Seven Devils and a Rose - Chapter 3
Seven Devils and a Rose
Pre-Order Seven Devils and a RoseApple BooksGoogle PlayAmazon (coming soon)Chapter 3The Magic of the Aurora LightIn my rustic-style bedroom, which was located in the north-west sector of the house, I hunted around in my walk-in-closet and retrieved a pair of panties, pajamas, and a bath towel. Then I rushed into the en suite bathroom and got bottles of hair shampoo and conditioner, along with body gel and facial cleanser. Before I left, I thought I’d better floss and brush my teeth because it’d be a nuisance to do that over at the bathhouse.Once my teeth were sparkling clean and my mouth refreshed with the minty flavored toothpaste, I headed back into my bedroom and gathered my bathing essentials into a small bag. Then I headed out the door and down the stairs.Along the hallway on the ground floor, I searched for a torch in a cupboard. When I found one, I excitedly headed toward the back. There, I said loudly so that Mom and Dad could hear from across the kitchen, “I’m going now.”Mom said, “Have a nice time bathing.”“Will do,” I replied.Dad said, “Don’t stay there too long.”“Okay,” I said, and then exited the house.Despite the outside lamp glowing a golden halo and brightening up some areas of the garden, it was still pitch dark beyond that. Before I started out with my night adventure, I switched the torch on, and viola, bright light flooded the area surrounding me. Feeling a little pluckier now that I had light, I marched up the small pathway toward the bathhouse that was located a little way back in the garden, amongst the thick trees and wild plants, close to the mountain.As I shone the light of the torch here and there, I noticed how dark and eerie the garden seemed at this time of the night. Now and again, gentle breezes brushed against the trees, swaying the branches and leaves this way and that, as if they were dancing, casting dark shadows that seemed quite ominous.I shivered, feeling a little unsettled suddenly as my confidence slowly dwindled. I had always been a city girl, so I wasn’t used to this type of atmosphere... where it was so dark and quiet, and more so when I was surrounded by so many tall trees.Needless to say, I started to feel nervous and anxious. Should I turn back?Then again, I chided myself for being a scaredy-cat. I mean, I was still on the premises of the estate, and the bathhouse wasn’t far off, so I shouldn’t be afraid. Nothing bad was going to happen. After all, Dad had already turned on the hot spring, and just for me, too, considering that I had been so excited about it.Didn’t want to let Dad’s effort go to waste, I nodded my head at the logical reasons and continued with my mission.When I sighted the bathhouse a few moments later, I grinned in excitement and my anxiety at being alone in the dark all but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Without further ado, I hastily rushed over and opened the newly installed wooden door. Then I stepped through the threshold of the holy, magical place.The moment I was inside, I gasped in awe. It was truly beautiful—right there before me was a good sized pool with hot water filled to the rim, with steam elegantly rising and dancing about the room. There were even boulders around the edge, as well as in the middle of the pool, and of course, a mini waterfall, which gave that pleasant trickling sound effect that was so soothing to the ear. Dad had outdone himself this time, for sure. This looked and felt just like a hot spring in an onsen back in Japan.Excited, I hastily locked the door with a click, so that no one would accidentally walk in while I enjoyed my hot spring bath. After switching off the torch, I then walked around to the left of the room. There, I put my bag and torch on the bench. After taking out my cleansing materials, I stripped off my t-shirt, jeans, undies, bra, and yes, even my glasses. Completely and utterly naked, I headed over to the shower that was located on the right side of the room. There, I turned on the sprinkler, and the moment warm water touched my skin, I grinned.I took my time shampooing and conditioning my short hair and then washing face and body. Once I was thoroughly cleaned and smelled like the Garden of Eden, I turned the shower off and excitedly got into the pool.“Ahh...” I sighed in pleasure the moment hot spring water touched my skin. I couldn’t help but giggle in delight as I spread my arms and legs out, enjoying the moment. I dipped my head in and even swam around like a little mermaid. When I’d had enough doing that, I leaned my back against the boulder residing in the middle of the pool and just relaxed, enjoying my time.It was a little while later when I thought I saw—through my blurry vision—something sparkling within the bottom of the pool not too far from me.Jewel? Metal object?I didn’t know but was curious to find out. The next moment, I found myself moving away from the boulder and heading toward it. Then I dipped head first under the water, my hands reaching toward the bottom of the pool.As I came close, I noted that it was a necklace with a gemstone set in an engraved locket.Who would have dropped their necklace there?And