|| Aurora ||
I’m done packing, I flung my backpack on my shoulder and pu-ll-ed my luggage behind me.
I guess I have everything I nee-d, I enter our living room and meet Brittany standing by the dinning table.
She has a worried expression on, she looks like she’s regretting letting me go.
“Rora, it’s not too late to change your mind, you know?”
I roll my eyes.
“I’m not gonna change my mind, you should be happy I’m going to make a fortune” I said in an overly happy tone.
“I’m just worried about you, it’s too dangerous”
“It’s not dangerous,,,,,, ”
She glares at me.
“You call lying to a General not dangerous? Do you know he can b!ow your head off without second thoughts?”
I shift on my sp©t and chuckles nervously. It’s indeed dangerous but it’s the only chance I have and I must take it.
I laugh lightly.
“Britt, don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine and besides, look at my loveable and cute face.
No one will be so heartless as to hurt it” I as-sured her.
She didn’t say anything more, just frowning and sighing.
“Fine, I’ll walk you to the door” she speaks.
I nod enthusiastically.
She gr-abs my luggage and walked me to the door.
“Don’t forget to call me!” She said sternly.
I nod. I nudged her shoulder gently.
“Be honest, you are super happy I’m leaving”
“What? I’m happy you’re walking into fire?”
“Hmm-mmm, at least you and Eric will have our ap@rtment all to yourselves!” I wi-nk at her.
I see her blus-h a little at the mention of Eric’s name, but she quic-kly brush it off.
Eric is her b©yfri£nd, they’ve been d@t!ngfor two years now and I swear they are so cute together that I sometimes get jealous of their relationsh!p.
“Don’t bring Eric up, remember to give me a call when you arrive!”
“Ookie, dokie!”
I step out and start pu-lling my luggage behind me, but I didn’t go too far before Brittany st©p me.
“What is it this time, Mom?” I mocked her.
She puts her hands on her w@!st.
“Aren’t you taking a cab? Don’t tell me you planned on walking there!”
“I’m going to the bus station, it’s cheaper!”
“But going on a cab is fas-ter”
I shake my head.
“I ain’t gonna waste my money on cabs, taking the bus helps save money”
“Why is everything about money to you?”
I laugh and wave her.
“I should get going, I didn’t wanna miss the bus” I told her.
She simply nod, while I continue on my journey.
*
*
I don’t know how long I have trekked, but it’s been a long distance. Pas-sing by a coffee shop, I decided to get a cu-p of coffee.
It helps me a latte.
I enter the coffee shop, my haste steps falters when I see how long the line is. I imagine my head getting bigger and bigger like those cartoon characters.
When in God’s name is it gonna be my turn, my shoulders slumps down. I turn and decide to continue my journey, but I collided with a ha-rd -soft surface.
I gr0@nlightly and ru-b my forehead. I look up and my eyes meet cute blues eyes staring back at me, I take a step back to get a proper view of the face.
I chuckled when I notice his features are like those of Ken doll, barbie’s b©yfri£ndin almost all barbie’s series.
I’m still chuckling when he clears his throat. Involuntarily, my eyes wander down to his che-st and I g@sped loudly.
His white T-shi-t stained with black coffee, I quic-kly reach for my handkerchief in my pocket and starts wiping the coffee off his shi-t. But I think I only made it worse.
I withdraw quic-kly and faced down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your shi-t, I have always been clumsy but I swear I didn’t do this on purpose, it wasn’t my intention, I’m really, really, real,,,,,, ” I’m cut off by his chuckling.
Raising my head and looking at him, amusement is clearly written all over him.
I frown. Shouldn’t he be angry? Why is he laughing now?
“You have more coffee on you!” He said in between laughter.
I look down at myself, it’s true.
“Oh!” I exclaimed feeling a little bit embarras-sed.
Before I knew it, I see a hand holding a handkerchief reaching for my che-st. My eyes grows wi-de.
What is he gonna do?.
His hand st©pped right on my brea-sts and he starts wiping.
I g@sp. My dignity!
My hands worked on their own and lands a very h0t sl@p on his cheeks, both sides at once. I gr-ab my luggage and dash for the door.
“Sorry, mister. But I don’t allow such nons-en-se!” I yelled as I run out.
“Wait,,,,,,,” I hear him say, but I’m alre-ady out the door.
I didn’t bother reaching the bus station anymore, I just board the first cab I saw.
“Where to, ma’am?” The driver asked.
“The Morgan’s mansion!”
“Ok!” Then he starts the cab.
I breath out in relief. That per-verted psychopath!.
*
*
The cab driver st©ps at a big gate, I alight and paid him his money.
“Keep the change” I told him.
“Thank you, ma’am”
I head towards the gate.
