Fourteenth touch
The Lost Child
Oma did come back, but not alone. She brought her a man with her. The man had crimson hair and a pair of hard blue eyes. At first, he stared at me with disgust and then with interest.
“Who are you?” Len blocked him before he could reach me.
“Me? I believe I am partly your uncle.” The man said.
“What?” Len exclaimed. “My uncle is dead, isn’t he?”
“I am not Sir. Antone Grimmel.” The man said with a smile. “I am Adam Grimmel, Antone’s younger brother.”
“I never knew that!” Len said.
“That’s because your father never wants you to know.” Adam grinned and walked to me.
“Young lady, you have no memory of your past at all, do you?”
I shook my head.
He took a serious look at my hair and then at my face.
“You look just like...”
“Who?” Jim asked.
“Oh no,” Len said. “You don’t mean my aunt.”
“No,” Adam smiled. “but my brother.”
I felt I was going to faint again. This was ridiculous. In a day’s time, I had to learn about my true identity and to meet a blood soul uncle. That was absurd and insane. I thought I was dreaming but when I pinched myself, it hurt.
“I cannot be sure.” Adam said. “I just recognize your appearance. The crimson hair is the best remark of the Grimmels because almost only we have it around here. Your eyes are like those of Winona’s. Hazel as I remember. And there is a secret.”
“What’s it?” Len asked.
“My brother did have a daughter.”
“You are lying.” Jim accused. “I never heard the Grimmels have children.”
“He is not lying.” Oma said. “It’s true.”
“Nobody knows except Oma and me.” Adam continued. “I believe even my brother did not know about it. They were on an escape at that time. The Morlettes were chasing them. They split. My brother went to the west to seek help from Morganthes while Oma and I stayed to protect Winona. It was war time and Winona was pregnant. She forbade us to tell my brother though. She said it was for all our sakes. She gave birth to a baby girl afterwards but Antone was still not back. We were betrayed by a friend and were captured. Winona managed to run away with the child and without much luck, she was abducted by the enemies.
“When she returned, there was no sign of the child. I asked her and she said ‘the child is safe.’ She shushed me before I could ask more. Soon, she was killed. I could never forgive myself as I had promised Antone to protect her but I never could fulfill my job. I was held imprisoned by the Morlettes. I heard Antone had finally got back with the Morganthes but I could not reach him. He later knew his wife had perished. On learning the her death’s news, he killed himself. I never got the chance to tell him he had a child.”
Adam looked down to the ground sadly.
“Once we were released,” Oma said. “We searched throughout the entire Bloodland but could not find the child. We believe the child might have been killed and that Winona was, perhaps, in too much pain to tell the truth. We never told Sir. Tristen because we thought it was no use telling after all. We never knew the child lived and…”
Oma stopped and glared at me. “If that child is alive, I think you have to be her. You look exactly like Winona.”
“If…Alice is the lost child of the Grimmels,” Jim said. “then, she and Len have to be cousins!”
“Exactly.” Adam said. “And she’s not Alice. She was named Armenia. Princess Armenia to be more specific.”
“Princess Armenia…” Jim repeated.
“Armenia…” Len repeated the name too.
“I don’t like it.” I said. “I want to be called Alice, not Armenia.”
For me, the conversation ended here. Since I was too exhausted, I fell asleep. I slept for a very long time. When I woke again, Len said I had been unconscious for nearly four days. I had a bad headache afterwards. During my sleep, I kept dreaming and dreaming. Most of the time, I had those never-ending nightmares in which I pictured myself dead or Len left me. The first thing I did once I opened my eyes was screaming. It was later that Len told me I was both screaming and crying at the same time. He and Jim came into the room right away but I was still frightfully scared. After reassuring me for some time, I fell into a deep sleep again and it went straight till the other day.
Jim said Len was so apprehensive about me after all the screaming that he stayed beside me for days, refusing to leave the room. Sometimes, when I was half-awake or got disturbed by noise, I could feel Len’s presence. He was taking care of me all along. As I found his hand, I would feel comfortable and secure again. I would then continue my sleep.
On the fourth day, I finally could get up. There were no more screaming or shouting from me. Miraculously, all my wounds have healed and I felt not a single pain. Len was too pleasant to see me wake so he almost could not find the right words to say.
