Chapter 1

The flicker of the candle indicated the swoosh of wind that passed through the room. But eradicated soon, leaving Emberlin, the thought that frightened the very being inside her. The room was too quiet for her own good. The cold wisp came back and she was soon backed up to the wall. She stared at her captor, who had glittering eyes, that were tinged with red. It was inevitable, she knew. The flickering of the candle stopped and the flame extinguished and she closed her eyes shut. She waited for the attack that was soon to be delivered. But all she felt was the heavy panting of someone and her own frantic heartbeat. She slowly opened her eyes as a light flickering of light entered her vision and she saw the beast vanquished. She saw her hero and smiled at him. Fear escaping her body and she grinned wholeheartedly. Maybe she would be having a happy ending with her mercenary...

The End

Danielle Briony Manson closed her hand-made play, ''The Adventures of Emberlin Mclaine". She sighed as she placed her pen in a cup nearby and looked at her work. Feeling a bit of dejection as she found it not appeasing her mind. She wanted this story to be perfect so that her family could be proud of her. But to her, this story was just a child's stupid imagination, mustered up in words. But she didn't have time left to spare, this story was to be turned into a play, and the actors had already arrived. So without a moment's hesitation she ran for the door.

Danielle Manson was the youngest of the Manson heirs. She was the most talented of the other two, her older sister and brother. Her complexion was fair, and as you could regard it as baby skin. Since she was in her early teens, a thirteen years old girl with a powerful imagination that she created monsters, wizards and specters in her stories, was bound to be the most lovable one of the three. Her sister, Samantha Elizabeth Manson would just snort as she would read her play to the family and her brother, Jonathan Thirsten Manson, would ruffle her hair and tell her that she had a long way to go. But it was a good start. Her parents, however, would praise her to the sky. And that would give her all the motivation she needed to move on to her next story.

As she ran through the hallway filled with maids and servants, who greeted her with enthusiasm and she would flash them a smile and wave back as they called, 'Good day, Miss Manson'.

In her sprint she passed the front double doors that led to the marvelous gardens and the fountain. She passed someone leaning on one of the trees that was just outside the doors, whose vines were attached to the doorway. She halted immediately as she was met with a pair of sapphire orbs. She retreated her figure back and leaned against the door frame, trying to act nonchalant, since just seeing him gave her a jittery feeling. She called it 'her childhood crush', the one and only gardener boy, Daniel James Fenton.

"Hullo, Danny!" no mater how unwavering she tried to keep herself, her voice came out like a squeal. His head shot up and he gave her a crooked grin, "Good day, Miss Manson!" although he was one of the few people who called her by her nick name, Dani, but he sometime spoke like that to tease her. He even did a gentleman's bow. Dani giggled and completely forgot where she was going. But as realization dawned on her, "Do you know where Mum is?" she asked and he shook his head, "I've been in the gardens for the day. Maybe she's in her study, as always," he chuckled and she followed suite, "As always," she joined him in this, as her mother had the tendency to stay in her study and read one of the novels that her father had left.

But Dani was in a hurry, and she didn't have time for chit-chat. Danny saw this coming and waved her as he picked up one of the wheel barrows and went towards the direction of the enormous gardens.

Dani sighed dreamily and ran for it, she reached her mother's study after running in the big mansion for 10 minutes. It was exercise, she thought as she panted. At least that was what Sam had said the first time they came in this house. Her mother looked up from her book, ''Tom Sawyer", an excellent book. And when Pamela Isabelle Manson saw her daughter, she smiled and told her to come in. Danielle took a deep breath and sat down on the spot her mother had patted, beside her on the couch, "Mother, I'm finished!" she gave out a shaky laugh as her mother embraced her, "Oh my dear sweet Danielle. I am so proud of you!" she gushed and held Dani close. Pamela held out her hand, and Dani gave her book to her.

While Pamela read, Dani searched for any emotion crossing her features. It was always good. Either it was Amazement, Curiosity, Glee or just a plain smile. It didn't take long, it was a short book, composed of pages, that was soon to be turned into a play. Pamela held her little angel all the time. And Dani snuggled closer every time her mother moved. As Pamela read the last page, she closed the stack of papers and turned to look at her daughter. Dani looked at her with apprehension, trying to pin point the emotions.

After some time, Pamela pecked her daughter on the forehead and let a teary smile, "My darling. It is wonderful, simply amazing. And I look forward to seeing it be performed after a week!" Dani let out a squeal and embraced her mother and ran outside with the book in hand. She was more than happy, over joyed to put it straight. Yet another one of her plays had been given the thumbs up, from the high authority figure, that was her mother.

She smiled as she thought that this was the best day of her life.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"Sam, why don't you talk to Danny?" an innocent question really.

That knocked Sam off, she wasn't expecting her sister to understand, as to why she stopped talking to the gardener boy, who was digging to put the fresh flowers in the ground. He was far though, probably a yard away. As Sam and Dani sat on the ground and tried to soak in the sun. Samantha was dozing off on the grass, as Dani sat up and asked her this ludicrous question. Sam popped one eye open and saw the concentrating look on her sister's face. Sam sighed and closed her eyes and placed her hands behind her head. Her mother would never approve of this behavior, but she wasn't here, Sam thought with a smirk.

