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The Visitor (Amaria and Ronin)

Amaria

Super-Earth
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
There was nothing left in the small house to eat but a few slices of bread and maybe an apple or two, she would have to check the cellar again to see what the rats hadn't spoiled. She knew the time would come to make a risky trip into town for food. At least she wouldn't freeze to death, the cabin was well stocked with wood enough to last the whole winter with only her here.

It was late evening now, she would go tomorrow. She needed to be thinking of a way out but had decided months ago to just remain alone in this cabin. But it was safe here and people were safe from her...and the curse. She could careless for the money her relative wanted, they had already taken away everything she loved.

It was quiet when she woke late in the night. The wind was blowing but she could not hear what it was that had awakened her. The fire had long died down so wrapping her robe around her she grabbed the fire poker and crawled to the door. She heard a faint sound but was uncertain what it was or where it was coming from. Against her better judgment she slid the latch on the door and opened it peering out into the night.
 
Maintaining a steady pace, his dark hazel eyes took in the sight infront of him, it was hard to believe that there was a house so deep in the forest, an excellent place to hide out till the towns folk slowly returned to their normal lives, he thought. With each step his eyes gathered broken twigs, which he ignored thinking of these prints as one an animal had left behind.

A chill ran down his spine, the same feeling that had resulted him being on the run in the first place. The sight of an injury was just too much to bear for him and he had thought of having just a little taste which had resulted in the death of that boy. Another regret he would have to carry with several others, he thought. As much as he hated himself for feeding off humans he was afraid of death and would rather do whatever it took to avoid it.

His strides became longer as his speed picked up, not really bothering whether he made a sound or not. Heading towards the door, he clutched on to the handle and just as he was about to push it open he heard a faint heart beat. Suddenly the door swung open, instantly he sprang back, crouching expecting some kind of attack. Had the towns folk gone this far already, he thought when he got a glimpse of the figure behind the door, a female figure carrying a weapon of some sort.
 
Fear was late coming, she was numb to life and it had been some time since she had stood this close to anyone. Her fist thoughts were of them. Had they finally sent someone to kill her off and not wait for the curse to do it? The poker trembled in her hand she gripped it so tight. Cold air whipped into the house causing her to tremble even more. She was just as startled to see him as he was her. Her gray eyes locked with his for a frozen moment.

One by one the curse her cousin had placed on her killed off those she loved. From accidents, murders and even a suicide, family and neighbors died around her. She fled here, property that was unknown to her cousin, a place where her family name was unknown. Everyone was safe now, safe from her. If she stayed away no one would die. Right?

Reason finally broke through and she tried to slam the door. A strangled cry escaped her lips. "Leave me alone. Just leave me alone!" But she was weak and he was already partially on the threshold , his foot caught in the door.
 
He stood transfixed at the girl, as his eyes ran over her he began to notice how beautiful she looked. For a moment, forgetting why he was here what he had come to do just metres away from the door. It was not just the beauty of the girl that had him stunned but a sense of familiarity but he could not put his finger on where or how they had met, but one thing was sure she could strike him at any moment.

Although the girl seemed volatile he started to notice her body shiver a little, and instantly he lowered his guard, taking a few steps towards her, lifting his arms up. "I am not here to hurt you, I just need a place to stay for the night and I will be gone in the morning." His voice was quite hoarse and then she suddenly spoke.

A strangled cry escaped her lips. "Leave me alone. Just leave me alone!"

Then the door started to close on him when at the last second he managed to slide his foot within.

"Are you listening?" His tone became rather annoyed. "Can't you just let me stay here for tonight? You have my word I won't hurt you."
 
His hoarse voice surprised her. Was he sick? She paused but still held firm to the door. It had been sometime since she had spoken to anyone, fearful that they were sent to kill her or she would get close only for them to die some tragic death. She looked at him then and saw no ill will in his eyes only the reflection of loneliness that she herself felt.

Against her better judgment she would allow him in. "Just wait there." she stepped well away from the door of the small house and moved back stepping over her sleeping mat and standing behind the worn couch. The house had stairs to a small loft that was visible from the main part of the room. It held a proper bed but she preferred sleeping down by the fireplace, especially since the nights had gotten colder. Besides a table over in the corner there was not much else in the house. She gripped her weapon in trembling hands, her soft shoulder length brown hair falling about her shoulders, "You can come in now...but only for tonight you must be gone by morning."
 
Stuck in a tight spot, he did not really know how to react to her, when suddenly he heard her voice once more.

"Just wait there."

So he stood in that spot not releasing his foot in case she really did decide to close the door on him and lock it, he did not want to make a huge ruckus by breaking inside. As the door slowly opened ajar he slowly tiptoed inside, noticing the house's contents. The bed seemed well made but not used very often. Just as he moved to the couch she was standing infront of, he heard her speak once more.