I sigh, how do I let them know someone is standing outside. Then I saw a small bu-tton on the gate, I pressed it and waited a few minutes.
Soon, a security guard c@m£ out.
“Good morning, ma’am” he greets me.
This security guard seem so serious and all but he’s quite polite.
“Morning, sir”
“How may we help you?”
“I’m the doctor!”
Realization dawned on him and he quic-kly opens the gate and let me in.
Entering the compound, I’m awestruck!
A big mansion proudly stood in the middle of the compound, the kind in which most American kids dreamed of growing up in.
Secluded among trees on one of DC’s most exclusive streets, it had turrets, gables, balconies, a screened-in front porch, a free standing garage and a pool at a corner.
I really can’t wait to see what the inside would look like.
The security guard opens the main door and we step into the living room.
“Wait here, I will inform the General of your arrival” he said.
I nod and he head towards a staircase.
I look around, with my mouth slightly open.
“Just how rich are these people?!” I questioned myself.
Though the house is very big, but the living room is quite narrow. The floor paved with green flowered bricks and the walls paved with white flowered bricks, these colors made the room more bright.
It has one door and two windows, one window is near the steps and the other is it’s opposite. From this window, one can see the bright blue sky and get a perfect view of the city.
A big flat screen TV rests on the wall, brown velvet sofas and a black coffee table in front of the TV.
But the walls are ba-re, no paintings or pictures to compliment it.
Hmm, I guess the master of this mansion must be a boring man.
*
*
|| Ian ||
I mas-sage my forehead as an unbearable pain stro-ke my head. I close the file I was going throu-gh and pick the ph0to frame in front of it.
I run my f!ngersthrou-gh it, the little girl inside has a wi-de, warm smile on her face. Her eyes hooded with innocence and tenderness.
A sigh leaves my mouth.
“Phoebe, it’s been ten years now. I still have find your murderer, hope you are not angry yet,,,,,,I promise I will find him soon,,,,,,,, I must find him soon”
The door open and Jeremy, my chief security guard, strode into my study.
I quic-kly drop the ph0to un-der my desk.
“General, the doctor is here”
I nod.
“Let him wait in the living room, I’ll be with him soon”
“Ah,,,,,,sir, it’s not a,,,,,”
I cut him off with a stern glare.
“You know I hate repeating myself!”
He nods quic-kly.
“Yes, sir!” Then he steps out quic-kly as if his p@n-ts is on fire.
I pick the ph0to and place it back on the table. I stare at it for a few minutes before I get off my chair and strides out.
*
*
|| Aurora ||
“Ma’am, the General will be with you soon” the security guard informed me.
“Thank you!” I told him.
He nods and leaves me alone in the living room.
I keep looking around until I hear throats being cleared behind me, turned around and see two men standing in front of me.
One wearing mask.
They both look serious, but one is more serious than the other.
The most serious one is the one with mask, he balance himself on a sofa, and looks at me with a de-ep frown.
Just a guess though, as it’s ha-rd to tell his expression un-der that mask.
I knew instantly, he must be the General. Maybe I should make a first impression.
“Good morning, General” I greet him with a professional smile.
Or what I think is a professional smile.
“Who are you?!” He asked me instead.
I almost scoff.
He’s so rude, he couldn’t even respond to my greeting.
“The General asked you a question!” The other guy’s voice boomed.
I flin-ch back. Dude, don’t scare me like that.
“I’m Aurora Grace Cox, the doctor paid to treat Miss MacFarlane!” I said.
The General ban-gs his hand on a small stool next to him, his frown de-epens even more than before.
“How can they s£nd a female doctor!! I demanded for a male doctor!!” He said angrily.
Male doctor? Brittany isn’t a boy or was it missed up at the hospital?.
Well it doesn’t matter, I’m here I must stay!
“But sir, I can also do what a male doctor can, and,,,,,,”
“Shut up!” He growled and stands up. “Go back! Tell your director to s£nd a male doctor!”
“Sir, I can do the job”
“No!”
“Why?” I find myself asking without thinking.
“Female doctors are br@inless! Their minds are always filled with uncesssary thoughts! Why am I even answering your stupid questions,,,,,, leave!!”
I frown. So he’s not only rude, he’s S-xist too.
Humph! I hate people like him the most.
“But,,,,,,”
“General said you should leave!!” The other guy growled at me.
The General heads for the staircase, I don’t know where I got this boldness from, I gr-ab one of his legs and he halts abruptly.
“What. Are. You. Doing?!”
“Give me a chance, General, I promise I will do a great job!”
Wait,,,,, what am I saying? I’m not a doctor,,,,, but whatever, I must stay anyhow.
The other guy tries to pu-ll me away from the General but it only makes the General lose his balance and fall on me.
