Paradise came in dreams. A lovely sunny day brightening everywhere, bathing the light of the luminous sun that soaring and searing beneath the thin skin. The wind blows in all directions and wrapping thoroughly refreshing towards the old trees in Lancaster with the evergreen delight and chock-full of renewing air. It's a place of an exquisite story of a maiden who borne with a silver spoon in her mouth, living peacefully like a princess in a castle, and alluring just as a white flower in a garden. She's lovely as a Garden of Eden and her face would surely fascinate you from a minute of staring.

She’s like a fairy. Her hair is like a golden-red sunset in the afternoon with a pair of eyes coloured blue, sparkling like a glimmering light of a star in a constellation. Her kissable lips pouted so distinctly, that you may fall to undying addiction when you tasted it. She almost impeccable with a slender figure like a beauty queen, a hip that seemed to have stolen the curve of the crescent moon, arms shapely ending in small dwindling fine fingers. Her skin shaded in delicate pinkish of angelic beauty. And she’s dressing in the finest clothing with a modest character ever known, her name is Elizabeth Clearwater.

"OH THERE SHE IS!" the garish voices from Elizabeth's parents.

Elizabeth’s parents please upon seeing their daughter back to their house from the school dorm she stayed in. Anyway, her father named, Mr. Robert James Finnegan, a barreled─ body in a normal height with a bloated tummy, hairless head, wrinkled forehead, and beardy face. He’s like an angry man who likes placing cigar in his mouth and plays cards, especially when he’s visited by his boredom. He's wearing an old black trouser with a jumper and brown long sleeves. His character includes: sarcasm, arrogance, extravagance and also a massive faux hypocrisy. He likes to humiliate average people, because he hates them all. He married Mrs. Minerva Juliet Clearwater, a half-French Aristocrat lady from Aigues-Mortes, France, the heir of Les Bon's Boutique and Clearwater's café. Her daughter’s features resembles equally to hers. Her eyes coloured azure sapphire with a face seemed to have stolen the elixir of youth and her beauty seems like a goddess. She’s suiting a Sunday's dress with ribbons in her waist, her neck wrapped with a blue scarf that contained silver bracelet and a necklace with an amulet like a lucky charm. They married after they migrated from France to Harrogate and finally settled when they bought a property, house and lot at Lancaster, Great Britain.

"Bon Jour, Mama─ Papa! How's your business?" Elizabeth kisses their cheeks individually.

"Oh! It’s great, sweetheart." her mother grins.

"How’s your study sweetheart?" her father encrusts his left hairy hand to Elizabeth’s right shoulder and smiling at her as he tunnels his sight unto her. "Hmm─ its fine papa, I'm very well delighted." she grins whilst cornering her eyes to him.

The commencing conversation interrupts by a door pounding, jolting them suddenly from their terse conversation. "Hello, Mrs. Finnegan! Here's the new applicant you wish to seek." Mr. Filch declares as he transporting his sight back and forth between the door and the boy next to him. "Hang on a minute!" Mrs. Finnegan replies enthusiastically as she sneaking towards the door to unlock it.

Whenever you heard a deep ─hollowed voice of a mid-aged man with a long tied grey hair, wearing a monocle, a long-sleeve coated by a black blazer that matched in his old grey trouser styled like vertical stripes. And a face filled with immature wrinkles curved by his concave cheeks proportionally shaped from his crescent angle look. Think of one person named Mr. Nicholas Charles Filch. He’s a loyal, humble, and merciful butler, adopted by Sir John Nicholas Clearwater. In a split of second, darting flashbacks from Mr. Filch's violent memories pops amid in his mind when he reflected himself in a boy standing next to him.

BOOM!!! A deafening sound of a massive explosion from landmines and hand grenades, thrown by the unknown bands of cruel bandits who left a wreckage of war in the little town of Lambertini a long time ago. In the earliest years of the 19th century, a boy named Nicholas Charles Filch together with others, escaped from the abduction by these cruel people. So many innocent people split their blood for the interest of these stone-hearted individuals. These groups of politicians and rich classes of people, ultimately planned the massive destruction for the cause of human slavery, sexual purposes and earning more money in return. They bribed some mercenaries and some bands of bandits to do their dirty plan on their behalf.

After the inconceivable slaughter, the destruction destroyed a half hundreds of houses and slaved 47 children, 149 women and imprisoned 99 men. Nicholas Charles Filch escaped from imprisonment, accompanied by his friend Clavier Bon Rimini who was latter dead, because of gunshot after he rescued his sister Daisy Jane Bon Rimini from tortured. He’s a sole survivor who walked undyingly towards the woods outside the boundary of Bucharest, Romania.

Unfortunately, some bandit scouts spotted him from afar distant and plunged a gunshot to him without hesitation. By God's mercy, he attained a minor wound that soared beneath his left arm and eventually collapsed him down in the meadows a far distance from the two goons. Luckily, a platoon of soldiers patrolled and conducted a search and rescue operation for the missing survivors. A child discovered and reported him with his bloodbath situation. Thenceforth, Captain John Nicholas Les Bon Clearwater later rescued and surrendered him in an orphanage at St. Lucia.

A fortnight later, upon his miraculous recovery, he prayed at the church of St. Lucia for some help. That day, God answered his prayer. Capt. Clearwater perceived young Nicholas, kneeling at the church pew, who prayed solemnly. He approached this lad and asked promptly about his identity. Sadly, the boy answered about his great remorse from seeing his parents who had slaughtered and bathed with their own spilt blood. Clearwater felt the anguish, sorrow and mourn that awakened his in-depth conscience for a call of mercy. He questioned him for something that may change his life forever.

"Will you come with me, lad? I need a boy who's willing to be part of the mansion." Nicholas exhibited a brief smile who craved for love and care. His quick smile accompanied by overflowing tears from his tear duct drifting in his both eye canals and spouting in his rugged face like a child after his plaything has fixed successfully, touched Sir Clearwater’s heart to adopt him, until he became a loyal butler in the mansion. He’s serving for over 29 years in count.