"You can come in now...but only for tonight you must be gone by morning."

He nodded slowly accepting her invitation for now, although there was a lingering thought of staying here longer, for now he would have to try to gain her trust, he thought silently to himself.

"Umm where should I sleep?"

He asked her with a raised brow, after all it seemed like the appropriate thing to do seeing as he was a guest at her house.
 
She stepped further back as he entered the room, but still did not relinquish her grip on her weapon. "You can sleep right here, " she pointed to the sleeping pallet in front of the fire place, where she had just risen from. "There is a loft with a bed I will sleep there. If you desire food, I am sorry, for there is little left in this house." for a moment she remembered a time when she gladly accepted traveling strangers into her old home. Feeding them a meal talking gaily around a large dinner table with her family. Those times were long gone for her.

A chill struck her and she shivered some, pulling her from her memories, she tugged her robe tighter with one hand. She held her arm across her chest rubbing the other arm. "Good night then."

Backing toward the stairs she glided up them with out another word glancing back at him occasionally. at one time she would have been excited at such a handsome man requiring her attention, but now it only sadden her. Hopefully one night would not be enough for the curse to kill him, she thought.
 
He asked with a raised brow, glancing over at the weapon the girl did not seem to release. He found it quite annoying when the girl avoided him, showing him where he could rest, almost as if he was a ghost which she knew existed yet she did not want to have anything to do with. Suddenly he watched on as she wished him good night and started to head off towards the stairs.

He sighed, softly but was not willing to just give up yet.

"Sorry umm I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Ambrose and you are..?"

He asked, with a raised brow, hoping she had not dissapeared on him just yet. Even though he wasn't exactly an angel did not mean he did not wish some company. Without even a mere thought he rushed forward to the stairs, grasping on to her out stretched hand, just before she dissapeared.

"I know this might sound quite forward, but it has been a while since I really had any company so would you terribly mind sharing a drink with me?"
 
Her heart turned to him when he sighed and began to introduce himself. Ambrose. She did not want to know his name it just made it that much harder for her when he died, but something in his voice continued to pull at her, bringing her into his world.

He rushed towards her and she stepped back too quickly dropping the poker in efforts to regain her balance. There she stood, her hand in his, staring into his eyes. His hand felt so cold against her own. Several emotions flickered across her face and she stuttered as she spoke. "My name is Olivia. It has been some time...since I have spoken with anyone. I came here to be alone.." Or rather die alone. She looked down at their hands. "If that is what you wish...I see no harm in ...keeping you company, though there is little in way of drink in this house. The cupboards are bare." suddenly ashamed of the state of her small house and his close proximity, she actually felt a blush rise in her cheeks.
 
Ambrose was caught once more by Olivia's beauty as she blushed, then he realized his hand was still covering hers, from her voice itself he could feel a yearning for some company or at least that was what he thought he felt. Even though he knew he should remove his hand, he couldn't help but enjoy warmth he felt when he came in contact with her skin. With hesitation he released his grip on her hand.

“Sorry, I didn't know what came over me.” He apologized, with a small bow.

Why did he always have to fall for the wierdest people, he thought to himself, no one would call it normal to live by yourself out in the woods, with no real way of communicating or access to other people. This was what these humans called, falling in love at first sight, he thought to himself, a monster whom could not control his hunger falling for his prey, what an irony.

"So what kind of drinks do you have and don't worry I am not fussy about what I drink so even water will be fine for me."
 
Feelings he thought no longer in her reach fluttered in her chest. "No it's alright, the suddenness just startled me." Leaving the poker on the stairs she glided to the cupboard. On the table sat her only cup, next to it was the pitcher of water she had drawn from the well before she laid down that evening.

"I am sure you think it odd for a female to live alone in this desolate wood. I shall tell you my story, it will effect you eventually I'm sure, that is if you wish to know." she dipped the cup into the water, filling it. "I am sorry we shall share a drink indeed. There is only one cup." she blushed again and sat at the table, at least there were two chairs. "As guest you drink first please." she stretched out her arms to him offering him the cup.
 
He was surprised when she told of how she would reveal why she was out here, it was almost like she was psychic. He did his best not to display his shock, reaching an arm out to place his fingertips around the cup she had offered to him, once again a small shock of warmness was injectetd into his body as their skin met for a few moments. Sheer concentration allowed the contents to stay intact, he was beginning to wonder whether she was really a good or bad influence on him and also thought about whether she knew about how much of an impact she was having on him.

“Well, I am keen to listen, if you would like to share this story with me. I have to admit I was curious to find out why you were living all the way out here, all by yourself. But since I am a guest did not really want to intrude about information which might have been personal.”
 
