Evening Primrose
Chapter Two: I Remember...
By Baine
Finished: February 20, 2007
Posted: September 28, 2010
Author’s Note: Should I have split the prologue and first chapter into two chapters? Is it weird reading the frame POVwith Minako? I’m worried that will turn potential readers away…
I’m really sorry that there was no update last week. I like to put my work out between Mon.-Wed. in the late afternoon so it doesn’t hit weekend traffic and disappear off the main page before anyone can read it. Last week, I worked all three days and got home too late to post. I might have the same issue next week. It depends on whether or not I get my hair cut after work on Tues. since I’m finishing earlier in the day (and what time I’d get home after that), and I’m on-call Wednesday, so if I need to go in, I won’t be able to post then, either. Monday is out. :( I’ll try my best, but no promises! (I really wanted a weekly update for this one, though...)
Disclaimer for Now: There will be more author notes and credits later on. For now, I present you with:
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Evening Primrose
Two: I Remember...
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Darien’s fingers flew against the smooth contours of his notebook. The feeling of watching words spring to life across the once-pristine surface thrilled him and sent a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins. This was why he had decided to become a writer. There was no narcotic in the world that could give him a high as euphoric as the one he got from writing.
Putting his pen down with a sigh, he placed it in the binding of the notebook as though it were a bookmark and closed it with a snap. He glanced at his watch wearily. It was ten o’clock. He had been invited to play Bridge in the Ladies Dress Department with the others. This was his routine, night after night. He had been here for a week already, but it felt as though much more time had passed. Every night, Nehelenia found new ways to occupy his time. He had yet to find any spare time to dedicate to his writing, which was why he had come in the first place.
Once they started to trust him, they would lay off on the security. He frowned at the thought. Even if he wanted to, escape wasn’t an option. They watched him like hawks. He hadn’t planned to stay here forever, yet he knew now he would never be able to leave alive. He was a prisoner here.
He kept hearing whispers when they thought he wasn’t paying attention, and the conversations always revolved around the mysterious Dark Men. Who were they? Why was their name never spoken in anything louder than a whisper? Why did any mention of them send tendrils of fear racing down his spine?
As he descended the escalator, a flash of gold caught his eye. He turned his head, but there was nothing there. He frowned in dismay. He had hoped it was Serena. He was never allowed to talk to her in the presence of others. Oftentimes, she wasn’t even in the room with everyone else, preferring to keep to herself in the storage room in the basement. Was she purposely hiding from him? Why? He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He didn’t know why, but something about her intrigued him. It was as though she were a spider luring him into a web of illusions. He wanted to know everything about her.
As he quietly approached the Ladies Dress Department, he was perplexed to hear voices speaking in tones much higher than the normal whisper he had grown accustomed to hearing.
“You certainly may not.”
“Please, Ma’am. I get so bored in the storage room! Can’t I stay with everyone for once? I promise not to make any noise...”
“No, Serena. That’s what you said last time, and we almost got caught by the Night Watchman.”
“That was an accident and—”
Darien turned the corner and slowed, coming to a stop as he saw the shadowy forms of Nehelenia and Serena beside a nearby rack of formal wear. His forehead furrowed thoughtfully. It wasn’t by choice that she spent her nights secluded from everyone else?
“For the last time, Serena, no! If I have to tell you again, I’m going to send Rubeus to get the Dark Men. Maybe they’ll be able to talk some sense into you.”
Serena’s eyes widened in fear. “No, please don’t! I’ll be good, promise. I’m leaving right now. Please don’t send for the Dark Men...”
Nehelenia sighed wearily. “Oh, very well. I’m in a forgiving mood tonight. Next time, you might not be so lucky.” She narrowed her eyes and made a shooing motion. “Well, what are you waiting for, child? Scram. I want you out of my sight at once, or the deal’s off.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Serena bobbed her head and quickly fled from the department and out of sight.
Darien silently counted to a hundred before maneuvering around the rack of dresses that hid him from view and made his presence known to the group assembled before him.
