Anthony's Forbidden Melody

Chapter III

"Sure! If it's okay with the girls." The man's eyes darted towards them as he stopped a meter away from their table.

"Of course!" Clarisse smiled at him and stood up to sit beside her.

"I'm Melvin." He extended his hand to the couple as they introduced themselves. He lastly turned his head to Rosette. "Melvin. At your service, Miss..."

"Rosette." Her eyes dropped down to his hand as she accepted it and felt the softness of his palm. Almost the same as the hand that gripped her wrist but a little bit wider.

Melvin and Joven sat beside each other, facing Rosette and Clarisse respectively. They ate silently at first as they were lost of words to start a conversation with the guy.

"Did you sleep early last night?" Joven broke the silence as he begun interrogating the man beside him.

"Nope, I enjoyed the view of the full moon that kisses the sea." Melvin held the camera that was hanging on his chest and slightly raised it. " And there's this mysterious girl that I've seen last time in that area. I'm hoping to see her again," he added.

"You're a photographer? Or is it just a hobby?" Rosette asked after taking a sip of her black coffee.

"Just my hobby." Melvin shrugged.

Rosette nodded while sniffing the hot aroma of her coffee. She picked up a toasted bread and took a bite of it. She preferred light breakfast compared to the heavy meal that everybody ate.

"So, you mean to say, you were outside when the lights went off?" Joven asked again.

"Yeah, why? Is there something wrong?" Melvin's forehead creased as he moved his gaze to each of them.

Rosette exchanged glances with the couple. She secretly moved her head left and right, signaling them not to tell to Melvin.

"No. Nothing... We are just curious of what everyone does after the power outage." Clarisse easily found an excuse.

Rosette remained silent after that. She busied herself munching her bread while staring at an antique single candle holder.

They finished their food with another topic and bid goodbye minutes later. Rosette had to go to the shoreline to get some signal. It has been two days since she contacted Collin and he's worried sick, for sure.

"How's your stay there? Have you started your manus?" Collin asked from the other line.

"Yah, you don't have to worry about it. I have made an outline, already. I'll just have to finish the whole plot and send it to you for approval once done," she assured him.

She was sitting on a scarf while her bare feet touches the roughness of the white sand. She hid under a solid rock to safeguard her skin from the heat of the sun. Her eyes wandered around the scenery in front of her as she mindfully listened to Collin.

The enticing sea sparkled as it moved, creating soft waves. Its relaxing sound along with the tweeting of the birds, kept her calm... that she almost forgot the terrifying incident that she experienced last night. She hid it from Collin. Knowing him, he would not hesitate to cross the ocean just to make sure that she was safe.

Who wouldn't be? This was his idea to begin with. He sponsored all her travels just to create different scenarios and to meet new people.

"Nice to hear that. See soonest, my lady." He hanged up, already.

Her eyebrow raised upon hearing his last statement. She knew that he would follow her in the island but he never mentioned when. He had this attitude of surprising people around him, especially her.

She managed to return to the hostel before lunch. She even crossed paths with the couple when she entered the hallway.

"Wow! Nice sunglasses," Rosette commented. She was amazed by the intricate design of the golden frame that complemented with the brown lenses.

"Thanks!" Clarisse smiled. Her eyes twinkled along with confidence. "Oh, by the way, Mang Rolly came up here awhile ago. He was asking about an old... candle holder? Have you seen it?" she asked.

"Nah. Maybe he just misplaced it somewhere. You know... it comes with his age." Rosette shrugged off her thoughts.

"Right," Clarisse simply agreed. "Won't you go with us?" Her eyebrows raised as she waited for her answer.

"To the beach? Nah, my legs already aches." Rosette gently massaged the back of it to make her believe.

"Oh, what a waste. Sally already packed our lunch thinking you would come," Joven interacted, and raised the basket he was holding.

"Maybe next time." She bid them goodbye.

She went into her room and continued her manuscript. She was typing when she remembered what Clarisse had told her. Her gaze shifted to her locked luggage then she froze.

"What am I thinking again!?" She gently slap her forehead. Then, another idea popped up in her mind. It was Anthony's Forbidden Melody.

She promised to herself that she would find a way to have just a glimpse of it.

Later that night, when the lights were replaced by darkness... a moving silhouette blindly made its way to Anthony's room. She carefully turned the knob to her right and realized that it was locked. As a writer, she had studied on what to do in cases like this. She went back to her room and got herself two of her pins.

She adeptly picked the lock and managed to open the door. She turned on the screen of her phone and used it to search for the composition. She never used a flashlight thinking that too much light could caught anyone's attention.

Nothing was on the table. She scanned all the papers that her hand got a hold of from the cabinet and lighted it. Still, it was not what she wanted. Her last hope was on the bookshelf. She tiptoed her bare feet to go near it. She silently read the letters that were touched by her light and looked for a familiar paper.

On the part that was covered by a glass, a white folder was displayed on an old wooden stand. Rosette smiled in triumph. She was about to open the glass door when her ears caught a clicking sound coming the other door. It was like someone unlocked it.