THE CURSE UNLEASHED

CHAPTER 9

Aveline and Casper quickly made up with their fight just because Casper was not in a mood to drag it, knowing she wouldn't admit anything. He was explaining to her how his day went and how he skipped the dinner meeting to go to her. She was laughing at everything that he said, maybe it was on her to make him feel better.

"So basically you are warning me that Gilbert would barge in any moment to kill me?" She joked while throwing the dice.

"Aha, you missed it." Casper clapped his hands seeing how messy she was playing.

"Why why?" She groaned before messing the game board not wanting to lose once again.

Things were pretty much going in pace and they were having the time of their life. Casper helped her forget about Jacob which was one of the reason that she wanted to keep him no matter what. Casper on the other hand, didn't even remember about the incidents so that was a help for him as well.

"I won't be able to come to meet you for some long time. Gilbert will lock me up or send me abroad for some shoots."

"You need to focus on those too. I am sure it has been more than months since you did a concert." She complained as her only job was to listen to his songs and watch performances.

He nodded his head in agreement and got up from there to move to the balcony. Aveline copied his actions and moved to the balcony to listen to him. He has always been a deep talker at mid night because he believes people become weaker as moon comes out.

"What is it today?" She asked anticipating to hear his stories.

"Today it is on you. Tell me something."

"Hmm, me?" She scratched her head not knowing what story she should tell him.

Aveline has seen the world starting from ashes and the millions of people who came across her path in the past six hundred years. The stories which she knows have no genre, no principles, no classiness like Casper's because it is bare and fresh. She wanted to bury them all in the past as she moves from one place to another but one particular story was stuck in her.

"I will tell you a story about a painter." She spoke while looking at him with a soft smile.

"Not any fantasy stories, like prince and princess." He already warned her making her frown.

FLASHBACK...

Aveline was walking to her singing classes after her day of work at her friend's place. She has been working with her friend since some time because staying alone at house was boring the s**t out of her. Her friend paints pots and other decorations so Aveline used to help colouring the designs. She was never into drawing and painting so messing things up became a routine.

She was walking, no basically running as it was already two hours behind time for the class. She usually takes the main path to the class but then the time made her run into an alley. She was asked never to go that way because it has been well known for pick pocketers and small gangsters. Aveline wasn't afraid of dyinv or getting hurt because she knew, she would come back alive.

She walked through the alley, holding a book close to her chest and reciting the lessons from the past classes. She was humming it so low not to bother anyone but the closeness of the old shabby buildings on the other side of the alley, started making her voice come out louder than she expected.

"Ohh ohh, what have we got here?" A man grinned as he jumped in front of her.

Aveline looked up at the man who was taller and bigger than her, maybe a few years older too. He wore a torn and worn out sweat shirt, a long beard which was never given attention to and a beanie covering half of his eyes. He walked to her with the same grin naturally causing her to walk back and hit the wall.

"Excuse me?" She asked lightly annoyed at the dirty man spreading a foul smell.

"What made you think, walking into this alley would be a good idea?"

"I have to reach somewhere urgently. Can you please move?" She said trying to slip away but he kept his hands on either side of the wall and blocked her in between.

"What do you want? Let go off me because someone else comes in." She tried to defend her self in the weakest way possible.

"You are worried about some one seeing us? Let's go somewhere else.... Just you and me."

That was enough for her to catch the meaning of what he had said to her. She looked to the side as if her eyes were desperately looking for a help which would never come. The church she wad attending was preaching patience since the past few weeks and Aveline was obliged to not break a word.

"I don't want a fight." She stated looking into his eyes hoping that would worry him a little.

"Then let's do it calmly." He monitored her to walk to a blue building which was half damaged.

Aveline tried to run for her dear life and thats when another man jumped in front of her, blocking her path to safety. She looked back and then at the man in front of her with misty eyes as she could anticipate what was coming at her. Should she beg him to spare her or fight back, she even thought about going through what they have to offer.

"You look so innoncent and pure making us want to enjoy this more." He seductively cooed at her before wiping the nicotin dust off his black skinned lip.

"Please, let me go. I am in the church choir." She knew it was a naive defense as those men wouldn't clearly have any respect for those.

"Then we can bet you have an amazing voice." Her words were twisted by him to something so dirty.

"I think, I have a better voice." A domineering voice echoed from her back and she immediately looked at the man who owned the voice.

He was really pale, too neat and clean for a man to be in such a harsh weather. Aveline ran to the man hoping him to be her rescue and yes, he was. Like in fairy tales and movies, the man was there to help her and she could only think that he was sent by God.

"Richard." The stout men who was eating her alive with words, trembled.

"I-it is not wh-at it looks like. We were ju-just passing by." One of the man confessed, joining his hands together.

"We will get going, okay?" The men said keeping tjeir hands out in defense.

"It doesn't look that cool." Richard huffed looking at Aveline who was sweating loads and trembling.

"No no, we are cool. I don't even know her."

"I will come back for the both of you soon. Now I am in a hurry, so get out of way and make sure to never cross paths with me on intention." Robert warned before pulling her away with him.

Aveline sighed as the men left her, finally letting her calm down and breath. She didn't know why a man came there all of a sudden and more than that, he saved her without even saying a word. Aveline followed the boy to the outside of the lane like a good puppy because she believed thay staying away from the boy is like choosing war.

"Do not take this alley when you are alone." The man huffed at her as if it was not him who just helped her.