such a beautiful one at that. It also looked antique and expensive. Could it be Dad’s?Then again, I didn’t think Dad would have something likethatwith him. He wasn’t the materialist type. Nor Mom. Or did it belong to one of those two men who had helped Dad renovate the bathhouse? I didn’t know, but I supposed it was best if I retrieved it and returned it to its owner, whoever that was.Without further ado, I grabbed for it, and just as I caught the jewel in my hand, I felt the water around me pulling and crashing, like a huge wave of the ocean.Shit! What was going on? Earthquake?This was followed by an earsplitting hum. I couldn’t help but grit my teeth under the water, and as I finally popped my head out, I felt dizzy.I tried to catch my breath as the humming continued for a few more seconds, as well as the rocking of waves around me. Then, just like that, it stopped, and that was when I saw it.I stared, my eyes wide in wonder, at the beautiful aurora lights before me, the pretty colors glowing and dancing so magically that it took my breath away.“What? What just happened?” I said softly under my breath.With the necklace still in my hand, I walked, as if in a trance, toward the aurora.Up close, I couldn’t help but stretch my hand out and touch it, the ray of light.It felt warm and gentle against my skin. I cocked my head to one side.“Wow! This is so surreal,” I said softly in wonder. Then I reached my other hand out, the one still holding onto the necklace, and once again, I felt the warmth of the light caressing my skin. Wondering what it would be like if my whole-body were to pass through it, I did just that.I slowly walked through the aurora, and the moment I did so, I felt a force pulling at me, snatching me up so suddenly that I gasped and became breathless. Then I found myself gently falling and floating through the emptiness of space as my surroundings turned into darkness, followed by a burst of brilliant light passing through me.“Oh, my God!” I said breathlessly, my eyes darting around me in a panic as I clutched my hands, and the necklace, against my chest. “What’s happening?”I was about to start screaming when I found myself being gently pulled back and then I was in the pool again, with the hot spring water surrounding me, caressing me, telling me that I was back where I had been before, at the bathhouse.With my heart still racing, I said, “Oh, my god, what was that?”Was I dreaming a moment ago?Was it even real? With me falling and floating in the darkness and then all those lights and stars surrounding me and passing through me?Then just to make sure that I hadn’t been dreaming a mere moment ago, I looked up, and sure enough, I noticed that the aurora was still there, this time on the other side of me, clearly telling me that what had happened was real.Just as I was about to touch the aurora and walk through it again, to test and see if I’d go through that experience again, I heard loud noises coming from outside. I could faintly make out men shouting, footsteps running, and loud stomping against the earth. And then there was that continuous humming of engines.The voices of the men shouting were getting louder, which suddenly freaked me out.Shit! Had something happened while I was bathing? Earthquake?But here along the east coast of America? And what of the aurora? Had that had anything to do with what was happening outside?I turned to look at the aurora once again. It was still there, glowing so brilliantly and elegantly. I had to admit that it was a weird phenomenon, all right. I was certain that aurora didn’t appear here on St. James Island, and this scenario was definitely notnormal.I hastily got out of the pool and rushed over to the bench where I had left my belongings. Suddenly, I came to a stop because there was no bench. The place was empty.“Gone!” I said, breathless. “What? Where did it go? The bench? My bag? My clothes? My glasses?”In a panic, I scanned around the place, thinking that I must have become disorientated due to what had happened in the pool earlier. This, in turn, led me to walk in the wrong direction. If so, then the bench, along with my bag and other belongings, should be on the other side of the room instead of here.I turned around and marched to my right, feeling hopeful. But then my stomach sank the moment I noted that there was no bench on this side of the room either. I felt a cold sweat settling on my skin as my eyes darted around the place. That was when it hit me.The place looked different. Thisbathhouse didn’t look like it had been newly renovated by Dad with simple, modern material. This place looked like it had always been like this, with fancy wall-columns and intricate designs.What the hell?This hot spring looked like a Roman bathhouse in ancient times, with marble walls, floor, and ceiling.I panicked. Oh, God, I wasn’t in a dream, was I? I hadn’t read too many of Dad’s fantasy books and was now having a lucid dream about them, right?I rubbed my eyes and even pinched my skin. “Ouch!” I exclaimed. I felt pain, so I knew I wasn’t dreaming. This was real. Everything around me was real.