"Oh! Mr. Filch gladly to see you! Where's the applicant?" Mrs. Finnegan asks happily as she locking her sight to him. A little second past, a boy─ wearing a stripe long sleeve and sweater vest fashioned dress, matched by his fashioned trouser and eyeglass lungs and introduces himself, calmly.

"Bon Jour Madam, My name is John Enrico Newton, I'm the new applicant." He says as he hunching to her.

"Oh! Well─ Mr. Filch, please bring this boy to the library. I’ll talk to him later." Mrs. Finnegan grins slightly. "Yes... Madam." Mr. Filch nodded and tapped the right shoulder of the boy.

Mrs. Finnegan locks the door and sways her head as she returning to her seat. She drapes her new bought gown from the elegant box she opened lately. Mr. Finnegan interrupts her whilst standing halfway step near to the door. "Who's that filthy creature, darling?" Mr. Finnegan strokes his curving chin until the edge of his long beard by his swollen, hairy left hand. "Language, please─ it’s a new applicant..." Mrs. Finnegan replies.

"Why you speak like that, papa?" Elizabeth frowns as she raising her cup of tea and takes a sip to it.

"Sweetheart, we're not as just as them. We're aristocrat and they are ─they are nothing." He snickers.

A few seconds later, the ground tremours, splintering the walls, shaking little by little the house, and slightly cracking some corners by corrugated linings appearing unnoticeably in the white-painted wall. The small speck of dusts pouring from the ceiling dawns their realisation of an earthquake phenomenon and they began to afraid slightly. The entire mansion panics and all of them withdrawn outside.

Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan with Elizabeth escape hastily outside, but upon withdrawal, they seem to hear shouts from anybody outside. Mr. Finnegan got irritated and exclaimed as he walks in a limping manner towards outside.

"Who are these bloody whores screaming out there? Why are you screaming? It’s just an earthquake… filthy maggots, you’re so annoying!" Mr. Finnegan halts.

A clumsy maid arrives─ wearing an artless carnation pink frock, a white apron with a hairnet coated her long curly hair, and having such pale lips, a burned skin at her right leg and ill-like physique. She strolls in a slow manner towards him and interferes softly.

"We're sorry─ sir, we’re just scared. Please… forgive us." she shivers as she approaching.

Her name is Misila Belle Malady, a maid at Finnegan's. She’s an orphan girl who almost beaten in a fire at Plymouth. She’s also adopted by Sir Clearwater after the fire consumed their house. Sadly, her entire family confirmed dead, and she remains as a sole survivor of the incident.

According to the report, her little sister accidentally smashed a lamp and this caused a fire in their house, but their parents discovered the fire too lately. Unfortunately, all of them trapped inside except Misila who obeyed her mother’s demand for cooking oil. Upon her arrival at their house, she envisioned their rattling neighbours approaching their burning house. She has nothing to do, but to cry instead. It’s too late, the firemen arrived quite later and the house burned completely.

"Okay. Let me stop you there!" Mrs. Finnegan lungs and yells to cut off their nonsensical quick conversation, and it seems the whole mansion fills with wind-blowing silence. No one spoke at all, except the voice of a fluffy grey cat with uncut paw named Vuvu interrupts. "Meow" Vuvu saunters towards Elizabeth's position. Mr. Filch and Enrico arrives latterly with a motion of haste towards the patio where everyone convened. "Come, kitty─ come, Vuvu come!" Elizabeth whispers as Enrico chuckling, muttering and shifting his sight to her unnoticeably.

In the earthquake's aftermath, everyone returns to their unfinished businesses. Meantime, the three; Mrs. Finnegan, Mr. Filch, and Enrico enter inside the library room near the corridor for the interview perhaps. Spying, unlocking the door carefully, creaking a little to peek them, Elizabeth comes forth in few minutes as she examining their doings inside.

Another couple of minutes later, Misila spots Elizabeth at the library's door near the corridor. But instead of asking what she's doing she strolls straightforward in the kitchen and ignores her. As she approaching into the kitchen, a sound echoes of shattering plates cascades on the floor. Misila suspects Elizabeth's cat that’s on the move, biting some freshly fried fish fillet left on the table, because of urgency from the recent incident. As she enters the dining room, she witnessed something. "Oh, dear... Ms. Elizabeth’s cat" Misila sighs whilst seeing the cat enjoying her meal at the moment.

Few hours past, at the garden, Elizabeth picks leisurely some lovely roses coloured: red, white, and carnation pink behind their mansion. She savours the unique fragrance of each flower. The scent of these reminds her granny whose favourite flowers are both white and red roses. She pauses boldly, smelling the stifling scent of the alluring fresh flowers permeating the atmosphere. She reminisces of a flashback thought about a certain memory, when they were together in a garden when she was a toddler.

They 're beautiful just like you, sweetheart! Her granny said whilst smelling the flock of roses in her hands. Really? Elizabeth replied as raising her sight unto her. These are my favourites. These white and red roses are the living memories of him.” her granny added. Of whom granny...? Elizabeth's savouring moments ended off, as the creaking sound of stomped branches echoes. She spots a shadow inching to hear position. It seems something's not right. She suspects someone peeking on her covertly behind the old Oak tree, shaded through a shadow from the sun that bathed into it and camouflaged by the dark shade of green shrubs nearby.

Oh, no? Someone eavesdropped on me. And he's hiding in that tree. That's her quick thought whilst staring towards the old oak tree at twelve o'clock from her position. She tries scanning her vision, but she fails reaching her sight to that part. So, she walks prudently towards the tree little by little with silent steps. Suddenly, she jolted from a surprising voice and a startling face of him as he comes out behind the tree. "Aha! My lovely sweetie! Ha-ha-ha" Mr. Finnegan snickers. It was Mr. Finnegan, laughing like a monster of a horror series that will surely frighten you to the bone. "Gosh! For Pete's sake, Papa, what are you doing here?" she whines as she bridging her eyebrows. "I just want to... surprise you sweetheart" he fumbles Elizabeth's left shoulder. "I am surprised papa─ you scared me almost choking to death!" her pissing off statement as she knits her eyebrows. "I'm... so sorry sweetheart if I scare you─ I'm so… sorry..." this time he fumbles both of her shoulders as she facing before her. “Mm…" she frowns.

