What Lies Beneath

[ 6 | Beneath ]

"Wha-what?" Casper stuttered. Emily moves closer while he stumbles back.

"Like I said, how do you know my last name when I never told anyone in this place my last name?" Emily said.

"You did!" Casper protested.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"You did, don't you remember? during breakfast." Casper explained.

"I did?" Emily paused.

"Yes!"

"Oh"

"No.."

"You did."

"Really...? I can't seem to remember it." Emily mumbled, tilting her head to the side.

"Maybe you're just sleepy"

"You should go to bed." Casper suggested, looking at her.

"Do you remember how to get back to your room?" Casper continued.

"Well, I lied to Harnen."

"I said, I do but.."

"I don't think so?" Emily doubtfully replied.

"Okay, this way, milady!" Casper led her back to her room.

The palace made Emily dizzy, hallway leading to another hallway, doors upon doors and giant windows giving the view outside. Different kinds of paintings hang in the wall— landscape, portrait and abstract.

Emily found it difficult to observe the palace, especially since Casper began walking quickly, causing her to stumble. She also found it difficult to look at the fine paintings. After what had happened to her, it had left her perplexed, but also creeped her out.

Emily's thoughts wander away, she is struggling with who to trust. Harnen seems nice, or is he? Maybe Casper? He seems judgemental but he is still giving a kind gesture, Maybe Adwen? Although he's mysterious, she just needs to know him better.

"We're here." Casper announced, standing by her door frame.

"Also don't be shy to tell me anything, I can hide any secret." Casper whispered leaned forward, close enough for her to hear his breath hitting her face.

"Ah." Emily breathed out.

"Yeah, you can trust me." Casper reassured, slowly backing away from her.

"Sleep well!" Casper bid his goodbye, walking into a room, two doors away from where she is.

"Odd." Emily mumbled, staring at the disappearing figure of Casper. Before throwing herself on the bed and hugging the fluffy comforter.

She flatters her eyes open as the white skies welcome her, she sits up, realizing she is surrounded by tall grass and flowers. She sat up, scanning her surroundings. She felt the tall grass hitting her knees, giving her a tickling sensation as she walked through it.

She glanced at the grass around her and a specific flower caught her attention. A flower she hasn't seen before, the flower in the shade of glorious vivid blue, the most desirable shade of blue sapphire, it is neither light nor dark blue. Reflecting from her eyes, its body had no torn, tall grey-green and lance-shaped leaves with a round cluster of numerous tiny flowers.

"What is this?" She mumbled to herself

"Cornflower…"

A gentle and deep voice flows through her ears as the wind passes through her. She scans her surroundings, seeing no one but herself.

"Cornflower..?"

She moves the flower closer to her face, sniffing the aroma of the freshly picked flower. She felt relaxed and calm, her eyes began to droop. The wind felt soft against her, tickling her skin.

The time seems to go slow and the breath is mellow. The wind remains calm, the soft mist gliding through the mossy floor. She can hear the song of the tweeting birds as they pass by above her. The forest looks gloomy yet a hint of peace sprinkle on it. A curious mind and a gentle soul, she listens to the tender siren lullaby, seducing her closet into the forest.

Getting closer and deeper into the forest's edge. As the siren continues to entice her, she stops, stumbling upon a mysterious portal. She could hear the wind whispering words she couldn't comprehend, still she stepped closer to the portal. The portal illuminated a crimson shade of red while red colored flowers surrounded it. She extends her hands inside the portal before going through it.

Knock Knock

"Milady, wake yourself up!" A voice yelled outside the door.

"Huh" Emily pushed the comforter off her and slid off the bed to open the door.

"Good morning, milady!" Casper greeted, his voice echoing through the hallway in full glee while holding a breakfast tray.

"Oh, it's you." Emily murmured, quite annoyed by the sudden barging in the morning.

"Of course, who wouldn't want to see this handsome face of mine in the morning?" Casper smirked, flexing his oh-so-called handsome face.

"Me, dumbass." Emily replied back, feeling annoyed at this ass who ruined her "good" morning.

"Well, this breakfast tray is for you." Casper changed the topic as he handed the tray to her.

"Thanks. I guess." Emily felt it was unusual why he was giving her this kind of kindness. She is quite bewildered by his signals.

"You're welcome, let's eat this inside the library" Casper suggested.

"As I heard you like reading." He grinned, continuing his sentence.

"How do you know?" Emily is confused again. He's really weird. How does he know everything that she never mentioned to him?

"Because Adwen saw you reading. Upon hearing that, I instantly thought you enjoy reading, so I assume you do." Casper explained, quite suspicious by his statement.

"Anyways, whatever. Let's go." Casper averted his eyes, changing the topic. "Okay, let's go to the library now."

"No, I'm good. thank you." Emily objected, holding the tray that was given to her, as her hands were starting to become numb.

"It's a demand, not a question." Casper looked at her as if she grew two heads. He then grunted, grabbing her right arm, dragging her downstairs.

"Hey ass. Stop! You're hurting my arm." Emily shouted, yanking her right arm away— careful not to drop the breakfast tray she was holding.

"Sorry."

"Can we just please go to the library?" Casper pleaded.

"Fine." Casper rejoiced, grabbing her right arm with a gentle touch but he still dragged her.

