What Lies Beneath

[ 2 | Brothers]

She scans the unknown room. She let her hands wander over the strange fabric underneath her.

"What?" Emily mumbled, squinting her eyes once more upon straining her eyes due to sudden bright light.

"Where am I?" She quietly groaned, sitting up, aches all over her body.

Looking around, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. A room that is far from hers. It looks like a room that came straight from a movie— A luxurious setting. She knows for sure that it's not like any other room in Winnipeg. Fear creeps its way into her body. She doesn't know where she is.

"kidn*pped? Am I kidn*pped?" She wants to cry, feeling her breath go erratic. She tried to calm herself down.

"I was just at home. I remembered walking inside my home, but this? What?" She's bewildered. Everything is foreign to her, she can't seem to register these events all at once.

Looking around one more— a big room. It was a big room, the room was nice and seemed luxurious. It has a couch, a big mirror on the other side of the bed, a chandelier above her that looks too elegant to look at and a big window as well. It looks like a typical mansion's room. A room that doesn't seem like it is for k********g.

Am I really kidn*pped? I don't remember anything. She thought.

She decided to get up from the bed— a damned king size bed, no wonder it's soft and comfy. She let her thoughts wander as she glanced at the bed in front of her. She shakes her head, shifting her gaze to the large window.

She then headed straight to the big window, swinging the curtain to her left. It was blocking the view from the outside. That action doesn't seem to befriend her as the sunlight suddenly hits her face, resulting in her squinting her eyes by the sudden brightness.

"Oh, you're awake now." She jumped, squeaking in a loud pitch voice. She immediately whipped her head towards the mysterious voice behind her. It was a man's voice.

It was a young man, probably in his twenties. Too frightened, she backed away, only to hit her back against the window. She was too scared, thinking that the man was the one who kidn*pped her and would probably kill her.

All sorts of thoughts came running inside her mind. She's enveloped with fear to even look at the man. As she began to tremble like a wet cat, She tried to maintain a calm breathing— her heart throbbing yet she couldn't breathe properly. The man cleared his voice, looking at her with a smile.

"Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Adwen. It's a pleasure to meet you." Smiling innocently, he stuck out his hand, expecting a handshake from her.

She slowly peeked at him. Bluntly staying at his pale hands, not moving an inch of her body. The sunlight behind her didn't help at all as the atmosphere inside the room grew thicker and awkward— It was suffocating, suffocating her.

"Don't be afraid, I don't bite— well, occasionally, I do but most of the time I don't-." He stopped, looking at the now frightened girl whose eyes are in the size of a saucer. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Just kidding, I don't bite, though I do, once in a while. Anyways, it depends on how you will act, but right now, I'm not going to do anything wrong." He forewarned before he calmly made his way towards her. His shoes hit the wooden floor, making a tap sound as he gets closer.

Right now? So meaning, he can, anytime? She thought, once again, frightened from her own thoughts.

"STOP! Don't come any closer. Why am I here?" She snapped, noticing the said man walking at her. Her eyes are full of fear, pleading for answers. The man stopped his tracks— he adjusted his black gloves before fixing his gaze on her.

"Hm well, my older brother found you lying on a pile of snow. You were pale and shivering cold. It would be mean for my brother to leave a girl to die outside, right outside the mansion and on a very thick icy snow. " He answered shortly, shrugging as if it was not a big deal at all.

"What? That doesn't make sense at all. I was home- how the heck would I be in a pile of snow?" She objected, bewildered once again. Pinching her arm, trying to wake her up, yet it did nothing but leave a painful sting.

The young man crossed his arms against his chest, looking at her without any emotion. She felt uneasy and uncomfortable. The young man seems like he's looking at a crazy woman. Well, who wouldn't— You save a woman, who woke up frantically on a soft and comfortable bed, accusing you of k********g.

Suddenly lying on a pile of snow? What the f**k. She mumbled in her thoughts.

"Where is this? Where am I? Is this Winnipeg? I want to go home. I need to go home." She pleaded, hands were stinging from her pinching yet the young man kept shut. Looking at her dead in the eyes.

"If you get hungry, you may head downstairs. Turn right and then turn right again. You'll meet the imperial staircase, once you walk down the stairs, be sure to turn right and you will soon be greeted with the aroma of freshly cooked breakfast." Instead of answering her question, he gave her an instruction and direction. With one final pleasant smile, he turned around, leaving her with a trail of questions as he made his way out.

Fearing of being alone in an unfamiliar room, Emily soon followed him behind. She needs to know what is happening once and for all. It doesn't look like she was kidn*pped and will be soon killed, sure the man was strange but she still needs to find answers.

For now, she'll look for some answers at his leisurely pace. For sure, the older brother of this young man he was talking about, knows something about how she got here.

