Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Marietta P.O.V

I was standing in the middle of the darkness. I felt terrible from an unknown fear and started to run. My feet were hurting but I ignored the shards of pain and continued running. But I couldn't see a single thing over here. No light no hope, there was nothing.

How I was supposed to get out of this darkness? I ran and ran and ran but it felt like I was standing in the same place.

The darkness from which I was running since childhood but it seemed like darkness couldn't live without me, that's the reason it always found me and I end up reaching nowhere.

Suddenly I heard a voice. I stumbled on my foot and kissed the cold floor. Sharp pain aroused in my head but I ignored it and again stood up. I was struggling to see in the darkness when the sound became more prominent. I felt like it took control over my whole body and I froze in my spot.

I was not able to move anymore. Frustrated, scared, my heart was beating very fast and sweat drops appeared on my forehead when everything around me started to spin.

"Ahhhhhh!!!" I SCREAMED!

I opened my eyes and it took me two seconds to understand what just happened. I immediately shifted in a sitting position. There were sweat drops on my forehead and my heart was beating so fast. My breath was too harsh, I composed myself and wiped the sweat off my face.

I was having this nightmare since childhood but I never understood its meaning. Surely it always scared the shit out of me.

I neither understood the meaning of that mysterious sound. Because of that sound, I learned to play all kinds of musical instruments. The problem was that sound never give any chance to understood the instrument. Whenever I heard it, my condition was something else as if, I was near to death.

I couldn't even explain in words what I felt at that time. Something like as if I wouldn't be able to move again. One day, I will surely disclose the mystery behind that nightmare. One day...

I hopped out of my bed and stretched my neck a bit before going to take a bath. Today was Sunday, which meant a family breakfast together.

After taking a warm bath, I chose a gothic outfit consisted of a black skirt with a red check-lines design and a black full sleeves top. I let my hair fall freely on my shoulders with few curly strands falling over my face. After doing a bit of makeup, I slid in black high-heels long boots and walked out of the room.

I slowly walked while switched on my phone. It was off because of the low battery. When it turned on so many messages and emails came and made my phone a musical vibrating thing. I reached the stairs and ignored all messages while one message caught my intention. It was from Bre and send 2 minutes ago.

-Good morning! I forget to tell you that yesterday Sir max was asking about you. So I tell him that your friend was ill and you went to visit her. Yeah, one more thing, her name is Amber. I'm sure he will ask you about it. By the way, you still have to tell us 'Where the hell was you yesterday?'-

I smiled and sighed reading his text. What probably would I tell him about my whereas about? I again sighed. I would think about it later. I descended the stairs and trudged towards the dining hall where everyone was already sitting.

"Good Morning everyone!" I greeted smilingly and sat beside Caro.

"Morning!" Daddy and Mom replied in unison.

The table was already occupied with breakfast with orange and apple juice, coffee, bacon, pancakes, omelet, croissants, french toasts, a few fruits, and nuts. A maid served orange juice to me and I put a pancake on my plate.

"Which friend of yours was sick?" Daddy asked, diverting his eyes from the newspaper and placing it beside.

"Amber. She is better now." I immediately answered and glanced at Bre. He was busy eating his croissant. I looked at my sister who was so engrossed with her phone while sipping her coffee.

Daddy nodded before saying, "Tomorrow I want to announce something really important in a meeting. So, both of you, don't be late and be on time." He pointed his serious gaze at me and Caro.

"Ok, Daddy." I nodded.

"Sure, Dad." Caro said.

"That's Enough. No business talk at home especially on the dining table." Mom scolded Daddy with a sweet glare.

"As you say, boss." Daddy replied with a wink. They both looked cute together. My Daddy wasn't a strict personality if you don't count business hours because he became one in the hours of need.

"Good. You should ask your daughter what's going on in their life?" Mom said, sipping his apple juice. I still didn't know why Mom preferred apples over oranges.

"You heard your Mom. Come on, tell her." Dad said, looking at me and Caro.

"There is nothing new, Mom. You already know I have a lot of work to do unless some people who went to visit their friends during working hours." She said casually but I knew she taunted me.

"That's because dear Caroline. You really don't have any specific friends besides your one and only partner Liam Watson. Who I am sure precisely always wonders around you even in working hours. So how can you know the preciousness of friendship, tell me?" Well, it was Bre.

"Oh shut up, you charity boy!" She snapped, glaring at him.

"Caroline!" Daddy snapped at her. "Be careful with your words. Brett is like my own son and he is more hardworking than any of you." He added. And here family breakfast tuned out to be a family war zone.

"Are you appreciating him over me?" She questioned.

"Yes." Daddy replied and sipped his coffee, showing full causal and dismissive body language. I looked back at Caro and I could feel how tightly she had clenched her jaw. Then I looked at Bre and he shrugged carelessly.

