I don't know where I am, but it seems to be an old room of an old house. The floor is made of wood and the walls have a pretty old-fashioned flowered style. A bed is placed near a window that faces the vastest forest I have ever seen. I hear the chirping of different birds reaching my ears. However, everything seems to calm down. The distant sound of a carriage taking protagonism in the mix of sounds.
I look through the window and observe green canopies looking at the sky, as well as gray clouds that are about to break a heavy rain. The carriage I heard before has just stopped outside the house. Someone comes out from one side of the vehicle dressed ridiculously. People from the Victorian era wore clothes like that.
This man seems to be wearing a gabardine with flannel slacks, knitted gloves, wing tip shoes and a hat I suppose. From here, I really can't see his facial features. It doesn't seem to matter though.
Anyways, I will see what I can do here. I proceed to go to the only door there is.
Nevertheless, the door is flung open before I get the chance to get there. A man wearing a white shirt and black slacks with braces comes inside. He seems to be in his world because he doesn't see there is someone else in the room as well.
Weird, I can't see his facial features. He is a young man though. From the way his body moves and the firmest it has I can tell he is between his 20’s. He has blonde hair, something I can really tell. I don't know what is wrong but he seems to be annoyed about something.
“Hello?” I tentatively say.
“Damnation, for aught I know, he oughtn’t be here. That peevish man.” What the hell? What's going on with this dude?
“Hey you, do you hear me?.” No answer.
“What is he doing in the skirts of town?” I go near this man and say.
“Hey” he doesn't respond, just turns around and walks straight where I am. I stay still and close my eyes. I just feel a cold sensation pass over my body. Goosebumps! Hate them! I open my eyes and see he is not in front of me anymore. He is on the other side of the room. Looking through some stuff that has been guarded in an old beige drawer. I go and see what he is looking for and I see he takes a bunch of letters and puts them on the bed. He is looking through them and the room feels warmer every time he reads one. I am curious enough to want to know what these letters say. I wish I could see his face though.
Before I see something, he takes every letter that he has and literally envelopes them on a piece of cloth. What is he doing? I wonder if he is going to put them back in place. To my surprise, he goes straight for the door and opens it, taking the letters with him. I follow him through the hall where pictures of different people are placed on the walls. I cannot see well though, this man is walking pretty fast, directly to the stairs.
When we reach the first floor, he starts moving like a shadow. Like if he were avoiding something or someone. Again, I cannot see pretty much, he goes directly for one of the rooms that are behind the house. The kitchen.
Now I know why. This room has a backdoor that lets people go straight into the forest. However, someone entered the kitchen through that door before.
“Oh, sir Arthur. Might I help you?” Sir Arthur? A woman asked him. From what I can see, I can't recall any facial features from her either. This is starting to get on my nerves.
Somehow I can say she is someone that works at this house. She seems to be carrying groceries, I guess?
“Grace.” He answers with a cold voice. Someone is in trouble. “ What obloquy affronts me now?” I am not understanding anything. What the hell is obloquy?
“Sir Arthur. I could neve…”
“Mauger the years you have been under our service, may I ask why the palaver?” I am too stunned and confused to think right now.
“Sir Arthur…”
“Not a word this time.” He says before leaving through the backdoor. I follow him, almost running. I swear, it is harder to keep walking. I feel like every step I give takes a toll on my energy. This place, I don't like it. I keep moving behind him for an eternity and I do not think I can keep up anymore. It's strange, I do not consider myself to be the greatest guy at hikes but I can walk a lot without burning out all of my energy.
I have seen so many trees by now that I can make a painting of all of them combined. One of them is weird though. It has red leaves instead of green like the others.
We are so deep into the forest by now that I don't know how to make it back. It's also getting late and I start to feel the anguish crawling around me. What is happening?
“There it is.” Arthur says by now, we have reached a clearing. One full with bluebells. In the center of it. A small cabin. And when I say small, I mean tiny tiny. By the side of it, a trunk that looks like one of those used to chop wood in the movies. He reaches the trunk and…
*Crack*
That thing has a compartment? Some things are inside there, but he just puts the letters in and closes it. After that, he looks at the cabin with excitement. I cannot see his face though. It's just the energy that he radiates. Kind of weird that I can know that. What is this place to him though? I wonder what the mystery is. He does not go in. Instead, he rushes into the forest again with a reassuring mood, like if everything is going to be solved.
I follow him, but I am starting to feel dizzy. Still conscious enough. He goes for the same path that he took before. The sky is in new colors. Darkest shades of blue diffuse from one side to the other, while gray clouds turn almost black from what I can see. I also heard some thunder breaking in the distance. It's beautiful, but I feel like I am gonna die. Still, I want to paint it.
The leaves have gotten a blacker green in contrast to the whole landscape.
Again, I find myself feeling more tired than ever. I cannot see pretty well, but we are reaching the red tree. However, I saw a shadow for a second moving through the bushes. What was that?
Anyways he keeps walking, I have no energy at all, but something tells me to keep going. We are almost there. The red tree is more visible than ever. I think we are gonna make it before sunset. The beauty of this place, enchanting and scaring me with every step I make.
I can feel happiness coming from Arthur’s energy while seeing the stunning tree that is just about ten meters apart.
We are almost there…
“Where do you go Arthur?” A venom voice from behind me says. I am paralyzed. My feet don't work anymore and fear is consuming me from the inside.
I can barely see Arthur turn around to face this stranger. His energy emitting only rage.
“What do you do here, Kraen?”
“I told you, didn't I?” The voice grows darker.
“Never, rather be dead wanton.” Arthur says spitefully, like if the biggest offense was presented to him.
“Your wish, my command.” Arthur’s energy is alarming, my fear and his becoming twins.
“What…”
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
*Thud*
Tears stream down my face. And the fear I felt before intensifies at the form of Arthur’s body on the floor. Black blood leaking from one side. The red tree standing as the only witness beside me.
Rain starts pouring from the sky, the thunder quieting the sound of the shots that killed a man.
“Liam.” The dark voice says.
That is the last thing I heard before darkness consumes my whole vision and unconsciousness takes me somewhere else.
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