Amelie (ON HOLD)

III

ᴀ ɴᴀʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴀʀᴄʜᴇᴅ door came before me. A gentle brilliance reached out through the slight cracks like crushed velvet lying in a garden of dead leaves, it held an enchanting mercy to all its frightening surroundings.

My palm lied flat on the hard woods and my ears caught a delicate melody singing inside. The soft keys of a piano played in such a calming flow. It begged me to enter.

Still lost in a trance, I pushed the door open to reveal a rather large room. The walls were still made from stone but were much smoother than the ones outside. A plush, red rug lied in the middle of the room with a fireplace to its right that burned brightly, projecting a comforting warmth. Picture frames lined with gold hung on both walls with intricately artistic portraits of stunning people and landscapes to take your breath away.

Comfy looking chairs sat in the room with a particularly long dining table lying proudly in the middle. Its black wood matched the chandelier hanging above, holding candles that added to the radiance the room so gracefully held. The back wall was nearly completely taken up by an arch window lined with the same obsidian, glossy wood but had two red velvet curtains hanging as a barricade from the harsh obscurity of the night.

By the window, lied a piano playing the serenading tunes. But it wasn't playing it by itself. A man I faintly recognised, beautifully danced his fingers across the keys to create the captivating melody.

I remained in the doorway and closed my eyes, listening to the calming song, at times opening them to witness the pure essence of serenity taking over the man which emitted a mysterious beauty about him. Somewhat sad, somewhat dangerous, yet somewhat luring.

I opened my eyes as soon as the tune ended and watched the man turn his head, so his scarlet eyes met mine. Scarlet. Too familiar yet too far away to remember.

He didn't say anything but smiled softly and graciously got up from the piano.

"Sedative things, aren't they?" he spoke with such sensuousness. "Pianos. Forgive me for getting lost in my own world there. I would have stopped if I knew you had arrived." He swiftly fixed up his cufflinks before lying his eyes on me once more. He turned to a table holding a record playing and brought the stylus to the record. "You're familiar with Sinatra, right?" he asked. I nodded and I heard the crackling of the record beginning to play. The soothing strokes of the piano crashed upon the room like delicate waves sweeping along the shoreline, and Sinatra's faintly serenaded the room.

He turned back to me and kindly smiled once again. He stood up fully and checked his cufflinks once more. "Come." He gestured to the dining table. Without a thought I sat down in the oddly comfortable chair, facing opposite him as he sat across the other side. In between us was an array of mouth-watering food. Arrays of freshly cooked stake and chicken, steaming vegetables with crispy and creamy potatoes. I think I even saw fancy looking pizza slices and sandwiches. That wasn't even the desserts. Peach cobbler, strawberry shortcakes, vanilla meringues, chocolate cheesecakes and cookies in flavours of peanut butter, oatmeal, and sugar. It was a feast fit for hundreds.

This was officially the best dream ever.

I pushed my glasses further up my nose and attempted not to drawl at the pure delicious sight screaming to all be stuffed in my mouth. Then I looked back up at the handsome man far opposite me.

He chuckled and gestured to the food. "Help yourself." I didn't waste time in piling up my place with almost everything. I noticed him slightly filling up his plate with potatoes and steak and a slice of cobbler. I, on the other hand, was having everything on the menu tonight.

I dug in, trying not to make a fool of myself across beautiful man silently eating his food with such etiquette I didn't know still existed.

"You're hungry, I see." He raised an eyebrow as I stuffed a sugar cookie into my mouth. Trying to close my mouth that was stuffed at the cheeks with cookie, I nodded and hummed an agreement. I probably looked stupid. Even in my dreams I looked stupid. Wow.