The Girl in the Window:
This is for Shadice Kokoro, whose birthday I missed Q_Q Please check out her amazing stories!
Once upon a time, there was a girl who could only be seen through the top window of a looming manor.
Her parents were very strict, they did not want her mingling with commoners. Thus, she was confined to her room, only visited by the palace servants.
And one teenage boy.
She wasn't quite sure when she started to notice, but day after day, there he was. He'd arrive outside her house, to gaze up at her window with soulful blue eyes.
What he wanted she was unsure of. Obviously they had never met before, so what could he possibly be seeking?
Just the sight of him made her heart flutter, although she didn't know why. It was just so...exciting in her mind.
But hey, when one is locked inside of their families manor property for most of their life, any change in scenery is welcome.
Time and time again, she found herself drawn to her window, anticipating his arrival.
She could never tell her parents about it of course. With their fierce tempers they could harm the stranger she was growing such an affinity for.
The servants around the manor sensed her strange behavior, and soon rumors spread about like wildfire.
Some thought she was sick in the head, but no doctors that arrived could diagnose anything to be wrong with her.
The answer was simple, she was love stricken.
Sophie sighed, one pale hand pressed up against the glass of her window. Without having to glance at her clock she knew he'd be arriving any moment.
What she didn't expect was the loud knocking she heard on her door.
"One minute!" She cried, ruffling up her hair and climbing underneath her covers.
In walked her mother, who stuck her nose up at the sight of Sophie's room and folded her arms.
"Dingy." She muttered, darkened eyes examining everything before they finally rested upon her daughter.
"I'm not feeling well." Sophie mumbled, coughing lightly. She was hoping her mother would leave quickly.
"I can tell. You look a wreck." Sophie's mother spoke with distaste, as she approached Sophie's wardrobe and began rifling through her clothing.
She continued to chatter on without a care, "You have to look your best, dear. After all, it's almost time."
Sophie sat up slightly, a confused look on her face. " I don't understand." She murmured.
"The most important time to a lady is when she reaches that special day she can be wed to a male. And we've found a perfect suitor for you." Her mother beamed, examining a dress with lacy frills.
"But-" Sophie protested, eyes growing wide with fear. How could her heart ever possibly belong to another man, let alone to one she never met.
Was it any different to the longing she had for her window visitor? Perhaps not, but there was just something about the way his eyes gleamed that spoke volumes of concern, more deep than any conversation she could ever have with words.
"But what?" Sophie's mother declared darkly, shooting her a warning glare. A heavy tension settled in the room, causing Sophie's heart to skip a beat.
"I-can't wait." Sophie muttered, lowering her eyes to the bed covers. There was no sense in getting her parents mad, certainly not over a man in their yard, they'd think her sanity to be cracked.
"Yes, it's such a big event!" Her mother sighed, gaining a nostalgic expression as she went up to sit on the edge of Sophie's bed. "I remember when I was your age, I was much prettier of course, but all the same..."
Sophie ignored her, feeling sick to her stomach as she nuzzled into the covers. Now she really was feeling ill.
Her mother blinked once and placed the back of her hand on her daughter's forehead. "It doesn't feel like you have a fever..." She muttered, before rolling her eyes. "You might as well have the day to rest, we need you to look your absolute best for tomorrow."
And with that her mother stood up and walked away in a huff, leaving her alone once more to her "prison".
Sophie couldn't help but pull her covers tighter, tears sliding down her fair skin as she clutched her pillow.
Maybe it would just be easier to forget, and abide to her parents wishes. And maybe it would be easier... to tear her heart out and shred it into infinite shards of pointy glass.
Wells couldn't help but stare up at the forlorn girl that appeared in the window. Never before had he seen such a delicate, yet saddened flower.
Every day he passed by on his paper route, he felt compelled to stop at the manor, even to the point to get him scolded at work for returning late.
Why might he bother to waste time? He wasn't quite sure himself, but one glance at her expression reminded him so.
It was a rare sight. A mansion of unimaginable wealth, belonging to one of the most illustrious families in town, and yet her face read simply, that something was missing.
He wished he could put the maiden's heart at ease, but it wasn't as if he could walk up to the front door and knock.
It just wasn't generally accepted in their society. He was poor, evident by his fading grey slacks and powder blue coat that had several few holes.
Besides, someone of that beauty and such high prestige would never want anything to do with someone like him.
The thought solidified itself in his mind as he shifted his weight uncomfortably, noticing something different about today.
She wasn't there, and a heavy sense of dread hung in his heart. Perhaps it had been his imagination all along, she probably never noticed him to begin with.
Aristocrats have far more "important" things to tend to than a mere peasant. Yet the more he tried convincing himself that he was being foolish, he couldn't manage to pull himself away.
The window taunted him like a fish might to a fisherman's pole. He expected to see her fair beauty, but alas fate would not be biting this day.
As the sky shifted to a darkened blue, the time just before eve but no longer sunset, a cold chill settled in the air.
He let out a breath of air, bringing his hands up close in an attempt to warm them.
Puffs of white mist appeared before him, but did little to help his numbing fingers, and with a sigh he slowly trudged off.
His brown over the shoulder bag that would normally held his papers from his route (it was empty now, his job done for the day), swayed with each step he took down a barely lit street.
Light flames sparked inside of green oil lamps, occasionally casting a shadow across his face.
As a child he was often teased for his carrot colored hair, and slim body features. But he never had the leisure to worry about his appearance, not when he had more serious problems to tend to at home.
Speaking of which, he finally arrived to his house, a worn down, one leveled structure that looked as if a simple gust of wind could blow it straight down.
He pressed the weight of his body against the door and let it creak open. The cheap thing didn't have a working lock for years.
The sounds of his boots clicked against dusty floorboard as he turned to shut the door behind him.
It didn't quite stick, but he didn't expect it to. Normally he didn't mind really, only during the winters where it would let in a cold draft, as it was now.
There wasn't much he could do, he'd have to try and squeeze in some extra hours of work to afford coal.
Coughing, he made his way to the back of the house, where his bedroom was. On the way he heard a weak voice cry out from a separate room, " Is that you John?"
Wells stopped in his tracks, biting down on his lower lip and responded, "Go to sleep!"
He didn't hear a response, so he was left to assume his mother fell asleep. You see, she was a sickly old women, bearing little remembrance to her life. Often times her thoughts were fuzzy and incoherent, leaving her lost in another time and period in her life entirely.
Wells had no idea who John was, and he was too tired to try and figure out. Instead he walked into his room, rather small in size. It was empty with the exception of a mattress that laid on a crumbling bed frame and a wooden desk, surprisingly intact for the most part.
Sighing, he threw his bag off to the side and sat at the edge of his bed, head in his hands. His thoughts swarmed around insistently with worries of providing for himself, his mother, and other bare basics.
It would be a tough winter to make ends meet, but he'd figure it out. They always managed to make it through tough situations.
Lying into his sunken mattress, he tossed and turned trying to fall asleep. There was still one thought left in his mind that he couldn't shake.
He could dismiss worries of income and making ends meet, but he had no idea what he'd do if he could never see her again.
His flower~
That's it for now, maybe I'll continue but only time will tell. I really hoped you all liked, especially you Steph so...bye! And don't forget to R&R! X3