V
-"So, how much did you hear?" - Jack asked, carefully observing Willow's curled up on bed figure. She didn't even condescend him with response, her eyes remained fixated on the floor.
Willow decided to give him a cold shower, but the silence she forced herself to invited images of her family to dance in front of her eyes, the way they were prior to accident, the happiness, laughter. However, those images were stained with doubt that she will ever see them again for everything was happening by strange and unpleasant scenario. Hot tears glided down her face, but her hand shot up on instinct to wipe them.
-"Everything you say goes in your favor," - Jack's tired voice was heard again, but Willow' didn't even flinch. -"On the contrary, your refusal to cooperate will only prolong your stay here. I wasn't aware you yearn to be in my company this much."
Jack succeeded into causing a reaction from Willow, for she snorted in unladylike way and shook her head. Deep in her mind she was already plotting an escape plan, just the thought of the fact she was trapped made every cell in her body to rebel. Freedom meant too much to her.
-"I didn't hear anything," - she spoke, shortly glancing towards Jack's direction to cut him with her eyes, then turned her head left to stare through the window through which chilly air blew, making Willow hug her knees stronger.
The sky was sprinkled with bright stars that looked like swarm of sparking plugs on dark, endless celestial sphere. Everything looked like at home, the sky was same everywhere. Only it was indifferent to the people and times, unalterable it performs the same duty since the begining: with morning it brings hope, with night faith.
-"Look Oak," - Jack breathed out, fed up with her silence. Slowly standing up he picked up his tailcoat from the chair and slung it over her shoulders. Willow wanted to brush it off of her, but the warmth that engulfed her silenced her pride, but she did give him a stink eye for the way he called her. -"if you don't want to talk it's fine by me, but bear in mind that you yourself are responsible for prolonging your departure."
-"Look Jack-ass," - she spat in his direction, mocking his name the same way he did to her, -"if I knew anything I would tell you, believe me I don't want to see your fugly face any longer."
Jack sighed, deciding not to react to her rude nickname, and strolled towards the bed. Willow's eyebrows shot in bewilderment as she watched him sat on the bed next to her, and stretching his long legs, settled himself in lying position.
-"What are you doing?" - she asked him in incredulity, gliding towards the other end of the bed, as far away from him.
-"Sleeping," - he simply responded. -"I realized that your stubbornness has no limits, and that chair is rather uncomfortable." Willow's mouth got ready to shout at him only she froze as something ran through her mind. Her eyes scanned the distance from bed to door, and she returned her eyes back to Jack.
-"Okay, good night," - she said and got back to her previous position of staring into the floor.
Willow furiously wiped the remains of wetness on his cheeks, deciding that it was enough of crying that would not help her escape. It's time to sober up and accept the fact she's trapped in 19th century, and currently her main goal was escaping this house.
The candle that was the only source of light completely burned out and ceded its job to pale moonlight. Night merged again with its ally - silence, hindered only by occasional sigh from Willow and Jack's deep breathing.
Minutes passed and Willow remained in her position, curled up in the bottom of the bed, her ears pricked as she listened to Jack's even breaths. It looked like he sleeping, but what Willow failed to understand was that he was too restless to preform that simple act of giving into subconscious and forgetting the world around. He attributed it to dry professionalism, he must be on alert!
Willow let out inaudible sigh and slowly lowered her feet to the ground. She felt solid ground under her feet and froze, closely listening for the change in Jack's breathing. There wasn't any.
One, two, three.
Standing up, Willow ran towards the door and disappeared through it at the double. Without turning around she kept running God knows where, ignoring the way branched scratched her face and cold bit into it. She felt like Snow-white, running away through the forest, but this time she was determent not to be caught. So she pushed herself, breaking through limits of her endurance and tiredness, eager to get as far away from him and that house.
This night was too long, and she needed the shortest in the world.
******
After hours of running through darkness and obscurity, dawn slowly peaked form behind dark sky pushing the night out of its way and preparing to reign and hope settled itself in Willow's heart. Her mind was overwhelmed by the thought to get as far away from that house that she didn't feel fatigue, nor exhaustion from all the running.
Finally, in the distance she saw a house wrapped in the morning that was still interwoven with the outlines of the night. Rush of joy and feeling of security took away all the pessimistic thoughts and the hope that that household will let her in ruled over her. Panting, she knocked on the door, hoping that they were awake. There was commotion on the other side, followed by approaching footsteps and the door opened, revealing the face of young girl with beaming smile plastered on her pretty face.