It's almost dark, nightfall almost coming─ the crows and other birds flying back subsequently to their nests. Assembling, preparing advancing, the nocturnal species readying for the hunt. The stars aligning to their constellations with the dim light of the waxing moon spilling over the whole mansion.

"Mr. Finnegan, dinner’s ready!" Mrs. Baker shouts from a distance.

“Coming─ Mum...” Elizabeth replies.

At the dining room, it’s setting ambience emphasizing─ elegantly their wealthy lifestyle. The dining room embellished with finest things such as: coated table with maroon tablecloth filled with goblets, elegant plates, table serviettes, silver spoons, forks and it filled delicious menu from Mrs. Baker’s delicacy. The table decorated of a nice red colour tablecloth with two chandeliers in both left and right side of the ceiling, and two candelabras for both left and right side of the table.

"What a lovely dinner is this mum?" Elizabeth yells enthusiastically. Perhaps she's starving, or she just peckish, yet her mom replies in a smiley manner. "Yes, sweetheart. I requested Mrs. Baker to prepare a delicious dinner for us tonight, because… I'll be leaving tomorrow for a business trip with our clients for a big wedding event." Mrs. Finnegan details.

"Mum, will dad be leaving as well?" she asks as she narrowing her face to his father. "Nope sweetie, I'll stay here with you!" Mr. Finnegan responds arduously and Elizabeth nods. It's brilliant to see that people of Finnegan's residence fairly treated as a family except by the monstrous one.

"Tonight, I'll introduce to all of you, our newly chauffeur and Elizabeth’s bodyguard, John Enrico Newton!"

Mrs. Finnegan’s introduction is genuine that only happen on a rare occasion. That moment you would hear and imagine an accolade from the audience to an unknown performer who would wish to audition for a talent show, but like a magical moment intertwined, Enrico earns a curtain call whilst standing next to Mr. Filch in the left side of table eleven o'clock from the table’s position. After the introduction, Mr. Finnegan murmurs in his mind, displaying his bridging eyebrows and wrinkling his forehead. Why this boy has that kind of introduction? He's no… important at all.

By the way, Mrs. Dolores Capricho Baker is an excellent cook in Finnegans. She always wearing a black apron─ matched in a maid dress with a hairnet coated her grey hair that almost to be white soon. She's almost senior in the house and always brings handkerchief and a potholder in both of her pockets. She dresses up modestly fine like a head of the maids or a senior associate of them and she’s a motherly demeanour amongst the others. She likes sweets, cookies, candies and more. She's serving the family for like a decade and a half after the death of her husband who died for cancer disease.

The entire mansion fills with awkward moments. Enrico chases his sight towards Elizabeth unnoticeably. His gaze is like a burning fire that will consume and melt the freezing icebergs, turning into a glacier. While, Elizabeth's gaze is like a corrupting poison that numbs gradually a man's body as she looks back.

In juxtapose, Mr. Finnegan frowns extendedly. His face is like an ugly goblin who has been locked up in a cage for ten thousand years whilst others are smiling for the best dinner has yet to come.

"Here’s your order madam─ your family’s favourite delicacies as you requested." Mrs. Baker announced enthusiastically as everyone felt their hungry stomachs grumbling consistently.

“Let’s pray and eat, shall we?” Elizabeth persuades.

It was a year ago when they visited Mrs. Mary Jane Margarette Clearwater, a wife of late Captain John Nicholas Les Bon Clearwater and mother of Mrs. Minerva Jane Clearwater Finnegan. Mrs. Finnegan wasn’t able to visit her mother, but she sent her daughter Elizabeth on her behalf instead, because of her very hectic schedule.

This day envisions rumbling nimbus sky─ fills with dark and grey clouds. The glistening lightning encompasses through all directions. The birds continually in flight back towards their nests, flying upwards to downwards, gliding their extended wings in a stairway to heaven like angels. The zephyr blows unceasingly to all directions like an emulating spirit of a tempest. A terrible noise fills the air, and the trees dancing by the power of the wind. Mrs. Clearwater’s mansion is like an ambiance of a deserted necropolis, shaded by darkness. The green backyard fills with green plants and flowers, scare for the upcoming rainfall.

“There you are my lovely granny!” Elizabeth exclaims of excitement.

It’s such an arduously feverish feeling into her grandmother who she hadn’t seen for a long time. Her grins edging widely from ear to another, yet her face shades with blending sadness and joy. The feeling of such a long time they haven’t seen each other like thousand years in a recount has eased by that moment. She runs and loops immediately her arms to her granny who seats in a hunching manner at the wheelchair, draping out a bouquet on her left folded forearm. She showcases a genuine smile on her face and teary eyes of overjoy. She’s wearing a ─usual floral dress with a red scarf on her neck, clasping a little red pouch in her right hand. Her shivering pale wrinkled hands once more revive into life in touching the hands of her beloved granddaughter. Her head covers by a summer hat that resembles the queen, protecting her head from any dews of the upcoming rainfall.

Mrs. Clearwater recalls her days when she was visited by her daughter two years ago. Her granddaughter’s dazzling beauty like a demigoddess from Olympus amuses her. She scans the exact resemblance of her physique on her daughter Juliet when she was a teenager.

“Oh, sweet Elizabeth, how are you… sweetheart? Where’s your─ mother?”

Elizabeth stares at her granny’s lonely face. Her facial expression fills with blending emotion of both blissful and forlorn. Her glistening teary eyes encrusts in her gorgeous face and her pinkish lips smiling to her undoubtedly. She speaks soft more clearly to her granny by persuading her to go back inside the mansion in evading the threatening rainfall. And since it’s almost getting dark she said. “Granny, let’s go inside, It’s almost dark. The rain will pour soon.” And Mrs. Clearwater smilingly nods to her.