"I do. We just move in different circles, that's all," she tried to say in her defense. But the look Dani gave her said that she saw through her behavior. But she still gave up on asking.

It was strange, really. That the once best childhood friends, just stared at each other like they were complete strangers for each other. When both were young, they would sneak away and play in the fields or in the woods. But now that Sam was 19 and Danny was 20, it had become impossible for them to start a conversation. Both avoided each other at all cost, and when they did meet, on accidents mostly, it would be just an awkward silence and tension between them.

Major avoidance was on Sam's part. But since they lived with each other, practically, and he came to her house on a daily basis. It was hard not to be caught in each others gaze. Sometimes they would catch each others gaze and sometimes they would deny the others presence.

How this happened you ask, well lets just say that when two people are close to one another when they are children, it is all fun and games. But when they get older, all they start caring about is how high their social status is. Although Sam seemed the type to ignore her high standards, but if she was caught sight with a servant boy, then she knew that she would be in a world of embarrassment.

It was best to keep distance from Danny. She just hoped that he would go to Cambridge, like he always wanted to, so that she could be free from acting like a stranger in her own house.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"I will always cry on the pillow that is so heavily scented by his musk. I will always...Oh bloody hell! Danielle, this is pointless!" came an annoyed cry from a 15-year-old. Since Danielle was ecstatic to perform her play for her family, she had told her cousins, Adam and Starlet, to accompany her. They had been assigned roles and those roles were to be performed with perfection. Dani wanted everything to be perfect. But her cousins had other ideas. It was Star who was annoyed the most, Star's younger brother was enjoying the time he spent, trying to wreak havoc in the heavily decorated room of Danielle Manson. But she knew that soon he would too, be annoyed with everything. Besides, how long can a child's attention be diverted from creating a mess by giving him a particular thing to play with.

Dani sighed, this was certainly not going as planned, "I told you once, and I'll tell you again, this play means a lot to me. So don't go off ruining it!"

Star whisked her blonde hair through her fingers as she laid herself on the couch with a thud and pulled her legs up. And just when Danielle was going to start off her dialogue, the younger sibling of her cousin started whining. Well she did see it coming. With these hard heads it would be impossible for her to finish the play. She signaled with her hand that it was time out and Adam ran for the door.

Star snorted at him and closed her eye lids to get some rest. Dani sighed again and went to look at the view outside her window. What she saw was something she did not expect. Her sister had come out of the fountain, soaking wet and was hardly wearing anything. All she wore was her chemise and her petticoat, and what was in front of her, caused Danielle to panic. It was none other than Danny Fenton.

She was shocked to see that her sister could come out in semi nude form in front of a man. That was when she heard him shout, and her sisters passed him. Their shoulders touching, and Danielle sat down, not able to see the scene unfold. Her eyes wide, and shocked. She was beyond panicked. Her mind was void of every thought.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Samantha came out of her house and was acquainted with the gardener boy standing on the last of steps of the stairs. She held in her hand, the vase, in which she had put flowers in, a bunch of carnation just for her brother's arrival. All she needed was some water to freshen the bouquet then she would be out of the sight of Danny Fenton. She seemed unfazed by him as he greeted her in a gleeful tone, and she replied nonchalantly. It was times like these that she felt bad for her behavior towards him.

"How are you doing in a fine morning, Sam!" he followed her in every step. As she tried to race faster towards the fountain.

"Good, and yourself?" it didn't hurt to keep up a decent conversation.

"Great. I heard that your brother is coming."

"Yes, he is. He'll be arriving in the afternoon."

"Good."

Just jogging and keeping up a few exchange of words was all they ever did. They reached the fountain, the vase still in her hand as she went towards the fountain. He jerked up to help her, the moment he grabbed the handle of the vase, saying, "Let me help." The handle broke from the vase, and Sam glared at Danny as the handle fell from his hand and in the fountain. He started fumbling over words, but she just shook her head and in her anger she didn't care whether he saw or not, she just took off her corseted blouse, leaving her only in her skin coloured shift.

With a moment's hesitation, she jumped in the fountain, it wasn't too deep, but it wasn't too shallow as well. Once she caught sight of the handle, she grasped it then started kicked herself up the water to face the embarrassed boy. She came out in a splash and wiped her face and eyes to see clearly. When Danny saw her in her state of undress, his head lowered, unable to match her challenging gaze. The clothes that she was left with, clung to her body like a second skin and were showing off certain parts of her body. His whole face heated up, she came out of the fountain and picked up her clothing articles, as she walked towards him, he saw that she was bare foot and there were shards of some sharp vase pieces on the ground and she could easily get herself bruised. He shouted at her, "Stop!" she cringed but still walked forward with confidence and anger, which was solely directed at him and snatched the vase from his hand and stomped back in her mansion.

Danny just stood there, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. He knew that she hated him more than ever now. As he turned around to leave, he clearly missed a pair of warm blue eyes, much like his own, gazing at the scene through the window, and making a whole other meaning of the exchange.

OKAY. New story, firstly, I love the movie, and the book is just spectacular. If you haven't seen the movie 'Atonement', then go see it. Well I prefer the book over the movie, but eh. The story is very intriguing and I had this idea in my head for a long time. Read and review. And if you want the cover photo, just ask. I tried hard on it.

Go Ian McEwan, an amazing writer really.

Love,

Red