“Clothes,” I said, as I scanned around the place once more in a state of dread, looking for something to wear. After all, I didn’t want to be naked while in a state of confusion and panic, and more so if someone happened to walk in and find me here.Through the misty haze of hot spring steam and my short-sighted vision, I saw a bunch of clothes I had not notice before, lying on the floor not too far away. I rushed over and picked them up, frowning as I looked them over. These were like nothing I had ever seen. One was of a pair of dark pants while the other was a blouse and jacket. They looked a little bit like cosplay but more authentic, like those that belonged to the middle ages but still had a sense of modernism to them, since the pants had a zipper and the blouse and jacket had buttons.The clothes, though plain in color—black pants, off-white blouse, and an earthy-brown jacket—were still rather stylish, with frills and embroideries.Should I put these on?I wondered. They weren’t mine and I didn’t want to steal but...Suddenly, loud banging noises erupted in the air, and I jumped in fright.Holy shit! Guns? Rifles? Seriously?Without further ado, and with shaky hands, I pulled the necklace over my head and rested it around my neck for safekeeping. Next, I pulled on the trousers. Luckily, they fit. Thank God. Then I put on the blouse, buttoning it up all the way to my throat. I hastily put on the jacket, which was big and loose on me.I didn’t have time to appraise my over-all appearance, or to think what I looked like with this foreign clothing on because those damned frightening noises were getting louder, which meant that whatever was happening outside the bathhouse was getting closer to where I was, too.Once done, I rushed over to the door. There, I came to a sudden halt as I stared at the mighty frame in shock.It wasn’t Dad’s new wooden door!It was a massive stone wall of a door.“Shit!” I muttered under my breath.Again, the voices of men shouting in that chaotic state, along with the sound of rifles going off, and a loud engine humming noisily in the background, which only worked to frighten me even more witless.God, I honestly hoped it wasn’t world war three going on out there. America hadn’t been invaded in the silence of the night, had it?I searched about the door, looking for a lock or something. Then I found it. It was so obvious, just like in Dad’s fantasy books.I pressed on the nose of the lion status that protruded from the door. Immediately, the stone wall moved and turned, opening and allowing me access to the outside world.* * *READ CHAPTER 4 IN THE NEXT BLOG POST HEREPre-Order Seven Devils and a RoseApple BooksGoogle PlayAmazon (coming soon)
Pre-Order Seven Devils and a RoseApple BooksGoogle PlayAmazon (coming soon)Chapter 3The Magic of the Aurora LightIn my rustic-style bedroom, which was located in the north-west sector of the house, I hunted around in my walk-in-closet and retrieved a pair of panties, pajamas, and a bath towel. Then I rushed into the en suite bathroom and got bottles of hair shampoo and conditioner, along with body gel and facial cleanser. Before I left, I thought I’d better floss and brush my teeth because it’d be a nuisance to do that over at the bathhouse.Once my teeth were sparkling clean and my mouth refreshed with the minty flavored toothpaste, I headed back into my bedroom and gathered my bathing essentials into a small bag. Then I headed out the door and down the stairs.Along the hallway on the ground floor, I searched for a torch in a cupboard. When I found one, I excitedly headed toward the back. There, I said loudly so that Mom and Dad could hear from across the kitchen, “I’m going now.”Mom said, “Have a nice time bathing.”“Will do,” I replied.Dad said, “Don’t stay there too long.”“Okay,” I said, and then exited the house.Despite the outside lamp glowing a golden halo and brightening up some areas of the garden, it was still pitch dark beyond that. Before I started out with my night adventure, I switched the torch on, and viola, bright light flooded the area surrounding me. Feeling a little pluckier now that I had light, I marched up the small pathway toward the bathhouse that was located a little way back in the garden, amongst the thick trees and wild plants, close to the mountain.As I shone the light of the torch here and there, I noticed how dark and eerie the garden seemed at this time of the night. Now and again, gentle breezes brushed against the trees, swaying the branches and leaves this way and that, as if they were dancing, casting dark shadows that seemed quite ominous.I shivered, feeling a little unsettled suddenly as my confidence slowly dwindled. I had always been a city girl, so I wasn’t used to this type of atmosphere... where it was so dark and quiet, and more so when I was surrounded by so many tall trees.Needless to say, I started to feel nervous and anxious. Should I turn back?Then again, I chided myself for being a scaredy-cat. I mean, I was still on the premises of the estate, and the bathhouse wasn’t far off, so I shouldn’t be afraid. Nothing bad was going to happen. After all, Dad had already turned on the hot spring, and just for me, too, considering that I had been so excited about it.Didn’t want to let Dad’s effort go to waste, I nodded my