Its three and a half in the afternoon─ a massive volume of rainfalls precipitate heavily. The unstoppable wind blows enormously without hesitation of conquering the inclusive boundaries. The windows closed with overflowing wet by the heavy rainfalls from the sky. The unordinary rain contains with snowflakes and glacier from the Arctic makes it heavier. The wind is much powerful that it might break a sturdy tree from being so wicked. And the people of the mansion headed towards their respective room assignment.

At the library, the ceilings ornamented with two crystal chandeliers. The walls also embellished by vintage abstract landscapes and portraits paintings. The scarlet red tablecloth coated the table with the presence of sustaining light from the large candles in every candelabrum. The bookshelves filled with antique fiction, and non-fiction books. Few rare books collection arrayed as well. And at the left edge corner of the library, a certain signage sectioned the bookshelf written as “Forbidden Reference” displayed.

Finnegan and his best friend Mr. Johanne Charles Ferguson situated in the library, scanning some books and documents. Thence, they’re webbing a conversation for some matters. They took along some scotch, vodka and lime at the library’s table to at least share the moment.

They’ve started a conversation about everything under the sun, reminiscing from their hilarious and stupid childhood memories. The room canopies the sizzling laughter as Johanne reminded on how he used to piss his old trouser heading towards home. Drowned in an extreme wave of euphoria and bliss, Robert laughed in his reddish ears and held his frozen stomach that wriggled like a hungry larva. As their conversation progresses and growing deeper, Charles spots on his sight a wine in a strange bottle at the upper right corner of the cabinet. As you fixing your sight to it, you can perceive a blood-like substance that tempted your curiosity to examine its content.

“Is it tequila or… a red wine, perhaps Robert?” Mr. Ferguson stares at the bottle.

“Nope, it’s not tequila─ neither red wine Charles, but it’s an excellent alcohol that you haven’t tasted before.” Mr. Finnegan grips the wine bottle.

“So what’s that?” Mr. Ferguson strokes his narrow chin by his skeletal stiff hand.

“It’s a precious wine!” Mr. Finnegan raises his voice. Henceforth, a single thought comes in his mind that perhaps proves useful to him. He understands nothing except my plan, but he may prove a worthy and perfect ally… a brilliant and special ally. Finnegan’s thought.

In contrast, by his dexterity of realisation, Charles pauses as he dwells this very moment. I do not understand what’s on about with Robert, but maybe I’ll trust him. We’re best friend for a long painful time then. As usual, he’s baffling attitude haunting me sometimes. What’s in his mind… or what’s his plan? Is he like me to be heart-drunken? I don’t know… maybe I’ll trust my intuition for this time…

A few moments later, Finnegan bursts to laughing, following by Ferguson. “Is it a plan or─?” Ferguson asks. “More than a plan…” Finnegan grins as he locks his sight unto him.

Mr. Johanne Charles Ferguson, a good─ looking guy, smart lawyer, and tall with eyes-coloured brown, lips coated by colour Arabian coffee, because of always placing cigars in his mouth. He’s half Italian, half English. They went together at the College of Business, but he shifted the law course after he forced to marry Brittany Bernadotte, a daughter of a French merchant in France. In return to Bernadotte’s favour, he married her eventually, but after a few months later from their marriage. Shockingly, Bernadotte found dead in her room. Thenceforth, he became a widower. He liked to intercourse different women, he once being client without marrying them.

Momentarily, Enrico and Elizabeth headed towards Mrs. Clearwater’s room. Her room adorned with blended red, white and black colours. The curtains altered by red and white floral. Her bed covered with a white and red colour bed mattress. The scarlet red carpet matched by a white porcelain vase that overflows with pure red roses.

In a minute, Enrico and a maid give a hand to Mrs. Clearwater for her to lie down into her queen’s bed. Elizabeth predetermined to stay for a day, but her granny requested her to stay for a fortnight instead. She can’t refuse the request since their encounter merely in a sporadic period, like reuniting sun and moon in eclipse phenomenon. Both of them thirst for each presence, and so she determines to stay for more days instead, as she reminded a three consecutive days of special holidays.

The conversation over-inflates between Elizabeth and her granny. They chitchat in the bed whilst Enrico visited by his boredom. He’s scanning a bunch of freshly harvested roses stationed in a large porcelain vase. Mrs. Clearwater gazes at him so keenly, monitoring his movement in every single second and minute. But a sudden jolting cried echoing so loudly in her room. It causes them to express their elation of laugh towards Enrico who attained a thorn cut from his pointing finger after a careless hold to a rose stalk.

“Ouch!” I’m hurt! He exclaimed after a sudden sting. Thereafter, Mrs. Clearwater added her words to Elizabeth like a reflection to an incident taken part from Enrico situation. “You see─ life is beautiful, but full of heartaches, obstacles, and failures. Remember my sweet Elizabeth─ my life is too short…you’re… you’re in danger!” Mrs. Clearwater muttered sadly.

“But why…” Elizabeth frowned.

“The treachery of someone will set you doom… and they will sacrifice someone for the goodness of a dark creature.” Elizabeth and Enrico frightened for Mrs. Clearwater’s baffling words she spoke of. They sensed that something bad will soonest to come and someone threatens her so mysteriously. They‘re both perplexed for these words, so they continue to ask.

“What do you mean granny?” her face squinched sadly.

“It’s not a perfect time for you to know what I’m up to for now…” replied Mrs. Clearwater as she clasping the cotton blanket. “I’m scared─ granny. Please let me know that mystery.” Every a single word from her was a riddle to them. The meanings concealed and needed to discover like a puzzling labyrinth. So, they keep on asking a few more questions. However, it suddenly interrupted by the pounding door that eventually closes their serious conversation.

“Hello! Excuse me, can I get inside? I just want to see my lovely… mother in –law.” It was him, Mr. Finnegan, with a calm but ferocious tone. Enrico sneaks towards the doorstep and unlocks the door for him. “Come in, Sir!” Enrico croaked.

At that very moment, Mr. Finnegan enters the room. The lights flicker, and zephyr wind conquering the room, coming from the opened door and windows. Afterwards, some candles at the mini-altar blown away and its smells permeating the room.