“Alice, you have not fully recovered yet.” Len informed me as he handed me the breakfast.
I shook the glass slightly. I was still not familiar with the diet of blood.
“The only thing we can do right now is to have your instincts regained.” Len said. “The more you behave like a blood soul, the sooner you will become one, Oma said. Your wounds have healed but the poison is another problem.”
I swallowed my breakfast without saying a thing. Len watched as I drank the blood. The scene was as unnatural for him as for me. He seemed to feel out of place when he saw the blood left on my mouth.
“There.” He took a handkerchief and cleaned my mouth just like the way he had in the banquet.
“The Grimmels have invented a medicine for you.” Len added. “Every now and then, you are drinking it. It’s not a real antidote though. Your uncle is still working on it. We hope the medicine can ease the pain the poison causes you. If we can’t find the antidote, we’ll need another plan.”
Len said no more for that day. Seeing me alright, he left the room. I wanted him to stay but I did not dare plead. He was in a terrible mood, I could tell. And that upset me more. Whenever meal time came, it was Jim who brought the meal in.
“Alice, Lucard said…”
Perhaps I was becoming more like a blood soul, I seemed to sense what he was going to say.
“He cannot come, right?” I said.
“Yes, he’s busy discussing with Sir. Grimmel about the battle but he will come to see you soon.” Jim smiled but it was just obvious he was trying to pacify me.
“He doesn’t want to see me.” I muttered.
“No, Alice, why would you say that?”
“His eyes.” I thought I was going to sob. “He never looks at me that way. This morning, his eyes were so cold as if I was a complete stranger to him.”
“He is just worried.” Jim said. “He is tired, Alice. Having stayed around for four days straight and having to deal with the family trouble, he just cannot take any more of it. He needs some fresh air.”
“So do I.” I mumbled.
“Don’t be so depressed, Alice.” Jim said. In fact, he looked more miserable than me. “Lucard hasn’t said a thing to me too.”
“Oh?”
“He’s probably still angry at me.”
“Why?”
“Of course, he’s mad.” Jim said. “He must still be sensitive about you drinking my blood.”
“Um…” I did not understand. I could not control myself at that time. I did not mean it to happen too. So, was he also mad at me for that reason?
“I don’t get it.” I said. “What’s wrong with it?”
“You don’t drink someone’s blood randomly.” Jim explained. “The only person who has the right to take your blood in this world is your mate. Therefore, it is wrong for the Morlettes to hunt people because you bite anyone according to your wishes. There is an underlying power behind this. When Viktoria bit Edmond, Edmond would have to fo
llow her till the end. He has to do whatever she says because he has become hers.”
“Is that a rule?”
“Yes.” Jim said. “A very normal phenomenon. That’s why you aren’t supposed to bite me. Lucard is the only person whose blood you can drink.”
“I…” I wanted to say I did not do it on purpose.
“I know you didn’t.” Jim said. “Lucard knows it was an accident too. It’s just he blamed himself for being so ignorant to your true identity. He blamed himself for not being there when you thirsted for blood. He might not be really mad at me but he has not the mood to talk to me either. Being his friend I feel so ashamed of myself. I should have stopped you when I could at that time.”
“It’s not your fault.” I could not hold my tears any longer. I gripped Jim’s hand and blubbered. “Oh please, Jim, get Len to talk to me. Please, I don’t want him to pay no heed to me. Tell him I am sorry for whatever has offended him. I cannot lose him. I had a nightmare last night. He abandoned me. He left me in a garden full of black roses. Please, Jim, help me.”
Jim sympathized with me. He did not know how to handle my crying because he had never seen a girl cry in front of him. He was as hopeless and powerless as me.
Smoothly, he took my hands and nodded. “I will try, Alice. You wait here.”
The moment Jim closed the door behind him, I felt more lonesome than ever. There was nothing with me but my crazy thoughts.
At last, I felt a bit dizzy being left alone in a suffocating room. I decided to get out of bed though I had been warned not to. I prepared for any pain to come once I stepped on the ground. Fortunately, nothing happened.
I wandered around the room, walking and examining each thing I could find. There was not much furniture in the room. I took a seat on the couch, drank the cup of water on the table and even opened the wardrobe. I expected it to be empty but there were a few dresses in it. I quickly took off the white night gown I was wearing and put on a blue dress instead. Now, it looked much better. I did not want myself looking like a patient in the hospital. I walked up to the mirror and I cried. No wonder Len and Jim had stared at me in a bizarre way. I could not believe my changes in the appearance too.
