks for coming to the Restaurant Serenity. What would you like…" Rose stops abruptly. "Sorry, but would you be kind enough to direct me to this place? I'm new to the town." Rose turns blue, but she doesn't let it show. "Sure, I'd be happy to help." Rose takes the note from the foreigner and looks at it carefully.

"1947 PINE STREET. Oh! You're moving next to me, so you're gonna be my new neighbor. I was wondering who would take that place. Who'd know it'd be someone this pretty. I'm Rose by the way, who're you?" Rose goes on. "Me. I'm Vanessa. Nice to meet you. Hope… we get along." Vanessa whispers in an extremely low voice.

"No need to be so shy, we're going to be neighbors after all," Rose laughs while patting Vanessa on her back. Vanessa, agitated and annoyed, requests Rose to point her to the directions, but Rose doesn't want to stop. After a while of endless chatter, Rose gives her then directions. Vannesa sighs heavily in relief and makes her way out of the door.

The restaurant sits empty again devoid of life and Rose sharing its pain helplessly protrudes her arm to wave Vanessa goodbye.

Streaks of light glimmers in between the crevices of the window. Ellen lays quietly on her bed half-asleep.The room is dark, dark like the irises of her eyes.

A sound can be heard, the sound of tipping water 'tip-tip-tip' making its way down the drain, Ellen softly listens to the dripping water and indulges in its continuity as she sits back on her bed and feels herself drawn to the flow of eternity. Ravishing the thought that just like tipping water, death is also continuous, so there is no need for heartache since the pain is for the one who's gone, but no one is really gone they have just become invisible to the eye. Because in this world everything continues, death doesn't really exist. It's only a word that holds no meaning.

Suddenly, the opening of a door is heard. Ellen closes her eyes, she doesn't want to be disturbed. A woman in a maid's outfit enters with a plate in her hands, the room lights up.

"Mistress. Please get up. It's time for your breakfast," The maid moves in closely to give her plate. "Go away! Can't you see I'm sleeping, take it away. I'll eat when I'm hungry," Ellen yells. The maid leaves instantly to avoid Ellen's fury.

A few minutes later, a knock is heard and a man enters the room. "Ma'am, it's nearly time for your meeting about the new perfume release," The rough-looking man, with a toned body and average height tells Ellen the time.

"It's already time… Noah, tell the driver to get the car ready, I'll be out in a few." Maids enter and take Ellen to the restroom. They quickly change her into a black dress with blue heels, Ellen lets her ebony hair down and wears a dark red lipstick.

"Noah. What's after the meeting?" Ellen asks. "Ma'am, after the meeting, you have a tour scheduled for your cosmetic stores at 1400. You have scheduled nothing after the tour from 1500 to 2000, and then you have been requested to attend a party by one of your shareholders."

"The party… Do I have to go? Ellen exclaims. "Yes, Ma'am. It is essential for you to go. A lot of important guests are coming just to meet you."

Ellen comes out of the house and enters her Mercedes as Noah opens the door for her. She takes out her phone and starts swiping for any important news.

"I think it's going to rain." Rose mutters to herself. "No. It won't. The forecast said that the skies are going to be clear today." Rose looks up at the sky and then at Luke. Luke seems sure of himself. "You shouldn't put all your trust on the news, who knows what lies they're hiding…" Rose tries to act clever. "You're being too suspicious like always, not everyone in the world is out to get you. You should loosen up a bit."

A sudden roar is heard, lightning, and rain soon follow afterwards. The clouds burst with strain, their restraints are loosen, so wind blows, rain rains. The rain falls with its mightiest rage.

"See. Didn't I tell you? Sometimes, you just have to trust your instincts and go with the gut." Rose laughs and tells Luke that she's always right.

Luke's face turns red, as he takes his cane and enters the restaurant. "Sorry, sorry. Now, don't get mad, I wanted to tell you something. I have something to do tonight, so can I take the night off?… Plz..."

"NO! You're taking too many days off and you don't take your work seriously. You should try to do better before asking me something like this." Luke puts his foot down.

"PLZ! PRETTY PLEASE! I promise to work extra hard from now on. I won't disappoint you, really." Rose begs while crossing her fingers. "Fine, fine. Now get away from me. But this is the last time, I won't hear any excuses next time." Luke gives in. "Thanks Luke! I love you so much!" Rose grins and gets back to work.