"At fifteen I thought all families had a relative or two that were just vile evil people that the rest of the family spoke little of and avoided at all cost. While it may have been true most families did not have one that was able to wield demonic powers. A witch to put it plainly. My father had a twin and they were fond of each other until a few years after they each had married. My uncle married a woman that deceived him in many ways, one of them was of the tradition of witchcraft that ran in her family. She married my uncle for his money but was angered when my father was given the birth-rite and took reigns of the family fortune. If she had but waited he had all intentions of including his brother but by then she had turned them against each other.

Olivia took the cup from Ambrose hands a took a sip before she continued her tale. Talking so much after going so long without dried her throat out quickly. "After a few years my uncle grew tired of being separate from his family and secretly met with my father, intending to apologize and seek his help in dealing with his now mad wife. By this time I was a young girl and hand two older brothers and a cousin by that horrid woman. She found out about them meeting and went even more mad screaming of betrayal and even that he was planning on abandoning her. From that day on my father feared for his life and rightly so. One day my uncle came to the house with his son, my cousin, Allen. He claimed that she had died and wished to come live with us for a few days just until he could get back on his feet, because of her he could never hold a good job. My father was glad to have his brother there but I feared my cousin. It was that night that it happened." Olivia stood and went to the window. It was dark but she could see the outline of the trees in the moonlight.

"He cornered me one night and told me that he had placed a curse on me, because I was the weakest of them all. He said that all those who came near me would die a horrible death, until I was alone and forgotten. Then all my fortune would come to him after he killed me." she hugged her arms remembering his grip on her as he pinned her against the wall that night.

"And the curse has proven to be true...they are all dead but me. My father killed himself not two days after that, my uncle died in a fishing accident. my mother died along with my baby sister in child birth...my brothers..my brothers were.." her word had stopped as she choked over the horrid memories. Fleeing from neighbors that had begun to shun her anyway after death touched her best friend, she came to this house. It had been in her family for generations, the land too, and her cousin knew nothing of it. She was safe here, no one would harm her and she could harm no one else. Turning from the window she looked at Ambrose. "I'm so sorry you came here, I'm sorry..."
 
Ambrose silently, listened to her tragic past, a bit startled when she took the cup from him as he was engrossed in the tale. "So basically this cousin of yours is waiting till you die to inherit this family fortune of yours? And do not worry I think I can handle myself. Perhaps it might help if I were to tell you more about myself." He said, clearing his throat before continuing. "At the age of eighteen, I was known to possess the most potential in my village, to become the top warrior, since my stamina and instincts were unchallenged. That's when it came, a beast we only heard legends of, destroyed my whole village and everyone in it, including myself."

He stopped for a second, wetting his lips. "Although after a couple of hours I somehow managed to open my eyes, when I looked down at my body there were still deep gashes left behind because of the beast. What I had not known was that the beast instead of killing me had left me with a curse. To walk this earth as one of the creatures that I hunted, having a wild thirst for blood, there were many times I wanted to commit suicide but would stop at the last second, as evil as I was I could not get myself to make that final step in to the after life. I did not even know what kind of a face to show my dead parents either."

"I've done many things within this last century that I am not proud off, but this thirst for blood seems to be a hunger which can only be temporarily sated from time to time. So if this house is cursed and I am about to die then I ll try my best to atleast help you sort things out with your cousin in anyway I can." He slowly sat down once more on the couch, to give her some room to process what he had just said.
 
"I would think," she chose her words carefully fearing the things he just told her more than what her cousin had put her through. "that you are not likely to be harmed by me then. You are already dead, at least what was once human about you is dead." she looked at him with a calm fear in her eyes "Am I safe from you?"

Dieing by his hand might not be too bad a thing, at least she would be free of her cousin, but the thought of him achieving his goal is what kept her from giving in and killing herself long ago. I'm so pathetic she thought and laughed to herself. "I don't think I'd be an appetizing meal to you in my condition."
 
Ambrose for a moment was quite taken back by when Olivia had asked him if she was in any danger from him. Oh, he remembered that he had just told her about his past so it was only human off her to fear him. He slowly turned away from her, the haunting faces of the numerous people before he had bit into them started to fill his thoughts and each time it was discovered that he was a creature of darkness he would be chased, everyone would just assume the worst of him. He d not really know why he had told her his past, perhaps he hopes someone living with a curse similar to his would be able to understand.

"Look if you want me, I will be out of your hair, tonight." he had said very softly turning to face the door, he managed to at least keep himself in check around her unlike many other unfortunate people. When she made a comment about how she would not be a good meal, he found it upsetting, he felt his body drawn to hers like a magnet, lightly embracing her. "Listen to me your not worthless and even if it's the last thing I do I want to help you escape this curse somehow."
 
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