My previously crimson hair had grown brighter and redder. It had grown much longer too, almost reaching my knees. My face was pasty and colorless. I just looked different. Overall, I had become more striking, more like a blood soul. Then, I realized why I had been feeling eerie all day. I had not yet put my glasses on but I could see very clearly. It could not have been Demonia’s magic because my face was washed several times together with the wounds. I must have turned into a blood soul, a vampire.
I combed my long hair and tied it into a ponytail. I put on my shoes and left the room.
I begged for fresh air. I could not stay in that room much longer without turning mad in the end.
There was a garden out there. I found that my room was actually a small hut in an estate. Ahead of me was a titanic mansion, though not really a castle. I lingered in the garden. This one was full of red roses. There was not a single white petal or a black flower. I searched for the pavilion, for words must be written there to explain this scene. I found it at last.
The master that conquers all
Is gifted with the best of all
The mistress that possesses all
Is praised and loved among all
The curse put on this fateful day
With the burning love and hate
They shall remain and stay
In this silent and dramatic place
I was not quite sure who the poem was referring to. I deemed it was a story about two lovers, admired and honored by many other people. This garden of red was made deliberately in the memory of their ceaseless and influential love. That explained the reason why there was no white and black in this place. There was only love.
“There aren’t past and future.” A voice said. “There is only present.”
I turned around abruptly, startled. I was aware of that voice. It was Len speaking.
“You mean in this garden?” It was Jim.
I saw two figures approaching the pavilion and I hid quickly behind some bushes. I should not be seen or else they would find out I had left the room without permission.
“What use is it anyway?” Len walked up the stairs and sat on the bench in the pavilion. “Nothing lasts forever.”
“Perhaps the love of your uncle and your aunt does.” Jim sat next to him.
“Oma said they are buried somewhere here, in a very quiet place.”
“Did you tell Alice?”
“No.” Len shook his head. “What can I tell her? She can hardly accept the fact she is a blood soul. There is no way I am going to talk about her parents’ stories.”
“What is bothering you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Lucard, your problem is my problem.” Jim said. “If you still treat me as your friend, you have to tell me what is going on. I will do whatever to pay back for my fault.”
“It’s not about you, Jaymes.” Len sighed. “It’s not about Alice either. I am not angry at you nor am I mad at her. I am just annoyed because of myself.”
“Huh?”
“It is nobody’s fault that Alice is a blood soul. I just regretted having brought her here. If I have never shown her to this world, none of this should have happened. She will remain as a human, living peacefully and happily with Winnie in the other world. I might not be able to stay around her forever but at least, she would never have run into the danger she has encountered. She would never have been poisoned in order to save me. She would not have had those terrible nightmares and had to scream in her sleeps. Do you know how much it hurts? To see her not even getting peace in sleep. What bothers me more is that she is not a human anymore. She’s a Grimmel, a typical noble princess. How can she bear the fact? How can I bear to view her as one of us? The girl I used to love is a human, not a blood soul. It’s all wrong. It’s out of order.”
“Alice has never blamed you for all the troubles you caused her.” Jim replied. “And I believe she will not do so either. She is so distressed that you look at her in a way as though you don’t recognize her. You cannot leave her alone like that. All she needs now is support and loving words which can only be given by you. Don’t you see how unhappy she is when you refuse to see and talk to her?”
“I can’t.” Len said. “It’s so hard to…well, I just can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because….because I don’t want her to be a blood soul. I know it is selfish of me to think so but she…if she is a blood soul, she will deserve someone much better than me. Don’t you agree? She will soon begin to see things in a way blood souls do. She will see how weak, useless and ugly I am. Each time I look into her eyes, I fear when the moment comes that she says ‘Len, you look different. You are not like how I think of you before.’”
When I heard it, I really had the thought of going up to Len and spoke to him, but I stopped myself.