"Good Morning, everyone. Should we begin the meeting?" Ellen enters the meeting hall. The lights are dim, there is a huge screen in front of the table, ten board executives can be seen. Noah hands her an ipad with the details of sale and revenue, Ellen sits down. After looking through the details, Ellen bursts out laughing. "Is this what you got to show for yourselves?"

Ellen stands up and slams loudly on the table, the bang of the slam can be heard through the next door. "Sales are dropping and our customers are switching to other brands. How did this happen? Didn't I tell you to take retrials before the release? Why are they saying that Luna's perfumes are harmful and unsafe? WHO LET THIS HAPPEN!?" Ellen leaves the hall in a rage.

A woman from the table stands up and leaves after Ellen. "Ma'am, I think that this is a conspiracy made by one of the executives, they want to ruin Luna's image," The woman follows behind Ellen. "I know. Those old farts are out to get me. They just can't accept that a young woman like me is their boss. Just see, one of these days I'm gonna take down all of them. Anyways... Alex, are things going according to plan?" Ellen talks while making her way out of the building. "Yes, Ma'am. I have arranged your encounter with that man. He'll be meeting you at the party." Alex goes over the details. "Good. This party is gonna be more fun than I expected," Ellen laughs hysterically.

"Noah, get the car ready… I'm hungry." Ellen slowly comes out of the building, she is followed by Alex and three men in black.

Whispers can be heard, everyone is talking about Ellen. "You know, that young girl there is our chairwoman." "Really… I heard she only rarely visits." "Wow. She's so young, she looks as if she's in her teens." "It's all rich privilege, she was born with a golden spoon."

"No. She's also been through a lot. Did you hear, the previous chairman and his wife both committed suicide! They found their bodies hanging from the ceiling at their home! Their daughter, the chairwoman, was the only one left…"

"She was only eighteen at the time! And since she was the only child she became the sole inheritor of Luna."

Everyone's stare is at Ellen, she looks like a princess from a fairytale. Everyone is making way for Ellen as she walks through the building. She's at the top. Her position is desired by many; envy burns the air, yet Ellen walks through that fire with an upright stance.

Ellen enters the Mercedes and the driver takes off. Noah points the driver to stop at the most nearby eatery. The car is running gently looking for a place to eat, yet every small movement feels like a mountain to Ellen. Her mind is scattered with thoughts of the future, her future.

She is lost, she's vulnerable, her every step is in scrutiny, but she loves it all. She loves the thrill, she loves the unexpected. She wants to win, to conquer it all.

The car stops at a restaurant at the end of the street. It seems empty, no soul in sight. Ellen exits the car and gets inside.

As Ellen enters the restaurant, she is blinded by everything bright. Everything looks perfect… Maybe too perfect, like out of an anime. It doesn't feel real, because even though the restaurant sits empty and alone, it feels alive.

The single server standing inside with a peculiar warm smile, the twinkling lights that hang down like stars emitting starlight, the brick red walls with cracks inside sharing history of an old time, the leather seats worn down by life, torn and dark, but booming with joy, welcoming her to sit down and enjoy.

Ellen feels strangely whole like she's where she belongs. New emotions envelop her, she's feeling something she has never felt before. A sudden warmth hits her, what could this be… she doesn't know.

"Welcome to Restaurant Serenity, what would you like to have?" Luke stands tall with a genuine smile to receive his day's first order. "Bring me your special. But don't tell me what it is, I want to be surprised." Not being able to understand, Luke leans in closer to ask again, but after hearing Ellen's response he knows what to make.

As Luke goes over to the kitchen, Noah discreetly goes after him to find out what the special is, he stops by the reception and asks for the menu, but he's only met with silence. There's no one else in the restaurant other than Luke.

Perplexed, Noah rings the bell lying on the reception like the ones in one of those old-fashioned hotels. Luke comes over in a hurry with wet hands, he can't handle it all alone.

"What's the special? My Madam is quite reckless, she forgets she has many allergies." Noah whispers. "You don't have to worry, there won't be anything in it which she might be allergic to. It's a simple Omelette with nothing extra added." Luke whispers back. "An Omelette…?"Noah gasps with confusion. "You'll understand what it means when the time comes."

Watching from afar, Alex comes over. She takes Noah back to the table telling him not to pry any longer, he'll just have to wait and watch.

A TV could be seen fixed beside the ceiling. News is playing, the volume is low, but still the sound pierces every corner of the barren restaurant. Ellen seems intently watching, eyeing for every small detail.

"Another body was discovered by the shore today." "How many does this make now?" "This was the tenth one found, but there could be more, the search is still on."