The General growled lowly and turns to me with a glare, he raises his hand to hit me but st©ps himself midway.
He gritt his teeth against each other as if he’s beating himself inwardly.
“Fine, you have 20minutes to prove yourself!” He said.
“What?!” I asked feeling confused.
“20minutes to prove yourself! If she doesn’t speak in 20minutes, I will kill you!”
I nod quic-kly.
He stands up and kicks me off him before heading to the staircase.
I jump in joy, now I can stay. I just nee-d to do things according to Brittany’s description, but a realization dawned on me.
I don’t know where his fiancée is?
Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and see a girl of about my age, she is dressed in a uniform. Maybe she is a cleaner, or cook, or,,,,,,,,, I don’t know.
“Hello” she smiled at me.
“Hello” I reply and smile back at her.
“Come with me, I’ll take you to Miss Macfarlane’s room”
I nod and look at my luggage, I don’t know if I should take it with me.
“Leave it here for now” she said.
I nod and begin to follow her. We walk in silence throu-gh a long hallway, but I couldn’t take the silence so I decide to ask her a few questions.
“Erm,,,, I’m Aurora, what’s your name?”
“I’m Claudia” she replies.
I nod.
“I see you are wearing a uniform, what do you do here?”
“I’m the cook!”
“Oh! Nice uniform by the way!” I compliment her.
She simply smiles and st©ps. I frown in confusion.
“Why did you st©p?” I asked her.
She step away and I see a door, she points at it.
“This is Miss Macfarlane’s room, you can go in, she and her maid are inside”
The door is slightly open, I take a peek inside and frown.
I thought she’s sick, how come she is laughing and pla-ying with her maid. I turn back to Claudia.
“Does the General come here quite often?”
She shakes her head.
“Miss Macfarlane’s maid always s£nd report about Miss Macfarlane’s health to him though”
Hmm, why is she lying about her health? She doesn’t seem like a sick person to me.
“So they don’t see each other?”
“No, Miss Macfarlane doesn’t even know what the General look like and likewise the General”
“MacFarlane,,,,,her last name sounds familiar”
“Yeah, that’s because she’s the mayor’s niece”
I g@sp, mayor’s niece? I must be careful.
“So, I’ll let you go in, I still have other things to do”
“Ok!”
She went her way, while I gently knock on the door. After a while I hear a voice usher me in.
I open the door and step in.
Miss MacFarlane sits on her queen size be-d, her hands on her l@p as she carries herself gracefully.
“Good morning, ma’am” I greet her.
“Who are you?” She asked.
Humph! Why is the master and mistress of this mansion so rude, they don’t respond to casualties.
They are just the perfect match!
“I’m Aurora Grace Cox, your newly appointed doctor”
She scoffed.
“So, it’s a female doctor this time” she said mockingly.
I said it, they are the perfect match! They sync.
“You’ll have to wait,,,,, I nee-d my breakfast before any check ups!”
She turns to her maid and nod at her, the maid seems to get the signal and walks off somewhere in the room.
I see a couch near the door, I was about to sit down when she st©ps me.
“Don’t sit on my couch with your rags!”
Unconsciously, I look down at my clothes and shake my head. These clothes are nowhere near rags.
I decided not to let her word affect me. But I keep wondering why she is lying to the General about her health.
*
*
|| Ian ||
I take off my mask and toss it on the table angrily.
I asked for a male doctor! Why did they bring that annoying female doctor. She hasn’t even started working here but she is annoying me alre-ady.
I can’t stand women like here!
But why did I refrain myself from hitting her? Why did I give her a chance?.
Whatever! She’s not gonna make it anyway.
Someone come out from the curtains behind me, he tries to sneak on me, but I quic-kly dodge and gr-ab his arm, I twist it and I hear a crack.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” He winces.
I sm-irk and quic-kly let his hand go.
“I know it’s you”
“You know it’s me? Then why did you still twist my arm like that?” He said.
I sm-irk. He is Javier, my younger brother and he loves pla-ying.
“Because I want to teach you a lesson!”
“You are a wicked brother!” He whined.
He sits on a chair opposite me, I look at his shi-t and frown.
“Javier, you still haven’t change”
“What?!”
“Look how unkempt you look, what do you have on your shi-t?”
He looks at the big stain on his shi-t and smile.
“Oh, this? A beautiful girl did it to me”
As he mentioned beautiful girl, my mind goes back to that female doctor.
I glance at my watch.
Her 20minutes has expired 10minutes ago, why isn’t there any news yet?.
My door bur-st open and br@ndon rushes in.
“General, bad news”
“What?”
“Yo,,,,your,,,,,,”
“Say whatever you wanna say!!” I growled at him.
“Your fiancée is dead!”
“What?!”