Something In The Water (2)

Much like before, he didn't say anything at first, he silently lifted her up from her wheelchair with an arm beneath her leg and the other supporting her back. Then, as he was carrying her up the stairs, he said, "When everyone is dead you learn from yourself."

Stepping inside the bathroom, he lowered her down on the stool slowly. "I'll start you a bath, do you think you can manage to get inside by yourself, without busting your head open again?" His back was to her now, the water running. The tub was elegant pink quartz crystal like the sinks , he'd even thrown rose petals inside.

For once she could relate to him. When everyone important to you was dead, who was left to really teach you how things should be? It wasn't an excuse to be an asshole, but Ari could be a little easier on him. Or try. "I have a concussion, my legs aren't broken. I can manage."

The tub practically glowed from within. It was alien, foreign, like it had been cut straight from a star. Stolen away for the sole purpose of others bathing in its core which still burned with some unearthly light. Ari was mesmerized watching the rose petals glide across the surface with every stir in the water. Their warm scent beckoned her. "This bath seems too nice." Normally her own poverty didn't bother her but she was worried what stains might appear beneath her touched it.

"I like natural things." Alaric said. "These seem to be more expensive in this day and Era. If you need anything, there's a bell on the counter. If you feel dizzy, Benjamin will enter to help. Don't worry, as he said, you aren't his type." He winked, then began to leave the bathroom.

The moment he was gone she removed the hospital clothes that she'd woken up in that morning, tossing it into the corner. She told him that she didn't need help but she hadn't tried walking yet. Everyone was treating her like she was fragile so she hadn't noticed how anxious she was about standing until it wasn't an option. Ari slapped her cheeks and shook her head at herself. "I can do this. It was only a mild concussion."

Tentatively she pushed off the stool, standing on her own weight for the first time that day. Her knees buckled but she took a wobbly step forward. Her balance was off though she managed the small gap between, leaving heavily on the lip of the tub. Even if she wanted help there was no way that she'd ask. Alaric had been helping a lot even if every other word he said pissed her off.

Ari slid down into the tub until everything but her head was submerged. Her sigh of relief echoed in the empty room, loud even to her own ears. Now this was the way to treat a lady. Luxury was nice but it was hard to imagine living this way for years. She felt like the magic would be lost if it was so easy to attain to begin with.

Twenty minutes into soaking until she was prunes, Ari realized that between the resistance of the water and her still healing body, she didn't have the strength to pull herself out.

A small panic built in her chest but she was determined not to have any help. The bell for Benjamin was close but her face heated at the thought. A woman's pride was her body and her work. Both of which she wasn't ready to share even if she lacked the required parts to be of any interest to the butler.

Her slippery fingers lost their grasp on the edge of quartz and slowly, Ari began to slip beneath the water. The tub was deep enough to swallow her whole. Without her brain to communicate properly with her legs all she could do was flail her arms and gasp like a dying fish. "Ala-" In her panic she began to swallow water. "Help!" For some reason she felt weighed down and no matter how hard she tried to clasp onto the edge, her fingers slipped right off.

Someone grabbed her hand and helped her up, but when she broke the water's surface, there was no one there. Just the empty bathroom with Amethyst sinks and wood paneled walls. The dark curtains blew an eerie chill inside even though the window was closed—approaching footsteps, the five lit candles blowing out.

Laughter echoed around, high and low, like children and old men. Then a pair of ember eyes burned through the darkness, shifting forward and back as though someone was in a rocking chair. Even the ever so lightly creak of wood could be heard. They said nothing, just kept staring, unblinking.

Ari crawled out of the bathtub and onto the floor, water puddling beneath her while she stared into the eyes of a stranger. There'd been no one there before, or maybe she just didn't notice it. In the dimness she couldn't discern any visible body, only a disembodied set of eyes that bore into her, somehow she felt more than naked. Her arms slid around herself protectively. Was she still seeing things from over exerting herself? Please let her be seeing things, she prayed.

"Hello?"

The rocking chair stopped and they stood up, so pale though nearly see through they were a slight in the darkness. They walked forward and vanished, then, hands were on her shoulders, dragging her back towards the tub, throwing her inside and holding her under by the throat.

She flailed desperately trying to push away someone who wasn't there. She held her breath for as long as she could but it had been unexpected, soon her lungs were burning for air. Ari couldn't even come up long enough to scream. She was going to die in a bathtub alone where no one could hear her.

Then the door opened, those hands vanished as the candles re-lit themselves. In came Benjamin holding his arm at an angle, dangling from the crook was a white towel. He glimpsed around at all the water on the floor, then up at her with a pencil thin eyebrow raised. "Miss Ari, are you alright? You look a fright and your hair is a mess. Did something happen?"

"Something.." She looked around frantically, suspicious of every flicker in the shadows. "Something tried to drown me! Or someone. Something!" At this point she was shivering, teeth chattering so hard it was painful. That was two near death experiences in a week. Ari crawled over to Benjamin and clung to his legs. It seemed like the closer she was to Alaric, the more weird things got. "Please help me to a room."

