She passes by this vast wall, covered with a rare breed of vines; Viola, usually seen and raised in Northern Europe. The wall that's over twenty-five feet high, once colored an earthy red now covered with moss and vines, studded with stunning, beautiful violet flowers.
She hasn't exactly seen what that wall had looked like before but she can just imagine. They say that behind that wall was a compound, once owned by one of the richest families in the world. Now it looks nothing more than a haunted place that kids like to tell stories about.
To her it wasn't at the least bit scary. That wall attracted her and it wasn't because of the dazzling purple flowers... she was curious what was inside. She heard that the property extended out into the coast. That was at least a couple miles away. It intrigued her, very much. A high and long wall protecting a large peice of land. What for?
Everyday she would assess the wall; wondering if she could climb it. Though the vines may not be filled with thorns, some of the branches are still pointed and sharp. One day, she walked the entire length of the wall just to see if she could ever satisfy her curiousity. Then she came across a clear path. She was almost at the end of the wall, in an alley-like place. The vine still spread out even here but there was a spot the ran down from top to bottom, a clearing that had been obviously used to climb up or down that wall.
Without hesitation and just a quick look around, she climbed the wall with ease and climbed down on the other side. When she turned around, her jaw dropped open in astonishment. She had been expecting a jungle-like appearance, with trees, vines and overgrown grass and hedges but instead, luscious forest of green, a variety of trees and plants that seemed to have just bloomed, a marked pathway, the ground surrounding it was almost completely covered by wildflowers. It was an oversized garden.
The clearing in the wall that also covered in plants could be disguised. Whoever used this didn't want anyone finding it from the inside. She walked towards the path, completely bemused that she failed to realize that she was expecting a forgotten compound not a well-maintained one. If she only knew the weight of that error.
Not far along she came across the first structure. A two-storey Meditarranean house with plainly plastered walls painted a warm brown color, adorned with wall trellises that are covered with Virginia Creepers.
She circled the house and found a pool with a jacuzzi on one side, and pavillion beside a willow tree on the other. The entire place was well maintained, and yet she wonders why she hasn't come across anybody yet. It's not like she wanted anybody to see her, she was after all tresspassing, but it just intrigued her more and more.
Why was a place, as beautiful as this, deserted?
She took her chances and tried the door that led from the pavillion to the inside. Just as she suspected, it was open.
What was supposed to be a light click of the door, seem to have amplified by the emptiness of the room. She stayed out for a while waiting for someone to catch her. After a few seconds, she entered the house thinking that it was safe.
She entered an elegant study, mahogany shelves covered all sides from top to bottom. A large desk on one end with a beautiful credenza at its back, while the other side was occupied by a divan and armchairs. A delicate ceiling fan hanged in the middle, while the floor was covered with a rich dark green carpet.
She was only at the first room and her breath has already been taken away.
She left the study and walked into another surprise.
She felt like being in another country. Tiles on the floor, murals on the walls, elegant cornices, wall lamps and even a fountain in the middle. What stunned her what that she walked out in sunlight. An atrium. A vestibule. Art. She couldn't decide what to call it.
She realized that the fountain was working, she quickly took a step back inside the study and looked around her. Still, there was nobody in sight. a mixture of emotions were flooding her. Anxiety and curiosity being the most prominent.
Right across the study was the living room, just as elegant as everything else in the place. Rich sofas and chairs, antique furnitures and a grand piano at the side. There were no murals but the place was decorated with paintings. There was a part she could not see and so she started walking towards it. But her eyes were caught by another atrium on the other side. This one was bounded by columns and there was no fountain, instead a garden was in its place. She started walking in that direction when...
"How did you get in here?" a man's voice asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Without waiting for a reply, he hastily turned her around.
She was about to say something but was shocked by look on the man's face.
He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He didn't look like a servant so he must be the master of the house.
Dirty blonde hair, his toned body could be seen even under the Armani suit. That, however, was not why she was surprised, it was the look he gave her. Like he was seeing a ghost.
"I'm sorry," she said, taking her eyes away from his face. "I didn't-- I was just-- I'm just really sorry!" she said as she struggled in his grip. The man, boy, was still looking at her in disbelief.
The man was not as old as she he thought he was. In fact, he looked no more than a few years older than she was. Probably seventeen or eighteen.
Lance Rowe couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was her. After all these years, it was her, she was finally back. There she was, in his hands again.
He saw fear in her eyes. 'Why is she afraid?' he thought. He could feel her struggling in his hands and finally noticed that she wasn't just afraid, she was hurting from his grip and that she was actually trying to break free.
He released his hold on her. And just as quick, she ran back the way she came in.
She doesn't remember. That realization was not supposed to have surprised him, but it did and it hurt.
She ran towards the study and forgot about the step up. She tripped and fell. He ran to her aid in a flash second. He helped her up and saw her right elbow bleeding.
"Come on," he said as he took her hand and led her to the living room. She hesitated. "Don't worry, I'm just going to treat that," he said with a smile. A smile he fought hard to show despite the pain of knowing that she doesn't remember him.
She started to walk slowly, apprehensively. He sat her down on an armchair, "Wait here," and went to get the first aid kit. As he walked back, his eyes were fixed on her.
He couldn't recognize her from behind because of her hair. It was blonde. He smiled to himself, thinking how she had always disliked blonde hair on her. She said, she could never imagine herself as one. The irony. She was also bleeding, which meant that she had not crossed over yet. The thing that he can't get of his mind, though, was her eyes. The fear she clearly conveyed in those expressive blue eyes. It was her eyes that told him who she was, it was still the same. Blue and as clear as water... but there was something else that was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something different, something he knows he should be able to tell immediately.
Shock. His eyes flew open, wide with shock.
She felt like a human.