"Didn't you say there were strange markings on all of the bodies of the victims, do you think this could be the work of a cult?" "We can't say that for sure just yet, the investigation is still mid-way so there's a lot we don't know…"

"God knows what's happening to our city. There weren't even that many pickpocketings, and now ten murders… nobody's safe anymore. This is a catastrophe." Luke comes in with a tray. "True. But I hope this doesn't affect our businesses, or else it would really be a catastrophe." Alex sighs.

Luke sets the table as Ellen takes the tray to see what's inside. "What's this? This is actually a surprise. Completely unexpected." Ellen grins. "Sorry Ma'am, if this is not to your liking. You just seemed stressed, so I thought maybe something uncomplicated like this would ease your mind." Luke bows in apology. "You're funny. Noah, ask him to work for me. I want people like him, unpredictable." Ellen laughs.

"I am delighted, Ma'am, that you want someone like me to work for you, however, I'm deeply sorry because I'll have to refuse." Luke apologizes. "Why do you not want to work for me?" Ellen asks with anticipation.

"This restaurant is what makes me me, without being here I don't know who I'll be. But I'll be glad to serve you anytime you come." Luke cleans out the table as Ellen gets up to leave.

She wears a smile on her face, but her eyes seem distant, as she steps towards the exit, she stops in her tracks and looks back. "Well, at least I tried, right? I'd be sure to come back. The Omelette was delicious." Ellen leaves and takes off in her car to disappear in the rain.

Dancing in the rain, Rose seems ecstatic, her every breath is up on fire, she twists, she twirls, she rises, she falls, she dances in a trance, a dance otherworldly as if she's stopped being human and has become the rain herself.

"Who'd think that I'll really get in, I still can't believe it myself. I hope that I don't ruin this up for myself like I usually do."

Rain fell hardly on the ground, it was everywhere. All anyone could hear was rain, however, in between all the noise, a different kind of noise resonated, the click-clack of hard leather shoes running towards Rose. "You're going to be late! You know how hard I worked to get you this job, you can't bail on me right now! HURRY UP and go get changed." The man in the rain shouts.

"I'm going, I'm going. Maybe I was too excited, I forgot the time. Though you can't blame me Ray, I have the perfect reason." Ray hands her her work outfit. . "I know, but that comes later, right now, do what's important."

Roses sprints over to her rented apartment and wears the maid outfit Ray brought for her, while Ray waits outside in his Civic.

Clothes strewn all over the floor, a smell, very pungent lingers in the air, there's a month-old mold sleeping in the refrigerator. Water, stagnant and lifeless, trapped in the sink, consumed by dirt and filth, up to the brim. Darkness, blackness at every corner of the room, it's all become black, no light could pass through. Wires and cords all tangled and worn dancing in pain, in a sudden rhapsody.

Rose comes out of her apartment and takes off in Ray's car.

"Where are you taking me?" Rose asks. "To work. Where else?" Ray takes a sudden left. "But that's not the way to work, is it?" Rose fastens her belt hurriedly.

"Of course it is, just trust me. You'll find out soon enough." Ray looks at Rose and smiles smugly.

Rumors and whispers shadow over Ellen as she enters the Party. Every eye, every stare fixated, enraptured by Ellen's beguiling charm. A man comes over to Ellen and tries to introduce himself, but Ellen walks past him as if he was never there, signing him as a nameless fool.

The only thing he was able to do was to hold a piece of Ellen's gown and watch it slip away from his hands as Ellen ascended the stairs and disappeared.

Dazzling lights illuminated from the ceiling, a chandelier hung in between, the hall was awfully bright, the floor was white, servers frolicked around with trays of wine, everyone donned in black and white. A strange redolence was in the air, musky, like an old man's beard, tracing up to the first floor.

The first floor was a puzzle, dark with only dim lights. Unusual people with violins and pianos in hand were seated in the middle, playing melancholic music unsuitable for a party's vibe.

Ellen could be seen sitting by the odd people on a chair enjoying the gloomy orchestra. A man comes upstairs and greets Ellen. "Hello, Ellen. I'm Gregory. I believe that this is our first meeting. I'm the host of this Party and one of your shareholders… It's a pleasure that you could come." Gregory takes Ellen's hand and kisses it.

"No, no. The pleasure is all mine. I wanted to come." Ellen frowns, but still manages to fake a smile. "I heard you went on a tour today. How did it go?" Gregory sits down beside Ellen. "It went well, but there weren't as many customers as I thought there would be. But despite all the false rumors, the stores are still doing well. We just have to make them do better." Ellen confidently responds with complete determination; she's not the type to easily back down.

