CHAPTER 3: BLYTHE

"MAGIC LOTION"

BLYTHE WAS freezing in terror— no! She's actually dying in horror. The tiny flame of courage blazing in her chest died down in a splash of fear as Blythe found her now-conscious body lying on the dirty ground of the dark playhouse soaking in this fishy, creamy; and thick maroon liquid. The smell is making her wanna puke!

Why she is lying out there is still a question for Blythe, but the biggest question that's making her head haywire is the blood flowing out of her ripped skin all the way through her veins. God! Imagine the dread clawing around her body as if there's a giant and cold hand gripping her to death, making her breathless.

What really happened?

Languidly moving, Blythe forced herself to get up. The waves of indescribable pain kept on hitting her, making it hard to move but she managed to run towards mother's superior's office to show them her bleeding arm and more of her open wounds. Catching her heaving breath, Blythe entered the medieval-inspired threshold of the orphanage's old building but what was in there nearly got her to stumble. The tragic view she found there made her freeze like ice, her eyes went around seeing the dead bodies scattered around the floor.

One of her playmates— Glenn was in the rattan settee— lying with his head dangling and his eyeballs almost out of its socket. Alana has three deep-straight lines of slashes on her neck, meanwhile, the poor Arianna whom she used to give candies to has a knife penetrated her small chest. No!

The scene is causing her remaining sanity to melt down, Blythe wants to scream her lungs out for help but her blood-stained throat runs dry. It was only at that point that she felt the pain in her bleeding chest, although it was not from the outer cut, but in the inner—in her heart which is starting to throb at a painful pace.

Despite the fear that was eating her alive, Blythe continued running unsteadily and went upstairs to where mother superior's office was located. Both of her small hands were miserably shaking yet she forced herself to reach for the door's knob to twist it open. The squeaking sound of the rusty hinges brings more creep to her body, reminding her of the old houses in horror movies.

"Claudia?" she half-whispered in awe.

Her breathing hitched when she found her best friend continuously tasting the blood flowing down the slashed neck of Mother superior, the old woman wasn’t moving and she didn't even look breathing. Between Claudia’s cute hands was a dagger that Blythe identified as the pendant of her necklace. It might look weird to everyone, but it came from her biological parents and she's been treasuring it so much.

But why does Claudia have it? And it seems that she used it on mother's superior and their playmates.

"Blythe..."

Just like the full moon outside, her eyes went around after Claudia emerged on her face in just a blink. The cold smirk on her blood-stained lips horrified Blythe to the point of heebie-jeebies. The corner of her mouth has a white thing growing and sharpening, it took Blythe a long moment of terror until she realized that those were teeth. A sharp, long, and scary set of teeth.

"C-Claudia... W-what was t-that?"

Questions rained down on Blythe's head, she wants to ask Claudia but none of each came out. The cloud in her mind blocks her from sorting her head out, but what nearly pushed her to the end was when she slowly lifted her eyes and met Claudia’s orbs.

It feels amazing looking at those tiny lights shining from her deep blue eyes, it's alluring like there's a magnet keeping her eyes from staring at it the whole time. Blythe tries to fight it multiple times, but the captivity was too strong that it exhausts her from trying.

"Victorina Aurora..." Claudia snapped in her face, triggering her mind to finally wake up from the power that was taking over her whole body. There goes that devilish smile flashing over Claudia's face before she suddenly lifted Blythe up and threw her away like an object against the hard wall.

A cry of pain escaped her lips when her back was wrapped up by numbing tenderness, tears streamed down her eyes automatically and they were hard to control this time especially when she saw Claudia with her blood-curdling eyes and sharp dagger in her hand slowly taking steps toward her. The former gestured her hands in the air together with the sharp dagger its tip scintillates by the small light it attracts.

What is she going to do? Will she use that on Blythe to kill her as well?

