Identity (A Journey Through Time)

CHAPTER 2

The sun shone brightly on the Gilbert's mansion as gentle breeze ruffled the trees behind the house, illuminating a peaceful and quite atmosphere. The usual cherry laughter and funny voices that always accompanied the daily chores was replaced by worry and hushed whispers directed towards the sleeping guest upstairs.

The mansion reeked of tension as it was the first time something like this has happened. The Gilbert's owned the vast land surrounding the mansion, and this was a well known information among those who cared to know more about them. No one dared to trespass on their property because it was restricted however, encountering an unconscious stranger in the woods behind the Gilbert's mansion was something no one expected.

Anticipation brew as all occupants of the house including the maids and workers anxiously awaits the stranger to fully awaken. This silence and anticipation stretched on until the morning morphed into afternoon.

The clock on the wall seem to tick slowly than usual as Elizabeth hovered over her guest, studying her like a framed painting about to shatter its frame and come alive. Mary had dashed into the kitchen five minutes earlier, alerting everyone about some strange behaviours emitted by the stranger.

"I promise, she moved." Mary defended herself. "While I was tidying up the room, I heard her say some strange words and she moved her head, and her hands, and.... I promise you ma'am, I'm not lying. She really moved."

"It's okay Mary." Elizabeth turned towards the nervous maid. "I believe you. Maybe it was just a... "

"See, I told you she moved." Mary gasped and pointed at the stranger whose eyes fluttered open.

Elizabeth whirled around only to be met by the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. Dumbfounded, she stared at her guest whose eyes swirled with wisdom and mystery far beyond anyone's grasp.

The girl didn't mind Elizabeth reaction as she turned her head to fully examine her surrounding. The curtains were shut, so the room was dimly lit. Simple yet skillfully designed, the room gave off an homely vibe. From the paintings on the wall, to the furniture that occupied the room, everything screamed warm and cozy.

The doorway was occupied by workers, peeping and hoping to get a glimpse of the mysterious sleeping beauty. To the left was Christian, who had been quiet and observant. To the right was Mary, who was standing ten feet away from a beautifully crafted vase which was almost as tall as her.

What caught her attention wasn't any of the furniture or paintings, rather, it was an almost invisible figure that stood between Mary and the vase. The dimly lit room gave the figure an advantage to blend easily with the darkness that enveloped half of the room.

She squinted her eyes to make out the figure and realized he was also staring back at her. A boy. Dressed in a black cloak, and standing tall at an height on par with Christians'. She couldn't make out the expression on his face but nothing about him made her feel uneasy. In fact, she felt completely calm.

Elizabeth finally spoke up. "I'm sorry. We must have startled you." She chuckled nervously, "We found you unconscious in the woods and brought you here. Well, I..... We'll just vacate the room and call on the doctor to check up on you. I really don't know if you can understand me but I'll.... I mean we'll just leave."

Two hours later, Dr Frank had concluded his analysis on the Gilbert's mysterious guest, stating everything was okay and she was medically fit to move around. The Gilbert's still had no idea about the stranger's identity or how she got on their property but, they were willing to wait for an answer despite their curiosity.

At half past seven in the evening, Elizabeth, Christian, and all the workers were gathered in the kitchen eating, and chatting. This was a usual habit in the Gilbert's household. Every evening, everyone always gathered in the kitchen to have their dinner and chat about their daily experience. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't notice their guest at the door.

"Excuse me."

Her voice was nothing compared to the loud voices and laughter that filled the kitchen and echoed throughout the house so, it was like she wasn't making a sound at all. She moved a little bit closer and attempted to speak a little louder when Eddie who was in the middle of explaining a funny story, spotted her and quickly rose to his feet.

Everyone in the kitchen turned to see what caused Eddie's reaction and they immediately became quite when they all noticed her. It was the first time they fully had a view of her.

Everything about her was captivating yet mysterious. From the blond hair, to the deep blue eyes, pale skin, small nose, and love shaped lips, standing in front of them was an angel on earth. An angel who will make their lives one hell of a roller coaster.