Chapter One- Encounter
CAMILLIA
The cream walls with brown trimmings that surrounded me felt a bit surreal. Just an hour ago, I signed the lease to my first apartment. The copper-colored key, still lying in the palm of my right hand. Twenty minutes have passed since I've been standing in the same spot, soaking in the sight of the small one-bedroom apartment.
"My very first apartment", I mumbled, glancing around the empty living room, the kitchen that was only a few steps away, and the brown-colored door that led to my room.
It's been a week since I arrived in this country. The country of Gershon, a random place abroad, faraway from what I used to call home. A place, where I impulsively applied to their University after being rejected from my ideal college and was shockingly accepted. After emptying my savings account, I bought the cheapest plane ticket that I could afford and managed to find an apartment within my budget with the help of the housing agency. Thankfully, the apartment is close to the campus, only twenty minutes away by train.
"Another impulsive decision, Camillia", I mumbled, placing my left hand over my forehead. I tightened my grip around the key, "Well let's make the best of it. There's no way I'm returning home, back to that shithole of a family."
I should unpack, I thought, rolling the two large suitcases into the bedroom. I looked towards the window, noticing the sky was darkening. "Looks like this will have to be my bedding for the time being", I mumbled, while unfolding the medium-sized red-flowered blanket that I managed to stuff inside one of the suitcases. I caressed my fingers against the blanket, the softness of the fabric, the only thing that brought me some kind of comfort in this lonely world. I kneeled on the floor, spreading the blanket outwards. I lay down, curled up in a ball, placing the blanket against my nose, taking in the scent that remained even after two years. "Mom", I whispered, wiping the tears that shed down my right cheek. "I miss you. Why did you leave me behind"
Even after two years, your death is still a mystery to me. No one wants to tell me what caused your death, almost as if they're afraid of me knowing the truth. My memory from two years ago is still a blur in itself.
"What happened that night?" I whispered, burying my face into the blanket.
Thud! A soft thud against the wall pulled me from my emotional thoughts as another soft thud followed behind. Then another, followed by another.
"Mmm, Ahh," a loud moan echoed from the other side of the wall.
I gasped, placing my right hand over my mouth. "Wow, no wonder the rent is so cheap, the walls are thin and I can hear everything."
The moans grew louder as the thuds against the wall became harder. I felt the vein on the side of my head, pulsating.
"That's it!" I yelled, as frustration began to spill over. "How will I be able to get any sleep at this rate!"
I rushed out of my room, out of my apartment, banging my hands against their door. Suddenly, all the loud thumping became silent. I folded my arms, ready to give whoever it was a piece of my mind. The door creaked open, "What's the problem?" a deep, stoic voice said. A tall, muscular man with olive skin and curly reddish-brown hair stood in front of me, half-naked. I covered my eyes, as I turned away swiftly. "Pervert!", I said, trying to forget his half-naked body.
"Can you and your girlfriend quiet down?! I can't sleep with all that loud moaning going on"
"Pfft", he laughed, "What are you? A virgin?" Fine, we'll quiet down," he said, slamming the door, and I could hear the woman inside calling out to him.
"Tsk, how rude, just my luck. I'm neighbors with a pervert", I mumbled as I returned inside my apartment.
****
The following morning, I was awakened by the loud grumble and sharp pain that traveled through my stomach, the feeling of hunger washing over me. I grabbed my phone, scrolling, pressing the icon for my bank account. Only $5,000 left in the account, I sighed, rubbing my temper as I felt a little overwhelmed. There are only two days left until the new semester starts, maybe I should start looking for a part-time job, I thought as I walked towards the bathroom.
After showering and getting dressed, my phone blared softly as it vibrated on the kitchen counter. I walked towards the counter, grabbed my phone, and unlocked it. "Camillia, where are you? Are you safe? Are you hurt? Please contact me!" A message from an unknown number read. "Tsk, she never gives up", I mumbled, grabbing my key off the counter.
"I should get a new phone and number while I'm out searching for a job"
Thirty minutes later, I left my apartment and headed towards the elevator. I could hear a voice in the distance. As I got closer to the elevator, I noticed a woman standing there on the phone. She was short in stature, dressed in a pink blouse, a short black skirt, and heels. She turned towards me, waving her hand as she greeted me.
"Oh, Tristan, hurry, we're going to be late," she said.
Tristan? I mumbled, then I heard footsteps approaching behind me.
I turned and noticed the man who slammed the door, his curly reddish-brown hair, dressed in a casual black button-down shirt, and black dress pants. He looked at me and a slight grin formed across his face as he walked past me.
"Well, if it isn't our virgin neighbor", he said, causing the woman to chuckle as he stood beside her.
