THE CURSE UNLEASHED

CHAPTER 10

"Is that it?" Casper asked noticing no more words dripped from her mouth making it look like an unfinished story.

"Hmm, you wanted more?" Aveline raised her eyebrow as if she was trying to tease him.

"Come on, that was not even a story. It was just a piece of something that sounded real for some strange reason."

"It is a real story. I am not into fantasies like you." She scoffed before pushing him lightly.

"Tell me more about Richards. Was he tough like me? Did he fight them back and make a scene?"

"Are you interested in knowing about the fight or about their life story?" She asked leaving out a heavy breath before resuming the story gaining his attention.

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Aveline ran to the church, trying to forget what had just happened but when she reached the class was dispersed successfully. She stood by the door, holding onto the bar while trying to calm herself down. The other students passed by her to the outside, some giving her a subtle smile while some others gave her a concerned look. She patiently waited for all of them to leave so that she could go in and meet the teacher to ask for apology.

"Why didn't you attend the class, Aveline?" The priest asked as soon as he noticed her approaching him with confused foot steps.

"I am sorry, father. I was caught up with some work and didn't notice the time. I will never repeat this." Aveline apologized sincerely.

"This is not the real you so I don't know the reason behind it."

"I will make sure to not repeat this." Aveline was upset about it because she was supposed to practice for the choir program that was supposed to be held in a few days.

She walked to the front aisle and kneeled down to have a prayer as it has been some days since she freely got a chance to pray. She was always busy so the time that she spends in the church is just for the singing lessons. Aveline was into praying and believing in Jesus as nothing never helped her to get rid of the curse but recently one of her friends, Della asked her to try again.

The choir practices went on and on without any troubles and Aveline was pretty much ready for that as she practiced hard. Her friend supported her a lot and corrected her mistakes, the priest asked her to even lead the choir as he was confident in her. She was asked to meet the pianist a day before the program so Aveline walked early to the church.

"Is he going to come now?" She asked as soon as she walked to the building.

"I don't know, he asked you to wait for some time here." The helper at the church answered as the question was shot at her.

After few minutes of waiting, a man walked into the church with slow foot steps. He wore a big over sized brown jacket and a baggy loose black pants which was almost flowing to the floor. He wore a big hat which covered his face and all she could see was his shadow and long lean fingers which peeked out of his full sleeves. She felt uneasy at his appearance and it was literally showing in her face.

"What are you waiting for?" The man asked noticing her restlessly.

"Hmm?" Aveline looked up to see him take off the hat and coat off him.

"Don't be too surprised." he huffed before arranging the piano with no interest in her as if he doesn't even know her.

"A-aren't you the one who saved me? In the alley?" Aveline asked just to make sure she wasn't mistaken.

"So?"

He looked so distant and offended at her question as if he didn't want her to recognize him. He was reading through the notes with no attention spared to her as if she was invisible. He kept chewing his bottom lips, indicating he was either stressed or concentrating a lot more than he should. Aveline huffed at him before picking the note where she had the lyrics of the song. Her annoyance was clearly visible in the expressions, the pace at which she flipped the pages, how she tucked her hair behind ears.

"Are you going to be sulking like a baby?" He asked not looking at her as if he has eyes even on sides.

"I am not sulking."

"Aveline, we need to keep this professional." He stated making her feel more uncomfortable.

She was thinking if she expressed more wishes to him or if she made him feel something else. Aveline was hating the idea of humans at that point but then he had to spoil it more for her with his stupid words. He looked really pale and his hair was mint green which was the rarest to see in Rome during old days. The man took out a cigarette and kept it in between his lips, softly chewing it without bothering to light it.

"This is church and I hope you know, smoking is not allowed here."

"I don't smoke. I just keep it there as out of habit." He answered before playing the keys all of a sudden, not giving her time to adjust to it.

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"Make sure to not zone out." He warned her before closing the piano after two hours of practice section.

"I was not zoning out." She spat back even after knowing she was at fault.

He huffed at her before getting up from the seat and picking his coat which was lazily hanging from the bench. Aveline noticed his actions to only come to the conclusion that the boy was really slow and calm with everything that he does. He still had that cigar secured in his lips, tightly clasping it with the pink tinted small cat lips that he had.

"Are you walking back alone?"

"Hmm." She wondered how awkward could a human be because the way he spoke, his voice and the words, the way he looked and behaved, nothing really matched each other.

"I will walk you home. The function is tomorrow so most of the men will be wasted by this time."

He seemed caring or was he doing it thinking, it was his responsibility to act that way to a girl? Aveline didn't care but accepting his offer would be like putting her self respect on the edge so she quickly denied it in her own way. The man didn't seem to bother her again which was kind of disappointing as she expected him to force her for once.

Aveline walked out to be welcomed with a flash of lightening hitting the night sky right above her and a thunder following it as usual. The sky was clouded and she knew it was worth to wait for a heavy rain after a long time. She looked back at the church and took a glimpse of the cross which was placed at the centre, before walking out slowly.

Aveline was scared of lightening and thunder because it was one of those nights that she lost her friend, in the middle of the road in a blood pool. She was not over that particular scene even after seventy three years. The night looked almost same and the trauma which she hid behind all these years popped out but this time, it was directed to Richard.

"I will walk you home." Aveline shouted involuntarily as he was approaching the gate.

He stopped hearing her and looked back as if he was trying to make sure that he misheard her. Aveline ran to him and closed the gap with the same eager expression, awaiting his approval for doing what he wanted. Richard took the cigar off his lips and tossed it to the side, outside the gate before adjusting the coat to not get wet from the sudden downpour.

"You need this." He clicked the button and opened the big ass umbrella he had above her.

It was just like perfect timing in movies or else she would have drenched by then, trying to act like a heroine. Aveline sighed looking up at the shield which he was providing her, making it obvious that it was on him to walk her home and not the other way around.