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Chapter 2: Wounded- Part 2

“HEID-Oh there you are!” exclaimed Nora, a box in her hand as she walked towards where Heidi stood, “Why didn’t you tell me you were here? I was looking for you all over the house,” she said looking at Heidi with her bright blue eyes. Nora had inherited her mother’s eyes and hair, her eyes blue and hair blonde which went past her hips, which was now let loose and open. She was gorgeous, unlike her plain self.

“I am sorry, I was only going to come to you,” Heidi apologized seeing Daniel leaning against the door, looking at them, “What happened?”

“This is for you,” Nora smiled bringing the box forward to give it to her.

“What is this?” Heidi asked curiously.

“It’s a gift! Aunt gave few things to me and I thought to share it with you, aren’t I thoughtful?” Nora giggled and then said, “And by the way could you please get the dinner ready right away, we have been starving since we left aunt Gertrude’s house. You know how father doesn’t stop anywhere in between and rather prefers to have food at home than somewhere out.”

“Dinner is already ready in the kitchen, Nora. Why don’t you go ahead and start placing the food? I’ll be there in two minutes,” she suggested seeing Nora bite her lip.

“Ah, you see. I have to go try on a dress and see if it needs to be sent to the tailor,” Nora replied and when Heidi opened her mouth to speak she heard Daniel speak, “We have to go attend a ball next week and it’s important Nora gets her dress done as we are finding her suitors. I am sure you can help her out.”

Heidi didn’t miss the little smirk that appeared on Nora’s lips before it disappeared. After their mother passed away, Daniel was the one to carry forward the punishments on her. She could still feel the leathers touch on her skin making her rigid and frozen in her spot. The siblings and she didn’t get along well, and always put the other in a troublesome situation. Once Nora had broken a vase to only blame it on Heidi. The same night Heidi had picked a cockroach from their backyard, to smash and mix it with Nora’s food.

“Okay then!” Nora turned her back after seeing her nod her head at Daniel’s words. Heidi saw Daniel say something to which Nora laughed as they got into the house.

When she had first come to the house, she was happy, happy to have a family like the others she had seen on the streets. A place to call a home. When Raymond Curtis had introduced her to the family her happiness knew no bound after seeing the two children. Their mother’s death changed a lot of things, their attitude as well as the stark differences between them.

Remembering the box in her hand, she opened the lid to find a dress in there. Curious she pulled it out to see the beautiful dress in her hand.

“I am surprised to see Ms. Nora give you something of value,” she heard Howard from behind. He was usually a quiet man with the Curtis family but it was with Heidi whom he was frank with his words.

“I am surprised too,” Heidi replied staring at the dress to notice the tear at the bottom. No wonder, she thought to herself. Nora was too selfish to share anything with her and if she did it meant something was amiss. The dress was mend-able and therefore without a word she placed it back in the box.

“Why don’t you leave the household?” Howard asked her with a frown.

“The Curtis have my gratitude, for taking me in when I had no roof. A child who was in tattered clothes and barefoot with no identity. Sometimes gratitude is too heavy to bear with and it takes time to repay it.”

“I think you have repaid your debt enough to the late Madame by being at her side.”

“Maybe. Maybe, I am just holding on to our precious memories that the lady left,” she knew that the love Helen Curtis shared with her was something priceless and didn’t need repayment, yet a part of her felt indebted.

“You have turned into a fine lady, Ms. Heidi,” she heard him say as she began walking towards the back door of the house and she turned back.

“I think I still have a long way to go for that!”

“It isn’t the status that makes one into a lady but the manner in which how you carry yourself and how you treat others that turns you into one,” Heidi smiled at his words.

“You have always been too kind with your words, Howard,” and with that, she went inside.

The following week like Daniel had said, her father and her siblings left to the capital town of Woville to attend a ball there so that Nora could place herself an eligible bachelor for herself. Many suitors letters came to their houses but she rejected them all, the way it looked to Heidi, Nora was trying to aim the Lord of the north as no matter who showed up in front of her, she would turn her face away from them like they were nothing but dirt.

Heidi did her work leisurely as she had to cook dinner only for her tonight. Deciding to pick up the groceries she went out. In the evening, the clouds were dark and heavy, the time already past dusk as rain pelted down the roofs of the houses and the hard ground. The trees shook as it rained, letting the drops of water fall down one after another in a trail. It had been some time since the people of Woville had seen such heavy rain in the northern empire.

Most of the men and women who had been on the streets walking and talking leisurely had already gone into their homes once it had begun raining. Some ran for shelter, standing under the buildings which got them drenched anyways. Out of the people who were there under the rain was Heidi, her footsteps splashing one after another on the rainy ground as she ran towards her house.

When Heidi had finished buying groceries and had only exchanged the money with the shopkeeper in the local market she hadn’t expected it to rain, especially when it had only been sunny with a clear sky when she had stepped out of the house. Her dry clothes were now soaking wet, the dress sticking to her body as she ran while covering the vegetables in her arms. On her way she saw a few men standing under the barely present roof and decided not to wait for the rain to stop, taking a left and going through the dark deserted alley. It was an alley that connected the humans from the dark creatures residence which she rarely used and she wouldn’t have picked it if it weren’t the shortest route to her house.

As she took another turn, she stopped in her tracks to only realize that she had already run past this place. Unfortunately, it had been quite a few months since she had last come here in these dark streets and the way she knew had been closed for some time now. Thinking it was better to go back the way she came from, she walked this time carefully seeing her way out not wanting to get lost in the dark. Just as she was tracing back her footsteps she suddenly felt herself crash and pull towards a firm, muscular body to the nearest wall. At the same time, she heard footsteps of people heading towards them as though they were chasing someone.

Alarmed by whoever had caught her she went to scream for help to only find a hand covering her mouth to prevent her from making any noise. She struggled to get away but this person was too strong, like a vampire who didn’t budge even an inch. At the thought of vampire more alarms began to ring in her head, and as though feeling her fear the man leaned over to whisper.

“Stay still and I won’t harm you,” his voice was gentle like the air itself.