“I don’t want to see you─ why are you here?” Mrs. Clearwater knitted her eyebrows as she clutching her pillow.

“Oh, mother! Don’t be so─ rude! I’m just here to visit you.” He grinned sarcastically. That moment Elizabeth arouses, convincing his father to withdraw outside, because her granny exhausted for a long day according to her. She wanted to take a rest and so she drags him sluggishly and they withdraw outside. Enrico left, guarding Mrs. Clearwater inside the room. Thereafter, Mrs. Clearwater utters some dubious words.

“Son,”

“I beg a pardon─ Madam…?”

“Yes… you─ you boy no other person in here except by you?” her sarcasm.

“What is that─ Madam?” he replied as he walks sluggishly towards her. It takes a few seconds before Mrs. Clearwater replies and reveals something to him. It seems its very urgent thing perhaps that took few moments to render her emphasis.

“Don’t you notice…? I called you son?” she asked.

“Yes, Madam very well noticed” he nodded.

“Well, you must help me fulfil─ your duty… your destiny!”

“Destiny?” he repeated.

“By now on, you must promise me that whatever happens to me─ you will always conceal our pact. Please protect my beloved Elizabeth from harm.” Enrico blanked his face left speechless for every single word that Mrs. Clearwater revealed to him. He doesn’t even understand his role for Elizabeth, but one thing for sure his intuition plays a vital role to answer his questions. I don’t understand what she’s up to. Besides, my duty is just only a private chauffeur of her granddaughter─ do I have a vital role in this family? Hope not instead… he prayed in his mind.

Enrico fails to complete his questions, yet he left the hang of it to his mind, because Mrs. Clearwater fell to sleep so unnoticeably. After talking about some strange things, his mind squinched like a red banner that cannot blend to a peaceful feeling. His face is like a dumb monkey who hasn’t able to fetch a bunch of bananas. So, he left her room unattended and proceeds to somewhere to find Elizabeth or either Mr. Finnegan.

Upon wandering at the end of the corridor, he halts and notices a large picturesque painting. It’s a portrait of a valiant and honourable person. He dressed like an old English fashion way back 17th century from the Victorian era. His face stuffed of mystical facial ─expressions; his face radiated by calm, resilient, respectable person. But one thing that’s quite intriguing about the painting. He’s wearing a strange ring on his pointing finger with a precious stone glued on top of it. The precious stone is sapphire with a colour light azure and a bronze blended in silver, carved by a laurel wreath designed for its round, decorated with Greek renaissance carvings and design. He examines every single detail of the painting that explicitly depicting your whimsy mind to excavate antique evidence of the trace from history, a long time ago.

A fraction of the second past, another maid encounters him at the corridor and calling his attention. Once you face gorgeous woman with─ a copious golden brown hair, silvery grey coloured eyes, and a face like a blossom magical flower that gradually attracting you when you gaze in it for a moment. You might encounter a woman as one of the best nurses from one of the big hospitals in Michigan. They called her Mira Jane Kowalski Hutchins. She always wears a pink colour maid’s dress, white apron with doll shoes, and a pink ribbon at her left wrist. Once you talked to her, you’ll fall to silence for a moment in gazing her.

“You must be Enrico?” she asked as she halting and gasping.

“Yes! Do you… know… where… ah, Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Finnegan?” he stuttered.

“They’re at the dining room. Please come with me. They’re waiting for you for quite a while.” she nears her face to him.

Thereafter, Enrico rushes with Mira to attend the dining room. Upon arrival, they witness Mr. Finnegan caught grasping some delicious cheesecakes at the table, and shoving it assertively to his wide-opened mouth. Elizabeth hooks a cup of tea by her right hand as her sight wandering everywhere like an investigator that looking for some clues, in a certain case or perhaps looking for something significant or valuable.

Momentarily, Enrico enters and a magical moment occurred. Their sights collide so intensively like a collision shock of great impact from the two vehicles jolts extremely. Their gazer moment takes a few more seconds, their sights locking up and their smiles displaying on and off, on and off from their faces, speaking something from their hearts, like the power of telepathy that merely the two of them could communicate with each other. However, it disrupted upon hearing the words from Mr. Finnegan.

“What are you smirking at filthy─?” Finnegan knitted his eyebrow as he encountering Enrico’s sight.

“Enough! Papa… enough!” she rolls her eyes.

“Sweetheart─ don’t waste your time on these…” Finnegan outstretched his left hand to both Enrico and Mira whilst they standing at the corner of the entrance door at eleven o’clock from their position. Ferguson arrives as well for like two seconds late after them. Afterwards, Mira lowers her head and leaves the room, returning to her work. Enrico left at the corner with Mr. Ferguson next to him.

“Hey, Enrico, would you like some cup of tea?” Elizabeth invited.

“Ah─ thank you… ma’am… I’m very well- indeed…” told him as he grabbing a chair for himself.

“Sweetheart, why would you mind him? He’s no important at all and he’s your bodyguard right?” Finnegan smeared.

Momentarily, the floor pounds and another more terrifying tremour wobble the mansion. Once for all, everyone panics. After Finnegan’s words expired, Elizabeth feels the intensity of the earthquake. She rouses from her seat quickly and she’s about to collapse, resulting from outbalance. Good thing, Enrico inches closer to her, and sweeps quickly to catch her before she eventually fall herself into the floor. Thereafter, the earthquake declines little by little for a moment.

“Are you all right, ─ ma’am?” asked Enrico as he cuddling her unintentionally.

“Thank God! You caught me then… thank you so… much Enrico” she whispers and grinned for surprise.

“No worries─ thank God you’re safe” he smiled back as he locking his sight unto her eyes. Momentarily, Enrico and Elizabeth staring for few seconds so close to each other. Finnegan startles in spotting their position. He moves forward, grabbing her hand, and dragging her up whilst uttering these words angrily.

“How dare you─ filthy creature… holding the hand of my lovely daughter! He gritted his teeth as he pushing Elizabeth behind him.

