In the ground floor, Louis hugged his sister tightly. “I’m glad you’re alright, sis.”
“I’m happy you are, too.” Electra kissed the top of her brother’s head fondly. She was still shaken with the events of last night and their Father’s sudden visit had only upset her more.
“Where is he?”
“Upstairs.” She released him from her arms. “He got lost in the labyrinth and had to be rescued.” Electra remembered how she’d found Fred unconscious. He had gone very pale and his lips were already turning blue when she reached him.
“Where did you find him?”
She dragged herself from the memory to an earlier one. A corner of her mouth curled. “The same place where I found you.”
Yikes!” Louis grimaced. “It’s freezing down there. I thought I was a goner.”
“So was he.”
Louis noticed his sister’s mood had changed. He could stand her anger and moodiness. What he couldn’t cope with was this one where she’d go all quiet. She was trapped in this place alongside the memories of the past. “May I come up?” he asked.
Electra nodded.
Their footsteps alerted their patient. Fred hurried to the bed and threw the covers over him. The door opened. Louis, seeing him awake, ran to the bed and put his arms around Fred’s neck, choking the latter.
“Sorry.” Louis rubbed his back. “I’m glad you’re alive.”
“Thanks.”
“You should thank her. She rescued you.” Louis gestured to his sister. Fred’s gaze met hers. The eyes that stared back at him were amber. He quickly dropped his head as he felt blood rush to his face.
“Thank you.”
Electra moved towards the bed until she was standing beside him. Fred looked up. In one moment, she was smiling; the next, her hand landed on his cheek with a resounding slap.
Louis gasped.
“Idiot!” she raged. “You shouldn’t have left. Haven’t you realised how dangerous the labyrinth is when I brought you here? You would be dead by now if…” Electra's eyes filled. Quickly, she turned from them to hide the tears threatening to spill. Hovering by the doorway, she added: “Eat your breakfast. Louis will take you back.”
The door closed behind her.
“I’m sorry she hit you. She was very worried when you disappeared.” Louis sat at the edge of the bed and placed the tray of food between him and Fred.
“Nice way of showing that”, Fred said drily. His cheek was stinging. If he had any doubts that he was dreaming the whole time, he was now sure everything that had happened to him since yesterday was real.
“She’s not used to dealing with people. You better eat up or she’ll get mad again.”
When they arrived in front of the dorm, Louis said: “If you ever want to visit the forest again, just think of happy thoughts.” He started for the mansion, leaving Fred shaking his head. It just gets weirder and weirder.
Fred went up to his room and found a visitor waiting for him.
“There you are. You’ve caused quite a panic when you couldn’t be found. Where were you, Fred?” Mr. Roucan sat on his bed, watching him like a hawk.
“I was exploring the city and got stuck in the public library when it rained”, Fred said, playing with the tennis ball on his desk. Technically, it was half-true. Louis had pointed out that the area where Electra found Fred was right underneath the library. “Quite the storm last night.”
“Yes. Quite.” The silence lengthened. Eventually, Mr. Roucan said: “I hope you found something interesting to distract you. You are still celebrating Christmas with us, aren’t you?”
After seeing how dysfunctional the Roucans were compared to his, anyone in their right mind would back out. Victoria was royal pain in the neck who always got her way; Electra was unpredictable like the storm last night (it was the first in the history of this city to have one in the middle of December); Louis was too young to be carrying the memories of his mother’s death. But the boy needed a friend and Fred owed Electra his life. He looked at the secretive father, who genuinely loved the son and, possibly – hopefully, the daughter too.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
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A/N: Someone needs saving....
SAVE ME
Song From Muses' New album The 2nd Law
Lyrics
Save me from my superstitions
Now I'm free from this old condition
Wait just a while
And I'll greet you with a smile
Hold me cos I'm sure I hated
Promises they are overrated
Wait just a while
While I'm drowning in denial
Turn me into someone like you
Find a place that we can go to
Run away and take me with you
Don't let go I need your rescue
Watch me cos I'm on a mission
Hold me back so I'm forced to listen
Don't let me go
Cos I'm nothing without you
Turn me into someone like you
Find a place that we can go to
Run away and take me with you
Don't let go I need your rescue
YOU ARE READING
Lemuria: The City of Mysts
Fantasy"Anything and everything is possible in the Mysts." Dr. Fred Williams has a secret. He fears its discovery when a daughter of his patient starts asking him about the City of Mysts. Fred is led to a website where a story about his past is...
Chapter 4: Life
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