Chapter Two
Unreal
AN:
Wolfwood11: You never cease to flatter me! You're too sweet! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Lil Rose Angel: Wow, your grammar keeps on getting better then mine! LOL! Thank you so much for your compliments that mean a lot coming from an excellent writer like yourself! Clause if VERY evil. But using Françoise is not the worse he could do. You'll find out what I mean after you read this chapter! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will try to write a sequel for this!
BabyG of Westlife: Well, I FINALLY updated! Oh yeah, corsets are very annoying and I really don't understand why girls used to wear them. Well, actually they still do. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Rachridgeback(): You're not the first person to tell me that the last chapter was interesting. I'm glad to know that you are enjoying this story so far and I hope that you also like this chapter! Though I'm sorry if I made it confusing, Zero.
Jenny644443855: I'm glad to know that you're enjoying this story so far!
CheetorX: Thank you for your compliments and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Dishrag1313: LOL! Your reviews was funny! Thank you for your compliments and I hope I please you with this chapter!
Serene Faerie: Aww, thanks so much for your support and I hope you like this chapter, Sakura!
Thank you all for your sweet reviews. It means a lot to me that you all enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Review when you have the time and enjoy!
Disclaimer:
I do not own Cyborg 009 in ANY way and you all know that this story is based on Caroline B. Cooney's book, Both Side of Time.
*******************************
" I am Françoise Arnoul," The girl said. Jet and Joe turned pale and looked at each other, startled.
" That can't be possible!" Joe said, eyes wide.
" And why not?" The girl said, sitting up and looking at her surroundings. " Where am I?"
" You're in the mansion," Jet said.
Mansion? What mansion? Françoise thought. How could this disgusting, dirty place be called a mansion? She stood up with difficulty and almost tripped over her long dress if it wasn't for the odd colored skinned boy with strange unruly chestnut hair. His hair was the color of the mahogany that was used to make many of the doors of her own mansion.
MY MANSION! Françoise thought in horror.
She stared at her surroundings once again, frantically. This can't be my mansion! It can't be the same mansion that I grew up in with Jean Paul! It can't be the same mansion!
Oh but it was. A large dusty portrait of her Father hung on the vandalized walls and told her that this was the poor mansion she had lived in. Her mansion. Her home.
" Please, please do not jest," Françoise begged. She held the strange boy's hands tighter, the same hands he held so she wouldn't fall. The boy stared at her, as if she had gone mad. But his crimson eyes stared at her with no lies and showed pure love and compassion.
Never had she met a boy who stared at her with such adoration. He stared at her like no boy had ever. He stared at her with the love she always yearned for. The love that a man like Clause would never give her.
" I- I'm not," The boy said.
" Oh no, no," She groaned, in despair. " What happened to it?"
" Well, it's been vandalized by crazy teens," The boy with red hair said, shrugging. "Gangsters and stuff. You know."
" No I do not know. How can this all happen in one day?" She asked.
Just this morning she had walked these corridors. Just this morning she had talked to Claire. Just this morning her brother had found out the truth about Clause and his terrible intentions to marry her. How could this happen to her mansion? No one was here. The mansion was completely abandoned.
" What do you mean a day? This Mansion is over 100 years old," Jet said.
" Well, you young men really love to jest," Françoise said angrily, drawing her hands away from the odd boy with dark skin. " This mansion is only twenty years old!"
It was true. It was only twenty years old in the time she had lived. Usually, a mansion should be older especially if it belonged to one family for centuries. But before Jean Paul was born, a maid had knocked down some candles and the mansion was destroyed. When her Father got married to her Mother, he ordered for a new one to be built in the same place where the old one had once been and so forth. The new mansion was as old as her brother.
" Please," Jet said, rolling his eyes.
" Françoise, what year is it?" Joe asked.
He wanted to know what year she thought she was in. If she really was the girl she claimed to be, then she would say-
" 1903," Françoise said, bewildered.
" What do you mean 1903?" Jet said. " You're confused. The year is 2003."
2003? She thought, eyes wide. How could this be? No! It can't be possible! They're joking! It was a cruel jest! Without warning, she started to cry.
" It is not possible!" She cried. " How could this have happened?"
She covered her face with her hands. She didn't want mere strangers to see her crying. Women shouldn't cry. A girl of her class was not allowed to show her weaknesses to others. A girl like her was never supposed to cry.
But what exactly would you do if you went to the future without warning and knew that all of those people you love were now dead and gone? And what would you do if you didn't know how to go back?
***
A search was ordered. Town people looked for the pretty girl all over the place. She was no where to be found. People called her name. But what people didn't know is that where she went, she could not hear their calls.