Scared of her own thoughts, Blythe forced herself onto the wall behind her because she has nowhere to run now. The screams she produces are getting desperately loud as she seeks help. God knows her heart can’t take too much fear, she might pass out now.

The fear overwhelmed her that she almost peed on her skirt, yet no one came to rescue her. Blythe then closed her eyes as she embraced the sharp pain that the dagger might bring to her senses. Never a chance someone has stabbed her with a dagger, but sure as hell it would hurt really bad.

"Claudia, please!"

Catching her ragged breathing, Blythe get up with haste the moment her soul was thrown back to reality. As she opened her teary eyes, nothing welcomed her but the emptiness around the room. Above her is the peaceful white ceiling she used to stare at at night when she was thinking deeply. Its color and design look good in her eyes yet, she's still longing for the old and holed roof of their former apartment. Suddenly, a wave of nostalgia brushed her chest as she recalled how the glowing stickers of the moon and stars she attached there used to calm her down after her scary nightmares.

Tears are starting to form on both sides of her eyes again, but she shakes them off immediately. Crying won't do anything, it would only burden her chest. Blythe has to remind herself that things have already changed now and so does she. The weak and crybaby version of herself should be gone because the world was requiring her to be resilient and responsible enough.

Blythe was currently rubbing her face with her palms when her phone from the bedside table suddenly interrupted the silence around. Seeing Addi's caller I. D. blinking from the screen made her heart leap in excitement. Addison is one of her childhood friends whom she met back in the orphanage where she grew up, and as they reunited again after years of being apart they went closer that Blythe could rely on him in terms of taking care of her mama.

Badly needing to hear something about their patient, Blythe immediately picked up the line but what happened was the opposite because it was Addi who bombarded her with his endless questions that left her biting her tongue tightly to avoid spilling the beans.

"I thought you were just going out to find work, but it's been five days now, and you are still nowhere to be found? What do you want to happen once your mother wakes up, huh?" Addi was asking as if he was vomiting bullets.

"Why? Is Mama awake now?"

The thought brought her a bit light of hope, but it was short-lived because Addison is not yet done with his early nags.

"Not yet, and aren't you paying attention to my sentences?"

Blythe made a nasty face as pushed herself up from the bed. Here goes her nerdy friend again, acting weird like always.

"Addi, I already informed you about my boss being strict and rugged. I just can't go out and leave as easily as you were thinking, especially when it's not my day off yet." Blythe chewed on her lower lip once more to avoid herself weaving more lies just to cover up her mistakes.

Their agreement was just starting yet, Blythe can feel her guilt drowning her to kill. Does she really have to go this far for that Vizmanos' money?

"And yet, I'm also running out of my magic lotion. You know that I have a severe skin allergy to the sun, right?"

Addi made an audible sigh as he calmed himself down. "I know. The month is about to come to an end again, all the more that you have to go home to get some. Maybe you could talk to your boss or maybe it will be possible if I pay your a visit—"

"Nah! Don't bother, please," she interjected in the middle of his questions. "I'd rather visit you and mama just, amm... to avoid the hassle."

Hell, no! Accepting visitors would only mean a violation of the contract and the rules. No one can know about their set-up neither on their location... but on the other side, Blythe as well has no idea where on earth did Attorney Vizmanos has taken her. The poor girl was in a deep sleep when her husband brought her to his huge mansion, and before she could open her eyes she was already lying on that soft bed.

"But what if he still would say no? Then, you were asked to go outside?"

That will be a huge problem...

Blythe badly needs to get out of the house as soon as possible, aside from the need for magic lotion is her overflowing longing for her Mama Celia. Since her accident and their expulsion from their apartment her nightmares frequently happen and every time she opens her eyes, she has no one to wrap her shaking body until she calms down...

After taking a bath, Blythe changed into her pair of skinny jeans and a simple pink t-shirt which she topped with a black and thick hooded jacket. After a bit of time combing her hair to tame it, she then sprayed her favorite perfume before she went out of the room to find Attorney Vizmanos in wherever part of his huge palace he is right now.