I stepped closer to the elevator, stood a few meters away from them. Looking at the numbers as the elevator traveled downwards, my apartment was on the fourth floor.
"Sorry about last night", the woman said, stepping a few inches closer to me. "I'm Sadie, you must be our new neighbor," she said.
I nodded, "I'm Camillia, I just moved here yesterday."
She turned toward the man, "This is my boyfriend, Tristan," she introduced. I noticed the stupid grin was still plastered across his face.
Ding! The door to the elevator opened, and I turned, walked inside as Sadie and Tristan trailed behind me.
"Where are you headed? Want to join us for lunch?" Sadie asked, her tone was eager, as her bright smile nearly lit up the elevator, which was a bit dull due to the lighting inside.
I should get to know them better since we are neighbors, I thought. "Sure, I'll join", I said, nervously. It was the first time I had a conversation with someone since being here in this new country, besides the housing agency and the Dean of the University.
"Great!"Sadie said, her smile brightening each second, and she grabbed my left hand. "Let's be friends"
A few minutes later, the elevator descended to the first floor. I followed behind Sadie and Tristan as they exited the elevator and out of the building. I noticed they were walking towards a black car, and two tall, muscular men standing there, dressed in black suits, stood in front of the car.
"Young Master", one of the men said, looking towards Tristan as he walked closer.
"Again?" Tristan scoffed, "The family has already cut ties with me, and now I'm being watched," he said, standing in front of the buff man, his hair short and black.
"Enough, Young Master", the other man said, his hair long, black, tied in a ponytail.
"The Patriarch stated that you must keep a bodyguard with you at all times, because of the little scheme you pulled during the family banquet. We have no choice but to monitor you until further notice" the man with the short hair said.
"Fuck, there's a freshman orientation tonight. How uncool would I look being surrounded by bodyguards" Tristan scoffed again.
"A freshman orientation?" I thought but spoke out aloud unknowingly. I turned towards Sadie, as she stood beside me. "Are you a freshman at Gershon University?" I asked.
"Yes, Tristan and I are both freshmen," she replied.
Tristan turned towards me, "Why don't you join us tonight for the orientation" he said, a stupid grin forming on his face once again before turning towards the two men.
The men stared at me for a moment, "She's our new neighbor", Sadie said, stepping towards the two men. She grabbed hold of the man with the short hair by his right hand, "Please, Uncle Cassid, let us enjoy our night of freedom." Sadie placed her hands together, as if she were praying.
The man, whom I learned was named Cassid, scoffed, looking down at Sadie. "Fine. Just this once", he said, giving in and looking towards Tristan. "No fighting either," he said, turning away and entering the black car.
Tristan sighed and turned, looking directly at me, "Now let's have some fun" he said, as he clapped his hands together.
****
Twenty minutes later, I ended up following Sadie and Tristan to a small, busy café near the University. Sadie mentioned that she and Tristan ate there pretty often. We had taken the train, and the sight before me was breathtaking, the mountains peaking through the clouds, and the smell of fresh flowers filled the air as we entered the café. I glanced and noticed a flower shop next door to the café. A sign sat on the door, "Looking for help", it read.
"I'll be right back", I said, leaving Sadie and Tristan behind as I rushed towards the flower shop. After entering, I was greeted by an elderly woman. A pot of red roses sat in both palms of her hands.
I tightened my grip around the strap of my purse, "I saw the sign on the door, I was wondering if the position was still available" I said, a wave of nervousness sat in the pit of my stomach.
"Oh yes dear, the position is still available", the elderly woman said, waving her hand near the brown stool that sat in the corner near the window.
I followed her as she sat on the other side of the table, placing the pot of roses onto it. I sat across from her. The scent of roses filled my nose, the smell reminded me of the blanket that was left by my mother.
"What is your name, dear, and how old are you?" the elderly woman asked.
"My name is Camillia Vaughan, and I am 20 years old", I replied.
"You can call me Vera", the elderly woman smiled, and pulled one of the roses out of the pot. She placed the rose against her nose, taking in its scent. "Flowers are very dear to me. This shop was left to me by my late husband. Do you know how to take care of various flowers?", she asked.
I nodded, "Yes ma'am, my mother was a gardener," I replied.
Before the woman could speak another word, the door to the flower shop opened, revealing a tall man with olive skin, dressed in a gray suit, followed by three other men, also dressed in suits but they were black.
"Oh, Mr. Graystone," the elderly woman said, standing up and walking towards the group of men. "Your order will be ready in about an hour," she said.
I glanced at the man, Mr. Graystone, whose long, brown shoulder-length hair caught my attention. Babump! Babump! My heart raced as I gulped at the sight of him. "What is this feeling?" I whispered, lowering my head.