head at the logical reasons and continued with my mission.When I sighted the bathhouse a few moments later, I grinned in excitement and my anxiety at being alone in the dark all but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Without further ado, I hastily rushed over and opened the newly installed wooden door. Then I stepped through the threshold of the holy, magical place.The moment I was inside, I gasped in awe. It was truly beautiful—right there before me was a good sized pool with hot water filled to the rim, with steam elegantly rising and dancing about the room. There were even boulders around the edge, as well as in the middle of the pool, and of course, a mini waterfall, which gave that pleasant trickling sound effect that was so soothing to the ear. Dad had outdone himself this time, for sure. This looked and felt just like a hot spring in an onsen back in Japan.Excited, I hastily locked the door with a click, so that no one would accidentally walk in while I enjoyed my hot spring bath. After switching off the torch, I then walked around to the left of the room. There, I put my bag and torch on the bench. After taking out my cleansing materials, I stripped off my t-shirt, jeans, undies, bra, and yes, even my glasses. Completely and utterly naked, I headed over to the shower that was located on the right side of the room. There, I turned on the sprinkler, and the moment warm water touched my skin, I grinned.I took my time shampooing and conditioning my short hair and then washing face and body. Once I was thoroughly cleaned and smelled like the Garden of Eden, I turned the shower off and excitedly got into the pool.“Ahh...” I sighed in pleasure the moment hot spring water touched my skin. I couldn’t help but giggle in delight as I spread my arms and legs out, enjoying the moment. I dipped my head in and even swam around like a little mermaid. When I’d had enough doing that, I leaned my back against the boulder residing in the middle of the pool and just relaxed, enjoying my time.It was a little while later when I thought I saw—through my blurry vision—something sparkling within the bottom of the pool not too far from me.Jewel? Metal object?I didn’t know but was curious to find out. The next moment, I found myself moving away from the boulder and heading toward it. Then I dipped head first under the water, my hands reaching toward the bottom of the pool.As I came close, I noted that it was a necklace with a gemstone set in an engraved locket.Who would have dropped their necklace there?And such a beautiful one at that. It also looked antique and expensive. Could it be Dad’s?Then again, I didn’t think Dad would have something likethatwith him. He wasn’t the materialist type. Nor Mom. Or did it belong to one of those two men who had helped Dad renovate the bathhouse? I didn’t know, but I supposed it was best if I retrieved it and returned it to its owner, whoever that was.Without further ado, I grabbed for it, and just as I caught the jewel in my hand, I felt the water around me pulling and crashing, like a huge wave of the ocean.Shit! What was going on? Earthquake?This was followed by an earsplitting hum. I couldn’t help but grit my teeth under the water, and as I finally popped my head out, I felt dizzy.I tried to catch my breath as the humming continued for a few more seconds, as well as the rocking of waves around me. Then, just like that, it stopped, and that was when I saw it.I stared, my eyes wide in wonder, at the beautiful aurora lights before me, the pretty colors glowing and dancing so magically that it took my breath away.“What? What just happened?” I said softly under my breath.With the necklace still in my hand, I walked, as if in a trance, toward the aurora.Up close, I couldn’t help but stretch my hand out and touch it, the ray of light.It felt warm and gentle against my skin. I cocked my head to one side.“Wow! This is so surreal,” I said softly in wonder. Then I reached my other hand out, the one still holding onto the necklace, and once again, I felt the warmth of the light caressing my skin. Wondering what it would be like if my whole-body were to pass through it, I did just that.I slowly walked through the aurora, and the moment I did so, I felt a force pulling at me, snatching me up so suddenly that I gasped and became breathless. Then I found myself gently falling and floating through the emptiness of space as my surroundings turned into darkness, followed by a burst of brilliant light passing through me.