Street Signs

Chapter 36

BRIELLE

It was a battle of an emotional hide and seek.

A few days after the terrible night that had happened to me, I became very more careful. I was not hiding because I knew it was not the solution-- they would eventually find me. What I was trying to hide was my real emotion about this situation; it was scaring me, but somehow, making me stand firmer.

The night that the group of men chased me was also the night I knew about my little brother's horrible experience in school. I had this big and deep assumption that those men who tried to catch him were also the men who kept on following me. I knew it because when I asked him what they looked like, he told me that they were big men who wore an Obsidian Warrior Outfit.

Akie was teary as he told me how those groups of men tried to approach him. He said they were five who asked him about her sister's name and that was me. Since he was afraid and all the people around him stayed away from those men, he did not speak. Instead, he immediately ran away and went back to the building. When he arrived inside, he asked for help and told the people there that there were men who were following him. He was able to point them out because those men were still waiting outside and just went away when the security in the school came to attack them. Fortunately, he was able to find help right away; his teachers did not let him go until Daddy Sy arrived to fetch him.

Those men really did deep research just to find me because they even know my brother Akie. If that was the case, it was not impossible for them to also know my location. They might be watching over the house every night and day, and that was scaring me. They could attack me any time they wanted, but not my family.

I could not be more worried now, knowing that my dad and my little brother were also at stake. I didn't know how would I explain things to them. I did not want to be honest because I knew in that way, I would plant fear in them; however, when I kept it a secret, their safety would be uncertain because, in the first place, they did not know something wrong was going on already.

It was a day now since I was stuck staring outside our house through the window in my room. After what had happened, I did not leave the house since it was the weekend. Though how much I wanted to go out to finish my duties, I wasn't able to because as of this moment, my family was my priority.

The autumn breeze carried fine drops, each one a promise of the rain to come. As newly chilled air moves the clouds, streaks of brilliance breakthrough from a patient sun. I let my eyes rest for a moment, feeling the ambiance, hearing the sounds, taking in the aroma, letting my brain be still just only this moment. The breeze had a way of moving my long black hair, of tousling it into buoyant curls, also pinked my cheeks.

The warmth that had been in the wind just last week had either evaporated into the sky or leached into the earth. It gave life to the long grass at the side of the road, still yellowing from the high August sun. The strands swayed out of time with the gusts brought on by the traffic, a postage stamp echo of the prairie wheat fields she knew as a small child.

A lot of gratitude to the cold wind for somehow giving me peace of mind; however, after a few seconds, I went back thinking again about my family's safety. Should I hold them with my own hands or perhaps, it was now the right time to ask for help?

My thoughts were my ballet steps, ever ready to leap and twirl. Different conclusions were running inside my mind but they were full of uncertainties. They were getting even more confusing as time went by and more ideas were being created. But among the solutions running inside my head, what was indeed effective? What to be followed?

I groaned and rubbed my face with my palm. I was just trying to express myself, but after some time, I took a deep breath and tried focusing again. My eyes were straight outside when I was thinking of the right thing to do when I noticed someone outside. I recognized its black warrior outfit, so I abruptly closed the window and covered it with the curtain. I peeked over to see what it would do, and I was really surprised when another four men come out. Due to astonishment, I went to the trashcan beside my bed where I threw the bracelet and looked for it there. When I finally found it, I immediately wore it and called for Prince Valor.

The bracelet lighted in blue, telling me that it was reaching the prince already. After a few seconds, it released a familiar voice that said,

"You've called, Brielle..."

"Prince Valor," I uttered in haste, "where are you?"

"I'm in Serinokuni. Why?"

I let out a deep sigh. "Please, I need your help. The men are outside our house and probably finding the right time to invade us."

"Alright, I'll be coming there in a few minutes. Just please lock all the windows and doors. Make sure there is no way for them to enter."

I thanked him and after that, I went down to double-check if the doors and windows were closed. I also went to my dad's room and to Akie to make sure that they had closed their windows, which they fortunately did. I went back to my room then, and as I peeked out of the window, the men were still there.

The five men were wandering their eyes all around the place, especially to our house. If they would invade this time, it would be hard for us to ask for any help because we had no neighbors and it was night already. They were wise enough to attack at this hour because they knew it would be easier for them to find me.

After a few minutes of peeking over the window, I heard a familiar voice aroused in the room which I assumed to first come in the bathroom. As I turned around, I saw Prince Valor's face, and that was why my eyes were widened. I immediately ran to him and thanked him for being there. Well, this time, I could not hold my pride anymore.

"How are you able to come in the bathroom?" I asked him, puckering my eyebrows. I knew there was no any way there, but perhaps, he used his magic.

"That doesn't matter anymore," he told me. "Where are your dad and your little brother?"

"They are sleeping in their rooms. I don't want to wake them up."

"You don't have to, that will only give trouble to them. What we have to do now is to get the men away from this place."

"How will we do that? Will you talk to them?"

The prince shook his head. "They won't listen to me because I only stand as a prince. I cannot contradict my mom because she is the queen of Serinokuni. When I'd talk to them, they would just report me in the palace," he said. "But by the way, do you have clothes there, like something that can fit me?"

"You want tees and shorts?"

"Anything, as long as it will fit me. I have to disguise first because if they see me in this cloth, they will easily recognize me."

"Alright, I'll just get it in the clothing room. Can you wait for me here?"

The prince did not concur with me, instead, he came with me in the dressing room to find clothes that could fit him. He wore a white t-shirt and black shorts, as well as the slipper I gave him. When everything was fine already, he told me that I had to stay inside and guard my dad and little brother, while he would go outside to deceive the men.

"Are you sure that would be fine to you?" I asked him.

"That's the best thing we can do, anyway," Prince Valor told me as he held my hands. "Do your best to guard this house. Close all the doors and windows. You don't have to worry about me because I knew those men. If ever they recognize me, they won't hurt me. But I won't let that happen." He was about to leave when I stopped him by calling his name.

"Thank you," I told him, which gave a little smile on his natural pink lip.

Prince Valor did not utter any word again when he planned to leave for the second time. He exited the house by jumping through the window on the other side of my room where the men could not see him. At first, before he jumped, I stopped him again because I doubt he would not receive any injury after jumping because it was high. However, he did not listen to me, and just told me to trust him, so I did.

I ran in haste to the front window of my room and peeked over outside to know what was happening there already. I could still see the five men watching over the house while talking to each other; perhaps they were planning a strategy. Since it was dark outside, I could not clearly see their faces and their expressions, also because of the distance. But I knew they were planning something already because of their body gestures.

The wind was heavier now because even though the window was closed, it could still blow the curtain. And the moment the curtain flew, I immediately stop it so the men would never notice it or me. Still holding it, I had a glimpse outside, and what was happening there made my eyes grow.

Prince Valor was outside already, near the men. He was far from me and his spot was too dark, making him unable to see clearly by my eyes. But after some time, he had done something that I would never forget for the rest of my life. How would he dare to?