Walking along the long hallway of the mansion, amazement starting to wrap around her being once again. It's like praising the tall walls in front of her has become a habit now, she would bet that those cost more than her life. Each of the pieces of furniture was made with some architectural design that she knows is Spanish-inspired. The painting comes with discursive designs and colors which Blythe can't define the meaning of, so she hurries herself to walk directly to the living room to do her plan eventually.

"Oh! Señorita is awake now?" One of the servants said when she saw Blythe walking downstairs, her voice and face were laced with sarcasm.

"Oh! That's good," the other maid with a high-pitched voice added. Walking towards them, she caught how their brows arched to intimidate her. "Because there are a lot of chores waiting to be done for goodness sake! Does she really think of herself as a princess now to wake up this late?"

Hearing their remarks to her, Blythe can see that her life in this palace will never be easy. To live there as a princess has never been in her mind, especially since Attorney Vizmanos already cleared everything between them. They were in that agreement to use one another, nothing more and nothing less… definitely not to live like a princess!

Despite their early bitchery, Blythe manages to act as calmly and normally as she can. She shows no expression with the two house servants but her voice remains sweet.

"Good morning." A small smile slipped from her lips as she greeted them in the loveliest way she knows. "I just want to ask where can I exactly find Attorney Vizmanos at the moment. I have to say something. Do you know where?"

"Why? So, you could swindle him for more money?" audaciously asked by the other maid who was wiping the window but manages to come near them just to throw a fit her. "Goodness that modus operandi! I can't believe someone who looks like an angel but keeps long horns behind. I won't wonder if you would only drag his good image into the dirt, dang! What's really happening with youth these days, huh?"

"I'm just looking for him to ask for permission if I can go out today so I can visit my mother. Don't worry, I have my money to use for a fair back and port," she uttered with a hint of sarcasm. "But if he would give me some, why won't I accept it? Isn't it bad to decline a blessing?"

Their brows arched sharper this time. "He's your husband, right? Why find him on us?"

As much as Blythe wants to pull the housemaid's brow and scream her answer in her face, she holds on to her dear sanity and never lets the evil in herself dominate. Throwing a fit won't help because she'll be staying with them in that huge mansion until the agreement is fulfilled, she has to endure a bit more.

"What's with the commotion in here?" A thick voice is what made them glance back, at a tall old woman wearing the same navy blue uniform coming their way sashaying an intimidating air. "Why are you clumping during working hours?”

All of them pointed their fingers at Blythe, she froze when the old woman's gray eyes behind her thick-rimmed glasses darted at her and looked as if she just committed a crime. It's cold and at the same time burning.

"Why do you have to disturb their chores, señorita? Do you need something?"

"T-truth is, I-I was looking for Attorney Vizmanos," she stammered because of the intimidation that the old woman has giving her. "I just want to ask for permission."

The old woman slowly bobbed her head before she turned to the house servants on her side who acted like soldiers moving away and going back to each of their tasks as alert as possible.

"Does anyone here know where señorito is at the moment?" the old woman asked in a full voice.

One of the servants stopped from her task and faced them to answer. "He went out last night after the ceremony and hasn't returned yet. I think he's with Ms. Antonette again—"

"Elianna!" the old woman thundered which caused her to bow her head down. "Do you want your tongue to be cut?"

Elianna shook her head and dashed back to the chore she was currently doing. Curiosity about the name that Elianna has mentioned aroused on Blythe, but she chose to bite her questions to herself in fear of her tongue being cut as well.

"Señorito is still outside, maybe for some important errands?" Her tight face was back to its cold and empty form again, though it was a bit nicer than when Elianna talked about some random name a while ago. "Whatever it is that you want to discuss with him, just please put it off for now?"

"But I really..." She failed to continue her explanation when another servant approached the old woman to invite her outside because somebody was looking for her.

Just great!