"Sorry, I'd love to hear more, but I have to go greet the other guests. I hope you enjoy yourself." Gregory leaves abruptly. Ellen calls a server, takes a glass of wine, takes a sip and goes back downstairs.

The stairs are a series of never-ending steps, the end seems near, but still so far. Ellen's gradual descent seems effortless yet calm as she plunges down slowly through the mists of life, watching blurred appearances in black and white.

Losing herself in the endless symphony of voices, Rose finds herself in a private mansion, crowded yet alone. Ray has left her behind and has vanished inside the mansion. Standing solitary inside the throngs of people, wandering aimlessly, Rose comes across a bar.

Suddenly, a woman in a maid's dress with silver hair pulls her in and asks her who she is, Rose stutters for a bit, then tells her her name. The maid, without asking anymore questions, hands Rose a tray full of drinks and leaves in a hurry.

"What just happened?" Rose ponders to herself and then takes the drinks to serve the guests.

Moving though the mob, Rose feels as if she's inside an old film. Her life has been set in a monochrome, all the colors have become hazy. The party, despite being full of people, seems dead and lifeless.

"Hey, server! Come here." Rose hears a soft voice calling from behind. "Coming!" Rose hurries to the echoing voice, wanting to find the source. But the voice is lost. Rose's face wears down as she frowns in disappointment. Unexpectedly, someone taps Rose's shoulder, bewildered, Rose looks behind to find a cold-looking guy wearing a dark blue suit.

He pierces Rose's body with his cold stare, takes a glass of red wine and walks away. Leaving Rose with only an image in her head.

Dark emerald gaze, staring like a snake's glare, deep enough to swallow his prey whole. Dark, ivory hair slicked backwards constricted in place, trapped within his command. A chiseled body, muscular and rough, a plain which has gone through many hardships and has triumphed over every war.

Exuding an aura of a dangerous man, the mysterious guy in the dark blue suit disappears within the crowd, leaving Rose in a daze of wonder and ambivalence.

"What are you doing? Stop messing around and do your job." The woman with the silver hair returns and introduces herself. Her name's Anne and she is the head maid of this mansion. "You must be new, I don't quite remember seeing you before. However, that doesn't mean that I'll let you fool around. Get back to work!" Anne towers over Rose in a patronizing way and clears her superiority over her.

Rose, being overwhelmed, apologizes and quickly gets her head out of the clouds and goes back to work.

Downstairs, Ellen is smothered by attention from everyone in the party. Everyone wants to get on her good side. All the men and women wagging their tails to get in favor with Ellen, suffocating her, leaving her with no place to breathe.

To get away from all the drama and attention, Ellen hides inside a balcony to take a sigh of relief. The weather is at its best, a cool breeze blowing, the night blue sky twinkling with fluttering stars, a crescent moon in the midst of a large white cloud shaped like a swan with birds flying in the sky free from the bounds of life. Happy, in eternal bliss, flapping their wings in an unworldly dance.

"Would you like a glass… Miss?" A startling voice staggers Ellen, her solitude has been forgotten. "No, I just had one. But how did you find me? I was sure that I got away perfectly." Ellen stares at the body belonging to that voice, analyzing every corner with a scrutinous eye. "Let's just call it a coincidence, miss. I just came out to get a breath of fresh air. I guess this means that both of us wanted to run away, right?"

"Let's say I did, what yer gonna do about it?" The voice moves nearer to Ellen. It's right beside her now, whispering right in her ear. "I'll run away with ya. At least, that'd be more fun than this boring ass party…"

Ellen bursts out in laughter, this was her first time being so amused in this party. "Hmm… I like you. Tell me your name?" The voice moves backwards and stutters a bit. "My name? What you gonna do with it? You ain't gonna tell the head maid on me, right?"

"The head maid? No, no. Nothing like that. I was just curious to know who this cheeky maid is, who says whatever she wants." Ellen walks closer to the voice and grabs her by the shoulders. "Fine, but no head maid. I'm Rose. Nice to meet ya!..." Ellen lets go of her shoulders and repeats after her name while staring in her eyes.

"I'm Ellen, but I have to say you look more of a lioness than a rose." Ellen laughs while looking at Rose's angry face. "You shouldn't make fun of other people's names. That's not okay."

Suddenly, Alex enters the balcony. She goes up to Ellen and whispers something in her ear. Ellen tells Alex to take care of Rose, and leaves the balcony to return back inside.