The sound of the stool sliding back made me raise my head. The elderly woman walked towards the table, "Dear, how about you start tomorrow evening? "Is 5:00pm okay for you?", she asked.
I nodded, "Yes, thank you. I won't disappoint you".
I glanced at the man, Mr. Graystone, making direct eye contact, for a second, his teal eyes made my heart throb. The scar above his left eyebrow was distinct. The sharp look on his face made me shiver. My body was screaming that he was dangerous. I lowered my head, turning away from him as I exited the shop.
Upon exiting the shop, I headed towards the café, heart still racing just as Sadie and Tristan were leaving. "Camillia, we waited for you, but now it's almost time to meet with the freshmen," Sadie said, intertwining our arms together.
I glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun was setting, "What time is it?", I asked.
"Almost 6:00pm, quick, we have to hurry," Sadie said, grabbing hold of Tristan's left arm, while her right arm was still intertwined with mine. She pulled us forward, excitement laced in her voice.
I noticed Tristan looking backwards for a moment, he mumbled under his breath, but I wasn't able to hear what he had said. His expression showed that he was concerned but I thought nothing of it.
*****
Later that evening, the sun had fully set as we stood in front of a building. "A bar?" I said, reading the sign before me. I turned my head to Sadie and Tristan, the grins on their faces showed they were up to no good. Now I understand why Tristan needs to be monitored, I thought.
"Shall we ladies" Tristan shouted, his left arm wrapped around my shoulder, his right arm around Sadie, pulling her in closely for a brief kiss. He pushed us forward, entering the bar.
"Hey Tristan, you made it!" A loud voice said, "I was certain your brother was going to lock you up again." Suddenly, a man, average height, short sandy hair, dressed in a blue button-down shirt and dark colored pants, approached us.
He looked at me, his expression lushful, "And this is?" He questioned, and I could feel his gaze as I turned away.
"Back off, Tory. She's Tristan and I's new neighbor. She's off limits to your scandalous schemes" Sadie said, standing in front of me with her arms stretched out as Tristan chuckled behind me.
I felt him grab my left forearm, pulling me away from the area, as Sadie followed behind mocking the guy from before.
"Camillia, stay away from that creep. If he tries anything, kick him in the balls," Sadie said, balling up her fist.
"Pfft", I couldn't help but laugh at her expression.
As we walked towards the table, where the freshmen students were gathering. My phone blared once again, vibrating inside my purse. "Camillia, where are you?", the message read, "Don't forget, you shouldn't be outdoors this time of month. Please stay indoors wherever you are"
I shoved the phone back into my purse, as a shot glass hovered in front of my face. I glanced over, seeing Sadie, "Aren't you going to join the fun?" she said.
I nodded, taking the shot glass from her.
"Welcome to Gershon University, freshmen!" Someone shouted as everyone drank the shots in unison.
Hours passed, as my body felt hot. "I'm going to the restroom," I said, standing up. Sadie stood up as well. "Come on, I'll go with you," she said.
While walking towards the restroom, Sadie began to stumble, "It seems that I've overdone it. My uncle is going to give me an earful if he finds out", she groaned as we entered the restroom.
The next moment, my sight was darkened as something was placed over my head. I felt my body being lifted, as Sadie mumbled, her voice sounding restricted. "What's going on?!" I tried to move my body, but felt restrained as my hands were tied together. I could hear a loud commotion in the distance, multiple voices screaming, yelling.
"Hurry up before he comes looking for them" I heard a man's voice, and felt myself being carried.
It's hot, and my body felt like it was overheating.
"Quickly, put them into the van," Another voice said.
Hot!, I mumbled, it felt as if my clothes were sticking to my body.
*******
The sound of something tapping, caused me to open my eyes. A bright light shone; my vision blurred temporarily until a figure became more apparent. A man, dressed in a light gray suit, sat before me as my vision became clearer.
"Mr. Graystone", I mumbled, remembering the man from the flower shop.
My head began to ache, and a sharp pain traveled across my temple as I placed my hand over my forehead. I realized my hands were no longer tied. But why does my hand feel wet? I thought.
I looked down at my hands, seeing the blood as it dripped down my fingers.
"What, oh no, did I black out again?" The realization hit me as I tried to process what was going on.
"Woman", the sound of someone clearing their voice caught my attention, making me raise my head. I glanced around noticing more people had entered the room.
"You", the man, Mr. Graystone pointed at me, "What are you?" he asked, a slight smile filled with amusement on his face.
"Whaa.. what do you mean?" I stuttered, wrapping my arms around myself, as his gaze made my body shiver.
Mr. Graystone stood up, turned towards the group of men that stood in the distance. I sniffed, a sweet scent lingered as he walked towards them.
"Mate" a growl escaped my lips, as the world around me became dark. Thud!