“Darien.” Nehelenia smiled as she reached a veined hand towards him. “We were starting to think you had forgotten all about us.”
He plastered a fake smile onto his face. “How could I forget one as lovely as yourself?”
She giggled and blushed, bringing a hand to her cheeks. “You flatter me, boy!”
Indeed I do, he thought grimly, determined not to wind up on her bad side.
“Well, shall we begin?” She looked around expectantly before leading the way to the dressing room with all of the equipment for the bridge tournament.
He played mechanically, his thoughts miles away on the blonde who continued to haunt him. She had looked so forlorn as she turned to leave, and though her face was shrouded by shadow, he had been able to make out the trail of a silvery tear that made its way down her cheek.
“Your move, Darien.”
“I’m just considering my options.” He twirled a card thoughtfully, plastering on a look of intense concentration. It would never do to have them guess his thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next night was a repeat of the previous one, only this time, Darien was ready with a plan. Pinching his cheeks so that color would appear through the caked-on powder, he muffled a cough. Making his way to the dress department, he greeted those already present and sank wearily into a chair.
“Everything all right there?” Rubeus analyzed his visage with sharp eyes, searching for traces of deceit and betrayal.
Darien forced himself to remain calm. “Yeah. I think I’m getting a cold, but I grabbed some medicine from the shelf, so I should be fine again in no time.”
“Really?” One of the emaciated ladies brought her hand to his forehead, her fingers mottled and cold against his skin.
Revulsion pulsed through him, but he refused to let it show. He internally winced as he felt her stroke his forehead. What made her think she even had a chance with him? He hated the way they all flirted and fawned all over him as though he were their sole reason for existing. Had it really been that long since they had seen a man who wasn’t as old and decrepit as themselves? He wondered if Rubeus had felt this way before he had come along to take his place as the youngest male. Granted, Rubeus had at least ten years on him, so perhaps he wasn’t as titillating anymore. Then again, how anyone could like that stick-in-the-mud in the first place, he’d never know.
Darien stifled a cough and managed to smile at the woman hovering over him. “Really, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
She tutted and pursed her lips. “Hrm...”
Hearing everyone grow quiet as they restlessly stood up, Darien coughed again. This time, he refused to smother the sound as he rose to greet Nehelenia.
She shot him a cursory look. “Stop making so much noise. If I can hear you from a mile away, surely the Night Watchman can, too.”
“I’m trying not to,” he murmured, stifling another cough.
“Oh, this will never do.” She glared at him, her eyes silently scolding him for having the audacity to be sick. She winced as she heard him cough yet again. “If this racket continues, we’ll be discovered in no time.”
She airily waved a hand, dismissing him. “Rubeus, take him to the lower storage level. Stop in the Book Department on the way. He’s obviously going to need something to do for the next couple of days while he’s in seclusion.”
“Yes, my Lady.” He led Darien from the department. “You know,” he mused, “You’re turning out to be quite problematic.”
“Am I?” Darien gulped nervously. Would this so-called brilliant plan turn out to be his downfall in disguise?
“Indeed.” Rubeus turned on his heel and stopped in front of the bookshelf. “Hurry and grab what you need,” he muttered, his voice laced with disdain. “Also, please try to rein in your mucus for a few minutes. The Night Watchman is close by and I’d hate to be discovered due to your inability to control your bodily functions.”
Darien nodded mutely, refusing to give Rubeus the satisfaction of a response. Instead, he quickly grabbed the latest issue of MAD magazine and two books that he hadn’t read yet, Franny and Zooey and To Kill A Mockingbird. After that, he followed Rubeus to the basement, where he made a big show out of “releasing his mucus,” much to the elder man’s chagrin.
Rubeus crinkled his nose in disgust. “Any louder and he’ll hear you all the way from upstairs.”
“You’re the one who told me to contain it.”
Rubeus narrowed his eyes. “Stay here until it’s time to retire for the day. You’ll report here each night until you are well again.”
“Understood.”
Rubeus gave him one last suspicious look before leaving to return to the others.