“Hey, Papa… Why did you speak like that to him? He saved me from falling. Can’t you notice?” Elizabeth defenced.

“No! He cuddled you so intentionally, and you were so close… it’s no good to see ─sweetheart. He’s just your bodyguard, remember? Please understand me for what I am doing is just for your own good.” Mr. Finnegan explained.

“You don’t do that to him! Even he’s just only my bodyguard, but he saved me…” she responded as she bridging her eyebrows.

“You… don’t understand sweetheart─”

“No, papa… I don’t need explanation.” She rolled her eyes.

Few moments later, the earthquake stops and the significant silence come forth. Thus, Ferguson appears urging Finnegan to visit Mrs. Clearwater’s room to check her up. Finnegan turns to his taciturnity, and he instead outstretches his left pointing finger to Enrico before leaving.

“I’m watching over you─ boy” he muttered as he withdrawing away. Finnegan and Ferguson left immediately from the dining room, and Elizabeth chased them quickly.

Just a few seconds past, Enrico thirsts so badly, he roams around his sight until he spots Elizabeth’s cup of tea unattended on the table. Enrico lunged towards the table immediately, fetching the cup and drinking the last drops of it.

Beforehand, Elizabeth returns quickly to the dining room, and catches him sipping the last drops of her tea. She startles of what she witnessed. Enrico stations back quickly the cup of tea from its old position on the table. He consumed by guilt of embarrassment about he did so lately. His face painted with an undetermined feeling of both embarrassment and shame, like a child that being caught of stealing a jar of cookies. He fell to deep silent whilst lowering his head down to the floor. Yet, Elizabeth radiated perfectly her venomous smile to him.

“You all right?” she smiled.

“Ah─ yes… ma’am. I’m fine, thanks.”

“Good… thank you…” she winks.

It seems Enrico chastened for what he did. His face blushed with a sweat coming out from his tiny pores from his forehead. Elizabeth’s pinkish face painted perfectly with a radiated smile in staring at him. They’re smiling and both their sights colliding, locking up to each other.

At that moment, their gapes colliding like a magnificent encounter of the hot and cold wind that forming a perfect cumulus cloud. Their eyes speak to each other like an extra-terrestrial mind of telepathy about their feelings that a bloody tongue can’t fathom.

It’s the aftermath of the heavy rain poured out yesterday at the mansion. The sun's spectacle glimpsed its shining bright light and arouses from its deep slumber. The dews from the leaves sparkling from the sun's illumination and glistening like a falling star from the sky. The birds, ants, insects, bees, and other small living creatures contend the new day horizon. The family awakens late, but still attending their morning ─ceremonials, a cup of tea blended by a little honey and some herbs. Others are into scorching morning snacks like toasted bread and butter, or perhaps hotcake, biscuits and oatmeal.

"Ring... ring... ring..." telephone's chiming.

"Hello, Clearwater's residence, how may I help?" Mira greeted enthusiastically the gentleman over the phone. "Hello, can I speak to Mr. Finnegan, please?" voice speaking over the phone. "Certainly, sire! Hang on a minute, please." Mira shouts calmly to catch Mr. Finnegan's attention.

"Mr. Finnegan! Someone is phoning you, sir. He wants to talk to you."

"Hand that over to me darling!" he offers his right palm as he walking towards her.

Two seconds past, Finnegan takes over the phone on the other divided side of the chamber near to the living room. Mrs. Clearwater on the other side pulls up some albums of her daughter at the living room. Fancy paintings hanged in every centre of the wall. The sofa and the tables covered by colour red and white and also colour red carpet. The pillows coated in majestic red. The two large portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Clearwater hanged at the very centre of the wall, tainted by the glass and the board carved with colour silvery-gold fascinating your eyes.

The entire living room nicely ornamented of different varieties of artifacts and antiques. Surely, arouses your curiosity in tracing some historical backgrounds or maybe excavating some suspicious clues upon seeing those. On the left side, you can perceive an aquarium like a magical god box made of glass, cramming of displayed precious antique gold and silver coins and other ancient things.

Mrs. Clearwater stationed still in her wheelchair, pulling up the pictures of her daughter and husband. "Look! It's your mother when she’s twelve. She's wearing a white headband and a purple long dress. She's so cute... just like you, sweetheart?" Mrs. Clearwater illustrated as she pointing her hand at the album.

"Yeah, she’s beautiful granny. Who's this?" Elizabeth pointed at the album.

"Oh! That's your Auntie Shelley. She died in the car accident going to Lancaster when─ she tried to visit your parents five years ago." Mrs. Clearwater answered sadly.

"Is that true?" she startled.

"Yes sweetheart, the car─ his husband Johnny Couch bumped in a big truck and... they were dead on the spot. Have you not seen her before?" Mrs. Clearwater locked her eyes unto her.

"Yeah, or... maybe I just forgot her face."

A little moment later, Enrico appears from eavesdropping at the left corner window at ten o'clock from their position camouflaged by a red curtain. He throws a very intriguing question to Mrs. Clearwater that entertained her memory, which revives at that very moment.

"But Madam, may I ask? Mrs. Clearwater roused up her head unto him. “Who’s that man in the centre? I saw his big picture at the top of the corridor as well. And he's also there." said Enrico as he pointing the two large portraits in the centre of the room.

"Son, that's... Elizabeth's grandfather. He's the... the love of my life. He's John Nicholas Les Bon Clearwater. He's one of the famous captains of the English Army in Great Britain long years ago." she narrated.

"He's brilliant, Enrico! Remember, Mr. Filch? He saved him from the orphanage" Elizabeth grinned as Enrico nodded to her.

"Oh... I'm... so sorry Madam for being curios... I'm really─"

"No, its fine son... the unacceptable thing about is…? Mrs. Clearwater cleared her throat.

"Is what granny?" Elizabeth eyed to eye her.

"Because he... he was murdered." Mrs. Clearwater's eyes glistened as she fighting back her tears.

"But... why? You mean... isn't true that he's dead because of disease, but─ who murdered him? Why? What's the reason?" Elizabeth prevented her tears.

