A Phantom for My Love

On the Road Again

Nisha was excited to finally head somewhere that was not in the confines of Florence. It was a beautiful city, but in the past two months, the young girl did not get the chance to experience the rustic country's splendor with her father's watchful eye.

Her father was generous enough to let his only daughter go if her cousin could tag along. Maria was more than happy to invite Theo with his handsome features.

And Arturo offering to drive was the cherry on top.

With two men to keep her mind occupied, Maria was more than sure her time at the manor would be a good one.

If they were ever going to make it there.

Nisha put her novel down again, knowing she would never be able to read in peace while in the car.

"Maria, what's your great-aunt like?" Nisha's good fingers dove into the soft locks of her sleeping furry companion. It was a wonder all the noise didn't wake him up.

The taller girl started to play with her fingers, becoming bored with the new topic at hand. "Aunt Giulia can be quite a...dreadful woman. When I visited her as a child, there was always a perpetual frown on her face. She would always have something rotten to say about everyone. It's a wonder her own children could stand her."

"Maria, you shouldn't be so mean to your aunt. Maybe she's just lonely."

"Of course, she would be if she chooses to be a stuck-up old woman hidden in her home." Nisha shook her head, not knowing how her friend was capable of being so ungrateful to others.

Maybe it was because of how stuffy the car became in the last few hours.

"Arturo, maybe we should take a breather." Blue eyes looked at cognac pools through the mirror before shaking his head.

"We're almost there, Nisha. I promise when we get to the top, we will stretch our legs. And I don't break my promises, right?"

A shiver passed through the young girl from the driver's words, "Of course."

Theo was not a fan of Arturo, especially when interacting with his younger cousin. Pale eyes look towards the map, "We should reach there in a few minutes, Nisha. And please, keep your legs together."

The young girl huffed before sitting up and keeping her legs 'ladylike'. It was hard to stay in one place while cramped in a car, so her relief option was to spread her legs apart and relax. Her dress was long enough to keep herself covered, so there shouldn't be a problem. But, it made no sense to start any arguments now.

The rest of the drive was quiet, with all members in the car too tired and cramped to speak anymore.

The closer they were to the destination, the quicker the bright sun began to shy away. Soon, dark clouds consumed the clear sky, and the waters were troubled with rough waves.

Nisha hoped a rough storm would not come around, knowing now was not the place to display her fear of ghastly storms.

Maybe it was all a red herring to how the short vacation would go. But no, Nisha shook her head; she would not allow her mind to fill with a fantasy of the manor being a gothic home filled with ghosts and ghouls who would harass her.

It's all just a figment of her overactive imagination.

Finally, with dark anticipation distracting her mind, the young girl did not realize that the automobile came to a stop.

"Looks like we're here." Arturo put the car in park, reaching to Nisha's leg to rub in acknowledgment and comfort. He ignored the heavy gaze from his right, making a quick escape before a fight broke out.