“Surely Alice will not think that.” Jim said. “Don’t be offended but I’ll say it is childish to think that way, Lucard. You know Alice is not the type who cares much about your strength or appearance. What she likes is your spirit and personality, not your looks but talents and wisdom. You don’t have to be the best guy in this world to charm a girl. If she thinks you are the best to her, it’s enough already. Don’t you see? You have to talk to her before judging whether she now thinks of you differently. You never know unless you try. If she is a blood soul, the rule of eternal love works on her too. She will love you forever.”
“Why are you so sure?” Len doubted. “We haven’t made the unbreakable oath. Anything can change for her because it is only the beginning she turns into one of us. She can fall for you as well.”
“I don’t believe Alice will fall for me.” Jim laughed.
“Seriously Jaymes, you can’t deceive me.” Len said. “You said
you are never interested in girls but you do like Alice.”
“Well, yes, I do.”
At that point, I wanted to shout “What?” but I covered my mouth just in time. I could not believe what they were saying. Jim liked me. That was awful. Not that he was bad; he was in fact a very nice and gentle person. He could be a good friend and that was all. The only person I loved was Len.
“But,” Jim smiled. “You only read part of my mind, Lucard.”
“Eh?”
Jim laughed. “I like you too, Lucard. I like Bess and Roy the same way. It’s not really romantic love that I have for Alice. Well, perhaps yes, but only for a minute or two, when she talks funny and tries to cheer her friends up. I was impressed by her a few times but not enough for me to love her as much as you do. She does not love me as a lover either. We can be friends but not in a relationship like you have with her. I love you equally because you are my dearest friend. And I love Bess and Roy too. We have gone through hard times and happy times. I am just glad Alice joins us because now, we are not a group of four anymore but a group of five. I will do anything to bring you and Alice together. There is no one on this earth more suitable for her than you. Am I not right, Lucard?”
Len turned to face his companion. Jim only smiled. He looked happy, naturally happy.
“But,” Jim put up his hand. “If you do anything bad to Alice, I cannot guarantee I won’t step between you two. After all, I would prefer to stand up for a girl than to stand on the side of a boy. That would make me a hero.”
“You are hopeless, Jaymes.”
The two burst out laughing. Behind the bushes, I smiled as I listened. I must have been too excited because I did not watch my step. I stumbled over after kicking a rock by accident. I fell right onto the ground.
“Alice!” Len and Jim exclaimed, flabbergasted.
They went up to help me up.
“What are you doing behind the bushes?” Jim asked and then instantly blushed. “You didn’t hear it, did you?”
“Um…” I tried to look away and avoided the two’s eyes. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Oh my….” Jim fell back to the bench, rolling his eyes. “This is ever so embarrassing.”
“It’s not like you are the only one embarrassed.” Len went to sit down. The two still found it hard to recover from the shock. I sat between them and sighed.
“Is anyone going to speak to me?” I asked.
“Yes.” Jim said. “Lucard has something to say.”
“Shut up, Jaymes.” Len said. “One more word and I am going to…”
“To what?” I turned to Len. He hushed and turned away, his face flushing red.
“Look, I didn’t mean to listen to your conversation. I just happened to overhear.” I said.
“Like we are going to believe you, Alice.” Jim said. “Overhearing is always more on purpose than by mistake.”
“Okay!” I said and stood up. “I admit I did stay behind the bushes to hear what you said. I have already told you before that I needed some fresh air. You can’t blame me for leaving the room. And when I leave the room and wander in the garden, you can’t blame me for bumping into you. Since I am scared to be scolded by you two, you can’t blame me for hiding behind the bushes. When you stop in the pavilion to talk, you can’t blame me for staying behind to listen. You can only blame curiosity that causes all these problems.”
“A very well interpretation, Alice.” Len laughed. “A marvelous excuse.”
“You are too honest.” Jim sniggered.
“You can’t blame me for being honest!” I shouted, having enough of the tease.
“Yes, we can’t blame you for that.” Len agreed calmly.
“Well, it’s my supper time. I have to go.” Jim stood up and began to walk away.
“Wait, Jim.” I called out. “Don’t be embarrassed. I am impressed by what you said. I like being your friend too.”
Jim smiled and winked, leaving the pavilion.
“And Len,” I decided to punish him for refusing to talk to me. “Lately, I have been thinking, about all the trouble we have been facing. Really, I don’t think I can take it much longer. It’s so…well, tiring and I am worn out. I just think…once we get back to the other world, if there is luck achieving so, I need some time to think all over again. You know what I mean?”