Afterwards, some footsteps echo towards their position on the right side two o'clock from their direction, and eventually stop at the edge of the sofa fronting at the window. He suddenly wails a dramatic tone of voice.

"Ahem... ahem... hmm, how's your─ soft operatic drama in here? Yes... lovely ─mother? “Mr. Finnegan cleared his throat.

"How─ dare you bloody half...?"Mrs. Clearwater clasped her long skirt.

"We will not stay longer here, mother. The CEO of Bushmen's company summoned my presence for a business trip to Barcelona. Now I just want to tell you that Elizabeth will go with me tomorrow morning!" he knitted his eyebrows as he focusing her sight unto her.

"But Papa" I just want to stay here for a few more days. Besides, we don't have a class for three consecutive days, remember? It’s a series of holidays─" Elizabeth opposed.

"Nope" You must go with me or else─”

"Rubbish! I hate you... papa. Please, if you're being so kind. Give me a chance to stay here for a few more days, it'll be ─appreciated." she requested.

"Ahem...yes sir please let her stay here for few more days, don't worry sir... I...'ll guard her as long as she stays─ please, sir." Enrico begged.

"GORDON-BENNETT! Shut up, Moron! You're bloody lunatic! You don't make decision!" he roared. His pitch amplified like the sound of an angry giant in the midst of an enchanted forest echoing and asking for an inordinate match.

Right after saying these words, the whole mansion is in trouble. For the third time, the ground wobbling and splintering a tremour amongst the entire mansion like a vicious circle that always happening every time whenever something terribly said or done. This phenomenon is like a loop of time that always occurs inevitably.

Leaking and cracking, the wall weakens. Trembling and waving, the cabinets and dividers moved. The other fragile things like windows and glasses shattering into pieces, cascading down unto the floor. The floor splintering enormously opened. Some specs of dust pouring out continually and the chandeliers and other hanging materials swinging back and forth. It shook extremely twice stronger than before, and the whole living and guest's room areas nearby both wobbling.

"Aha! I believed my power increasing more and more like a ground master."

"Have you gone mad─ monster?" Mrs. Clearwater screamed.

As Finnegan proclaims, the earthquake's magnitude ballooned tremendously. Meantime, Enrico secures Mrs. Clearwater and Elizabeth from their locations, but because of outbalancing, Mr. Finnegan collapses into ground shockingly like a victim of a natural calamity and petrifies for a few moments.

"Okay... okay! You stay, I'll go!" he yelled as he bursting into tears.

Right after he shouted those words. The earthquake stops faintly. Thence, Mr. Ferguson comes forth to check them up. The earthquake lasts for like a quarter of an hour, and perhaps some of them flabbergasted so candidly.

"You guys all right!" Mr. Ferguson concerned.

"NO" they replied.

Afterwards, Mr. Ferguson left unattended like a statue of liberty that boldly standing all alone in the room. A half-hour later, Mr. Finnegan disapparated with the absence of Elizabeth, but altered by Mr. Ferguson, who accompanied him for his journey back home to Lancaster. In juxtapose, after Elizabeth glimpse him at the window, she runs and loops her arms to her granny so tightly, like a victorious aftermath-hug from the great battle where she's the winner. Her embrace is like hot lava that seared beneath you once it touched your cold skin.

"Thank God he's gone!" Elizabeth overjoyed. Her joyous word sounded of triumphant. Her granny smiled back at her pompously wearing an anxious face. Yet, this glorious moment sojourned so hastily upon hearing another knock on the door.

"Madam, It's time for your medication" Mira pounded the door as she draping a platform in her right hand. Elizabeth sneaks towards the doorstep and pauses for a second. She unlocks the door and startles Mira's apparition. Their sights encounter and Elizabeth amuses her.

"Wow! Are you a nurse or─?" Elizabeth examined her.

"I am a servant ma'am," Mira responded politely.

"Oh, come in! Hand it over to me," she insisted.

"Oh... no, ma'am, this is my duty... please" Mira begged.

"Please let me do it then, it's just this time" Elizabeth begged once more.

"As you wish... ma'am" Mira smiled as she handed over the medication to Elizabeth. They walked towards Mrs. Clearwater's queen's bed and offered her daily medication.

"Please take your medicine now... granny" Elizabeth exalted.

This time, Elizabeth settles down cautiously and preparing the things needed for the regular medication of her granny ─namely a glass of water, tablets, pills, fumes, liquefy herbs in a vial. She substituted Mira for the meantime, because she pleaded it for real. Elizabeth requests her to tell the story behind her abode in the mansion. A darting glance of those events under their presence in a mansion a few years ago lingering in her mind whilst both of them sitting in their seats facing each other.

"It's the last days of my intern. I'm haunted by extreme anxiety for my plans. Where should I start my career? I asked myself whilst staring at my old uniform. I was thinking for my first career, where it could be landed?"

"And then?" how did you come up here?" Elizabeth tapped her hands as she continues to listen.

"As far as I remember─" (Mira's flashback thought three years ago). In a fraction of a second, she started of recalling her days when she’s still in her intern days together with her best friends Beatrice and Michelle.

"Beatrice! I have a question" Michelle tapped her lap whilst sitting next to her. "What's that Michelle?" she narrowed her eyes to her. "It's a fortnight left in our intern days. Where are you planning to practise our profession after this?" Michelle asked.

"You know what? Since we're in Michigan, I'd rather move to the nearest one. With your presence and with... oh ─by the way, where's she?" Beatrice purred whilst narrowing her sight to Mira heading towards them.

"Oh, there you are, Mira!" Michelle raised her sight unto her.

"What took you so long in the lab?" Beatrice bridged her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry Beatrice but─" Mira tried to explain, but she cut off by Michelle as she spotting a piece of small envelope in her left hand.

"Hang on! I have something for you, Mira." Michelle handed over a piece of envelop to her. "What is this... a letter?" Mira startled reaction as she held the letter for her right hand.

"Yes, this is for you─ I found it in the mailbox. Remember you used my address, right?" Michelle raised her right eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry I forgot, but a letter from whom and why?"

