Love Between Wars

Episode Ten

"Ugh!" She shrieked when someone had pinned her to the wall. Forcefully. It was the green-haired man who had clapped his hands earlier. Latterly, her wound started to bleed and stained her dress.

"Pardon me, Lady. You're in my way." Those deadly stares and intimidating manner had trembled her nerves. She'd nearly forgotten to breathe normally. The pain in her shoulder went away for an instant. He looked intently into her heterochromic eyes, probably reading what was running through her foolish brain.

"Don't mention it. Could you take off your hands please? As you can see, my wound is bleeding again," Half smiled and awkward, she had managed to lighten her voice despite how nervous she was. She wouldn't let him see how flustered and terrified she was inside. The expression he had been searching for wouldn't come out of her face.

" As you wish, old Arro was waiting for you in his room." The man's smile didn't reach his green eyes and she found it spine chilling. He dropped her body and walked out in front of her. She was left, catching her breath in the pathway, bearing the pain in her shoulder.

'This place is hell.' As much as she wanted to escape but couldn't. Surviving was the last thing she could do for herself.

"Have a seat, this place might have been stressing you out." She didn't understand what he meant. Her heart's rapid beating was the only thing she could emphasize. The room was very decent and well organized. The old paintings and the structures were very mesmerizing. But only one lantern which gives a dim light to the place.

"You guys don't have electricity here? I noticed there were plenty of lanterns." The old man had predicted her nonsense. He knew the moment he had seen her, there was something special about the lady. Partially with her astounding eyes, but there's a deeper reason.

"Too much light will also expose a lot of things, Lady. Lanterns will do, as they give solace and calm ambience to the place, isn't it?" She couldn't see him, he was in the corner sitting on the couch. With a glass of wine in his slender hands. But she had taken a furtive glance at him in the dining hall, he was kinda familiar with Greg. 'His grandfather, I guess,?' The two of them had a resemblance, not only with him but also with the people she had dinner with.

"Well, it's kinda comforting to die in here too. It's like the place was built for that purpose." She could only speak bluntly as her mind was thinking of herself, dying on the carpet. Or worst. The senior had chuckled, he was amazed how straightforward she was and thithero confident.

" No blood to drip in this place, Lady. It's innocent and astute like you. But there's one thing I need you to do." Then the ambience slowly turned colder, his voice suddenly implored. That's when her gawky mind realized how f****d up she was. Perspiration began to drip on her cold forehead, the elder stood up with a golden wallet-sized envelope in his hands. Her curiosity woke up in the midst of her shaking system.

"I'll surely give you a chance if you finish that simple request of mine. You have 24 hours to get it done." His words rang like a bell in her ears. Somehow, she was glad that the room was kinda dark. It prevented him from noticing her trembling hands while she reached the envelope. She didn't know what was inside, but her guts were screaming it was something that would befall to be done.

Her thoughts were evidently far away when she had exited the room. She'd notice that the pathway she was walking along was different. Then, instinctively, her eyes fixed on the aged pictures on the walls. 'Who is she?" There are four of them in the picture, but the woman with the same eye as her caught her attention. Unknown feelings and curiosity filled her thoughts while tracing her fingers on its face. The second picture was a family gathering, then followed with some familiar faces.' This must be Greg's parents,' it's a younger version of him together with Samantha and two couples in mid 30s.

"Woman, let's go." Greg's stern voice had interrupted her. His brows were darkened together with his expression. She had no idea how he found her. He didn't wait for her response, his strong hands reached her arms and grabbed her. Fortunately, she was fast to hid the envelope on her back. But she knows he was too upset to notice about what she's been holding. 'I think I might lose my arms sooner,'

"Where are we going? Isn't it the way - -"

"Don't speak anything if you still want to live." He warned her. For that moment, she was dumbfounded. She had a sense that something was off. His grip started to tighten when a continuous bang of guns echoed in the place. 's**t! What happened to no blood dripping rules?" She remembered what the senior mentioned earlier, or maybe he was just lying. Their steps began to get heavier as they walked faster along the turns of the pathway. Jessy's nostrils scented his alluring scent, it was still the same she had smelled last time. She couldn't help but to take a longer deep breath and smell his back. Now she was lost in a complicated situation. 'Dang it, we're in the midst of death. Now stop this nonsense!' Her thoughts complained, then she'd noticed him stop walking. As his body hardened.

"Too early to leave, Greg. Let's have fun for a moment. I'm quite interested in the woman you are holding now," He was the brunet man she'd glimpsed earlier. Her mouth was about to say something but Greg turned his head back and told her to shut up.

"Back off, Tim. This is not the time for your games." His menacing laugh didn't last long, he started to walk in the direction of them. With a sharp knife in his hand, playfully playing with it. 'Come on, my wound isn't healed yet. ' She mumbled tiredly, trying not to roll her eyeballs at him.