Where she went, she couldn't see the tears in her brother's eyes. Where she went, she couldn't see the despair (surprisingly) Clause and her Father were in. Where she went she would not only find friends but a true love..
***
" To your house? Why?" She asked.
Françoise had a head ache. She really couldn't take all this pressure. She couldn't believe her situation. Was it possible to go 100 years in the future?
" Unless you want to stay here," The boy named Joe said.
" No, I don't Mr. Shimamura. I cannot stay here any longer. It's troubling to see my mansion in this state," Françoise said.
Joe smiled. Oh what smile that was! So bright, heart warming, and adorable. Her heart warmed. Her cheeks burned. How dare she think of such things? A girl in her time was not supposed to think of boys in this matter especially if they had a fiancé.
This doesn't count, Françoise thought. I'm going to get married against my will.
Joe stared at her, lovingly. He couldn't help but love this beautiful girl. Janet was just like any other annoying girl at school that had to use make up to be pretty. Françoise did not need make up to be pretty. Her beauty was natural. He loved how perfect her grammar was and how she was so polite. You can't find girls like Françoise anymore.
" There's one problem Joe," Jet said.
" What?" Joe said.
" Well, how are we going to get her to your house without anyone noticing her? She might cause some attention, you know," Jet said.
" How will-" Françoise started but Jet shook his head.
" You're dressed strangely," Jet said, and shrugged.
Why I never! Françoise thought. And all this time I thought they were dressed strangely! They wore a sort of uniform that really didn't look anything like one would look in her time. She rolled her ocean blue eyes.
" Oh," She said.
" Girls don't dress like that anymore, Françoise," Joe explained.
" How do girls dress?" She asked.
" Skirts, shorts, and jeans," Joe said.
" Skirts?" Françoise said. " Shorts?"
" Well, their skirts aren't as long as you would wear them. They're up to here," Joe said.
" Oh my," Françoise said, blushing. " And they wear no stockings?"
" Only at school. We have to wear uniforms," Jet said.
" Oh dear," Françoise said, turning red. She took off her hat, her hair bouncing out the hat and pins that had held her hair in a tight twist. It was a relief to have her hair loose. Girls were always supposed to have their hair up. Their hair was only supposed to be loose when they went to sleep. " I presume that girls do not wear hats or corsets?"
" Nope," The boys said.
" I see," She sighed. She dropped her annoying hat on the floor.
" Let's get going before the streets get crowded," Joe said, taking her elbow, gently.
Françoise smiled and nodded. His hand was so soft. He made her feel so safe. Unlike Clause. When she was with Clause, she felt like something horrible would happen. She felt fear when she was with Clause. And although Joe was more like a stranger, she still felt very safe and comfortable too.
" Your dress is going to get ripped," Jet warned as they walked to the window they had come in from.
" But you won't get hurt," Joe said. " It looks to me that your dress has many layers."
" It does," Françoise smiled.
Jet crawled out first followed by Joe. When it was her turn to jump down, Joe caught her by her tiny waist.
How tiny, Joe thought.
It was magnificent what a corset could do to a girl. Everyone says it's impossible to look like a Barbie® doll, but Françoise was an example of one. She was a Barbie® doll. A perfect face, golden like hair, white skin that was never exposed to the sun, a slender neck, a tiny waist, narrow hips, and long legs. She was perfection.
Jet walked over to the gate they had to jump over. He grinned and kicked a certain place and it opened as if it was a door.
" Jet, please tell me why we didn't do this when we came in?" Joe asked annoyed.
" I thought it would be more exciting," Jet said, grinning. Françoise giggled.
" Is anyone around here?" Joe asked.
" Nope the coast is clear," Jet said.
" Let's go then," Joe said, taking Françoise's hand.
***
" Where is she?" Clause said, shaking in rage.
" Calm yourself, Clause," Mr. Arnoul said, firmly. " You must not be angry at my daughter. She must have a reasonable explanation."
Clause rolled his eyes. And what might that be? Oh but things wont stay like this. She will not get off the hook so easily. She will have to answer many questions. She'll have to tell him everything because he was her fiancé and he had all right to know. But most importantly.. Who is she with?
If I find out that you are with another man other then your Father or Brother, I will kill you with my very own hands, Françoise Arnoul.
Don't you think that because you are rich, beautiful, and classy you can play with me. Don't you think you could act all prissy with me. Don't you forget what I am capable of doing, my dear, don't you forget..
***
" Phew, I can't believe it! We didn't get caught!" Jet grinned.