"We don't know, better read it before... it's too late" Beatrice interrupted her as her face turned into blue.

Elizabeth listens fastidiously to her story and showcases sympathy about her tragic past that piercing her heart in remembrance of those sorrowful days she's been through. "Afterwards what happened?" Elizabeth interrogated. "As I've read the letter from my aunt, she summoned me here as Mrs. Clearwater her childhood best friend request. In return for her kindness and generosity, I accepted willingly her offer without further hesitation. In exchange for my profound decision, I've deserted my trusting, real and kind-hearted friends." Mira's eyes glistened as she preventing her tears to come. She fetches the letter from Mrs. Clearwater's drawer in her bedroom and hands it over to Elizabeth. It took a few seconds before she surrenders the letter to her. She grasps it. And letter marked oddly by red thumb mark in the cover like a stain of blood.

February 13, 1972

Dear Mira,

First, I would like to ask your state about how you're doing. What do you do for now? It's been a while since we heard no words from you. I and your uncle Joe waiting for your return. We're missing you so badly, sweetheart.

How I wish I could visit there to ask help from our relatives to help your return right here, soonest. However, I can't afford to leave your mother who's duly ill and weaken. She requested me to let you know about her condition will be severe.

At the end of your internship, we're waiting for your upcoming. Please make haste; we all missed you so badly.

Sincerely,

Aunt Molly Yvonne Chestnut

P.S. Make haste!!!(Thumb mark with blood)

After reading aloud the letter, Elizabeth follows up a question about she discovers from Mira's letter. "I'm sorry to hear that─ how’s your mother?" Elizabeth added her sympathy once more and rubbing her right hand to Mira's left shoulder.

"Mrs. Clearwater sponsored her surgery, and because her body was too weak. She can't take any further extreme medication anymore. Her diagnosis included nervous breakdown and severe tonsillitis, which led to severe complications. I just saw her missing me. She craved for my presence. She's choking to death and fighting for my precious presence, I did not save her at all. My mum─" she once again reminisced about their few talks that made her bursts into tears.

"Mum! I'm so... sorry. Please forgive." Mira kneeled before her mother, who lied down in her bed.

"It's okay, sweetheart... I'm so glad... to see... you." Amanda responded whisperingly.

"Hang on, Mum, you'll be all right soon." She clasped her hands.

"Yes... I will, sweetie. My friend... Dr. Margarette Rogue scheduled my surgery...I will..."

"Yes, mum... you should I swear I'll take care of you..." Mira lowered her face as she bursting into tears. Mira's tears spouted from her eyes like a gush of the fountain and it flowing down into cheeks.

"But what happened to her? Is she not cured? Mira, what’s the finding?" Elizabeth asked her consecutively.

"She's cured temporarily, but after sixteenth months from her surgery, she suddenly felt dizziness whilst stepping down slowly downstairs. She fainted and fell, rolling at the staircase. Immediately, we rushed her to hospital, and the doctor checked her and found out that there's a severe blood clot in her lower cerebrum near to the medulla oblongata. If she recovered she might be lame and disabled, but the heaven coveted her from me." Mira concluded her statement.

"I'm so... sorry for your loss. I'm sure she's glorious and proud of you. I know she's at peace right now watching over you." Despite the massive struggles she's been through, still, Mira's determination and courage solidly firmed throughout her life. Mrs. Clearwater suddenly awakens and heeds their conversation unintentionally interrupted the dramatic scene.

"Do you regret your presence here, ─ sweetheart?" Mrs. Clearwater interrupted.

"Oh, no... Madam... I swear none at all." She swayed her head.

"I think you should have some rest, Mira. I understand…my dear." Elizabeth assured.

"Yes, you can... sweetheart, in your absence; my granddaughter will take care of my day-to-day necessities. I can ask for help to others if she would demand it." Mrs. Clearwater agreed.

"Seriously ma'am....? But why?" she startled.

"As far... as I remember, tomorrow will be her death anniversary─ my beloved childhood friend Amanda Conrad Hutchins. I'm missing her so much. She's a kind-hearted and generous friend. I still recall those old days when she introduced herself and we became genuine friends." Mrs. Clearwater narrated.

"Yeah, she told me that..." she nodded as she wiping out her eyes.

"I still recall when we're─ cutting classes just to visit their farm divided into orchards, fruit trees, and gardens. Thenceforth, her mother discovered us whilst we're eating an apple at the apple tree branches." Mrs. Clearwater grinned as her tears spouting.

Mrs. Clearwater commemorated those fresh memories of their childhood days. It made them all eventually interfered by gushing and overflowing fountain of tears from each one of them.

"I'm sorry, madam if I let you cry" Mira regretted.

"It's fine... you may take a break for now. I'll have Elizabeth with me..." she insisted.

"Thank you very much─ ma'am, I'll promise I'll be back soon." She assured.

"Very well, please send my regards to your aunt Molly; please tell her... I would appreciate her visit as soonest?" she asked.

"Yes madam, but she's quite weaker now. I would send your greetings eagerly to her madam."

"If you please"

"I surely will ma'am"

"Thank you very much, Mira. In a fortnight, you can come back if you may."

"Yes Madam, I will." She nodded. Mrs. Clearwater requests her to come and Mira exchanges their hugs o each other.

"Oh, I'm jealous now, ha-ha...," Elizabeth chuckled with little tears from her eyes.

The entire room canopied with unstoppable laughter like a sizzling moment of jubilee after a war blended in the everlasting fountain of tears of joy and sorrow. A fraction of second slipped away, the door pounded once more and captured their attention. Elizabeth sneaks at the door, and her dexterity of realisation enlightens her. It seems they almost forgot their lunch. Elizabeth unlocks the door and envisions Misila standing next to her.

"Is it about lunch or─ food, maybe?" Elizabeth examined her face as she croaking the door.

"Yes Ma'am, please join the table." Misila nodded. Elizabeth twisted her head towards them and announced. "Oh sure give us a moment. My beloved, our lunch is ready, shall we?"