They traveled down the hallway. It seems gloomy even though it's morning. Looking around she saw plenty of statues and paintings. She was fascinated. As an art student, she's into the beauty of paintings. She was mesmerized upon noticing the intricate details of the paintings.

Observing the interior of the said mansion, there are paintings hanging on the white walls, gleaming chandeliers laying above her and enormous windows, giving you the view of the outside. It was a fancy and luxurious mansion, perfect for a wealthy family.

Upon looking at the never ending hallway, she saw quite plenty of paintings. One painting caught her attention, it was mesmerizing, it seems realistic.

For her, the colors blended well with each other, she finds it flawless. Without her noticing, they were already on the top of a huge staircase, ready to head down.

"Would you like a hand to get you down?" Adwen turns to Emily, waiting for her response. Emily, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. The view in front of her was enchanting, It was a palace. She's inside a palace. Being a princess would be an understatement for what she was feeling right now. She locked her gaze on the chandelier in front of her, the light reflecting from her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Emily snapped back into reality, glancing at Adwen who's staring directly at her eyes. She felt unconscious. Her face blooms in red, upon his intense stares.

"Oh. I'm good." She breathed out, feeling shy all of the sudden.

"Oh, very well then, the dining hall is right this way." Both of them made their way down the stairs. Adwen then pushed the double doors open, revealing the gigantic dining hall. She was in awe. It was even fancier inside.

"How long do you plan to stand there?"

"What?" Once again, she snapped back into reality, looking at Adwen who's holding the door for her. She was speechless, her thoughts seemed to be flying all over the place since earlier. She went inside.

"Thank you." Adwen helped Emily pull a chair for her. Once settled, awkwardness crawled over her skin.

"I'm Harnen, glad you joined us for breakfast. That's Casper, not really a morning person." A man's voice suddenly blossomed across the dining hall. She looked at the source of the voices. It was a man who had brown curtain hair and circle glasses, smiling at her.

"Well, Adwen is the youngest, Casper's the middle and I'm Harnen the oldest, which means you can trust me." Harnen jokingly said, uplifting the mood as he took a seat beside her.

"What the fuck..?" The sound made Emily turn her head across the table, only to find another young man. He looks like he's in a bad mood, he was shaking his head with a frown. He was sitting 4 chairs away from her. The young man has a wavy hairstyle and visible rosy cheeks.

"Yeah, that's Casper. Like I said, not really a morning person." Harnen joked again, getting a hold of his utensils.

"So, lady, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?" Harnen asks, turning his full attention to her.

What? What the f**k. I don't even know them. She thought.

She hesitated. Looking around, the man seems harmless but still. It's better to be safe than sorry.

"I'm Emily." She said shorty, giving signals that she doesn't want to say anymore than that. Hernan seems to get her hints.

There was a long pause. It was an awkward silence. Emily didn't know what to say next, so she unconsciously played with her hands

"That's a nice name. Hi, Emily. Welcome. Well, then, let's eat." Harnen awkwardly announced, glancing at everyone before he began his supper.

The breakfast was quite suffocating to say the least. It was greatly awkward. The room was silent, only the sound of clinking utensils was heard. No one said anything, Emily didn't dare to say a word.

Soon enough, one by one, everyone finished their food, leaving the table without saying anything. It seems like they forgot that Emily existed or maybe they didn't care that there was an Emily to begin with.

Aren't they bothered that I might steal anything? She thought, though she wasn't planning to. She's not like that. Instead of sealing, she needs answers.

Yet the people left her, her trail of questions left unanswered. Emily was alone, sipping her water. She was uncertain where to go and where to put the dirty plates.

Emily got up, going out the dining hall to look for Harnen, wanting to ask him some questions. She's bothered.

As she continues to roam down the hall, she soon finds herself lost in direction, but she still continues to roam down the hallway, hoping to find Harnen. She felt tired, the hallway was too dark and looked too far away.

Is this a never ending hallway? What the f**k. She jokingly thought, continuing her journey.

She was admiring each and every beauty of the place when suddenly, she stopped. A certain painting stopped her track. She was bewitched at the fascinating painting, she stared at it, adoring its beauty.

It was a gorgeous woman, her heart-shaped lips, her smooth pale skin, her rosy cheek, her small pointed nose, her silky dress and her light blue eyes. Emily stare at the ocean eyes but soon felt the rush of fear as the painting blink at her,

She felt creeped out, cold shivers run down her spine. She squinted her eyes as she fell on the ground.

Did that woman just blinked? I must be crazy. I think I'm just tired and think too much. She tried to reassure herself in her thoughts.

She looked at the painting again, the woman is still the same, yet for some reason, it looks like the woman was staring directly at her eyes. She felt creeped out once again. Blinking eyes? She was confused, after all, why would a painting blink at her?