Looking around at his new surroundings, Darien faltered. He was all alone. She wasn’t here. All of his acting had been for naught. He glanced around again and shrugged. At least his every move wouldn’t be tracked and analyzed for the next few days. On top of that, he finally had time to write and catch up with some of the books on the current bestseller’s list. Creating a comfortable spot with some fur coats, he curled up with a small flashlight and read the night away.
The next night, anticipating the same thing, Darien grabbed another new book, The Winter of our Discontent, on his way to the storage basement. At the moment, his mind was more eager for new knowledge than it was for creating a new world of its own. Settling into his nest of coats, he was only able to get through the first two chapters before a loud slam was heard and feet began to slap heavily against the cold cement. A loud thud vibrated through the room as a nearby wooden shelf groaned under the weight of its new burden. Loud, choking sobs vibrated through the otherwise quiet room, the gut-wrenching sound softened as it was smothered by cloth.
Darien looked across the room in concern, his heart beating faster as he realized that it was her. After a few moments of silence, she began to calm down. “What’s wrong?” he asked, eyes soft with worry.
She hiccupped and looked around, causing her hair to slap against her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with alarm. “W—Who’s there?”
“It’s Darien.”
“D-Darien?” She sniffled softly. “Why are you here?”
“Ah, that. I told the Turtle Lady I had a cold and she temporarily banished me to the basement.”
“The Turtle Lady?” Serena laughed, startled. “You mean...Lady Nehelenia?”
“Yeah. You see the resemblance, too?”
She laughed again, the sound low and unsure. “Well, I never really thought about it before. It’s been years since I’ve seen a turtle. I’d almost forgotten all about them.” She paused to release a quiet hiccup. “But, yeah, I can see it if I try.” She swiped at her face and glanced around the room. “Where, uh—Where are you?”
“Buried in a pile of coats near the door.” He shone his flashlight in her direction, creating a beacon to lead her to him. She came to him slowly, her steps small and tentative.
He sat up and moved over to make room for her, patting a nearby coat and motioning for her to sit. “It’s quite comfortable down here, if I do say so myself.”
“And since it’s a bottom shelf, it won’t break.”
“Precisely.”
She climbed in hesitantly, shooting him a tentative look. “What were you doing before I interrupted you?”
“Ah, not much, just reading a book.”
A wistful expression crossed her face. “Is it a good book?”
“So far.”
“What’s it about?”
He dug the book out from under a coat and held it out to her. “Here, you can have it to read. I can always grab another copy.”
She looked at the book longingly before shaking her head, a remorseful look in her eyes. “I can’t.”
“Why not? Nehelenia doesn’t let you read, either? What can you do?”
She gulped nervously. “It isn’t that. It’s just...” She fiddled with the hem of her skirt and ducked her head. “...I don’t know how.”
“You—what?”
She twisted the fabric roughly, crumbling the rose-patterned design and rendering it indecipherable. “I’ve never been to school, you see.”
“How is that possible?”
“Ah, when I was six, Momma brought me here to buy a new frock for my birthday, but we got separated. I fell asleep beneath a rack of coats and when I woke up, well...” She shrugged. “Here I am.”
“You’ve been here since you were six?”
“Practically seven.”
“That’s...horrible. They wouldn’t let you leave, even though you were only a child?”
“No, they were afraid I would tell someone. Even if the adults thought I had made everything up, a suspicion of doubt would have been planted.”
“So that’s what Nehelenia meant about you being different.”
“Yeah, I’m not like all of you. I didn’t choose to be here. I long to see the world again. More than anything, I want to escape from this place.”
She lifted her face to the ceiling. “I want to feel the warmth of the sun against my face as I stare up into a clear blue sky, the wind tangling in my hair and the green grass soft against my bare feet. I want to run through a meadow of wildflowers at sunset or get caught in the rain and dance through the mud puddles on my way home. How could you willingly give all of that up, Darien?”