"Fine." Caro stood up, pushing her plate away and putting the cup on the table with a thud sound.

"Sit back and complete your breakfast." Daddy glared at her.

"I am full." She said and went out.

"That's why I said don't talk about business on the dining table." Mom heaved a sigh, "but you never listen to me..."

On another note, I was glad they didn't ask me about myself. What possibly could I tell them? That... I was playing a two worlds game. Here to there and there to here! I knew I was sounding selfish but it was good to be selfish sometimes.

***********

"Where are you going?" Bre asked when I was about to cross the door.

"Don't you know it's bad luck to call from behind when someone is leaving?" I scolded him.

"Oh, that's bullshit! By the way, where are you going?" He asked with curiosity.

"Cemetery. I have not visited them yet." I whispered. He looked at me but before he could say something I added, "Don't worry, I'm fine and I'll be back on time."

Today, we had to go to that street fight. There was a chance that possibly we could find something useful there about that tattoo blue-eyed guy.

"Can I come with you?" He asked.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'P' and walked outside.

Daddy and Mom had gone to visit some relatives and Caro had already left somewhere after what happened on the breakfast.

I slipped inside my car and revved the engine. After ten minutes, I was standing in front of the cemetery gate.

The weather today was pleasant, because of yesterday night storm now the sky was clear and bright. Still, a slow yet cool breeze was blowing, sensationally touching my skin. I walked inside looking at the name stones.

There were graves and graves everywhere, so many people were buried. How painful it would be to leave your beloved ones here, under the ground in a dark box? I could understand that pain. It felt like someone was stabbing your heart with a knife.

Walking past many graves, at last, I found my brother's grave, and beside it was Mia's grave. I placed the rose bouquets on both graves and bent down on my knees near Allessandro's grave as tears started to roll down my cheeks.

'God rest his soul in peace

Allessandro Amino

Died 20 September 2019'

I touched the name stone with my hands where my brother's name was written. They both were sleeping together. Like they always dreamed of staying together.

"Does... it dark... over there?" I asked in between my sobs. "You will be feeling suffocated over there." Tears were streaming down my cheeks. "I am...sorry..." I close my eyes and put my head on top of my lovely brother's grave. I cried and cried until someone placed a hand on my head and softly caressed it.

I froze and looked at the person who was sitting beside me. That person passed a warm comforting smile and said, "It's not your fault."

I wiped my tears and angled my head. "You know everything, right? You know about the crystal world! You know everything from the start! Who the hell are you?!" I yelled with anger and frustration.

In return, she smiled at me. Did I tell a joke? Did my life seem a joke to her?

"Yes." She said one word.

"Yes!!! A simple bloody yes! I asked Who the hell are you?" I screamed.

"Your savior, your helper, a fairy Godmother in your story or you can call me whatever you want." She said and shrugged.

"I preferred Mysterious old women, what about it? Who knows everything but don't bothered to tell anything." I blurted.

"It's funny." She chuckled and added, "You belong to two worlds. Mortal and Immortal but one thing is common in both worlds. Both are dangerous."

As if I didn't know that. Of course, one was a vampire queen who was powerful than me. She had her crazy powers and I had nothing. The second person was a tattoo guy luckily human but psycho who could kill anyone, anytime. I was a sucked person in both worlds. She spoke again and break my chain of thoughts.

"Never think that your enemies are weak. They are stronger than you ever guess. But YOU. CAN. BEAT. THEM. Always remember this, there is always a way to succeed, we just need to find it." She said with a confident smile.

I was about to ask her 'How'? But my phone rang and it diverted my attention from a Mysterious old lady. An unknown number was calling me. I creased my brows in confusion but when I again looked back at the old lady, no one was there. It seemed like she vanished somewhere in between two worlds.

I looked around carefully but no one was there except tall trees, a chill breeze, and few birds. I sighed. My phone again rang and this time I received the call. I asked in a low confused voice, "Hello! Who is there?"

"Hi! It's me, Darren Wilson. I hope I didn't disturb you. I take your number from Brett." It was Darren, nicely explaining everything and here an old woman came and went without any explanation.

"No, that's ok." I said still glancing at my surroundings with my blue saucers.

"Ok... Sorry to bother you on Sunday but I just found a perfect location for our project and... I will be very glad if you can come and check it out at least once." He asked with a little bit hesitant voice, it was clearly visible the way he spoke.

I scratched my temple before saying, "Sure..."

"That's great! I'll send you the location. See you soon." With this, he cut the call. I once again observed my surroundings, then casting a last glance at graves, I stood up and walked out of that place.

Soon I received a message from Darren. I saved his number and sped off towards the sent location. During the drive, my mind kept on thinking about that mysterious woman. Who was she? How did she know everything? She showed up three times now, first at accident night and second in the park and now.