Françoise used her hand as a fan, blowing air towards her sweaty face. She never thought that Paris could change so much! There were many buildings and homes and all those old mansions she grew up by were destroyed and replaced by some other shop or building. How much a city could change in 100 years!
It was amazing but yet sad to see the beautiful Paris she had grew up in changed into a different city. It was more sophisticated and the architecture of the buildings were not as fancy as they had been in her times. She was surprised to see that in a city of such sophistication there were still trees and plants. But not as much as there had been in her time.
She almost cried when she saw her mansion vandalized by colorful man made letters and symbols ( graffiti is what Joe had called it). All the gardens that used to surround it and the trees that grew such wonderful fruits were all dead and changed by time. The windows made of fine glass had been broken and she had had a fit when she saw that the boys had broken one of the very few unbroken windows to get in and out.
Though there was a large KEEP OUT! DANGER sign on the old gate the surrounded the mansion, teens ( like Joe and Jet) would still jump over the gates and vandalize her poor mansion. It angered her that the police did nothing to preserve her mansion. She had asked Joe about it and he shrugged and said that people would only preserve mansions that belonged to important people. Either that or the mansion was too dangerous to live in or it was completely damaged and no one could repair it.
She didn't understand the part about important people. Her family was very important in her time! Her Father was very respected too! What had happened? Did her Father lose respect? Did something happen? It pained her not to know what caused this all. Why had this all happen to her?
Why? How was she supposed to get back to her time? Her eyes widened, frightened. What if..What if she never found a way to go back? What if she stayed here forever? She would never see her Father. She would never see her dear brother, Jean Paul again. And what about Claire? The only thing she thought that was pretty good was that she was VERY far from Clause. But that didn't matter. She lost her family and might never see them again..
" Françoise? Are you okay? You look pale and frightened," Joe said, putting an arm around her waist and his other hand on her back. " Are you okay? Don't be scared."
I wish that everything was okay, Joe, Françoise thought through teary eyes.
***
Claire sighed deeply. Where could young Miss Arnoul be? She was worried sick over her poor friend. She sighed as she wiped Mr. Arnoul's large portrait of himself clean. She wiped the dust and spider webs off the portrait until she felt that someone yanked her elbow, hard.
" Where is she Claire?" Clause demanded.
" I do not know, Sir," She said, eyes wide.
" I seek no lies ( I stole that phrase from Pirates of the Caribbean), Claire," He said, firmly.
His finger nails pierced through her delicate white skin and she whimpered in pain. Who would have known that this handsome, respected boy could be a dirty, no good man? Her eyes widened.
Miss Arnoul would marry this boy! Claire could not imagine Miss Arnoul's delicate, graceful soul with this horrid man. As if it wasn't enough losing her Mother years ago. And now this? She wondered if Mr. Arnoul knew about this. Would he really let his beautiful daughter marry him?
I must tell Mr. Arnoul! I will not stand it if Françoise marries Clause! Poor Miss Arnoul would suffer to her grave! Why did Clause want to marry Françoise so badly? Then a thought hit her. Claire didn't understand how she could have been so blind! How did she not notice that Clause just wanted Françoise's money? It was obvious! I must tell Mr. Arnoul at once!
But, I am but a mere maid and it is not my place to do so, she thought bitterly with teary eyes. It was not fair that she could do nothing to save Miss Arnoul from an unhappy life.
" Let go of me now, Sir Clause! Please let go or I will go to Mr. Arnoul and tell him how abusive you are to me and especially Miss Arnoul!" Claire said, angrily. Poor Claire would regret ever saying that to Clause.
" Do not raise your voice at me Claire! I will not let a dirty maid like you threaten me!" Clause said, striking her very hard on the head.
Claire was delicate and frail. So delicate that her vision instantly went black from the strike. Everything went black for her. Forever.
Blood dripped from her temple to the fine rug. Her eyes were wide open and a single sad tear rolled past her eyes and mixed with blood on the floor. Her mouth was slightly open. She had turn pale and the cloth in her hand was not only soaked with water but by blood as well. Dark red blood. The same blood that had splattered on the once clean portrait.
Clause stared at Claire with horror. Did he really hit her THAT hard to kill her? He knew that he could be aggressive at times but he never imagined that he out of all people would become a murderer. He gulped. What will happen now? Will everyone find out it was me?
No, he thought. Never.
He looked down at Claire then at his surroundings. No one had saw. No one was near. He looked down at Claire one more time and then gulped once more. The coast was clear. He ran as far away from the body of the innocent maid ignoring the fact that he was a murderer, a fake, and had a bloody hand.
TO BE CONTINUED...
" NOT EVEN TIME CAN CHANGE TRUE LOVE."