Len stared at me speechlessly. I almost laughed at his face.
“Okay, I will be frank.” I went on. “I have not the confidence to trust and love you anymore. It is tearing me apart. As you have mentioned, my life would have been extremely normal yet safe and secure if I hadn’t happened to meet you! I have had enough already, all the adventures and journeys. Plus, I am starting to think you are different.”
“What?”Len scowled. “You are serious?”
“You just look rather different than you used to do.” I frowned.
“Why don’t you speak?” I asked as his eyes narrowed. “Don’t you care if this is really…you know…the end of us?”
“Because I have nothing to say.” Len grumbled. He was very disappointed indeed.
“You must have something to tell me.” I said, waiting for a reply patiently. “I mean, we can still be good friends. Don’t you think?”
“Okay, I will ask.” Len said. “Is this an indirect way of dumping me?”
“Why don’t you read my mind?”
“I would rather not do that.” He said. “You can say it and let me hear it directly.”
“Oh Len, don’t be sad if I say so.” I reached for his hand but he put his hands behind him, rejecting my touch.
“I will try not to.” Len said. “It takes time to do so.”
“I thought your love for me is longer than eternity.”
“Yes, I just forgot to say it takes more pain than time not to remain sad.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
“You are?”
“Yes, that proves I am still in your heart.”
“Mind if you excuse me?” Len looked heartbroken as he turned to leave.
“Don’t you want to know if you are still in my heart?” I said, rolling my eyes. I would have pictured him catching me red-head and saying “Got you, nice one, Alice.” And yet, that moment had not come.
He stopped but did not turn around.
“Alice, stop fussing about.” Len said in a very mild way. “It takes a hit to break a glass but less to break my heart.”
I hid my laugh. That did not stick to my expectation but still, it was hilarious.
“That’s not funny, Alice.” Len said, still not turning to face me. “If I didn’t happen to read your mind, I would have thought this is all real.”
“It is real.” I said. “You do look more different than before. You look more miserable and serious. There is one second I don’t know what has gone wrong. You used to smile at me all the time and joke with me. I want the old Len back. That’s why I am dumping the present one.”
Len didn’t say a thing but he did turn around at last. He walked to me quietly and looked at me the way he used to do. I was relieved. He smiled.
“Okay, you want to know what I think?” Len said softly. My mind asked what he was thinking a moment ago.
“Yes and I wonder why I can’t read your mind.”
“Alice, you can, I just don’t allow you to.” Len laughed.
“There is a way to hide one’s mind?”
“Of course there is.” Len said. “Or else why do you think we still have to talk? If all the blood souls know what each other think, we don’t really have to communicate with mouths, we can simply talk with our minds.”
“But you can read my mind!”
“Yes, I can, that’s because you don’t know how to hide your mind.” Len said. “We all do.”
“Oh, teach me how to.”
Len just smiled and whispered in my ears. “No way I am doing it. I don’t want you to become a complete blood soul yet.”
“You are selfish!” I scolded,
pretending to be annoyed.
“I am.” Len admitted. “I can’t deny my selfishness is developed because of you. I want to read your mind so that I know what you think. Since you are too mischievous, I do not want to risk my heart nearly broken for another time.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Nothing is fair in a relationship, Alice.” Len said. “If everything is always perfect, we never learn to treasure and love anything with our heart.”
“Is this a plan?”
“I will tell you just what you want to know.” Len grinned. “I need one thing to keep you beside me forever.”
“You are using the knowledge of how to hide my mind to lure me!”
“Exactly, clever as you are, Alice.”
“I can ask Jim or Bess or Roy about that.”
“Oh, they won’t tell you.” Len made a cunning smile.
“They will!”
“They can’t.” Len said. “Because I was the first one to read your mind. Other than you and me, nobody understands how your mind works. The only persons who can help seal away your mind are you and me. You don’t know how to do so, but I do.”
“Come on, Len, just tell me.” By then, I was so agitated but Len still kept the secret.
“I will tell one day.” Len said, pulling me to him. “When I feel that you will not hide your mind forever from me once you learn the skills.”
“I won’t.” I said and leaned against his chest. “I’ll let you read it whenever you want.”
“Me only?”
“Yes.”
“Alice?”
“Yes?”
“Mind if I kiss you?”