“I didn’t know I’d be here forever. I seriously thought my idea was a unique one. I planned to hide out here while I finished writing the next Great American Novel, but obviously I thought wrong.”
She shivered and curled up against his side. “Will you tell me about the outside world?”
“It depends. Will you tell me why you were so upset tonight?”
“Oh, that.” She shrugged against his arm. “I was just upset because I wanted to see Mr. Johnston’s new play upstairs with all of the others, but Lady Nehelenia wouldn’t let me. She still doesn’t trust me.”
“Why not?”
“Uh...once, I tried to call attention to the group so the Night Watchman could save me. I was young at the time. That’s why I’m her servant; she can always keep a close eye on me.”
“Was she mean to you?”
“No meaner than usual.”
“But...she made you cry.”
“It happens.”
He looked down at the girl at his side, wishing there was something he could do to help her. “Don’t you ever get bored sitting down here by yourself?”
“Oh, I’m not always down here. The Lady only banishes me if I’m being exceptionally loud and annoying. She doesn’t like it when she can’t see what I’m up to.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here tonight.”
She looked at him, startled. “...Me too.”
“Will you come again tomorrow?”
“Perhaps. If they find out...”
“They won’t.”
“We can’t afford to arouse their suspicions. If we do, they’ll send for the Dark Men.” She shivered at the thought.
“The Dark Men...I keep hearing about them, but who are they, exactly?”
Serena’s face darkened. “They’re the very essence of evil.” She looked around through hooded eyes. Once sure no one was watching, she began her tale.
“I saw them once. It was the scariest night of my life. I had been in the Food Department and this man appeared before my eyes. I thought it was the Night Watchman at first, but it turned out to be a burglar. The Dark Men came and took him before he was discovered.”
She swallowed nervously. “Lady Nehelenia was sick that night, so it was easy to slip away and follow them. They took him to the back of the department where the butcher shop is. I hid by the window, so they never saw me. They strapped him to a table and wrapped him up like a mummy. There were so many tools...and a bucket. I remember a bucket.”
She placed a hand against the floor as though to hold it in place. “It was empty, but when they started to play with their tools, it began to fill with a shiny crimson liquid.” Her voice was faraway, a childlike quality surfacing that hadn’t been there before.
“He screamed. It gave me the shivers. They did something to his tongue, though, because after that scream, he was very quiet. Then, they...they...no. No more. I made a noise, because he turned to look at me...Nehelenia would get very mad if she found me peeping, so I ran home...no more. No more.”
She looked at him tearfully, her eyes full of anguish. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer and running a comforting hand across her back. Her ragged breathing began to slow and even out. Her eyes lost their hazy tint as she focused once more. With a shiver, she closed her eyes and leaned on him for support.
“The next day, there was...” Burying her face into the curve of his shoulder, she breathed deeply, steadying her voice. Her inner child fled, leaving behind a young woman with steel in her voice. “The next day, there was a new mannequin in the window, and that was that.”
Murder. Cold-blooded murder. Darien shivered and held Serena tighter. What he wouldn’t give to be as far from here as possible. Why had he ever thought that it would be a good idea to live here in the first place?
Feeling Serena life her head from his shoulder, he wondered if he hadn’t been drawn here to save her. Maybe that was why he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. He had been sent to become her savior.
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Author’s Note: A lot of people need to be thanked for their help in looking this over, especially because it’s a little different from the other romances out here. I also need to credit original source material, because this idea did not come from me. However, I also don’t want to say anything to spoil the story for anyone right now because I want there to be a good amount of suspense. I’ll credit everyone after the epilogue all at once. Send me a PM if you have a problem with that and we’ll chat. :)
As for why I chose the “classics” for Darien to be reading, I’ll tell you this: All three of those books were on the Best Sellers list the year this story is taking place, so they were “new” books at the time he’s reading them and likely to be in every store, especially a department store (at least, before they restructured to be more clothing and less everything else). I chose the titles off the list that readers would be most familiar with.
Like it? Hate it? I’m the one to talk to! Hit the little review button or Email ladybaine at gmail dot com today!
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