𝐓.𝐇.𝐄

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑

Hello everyone!

Before you start reading the chapter, I want you all to know that I'm so greatful for all the sweet and supportive messages! You have no idea how much it motivates me to keep writing this story. It took me months and months to plot and create it, and finally I've found the courage to write it down. I also wanted to thank you again for all the suggestions and corrections. We are all humans and it's normal to make mistakes, and since English is not my first language, I may make some stupid mistakes. Don't be afraid to highlight them to me, WITHOUT offending, of course. I shall leave you now! Let me know if you're liking the story by voting and commenting!

All the love,

B.x

The day couldn't go worse.

After I have finished arranging Miss Ariana's closet, she has thrown me out of her room. What a wonderful way to say 'thank you'. However, I am happy that she didn't need me anymore. She has started to talk about her stupid and spoiled friends, who use her just to come up to The Lord and I must say I don't justify them at all, since I have seen his rare beauty.

When she has asked me what I was thinking about it, with an obvious tone I said "I think it's your fault. You shouldn't have talked or described him to them at first place", and from her anger and shocked expression, she seemed not to like my answer.

I have wished she would have talked about him more, but after that sorrowful affirmation, her wicked personality rose up immediately. I have spent the rest of the day repeating those words in my head a hundred times, trying to figure out what she was referring to, but, as usual, nothing came up. As though I haven't had enough burdens to live with (the mysterious book at the top of the list), now she has added her trick words too.

Speaking of the book, Jonathan has had the great idea to keep it in his office, hidden under his bed. I have suggested him to give it to me, but he refused. He didn't trust the girls, and since he lives alone in that office, he thought no one will ever find out about it.

I feel my sweat running down my face as I clean the thousand window of the Palace. My back aches like an eighty years old woman and laying on my bed is the only think I want right now. As I finish the last window, I walk down the staircase and I head to the cleaning room, deposing all the products and the dirty rags. I rest my head to the little window relaxing a few minutes. As I pose my eyes out of the window, I see a frustrated Claire washing the hundreds cars owned by the family. She runs the windscreen so harshly that I'm afraid it will crack.

I move my attention to Anne, on the opposite side, and to my surprise, she seems to have a good time mowing the lawn and watering the roses.
She has never been so calm around us. I sometimes have the feeling that she hates us more than Miss Ariana does, but maybe I am wrong. Or, at least, I hope. Why would she hate us, anyway? She is in the same boat with us.

"Here you are! I'm been looking for you for hours." I turn around, and I come face to face with a breathless Jonathan in white jeans and blue t-shirt.

"Well, I can't be anywhere except in this Palace." I say, smiling.

"This Palace is the biggest maze that could possibly exist! They should have had filmed the Maze Runner movie in here." He exclaims, shaking his hair and brushing them with his fingers.

I laugh out loud imagining Thomas and the other characters running along the hallways, terrified and scared.

"Why have you been looking for me so urgently?" I ask, curious.

"Oh, right," he looks around, making sure nobody is nearby, "can we meet tonight and keep reading that book? I can't let it hidden much more. Do you imagine how is it to sleep knowing that you have a prohibited book under your bed that could have you killed?"

"Jonathan, breath. Firstly, I clearly told you that I could take it, but you refused. Secondly, we have all the time to find out its importance and secrets!" I say sharply, and he seems quite hurt by my tone.

"I've already told you why I refused. And why would you think we have time? The sooner we take it back to the library the better is for our lives."

I stare at him, knowing how right he is, but not wanting to admit it immediately. "So, tonight?" He asks again, noticing my silence.

The desire to find out more what hides in that book little by little is eating me alive, but I care about my own safety at the same time. Jonathan is right, if we take it back, we will have more change to stay alive.

"Okay." I mutter.

A sincere smile forms on his lips. It doesn't take much to make him happy.

"Wait! What if the person who has spied on us last time, will expose us tonight?" I ask, feeling the fear flooding my body.

"Whoever it was hasn't made a move or said a word about it. So, I suppose it hasn't heard that much to accuse us, right?" He says, trying to convince more himself than me.

"Well, your conspiracy isn't that wrong."

"It's not a conspiracy! It's a fact!" He almost shouts it loud.

I raise my hands, "sorry!" Sometimes he reminds me of Miss Ariana, for her sudden freaks.

"You're forgiven." He murmurs under his breath, but I've heard him anyway. "I should go now. God knows what happens if he finds out I'm not working on his files."

"What kind of files?" I blurt out.

"Not time for questions that I can't answer. See you tonight, Avelyn." He gives me a last smile, before heading to the staircase.

He barely takes one step, when a loud and sharp screech makes our eyes meet.  Frightened, we glance at each other for a moment that seems eternity. If I was the only one who has heard it, maybe I could have comforted myself thinking it was my imagination tricking me. But he's heard it, too.

"What was that?" He whispers, creeping towards me, afraid of making a simple sound.

"I have no freaking idea!" I mutter, with my trembling lips.

We roam around trying to find a hint of where has it come from, but nothing seems to help. "Maybe.. Maybe it was Angel. You know, kids like to play and scream.." he says, but I know he's just trying to find an excuse not to freak out.

"Jonathan, that wasn't a normal scream! What if somebody is hurt?"

"Well, we can't help whoever it was because we have not even a damn clue of where it came from!" He mutters, angrily.

"Okay, let's calm down," I say, breathing in and out, "I think we should-"

"HELP! HELP! AHHHH!"

The scream repeats, interrupting me, and the voice seems quite familiar to my ears. I force all my last rational neurons to find out where I'm already heard that voice, and suddenly..

"That's Lucy! Oh my God!" I shout, and my whole starts shaking wildly.

"LUCY! LUCY!" I shout her name the loudest I can.

"Where can she possibly be?" Jonathan asks, desperately.

"I don't..," I stop myself, when a flashback crosses my mind. "Just thinking that I have to clean up the basement, I want to bury myself alive." How could I not remember it?

"Follow me." I say, firmly.

"Wait, do you know where she is?" He asks, rattled.

"In the basement."