“Oh, my God!” I said breathlessly, my eyes darting around me in a panic as I clutched my hands, and the necklace, against my chest. “What’s happening?”I was about to start screaming when I found myself being gently pulled back and then I was in the pool again, with the hot spring water surrounding me, caressing me, telling me that I was back where I had been before, at the bathhouse.With my heart still racing, I said, “Oh, my god, what was that?”Was I dreaming a moment ago?Was it even real? With me falling and floating in the darkness and then all those lights and stars surrounding me and passing through me?Then just to make sure that I hadn’t been dreaming a mere moment ago, I looked up, and sure enough, I noticed that the aurora was still there, this time on the other side of me, clearly telling me that what had happened was real.Just as I was about to touch the aurora and walk through it again, to test and see if I’d go through that experience again, I heard loud noises coming from outside. I could faintly make out men shouting, footsteps running, and loud stomping against the earth. And then there was that continuous humming of engines.The voices of the men shouting were getting louder, which suddenly freaked me out.Shit! Had something happened while I was bathing? Earthquake?But here along the east coast of America? And what of the aurora? Had that had anything to do with what was happening outside?I turned to look at the aurora once again. It was still there, glowing so brilliantly and elegantly. I had to admit that it was a weird phenomenon, all right. I was certain that aurora didn’t appear here on St. James Island, and this scenario was definitely notnormal.I hastily got out of the pool and rushed over to the bench where I had left my belongings. Suddenly, I came to a stop because there was no bench. The place was empty.“Gone!” I said, breathless. “What? Where did it go? The bench? My bag? My clothes? My glasses?”In a panic, I scanned around the place, thinking that I must have become disorientated due to what had happened in the pool earlier. This, in turn, led me to walk in the wrong direction. If so, then the bench, along with my bag and other belongings, should be on the other side of the room instead of here.I turned around and marched to my right, feeling hopeful. But then my stomach sank the moment I noted that there was no bench on this side of the room either. I felt a cold sweat settling on my skin as my eyes darted around the place. That was when it hit me.The place looked different. Thisbathhouse didn’t look like it had been newly renovated by Dad with simple, modern material. This place looked like it had always been like this, with fancy wall-columns and intricate designs.What the hell?This hot spring looked like a Roman bathhouse in ancient times, with marble walls, floor, and ceiling.I panicked. Oh, God, I wasn’t in a dream, was I? I hadn’t read too many of Dad’s fantasy books and was now having a lucid dream about them, right?I rubbed my eyes and even pinched my skin. “Ouch!” I exclaimed. I felt pain, so I knew I wasn’t dreaming. This was real. Everything around me was real.“Clothes,” I said, as I scanned around the place once more in a state of dread, looking for something to wear. After all, I didn’t want to be naked while in a state of confusion and panic, and more so if someone happened to walk in and find me here.Through the misty haze of hot spring steam and my short-sighted vision, I saw a bunch of clothes I had not notice before, lying on the floor not too far away. I rushed over and picked them up, frowning as I looked them over. These were like nothing I had ever seen. One was of a pair of dark pants while the other was a blouse and jacket. They looked a little bit like cosplay but more authentic, like those that belonged to the middle ages but still had a sense of modernism to them, since the pants had a zipper and the blouse and jacket had buttons.The clothes, though plain in color—black pants, off-white blouse, and an earthy-brown jacket—were still rather stylish, with frills and embroideries.Should I put these on?I wondered. They weren’t mine and I didn’t want to steal but...Suddenly, loud banging noises erupted in the air, and I jumped in fright.Holy shit! Guns? Rifles? Seriously?Without further ado, and with shaky hands, I pulled the necklace over my head and rested it around my neck for safekeeping. Next, I pulled on the trousers. Luckily, they fit. Thank God. Then I put on the blouse, buttoning it up all the way to my throat. I hastily put on the jacket, which was big and loose on me.I didn’t have time to appraise my over-all appearance, or to think what I looked like with this foreign clothing on because those damned frightening noises were getting louder, which meant that whatever was happening outside the bathhouse was getting closer to where I was, too.Once done, I rushed over to the door. There, I came to a sudden halt as I stared at the mighty frame in shock.It wasn’t Dad’s new wooden door!It was a massive stone wall of a door.“Shit!” I muttered under my breath.Again, the voices of men shouting in that chaotic state, along with the sound of rifles going off, and a loud engine humming noisily in the background, which only worked to frighten me even more witless.God, I honestly hoped it wasn’t world war three going on out there. America hadn’t been invaded in the silence of the night, had it?I searched about the door, looking for a lock or something. Then I found it. It was so obvious, just like in Dad’s fantasy books.I pressed on the nose of the lion status that protruded from the door. Immediately, the stone wall moved and turned, opening and allowing me access to the outside world.* * *READ CHAPTER 4 IN THE NEXT BLOG POST HEREPre-Order Seven Devils and a RoseApple BooksGoogle PlayAmazon (coming soon)
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