The Lores of Lyra - Rising Star [Book I]

Chapter 3 - Blake

Her room contained some of her most treasured possessions. Pushing her lunch away, she painfully squatted down beside the bed. Taking the butter knife, she lifted up the bed sheets and made another mark on the leg of her bed. There was seventeen now. She had marked every attack since she was six years old. 

Miriam let the sheets cover the bedpost again. She tried standing up by herself but found that she couldn’t without taking a mouthful of air and holding it in. Once the pain had subsided again, the thought of the library soothed her mind. Deciding to get dressed, she took the first clean dress she could find and soon after made her way to her personal sanctuary. 

Her mother often tried to prepare her for the modern world. She bought books and magazines for her. And along with the oversized television she had installed in most of the rooms, Miriam didn’t lack anything.

Part of Miriam knew that it was a feeble attempt to make her more interested in the life outside rather than the one in the books. The problem was that the people on the magazines and in the television, wasn’t normal people. They did not have a burden weighing upon them as she did. Only in the books, she found a way of coping by using the belief that there is something else destined for her.

Her mother rarely went here. This was one of the few places that she could be entirely alone most of the time. Only Leonora, Gustavo’s wife came in here when they had lessons. That worked perfectly for Miriam since most of the time she didn’t want to leave this room anyway.

She walked over to the seating arrangement that her mother had made for her. Leaning back in soft cushions, she took her current book and allowed herself to drift into the literary world. 

Someone cleared a throat, the sound startling Miriam. Wincing in pain from the frantic beating of her heart, she clutched her chest and looked around to find the source. Her eyes fell upon a man that was shadowed by the large bookcase in the history section.

 “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” he said. 

Miriam was speechless, staring with wide eyes she took in his features. He looked like he had just stepped out of one of her romance books. He appeared older than her age, though not by much. Dark hair fell down over his forehead, covering his eyes, and Miriam blushed at the desire to brush the strands away from his face.

Awkward silence fell between them. Miriam dared to look at him again, and once again, her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t seen anyone as cute as him before—granted, she hadn’t seen many males in her life at all. However, out of the few, this guy was indeed ranking in the top.

“It’s just me,” she finally managed to whisper. In her mind, she could have slapped herself for that. If she didn’t know him, he probably didn’t have a clue about her identity either. Scolding herself for the foolish remark, her thoughts diverted as he smiled. 

“I can see that,” he said.

Dark eyes fell upon hers, and she swallowed, trying to think of something to say. A slight dimple showed at his right cheek. Miriam was well aware that she was staring, but she couldn’t help herself.

“I am Blake,” he said and extended his hand. “My uncle said he needed to stay here for a bit, and I had to go with him.”

“I’m Miriam. What do you mean… your uncle?” she asked while taking his hand and shaking it gently.

“Yeah, apparently he has to treat someone here,” he said.

“Oh, you’re referring to Dr. Johansson?” Miriam didn’t want Blake to know that the only patient here was herself, not yet at least.