CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The night of the ball finally came. Thalassa was helping her sister prepare for it for Aeras as being nervous. She had her older sister sit in a chair as she helper her fix her hair. Thalassa decorated her hair with flowers that complimented her sister’s appearance.
The older Haskell was wearing a crimson gown that just pulled the attention of everyone near her while the younger one was wearing something simply; for after all, it was her sister’s night and not hers.
“Done,” Thalassa announced with a smile. “You look breath-taking, dear sister,”
Aeras smiled at her younger sister through the mirror. “It is because of you, Thalassa. Thank you,”
When it was time for them to go down to the ballroom, Thalassa asked her sister to go first for she wasn’t done with her own hair. Aeras left the room; making Thalassa promise that she shall attend and enjoy the party.
Thalassa answered with a smile. But- as soon as her sister left, she sunk to the bed. She dreaded seeing Mr. Sinclair. She did not know if remembering him was something she should consider a gift or a curse for the Pierce she once knew was gone.
When she could not delay anymore, she stood up and gathered her courage, strength, and most of all- her piece of mind. With a sigh, she entered the ballroom.
She quickly set off to find her sister and congratulate her again and her soon-to-be husband. For a while, she sat with them and talked. But- as the couple started to join in in the dancing, she was left alone with her mind running back and forth to things she hadn’t wanted to think.
She kept on turning down offers of a dance in fear she would step at the foot for her mind refuses to stay still. She watched her sister danced happily with the prince, a smile on her face. But then, her smile vanished when she saw who was dancing beside her sister.
Mr. Pierce.
And he was dancing with a fine, young lady. She could not deny the partner that for she really was beautiful. But- she felt a strange, stab of pain in her chest; a stab more painful than a sword’s. Even though she had not wanted to see him with someone else, she just could not look away.
When the song ended, Mr. Pierce had said something to his partner that had the lady swooning before they parted. She gritted her teeth in anger. She had not understood where her frustration was coming from. So, she took a deep breath to steady herself.
“What do you feel about Mr. Sinclair?” her sister whispered.
Thalassa jumped in her seat; not noticing that Aeras was back to her side. She turned to look at her sister with an innocent look in her eyes. “Why do you suddenly ask, dear sister?”
Aeras shook her head at her little sister who thought she could trick her. “Thalassa, you looked pained as you watch him dance with someone else. You may think you do not express your feelings but you are actually an open book. I can see those feelings you try to hide as clear as day, dearest Thalassa,”
Thalassa answered with a smile. “Do not worry about me, dear sister. For this night is yours. You shall enjoy it!”
Aeras sat; wanting to tell her sister that she was always there for her. “How can I when I see you this way?”
Thalassa closed her eyes. She really wanted to tell her sister what was wrong but- she could not trouble her on the very day of her engagement ball. So, she excused herself to take a few minutes of walk to get some fresh air. She promised to be back with renewed fervor.
Aeras, unable to say no, bid her sister a safe walk and asked her to come back immediately. And so, she watched Thalassa leave. Sighing in defeat, she was set on finding the source of trouble, Mr. Pierce, and confront him about her sister when she noticed that he was following Thalassa’s leaving figure.
Thalassa sat in front of the pond where she first saw Mr. Pierce. It was a sunny day that day. And in clear sight, she fell for the man. She laughed bitterly at herself.
“One cannot judge with appearance for he turned out to be prideful and tendentious,”
But- then, she realized that perhaps her mind knew it was the Pierce from her memories. Maybe that was why she was so comfortable around him despite despising his prejudice nature.
She continued to stare at the blankness of the night that reflected on the pond as she stood up. She had her eyes closed when she felt someone behind her. Instinctively, she took a step forward and turned to face whoever it was. But- her foot slipped on the edge of the pond and fell.
Someone pulled her by the arm and pulled her up before she could fully fall to the pond. She found herself pressed tightly to Mr. Pierce as his left hand held hers and the other placed on her back.
She stared up at his eyes. “Please, I ask of you, unhand me,” she asked in a whisper; afraid that he’ll hear how hard her heart was beating.
Mr. Sinclair pulled her away from the pond before letting her go. He could see in her eyes the girl who he used to play with by the falls. He could see that vulnerable girl in her once more. Or maybe- it was merely because he wanted it to see so badly.
“Forgive me, Ms. Thalassa, for such actions. But I merely followed you here to talk to you,”
“And what is it you wish to talk about?” Thalassa asked, allowing herself a chance to look up at his eyes. She quickly found out what a mistake that was for she felt herself be pulled by those green pools of his.
Pierce cleared his throat; praying to the heavens to give him the courage to say what he really wanted to say. “I am leaving first light tomorrow, and I may not to able to see you before I do so,”
But- before he could finish, Ms. Thalassa walked around him with the intention of going back to the ball. “I wish you a safe and sound journey, Mr. Sinclair,”
~oOo~
“Pierce!” Thalassa called as she ran through the forest. “Pierce! Come back!”
Her young face was tear-stricken as she tried to look for her friend who she knew was long gone. It had been three days since he had said goodbye for he was going to start a journey to find his father who was lost at sea.
But still- Thalassa cried his name. She had not known the reasons; she just had to see him again. She was devastated for she had heard for the first time what the town people thought about her. She overheard Penny’s father talking to her father.
He had said that because of the incidents with Penny, where the girl had told everyone how Thalassa would hurt and leave her in the forest alone to find her way home, the town people believe her to be cruel and such.
She could accept to be called cruel; for it came with the knowledge of the deadly arts. The words that had hurt her were not the false news Penny had spread. It was the words that said she was a ‘disgrace to the Haskell family’.
She cried her heart out as she screamed for his name. But- he never came out. She stopped in front of a mahogany tree. The tree where she faced saw him
She slid down to the ground and rested her head between her knees as she cried.
“What are you doing there?” Penny’s voice suddenly asked.
Thalassa looked up and saw Penny at the middle of the road, glaring at her as she walked towards her. Thalassa sniffed. There were plenty of people she did not want to see her crying and Penny was definitely one of them.
Thalassa stared at Penny with a scowl. Why was she even interested? She was about to yell to Penny to leave her alone when she saw a silver glint from the grasses. She stood up and saw it.
“Penny stop!” she yelled but the older girl merely glared at her and continued waiting towards her.
Thalassa screamed for her to stop again as she ran towards the older one. “That’s a bear trap!”
Penny’s eyes widened as she started to look down but it was too late to stop her left foot from coming down. The bear trap closed at her feet and blood splattered everywhere as Penny’s gut-wrenching scream filled the air as the birds tweeted away in panic as her voice echoed through the forest.
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