Emily couldn't keep up with his swift walk, causing her to stumble while trying to maintain the breakfast tray on her hand. Casper felt her limping. So, he firmly held her right arm which helped her not to fall on her face.

Emily remembered the blinking painting, she was still creeped out by it, she didn't dare to lift her head, she walked past it in silence, feeling her tummy twist, she was uncomfortable but Casper was not too quick to notice her uncomfortable presence.

Casper pushed back the two sided doors, which was the library but the library was already occupied.

"Oh, I thought no one would be here." Casper stated, looking at the familiar figure inside the library.

"Well, too bad. I'm here, working" Adwen roared, not giving him a spare glance.

"Hhm, it's not his private library?" Emily thought to herself.

"Do you need anything, Emily?" Adwen asked, glancing at her.

"Well no, we're just hanging out and were about to have breakfast here but apparently it's taken." Casper sassed, annoyance is evident in his face.

"Wait, you are hanging out with him? with Casper?" Adwen sneered, still looking at her, and ignoring his own brother.

"Why with him, Emily?" Adwen sneered, as if mocking Casper.

"Why with him, Emily?" Casper mocked in annoyance.

"Mate, shut the f**k up, are you jealous?" Casper smirked, provoking his brother.

"Me?" Adwen pointed at himself.

"Jealous? Are you crazy?" Adwen snickered.

"Whatever, we're out of here." Casper rolled his eyes.

"Come along, Emily!" Casper yelled walking away.

"Huh- oh, ok-okay" Emily followed Casper, dumbfounded, but she brushed it off. It's understandable for two siblings to fight, after all she has two brothers. As they headed to another hallway, on the right side of the hallway, greeted them with two fancy glass sliding doors.

Casper pushed them apart, offering his hands once more, Emily sighed but she accepted his hands either way. Casper's eyes widened in surprise but his lips formed into a smirk.

Casper gently but firmly held Emily's hand leading her to the table, offering her a seat before taking a sit beside her.

"So, you like me, don't you?" Casper chuckled, teasing her.

"You?" Emily snorted.

"Yes, who would it be if it's not me?"

"Adwen." Emily replied before taking a bite off her pancakes.

"What- seriously?" Casper looked at her in disbelief, feeling a sense of defeat.

"I hope you choke." Casper mumbled.

"I hope you fall and c***k your head open, which will lead to your brain exploding." Casper mumbled again.

"That would be impossible." Emily hissed, still eating, stabbing her fork onto her pancakes.

"Yeah, it would be impossible because you don't have a brain after all." Casper mocked.

"Shut up!"

Casper rolled his eyes, drinking the glass of wine he poured himself, the garden filled with peace as both of them stayed in silence. Emily was too busy eating while Casper was too busy observing the flowers. The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, even though the weather is quite the opposite.

"Good morning, sir Casper." A voice called out.

Both Casper and Emily looked at the direction of the sound, standing by the doorway was a woman around her early 40s.

"Yes?" Casper acknowledged.

"May I have a few words with you?" The old lady politely asked.

"Sure."

The woman hurried her way beside Casper, bending her knees to the level of his ears, whispering something to him. Casper looked away, too focused at what the woman was saying.

Emily, on the other hand, couldn't hear a single word, she couldn't even read the old woman's mouth. All Casper did was nod his head.

"We're going now, you can finish your breakfast here and don't worry about the tray that much, someone will clean it up for you." Casper said before bidding his goodbyes before walking away alongside the old lady.

Emily didn't bother to reply back as she finished her food.

She then got bored and decided to check on Adwen. She wants to know if he's a writer, she wants to know what kinds of books he reads, wondering if he likes romance or mystery. Emily made her way towards the library, Emily knocked on the open door, still giving her respect.

Emily sure loves to read. She wouldn't mind staying at the library to kill some time.

"Hello, Adwen?" Emily shouted.

No answers.

A loud sliding door soon caught her attention.

The empty wall now had a hole, it wasn't there before. She walked towards the door that opened by itself and inside was a staircase— heading down. It wasn't hard to tell that something was down there. Another hallway, another room if observed longer.

"Hello? Adwen?" Emily called out.

Emily decided she wanted to go down. She called out for Adwen again but yet no reply was given. Finally she stepped foot on the ground and observed her surroundings.

It was like any other hallway in this place, doors upon doors but this hallway had no windows. Big boxes were everywhere, scattered and thrown away, not properly arranged. Emily picked up one of the big boxes trying to fold it but something caught her eyes.

"Hm? Red stains and scratches?"

Emily shakes her head as she continues to fold the boxes, arranging them in the corner. She sighed, feeling tired. She dusted her clothes before heading upstairs. She walks towards to one of the shelves, picking a book to read.

"Emily?" Emily turns around, staring back at the young man, looking at her with frowning eyebrows while his lips are pressed into a line.

"Uh- I was-"

"How did you open that door?" Adwen interrupted her.

"I didn't open..." Emily mumbled.

"I was just picking a book to read.." Emily said raise the book she was holding.

"Well, okay. I don't want to seem rude but this library is mine."

"And I don't like that you're in here, right now." Adwen growled.

"Sorry.." Emily whispered, placing the bok back into the shelves. She bowed her head before leaving.

"That was scary." Emily whispered to herself— existing in his library. Maybe it's his private library, which is why he acted that way. He probably didn't want anyone to touch his stuff.

Emily looked outside the window as she walked down the corridors. The weather didn't change, didn't even get better.