-"Good morning," - Willow said in between panting, -"this will probably sound crazy, but I guess I don't lose anything to ask but can I please come in? I mean, I haven't slept all night and I would really use few hours of slee-."
Willow stopped the verbal diarrhea, seeing as the girl in front of me struggled to keep in with her words. She sighed deeply, cursing at herself for freaking out the only person that could help her, but before all the ships sank, the girl moved to the side and allowed her to pass to come in.
-"My name is Mary," - the girl introduced herself, soft smile of sympathy danced on her lips as she lead Willow through small corridor towards the living room.
Morning Sun was slowly pouring from huge windows, with the help of many candles illuminating the living room of Ashford family. Mr Ashford, gray-haired man with glasses prompted on his small nose, was sitting in the corner by the fireplace, engrossed in the book he held in front of him. He turned a blind eye to the noise of his only son, Harry, that was playing on the floor next to him. Mrs Ashford, older woman with dark hair and smiling eyes was sat on the sofa, closely inspecting the door through which Mary and Willow emerged.
-"Good morning," - Willow hollered smiling softly to Mrs Ashford. Her husband didn't even look up, beside his talkative wife and daughter he learned to turn off the world around him and completely surrender himself to his book, so it's no wonder he didn't notice a stranger in his home.
-"My name is Willow, I come from...far away, and I don't have anywhere to stay at the moment," - she said quietly and cognition that she was two hundred years away from everything she was familiar with reigned over her again. -"Actually, I have absolutely nowhere to stay."
Mrs Ashford has taken on the duty to introduce each member of her family, which wasn't very hard considering how talking was one of her favourite activity. Next to her uncommunicative husband, she learned to speak for herself, and that satisfied her never ending hunger for talking. Ashfords were well-known for their benevolence and they were happy they could help her, although they suggested to eat breakfast before sleeping. Willow's growling stomach gave a response instead of her.
She sat on the sofa and nodded to everything Mrs Ashford shot at her, not even bothering to keep up for she knew her tired mind repulsed any type of new information. Only thing she could think of was sleeping. Shortly after, maid came in and informed them the breakfast was ready.
-"Miss Willow, we have not been formally introduced," - Mr Ashford said as he took his place on the top of long table, and everybody followed him sitting in their respective seats. -"Although, I'm sure my thoughtful wife informed You about everything."
-"My dear Mr Ashford, in these times being informed its of high importance," - his wife retorted through smile.
-"I hope You will feel comfortable in our humble home." - Mr Ashford added, then started eating. As soon as he took first bite, his family follow after and soon small dining room was filled with sound of spoons coming in contact with fine porcelain and soft conversation.
-"I'm sure of it. Please, allow me to thank you all for your hospitality," - Willow responded, shortly sending a look of gratitude towards every family member of Ashford household.
Some of them nodded, some of them smiled but it warmed Willow's heart to recognize pure sincerity in those acts. Perhaps the universe ran out of pearls of bad luck to arrange on her life, and luck finally turned its bright face towards Willow.
Sighing she continued eating, her eyes lost in the diversity of food that was presented on the table and her taste-buds basked in happiness when they met warm coffee. Willow didn't realize how hungry she was, the fact that she couldn't remember last time she eaten only occurred to her now.
After they finished with breakfast, Mr ans Mrs Ashford retreated to the living room, and their son - whose name Willow learned was Harry - ran outside to play enjoy what seems to be beautiful day. Mary escorted Willow to a room she was to sleep in. It was small room, tastefully furnished with small bed, wooden dresses that was pushed by the wall and soft pink carped was laid over wooden floor. Huge windows were overlooked vast pastures and fields around the house, but Willow was too tired to even glance through it let alone admire the view.
-"It's not particularly classy, but I hope you like it," - Mary said, softly waving her hand in air and pointing to the room they were in. Willow chuckled a little, wanting to explain to her how at that moment all the best and most expensive hotels in the world couldn't stand a chance against that little bed in that small room, but decided against it. She didn't dare speak about her true origins, for she was sure they would declare her insane and throw her out, so she bit her tongue and smiled in response.
-"It's perfect," - she said, and wrapped her arms around Mary, surprising both her and herself in the process, but she needed it. Pulling out, Mary nodded and stepped out, leaving Willow alone, and she threw herself on the bed as soon as doors clicked close.
Tucking herself in between clean sheets she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, granting her mind and heart a rest they deserved. She decided to worry about everything else later, right know she needed to forget.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