Benjamin rushed over to her the moment he realized she truly was terrified, his usual calm and collected face held concern as he wrapped the towel around her and helped her up and into her wheelchair. "Deep breaths, I've got you, I've got you. I'll get you to the room. Can you tell me what exactly happened?" He pushed her out the bathroom, into the hallway. "Did you open your wound?"

Ari pushed wet curls away from her eyes, slicking them back into place. The image of that burning gaze filled with malevolence was enough to start a new round of shivers. "There was a ghost. It tried to drown me. I slipped and it helped me but then I guess it decided it hated me and held me under.

There were these eyes that were a lot like looking into a fire." She drew the towel tighter around herself to stave off the chill in an attempt to calm her nerves, taking in deep breaths through her nose. Magically Rooster appeared, trotting down the hallway like he could smell her distress, pressing his cold wet nose to her thigh. Ari smiled down at him shakily. "I'm okay."

Benjamin leaned down momentarily to pat the top of Rooster's head, and in return the dog's ears perked up like a kangaroos. "You have such a good dog. And I'll give you something that's said to ward off spirits. I believe in them. People have lived and died here, the estate is over a thousand years old."

Wheeling her into a nice cherry wood bedroom toasted by a small fireplace, he pushed her close to the bed so it'd be easy for her to climb out the chair. Set on the edge of the mattress was a white nightgown, everything else was deep red like the curtains and the comforter.

"Your room overlooks the garden outside, birds love to chirp in the morning, singing you a lovely tune." The butler smiled, seeming as though he adored nature, but there was this sadness that crept into his icy blue eyes. Fishing around in his pocket, he pulled out a gold medallion. "For your protections." (1400)

Ari took the medallion from him, pausing to give his hand a gentle squeeze in gratitude. The work of maintaining the grounds and now being dumped with her must have been stressful enough. Now she was taking something from Benjamin that he treasured. She was determined not to lose it then. The thought of seeing frail little Benjamin distraught was heartbreaking. Ari could never stand to be the source of that.

"I know it's your job but thank you. I can tell you're very warm hearted, Benji. It makes things so much easier when you feel like you have a friend," By now she'd gained her sense enough to slip on the nightgown before she could focus on how she'd been stark naked and clinging to the man's legs for life shamelessly. Somehow the white gown fit perfectly. Everything in Alaric's world seemed that way. Except for her.

"I'm sorry to put you through so much trouble. I'm alright now. I'm sure you have more important things." Ari pulled herself from the wheelchair and managed her way onto the bed. It wasn't much but anything, even that, brought back a bit of her confidence.

"Can't really call it trouble when that's my job. Besides, if it wasn't, I went out of my way to do it because I wanted to. You didn't have a gun up to my head madam." Gesturing for Ari to turn in the bed, Benjamin lifted a brush from off the nightstand. It seemed old fashioned like everything else, its end holding swirls as designs similar to the 90's. Whenever she had, he started brushing her hair. "I had a daughter who loved getting her hair brushed before bed. She had curly hair too despite my straight locks. Despised it so much till I helped her learn to love it."

Ari didn't miss the past tense in his sentence. Benjamin seemed pretty old and it wasn't too out of the question that he'd outlived his family. His brushing was very gentle like he never lost that tenderness he'd had with his own flesh and blood, even after they were gone. Ari gazed out of the window watching the clouds roll across the sky texturing it in fluffy gray making the greenery of the garden that much more vibrant.

"There is something magical about getting your hair brushed. Curly hair can be difficult but once you know how to manage it you can do a lot."

"Tell me about it. Her hair was a bit more curlier than yours, she'd always hold her head and scrunch her shoulders telling me I should wet it first." Benjamin had a ghostly smile on his face, reminiscing the past as though it were playing before his very own eyes.

Carefully, he set the brush down then started braiding a few strands of her hair on the side, leaving pretty spring curls at their ends. "There." He said softly, lifting a small mirror up to her face. "Don't you look lovely?" He was looking along with her, his cheek pressed against her own as he smiled.

The door opened and Alaric stepped inside. "I see you've found your room. Hope you get settled in well. And Benji, don't go spoiling her now. She already acts like a snappy brat at times."

Her hand raised to give Benjamin's cheek a gentle pat, grinning at their reflection. "I've never looked better. You're good at this." The moment was sweet but as usual Alaric decided to ruin it with his sour tongue. This time she hadn't even said anything to warrant such rudeness. "I think after what I've been through a little spoiling won't hurt." She angled the mirror so that he could see her sticking her tongue out at him. "Better than being an asshole."

"Guess you can go to bed knowing this asshole made you blush at dinner. It truly did complement your bronze skin, miss Ari." He smirked, gave her a quick wink before leaving. Benjamin chuckled some, an old airy laugh that warmed one's heart.

"My, you two do make a duo. Try to get some rest. I usually serve breakfast on the same schedule as Mr. Draconis. He wants me to wake you at 7am, then after you've eaten, to be in his study. I'll see you then Madame." Bowing his head, he too had left her in the room by herself, the soft glow of orange candlelight and the dying hearth fire for warmth to keep her company.