I reached the place which a huge building of almost 20 floors still in construction progress. I hopped out of the car and looked around the area. Darren was already waiting for me at the entrance as he waved at me and I nodded. Slamming the car door, I walked towards him.

"Thanks for coming and sorry for destroying your Sunday." He said with a smile.

"It's okay." I mirrored his smile.

He showed me the whole building and it was a perfect place for a hospital. It took two hours to completely explored the building. While he kept on explaining different things. In the end, we approved it.

"So, now we can start our work." He said with excitement. I nodded with a smile.

"Why you choose this place? There is already a well famous hospital at some distance." I asked because when I was coming here I saw a hospital within five minutes' distance.

"Challenge, I love challenges. Besides our hospital is for poor and orphaned people. The best staff, best treatment, and the best equipment will work here for needy people. They will do treatment for free." He explained with excitement and pride.

"That's great. Your parents would have proud of you." I said and I felt a hint of sadness on his face.

He simply shrugged, "Maybe." By that time we were already out of the building and standing near our cars.

He asked, "Coffee?"

"Sure." I smiled.

We sat in our cars and drove to a cafeteria which was not so far from our project location. A simple yet diligent aroma flowing in the environment. We sat beside a window and ordered two cappuccino.

The sun was already setting, throwing his dim orange light on the sky. There was an awkward silence between us which he decided to broke.

"My father was a well-known businessman. And my Mom was a housewife and a really loving mother. They both loved me so much. We were a perfect family." There was a cute smile on his face. And he was using past tenses.

"Everything was going fine when suddenly we faced business crises. At that time I was only 9 years old." He said lost in thoughts. I listened to him.

"Dad made a business deal with someone because it could save us from going in the worst condition. But that person stepped back at the last moment." He said grief was dripping from his voice.

"Why?" I asked and he shrugged.

How could someone do something like that? If you couldn't keep your words then you wouldn't be the one fixing the deal in the first place. The waiter came and place our cups in front of us.

"Then our business sank. We lost everything, money, reputation, peace, everything... We lost each other. Dad committed suicide and knowing that Mom had a serious breakdown. I left alone. One of the Dad friends sent me to the orphanage. I spent my childhood there, that's why I made some rules for my life so that no one could ever cheat on me." He said with so much sorrow that my heart sunk, feeling the pain of losing someone you love. I knew how it felt.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"No, it's ok. It felt good to share sometimes. I never tell anyone, anything about me." He said and then added with a wink, "You know I'm rude." I laughed.

The rest of the time went into drinking our delicious cappuccino and talking. He told me about his mother who used to cook cupcakes and cookies for him and about his father who used to play with him every weekend. We talk more about random things. A title about our first project. We both were so excited to start it.

I understood one thing, no one was living without worries. Everyone had their own problems like problems were the main and important part of our life. Listening to his story I thought, sometimes, problems made us strong to fight with all circumstances.

My phone ding indicating a message which was from Bre 'Where are you? We need to go. Send us your location, we are coming to pick you.' I send them my location. After finishing our beverages we came out of the cafeteria.

"It really is nice to spend some time with you. Thanks for your quality time." He said smilingly. I smiled back.

"No, that's not a big deal. Actually, I need some distractions too. Thank you too!" I smiled when I heard a car horn and looked in the direction of it.

Bre and Veward were sitting in the car looking at me. Bre had a sheepish smile while Veward was passing deadly daggers at Darren.

"This guy sure has some problem with me." Darren said, of course, noticing Veward frown and deadly glare.

I grinned and then said, "Good-bye! See you soon."

"See you soon." He nodded.

I trekked towards the car and sat on the back seat. Bre revved the engine and started the car. Veward was sitting on the passenger seat. He turned back as soon as our car started to move.

"What are you doing with him?" He gritted his teeth.

"What's the problem? It's a business matter none of your concern." I replied with a straight face but internally I was laughing at his jealous, pissed face.

"Yeah right, you were discussing business in the cafeteria." He retorted sarcastically with a poker face.

"Of course."I nodded still controlling my laughter.

He looked directly into my eyes with his annoying ocean blue eyes. Silence, pure silence just stares. I shifted on my seat, his annoying gaze was doing something strange to me.

"Someone is jealous," Bre broke his gazing stance.

"I'm not jealous," Veward gritted still looking at my face then turned away, fixing his focus on the road.

"I didn't mention you. But if you say so......VEWARD IS JEALOUS!" Bre shouted the last part and earned a hit on his arm from Veward. I chuckled but bit it when Veward glared at me.

"Stop being a jealous king of Europe." I muttered under my breath but he heard it anyway.

"What did you say?" He again turned towards me.

"Nothing..." I shrugged.