Craving You [Eustass Kid X Oc Kumiko Kago]

22 [I Remember Stranger Than You Dreamt It]

It was the sound of a door opening and closing coming from downstairs that made me jerk awake on the bed, I was always on alert here once again I didn't know what day it was or where the hell I was; all I could hear were voices behind the door just barely as I listened. I sat on the bed waiting to see what would happen next letting my mind think of ways to get out of this, my thoughts were cut short when a soft knock came from the door making my turn to look at the door opening showing the maid walking in holding something in her arms as she slowly walked towards me like I would kill her or something.

"M-master wishes for y-you to be dressed before s-seeing him" the young maid spoke to me as she laid out this beautiful dress on the bed.

"Why?" I asked in a confused tone when I glanced at her from the dress.

"I-its only his hospitality, h-he's a nice m-master" she spoke to me again as she took out a key from her apron pocket.

"P-please don't run" she asked in a more afraid tone when she neared the locks on the chains.

I only nodded my head in agreement showing her a friendly smile since she already been through so much being a slave, I know the feeling of being trapped before; but she didn't have the chance like I did when Kid saved me from that life before I was sold.

The locks were unlocked as the chains hit the ground when I felt some energy coming back to me as I slowly stood up as she held the dress once more in her arms.

"If I-I may?" she asked in a shy voice.

"Of course" I spoke to her as she began her job.

She cleaned me from head to toe as she brushed my medium hair putting it in a very nice style, putting on small makeup with a steady hand as she painted my nails as well; just by watching her I could tell she had a job that was like this once before she became the thief's slave. And soon enough she placed me in the dress she brought into the room letting me look in the mirror that was inside the room.

It was beyond gorgeous, with the black and red colors as they laid perfectly together with the details in the dress as well; I never wore things like this but it was beautiful made me wonder what would Kid think if he saw me dress like an actual girl sometimes.

"Miss, I-if you follow m-me" she once again spoke in a shaky voice.

I nodded my head to her with a warm smile as I followed her through the halls of this house or more like mansion that looked like it was here for years, some places were broken or dusty as they place was only light by some candles from time to time, but I could tell it was taken care of in some places even though it gave off a creepy and dark vibe as I followed the young maid through the halls on the upstairs; I followed her down the huge staircase that split when it came to the middle as we went down the left side and then turned once again to the left again going under the staircase through two huge doors that opened them up by themselves somehow.

The room was magnificent, it was an old ballroom of some kind; the old diamond chandeliers still shimmered again the moonlight that crept into the room through the windows above giving them a glow yet ghostly shine since they had webs on them still.

"The master will be here soon" the maid said to me as she bowed a little before turning away and walking out of the room letting the huge doors close behind her leaving me alone in the giant room.

The closing doors echoed through the empty ballroom, as I stood there for a moment until the sounds of my clicking heels echoed in the room as I walked closer to the large window that let the moonlight into the room giving it a mystical vibe to it as I saw how the moon shined against the ocean since the window faced the cliff. I may have stayed here for a short time but walking through here and the halls made me think that I was here once before but I couldn't remember when though making me sigh when I couldn't remember.

"You look magnificent" a voice of a man spoke out of nowhere making me jump a small bit when I turned around to look behind me but saw no one there.

"Who's there!" I spoke up wanting to know who was inside the room with me, I couldn't smell them either which made me wonder where they were in the room.

"You should already know from my voice" he spoke again a bit more clearly which made a shiver go down my spine in a weird way.

I turned to my right seeing a figure of a man standing in the shadows in the corner close to the window but I couldn't see his face at all ever if I stared at him long enough I couldn't see.

"Come into the light" I spoke out in curiosity wondering who this man was.

That's when he slowly moved towards the light of the moon more letting me see his figure more, seeing he was dressed all in a black army uniform; that's when his face was coming close to the light. My heart began to speed up as my eyes slowly became wide as I saw a goatee that looked familiar to me, seeing his hair a light brown that was long hanging loose as it touched his shoulders and back. But seeing those eyes and that scar over his left eye brown, making me gasped softly when he stood in front of me slightly in the moonlight.

"Thatch?" I whispered out softly only loud enough for him to hear me.

"Hello Kumiko" he spoke to me as a soft smile came to his face as he looked.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing right in front of me, the memories of those nights when I found his dead body came back in flashes as I stared at him in shock. This shouldn't be possible at all no this had to be a dream or a sick joke that someone wanted to break me or something, I to keep telling myself that as i stared at Thatch with wide eyes wondering how in the hell did this happen.