CHAPTER ONE

LIZA POV

“Aunt Liza!! Aunt Liza! Look there is a dead body I found here!”

“What?” I looked at my nephew James and immediately went to where he was standing. I did not hear him loud and clear, and to my disbelief, I saw an old woman’s body lying alongside the river shore. She is unconscious and her skin has bruises on it, even her forehead was wounded and filled with blood as her clothes were torn just enough to cover some parts of her body. I wonder what had happened to her before to be in this state of being.

“Auntie why is she here? Is she dead already?” James asked confused.

“I don’t know either James... Wait, let me see” I said as kneeled down to her level and carefully lift her wrist to check her pulse. The old lady looked so weak with a pale face; there is no sign of life in her!

 “Oh! She isn’t dead yet James! Please help me, let’s take her home so we can treat her immediately!” I commanded my nephew as soon as I felt her weak pulse, I checked her breathing and it was almost nothing as well but still, thankfully she was alive!

James helped me carry her on my back and moved away from where we first saw the helpless old woman. We took her home. She was indeed a little heavy and at the same time unconscious. It was not surprising that all of her weight was blown at me as I walked down the forest with her at my back with all my strength. James was behind us helping me to balance.

It has been five hours since we took an ill stranger into our house. When we arrived earlier I immediately brought her to my bedroom. I cleaned the wounds on her arms, face, and forehead and applied the first aid kits available to me. James and I are living alone in this cabin in the middle of the forest. It feels safe here and comfortable, away from the people who want to take my dearest nephew away from me. Living in woods is so risky; you never know when an accident will happen so it’s a must to always have first aid kits handy at any time. After I treated her wounds, I changed her clothing with my mother’s old ones; it is the only clothes available in her size. I just finished washing her expensive-looking dress, for now, I am only waiting for her to wake up and feed her the soup I cooked. A while ago, the doctor I called to check her condition came over and said she will wake up anytime soon so he left notes along with some prescriptions and told me I should take care of her with the right amount of medicine and soft foods, he’s gone as soon as he finished examining her.

“Don’t carry all the heavy woods at once James, I have been telling you this so many times already but you’re still not listening to me. Do you want to make my blood boil over and over again?” This kid will be the death of me, seriously. He never really listens and would always rebut me with “It can save time Auntie.” Yeah I know it can save time but he could get into an accident and injure a part of his body! I don’t want him to get hurt plus it will cost us much more time and money treating him just in case.

Today is the fourth day since we found the old lady in the forest and took her home but she has not been woken up yet. I am starting to worry because she hasn’t eaten anything at all except for the spoonful of water I dripped on her lips, it is to keep her hydrated a little the Doctor said. Her breathing become stable already and her wounds are healing slowly. I thought someone would come to find and fetch her but none of them or should I say there wasn’t even a single relative who came looking for her. I had visited the market the other day and asked around if there is news about an old woman missing somewhere but they said they heard none.

 James came rushing to me with a heavy panting and excited face saying the granny was not in my room anymore! I was shocked for a moment, confused. Early this morning there was no sign of her waking up so I decided to leave the house with James to find woods in the forest, our stocks are running out.

We hurried back home. As soon as I opened the door, I immediately went to the bedroom and passed by the living room to look for her – there was no trace of her! Then I went to the bathroom, and still, she was not there either! James has gone to see other rooms as well. The old woman slept for four days so I thought she was hungry when she woke up... I checked the kitchen with all my hopes but to my dismay, there was no single person in there. I face-palmed myself wondering where she could be right now until I heard the door click open. It was her!

“You have a nice backyard here.” She said as soon as she entered the room. She walks pretty slowly while holding a long thick wood supporting her. She took every step gracefully making me amazed with she was able to survive her almost life-and-death encounter considering her age, Thank goodness! She is safe and she did not leave without a word unlike what I have been thinking for the past few minutes, I don’t know what to do if she really escaped!

“Goodness Madam. Where have you been? I thought you left... Your wounds haven’t even healed yet... Please let’s go back to the bedroom, you have to eat and rest first.” Not that I don’t want her to leave because I am conspicuous of her or she would steal anything from us, but so far there is nothing worthy of being stolen in this house. It’s just that she is not fully recovered yet and she may be lost in the forest alone, we are a little secluded.

She gave me a broad, senseless smile and said “Do not worry my dear, I feel a lot better after I saw your garden… what was your name again and where am I?” She asked as nothing serious happened to her?! She then walked passed me to the nearest chair and have her seated on the wooden chair, James rushed over helping the old lady sit down slowly and carefully.

“That’s good to hear then Granny! Oh, by the way, I am Liza, Liza Claire Gilbert, and he is James, my nephew.” I replied pointing my finger in James's direction. “This was my parents’ house, it is in the middle of the woods and the neighboring houses are a little too far but we are still in Slytherland. The two of us lived here alone together.” I added as the matter of fact.

“Oh really? That is so kind of you and I'm glad to meet you and James... Thank you for saving my life dear, I surely owe you a big one. I will definitely pay you back soon.”

“You are very much welcome Madam. May I know your name and where you came from or where you live… So I can call your family and tell them you’re with us?” I replied curious who's this person we brought home and why did she end up that way? I have told her almost everything about us yet I don’t even know her name since we rescued her.

“I am the Queen of Slytherland.” She simply replied.