*************************************************
AN:
Killing Claire was not in the plan, believe me. But then again, most people know that I love writing twists and a mysterious murder is one. Someone was murdered in the book so I decided it was only right to kill someone. Even though I did it all wrong. In the book, the servant is killed because he knew too much and the murderer killed him on purpose. Here it was the opposite. I am so sorry for the delay. I was going to post this yesterday but I got REALLY sick all of a sudden and that's why I was not online ( I'm so sorry Katherine!). I will try to update faster next time! Review when you have the time!
--SDA 009
*************************************************
" NOT EVEN TIME CAN CHANGE TRUE LOVE."
REVIEW!
*************************************************
Unreal
AN:
Wolfwood11: You never cease to flatter me! You're too sweet! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Lil Rose Angel: Wow, your grammar keeps on getting better then mine! LOL! Thank you so much for your compliments that mean a lot coming from an excellent writer like yourself! Clause if VERY evil. But using Françoise is not the worse he could do. You'll find out what I mean after you read this chapter! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will try to write a sequel for this!
BabyG of Westlife: Well, I FINALLY updated! Oh yeah, corsets are very annoying and I really don't understand why girls used to wear them. Well, actually they still do. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Rachridgeback(): You're not the first person to tell me that the last chapter was interesting. I'm glad to know that you are enjoying this story so far and I hope that you also like this chapter! Though I'm sorry if I made it confusing, Zero.
Jenny644443855: I'm glad to know that you're enjoying this story so far!
CheetorX: Thank you for your compliments and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Dishrag1313: LOL! Your reviews was funny! Thank you for your compliments and I hope I please you with this chapter!
Serene Faerie: Aww, thanks so much for your support and I hope you like this chapter, Sakura!
Thank you all for your sweet reviews. It means a lot to me that you all enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Review when you have the time and enjoy!
Disclaimer:
I do not own Cyborg 009 in ANY way and you all know that this story is based on Caroline B. Cooney's book, Both Side of Time.
*******************************
" I am Françoise Arnoul," The girl said. Jet and Joe turned pale and looked at each other, startled.
" That can't be possible!" Joe said, eyes wide.
" And why not?" The girl said, sitting up and looking at her surroundings. " Where am I?"
" You're in the mansion," Jet said.
Mansion? What mansion? Françoise thought. How could this disgusting, dirty place be called a mansion? She stood up with difficulty and almost tripped over her long dress if it wasn't for the odd colored skinned boy with strange unruly chestnut hair. His hair was the color of the mahogany that was used to make many of the doors of her own mansion.
MY MANSION! Françoise thought in horror.
She stared at her surroundings once again, frantically. This can't be my mansion! It can't be the same mansion that I grew up in with Jean Paul! It can't be the same mansion!
Oh but it was. A large dusty portrait of her Father hung on the vandalized walls and told her that this was the poor mansion she had lived in. Her mansion. Her home.
" Please, please do not jest," Françoise begged. She held the strange boy's hands tighter, the same hands he held so she wouldn't fall. The boy stared at her, as if she had gone mad. But his crimson eyes stared at her with no lies and showed pure love and compassion.
Never had she met a boy who stared at her with such adoration. He stared at her like no boy had ever. He stared at her with the love she always yearned for. The love that a man like Clause would never give her.
" I- I'm not," The boy said.
" Oh no, no," She groaned, in despair. " What happened to it?"
" Well, it's been vandalized by crazy teens," The boy with red hair said, shrugging. "Gangsters and stuff. You know."
" No I do not know. How can this all happen in one day?" She asked.
Just this morning she had walked these corridors. Just this morning she had talked to Claire. Just this morning her brother had found out the truth about Clause and his terrible intentions to marry her. How could this happen to her mansion? No one was here. The mansion was completely abandoned.
" What do you mean a day? This Mansion is over 100 years old," Jet said.
" Well, you young men really love to jest," Françoise said angrily, drawing her hands away from the odd boy with dark skin. " This mansion is only twenty years old!"
It was true. It was only twenty years old in the time she had lived. Usually, a mansion should be older especially if it belonged to one family for centuries. But before Jean Paul was born, a maid had knocked down some candles and the mansion was destroyed. When her Father got married to her Mother, he ordered for a new one to be built in the same place where the old one had once been and so forth. The new mansion was as old as her brother.
" Please," Jet said, rolling his eyes.
" Françoise, what year is it?" Joe asked.
He wanted to know what year she thought she was in. If she really was the girl she claimed to be, then she would say-
" 1903," Françoise said, bewildered.
" What do you mean 1903?" Jet said. " You're confused. The year is 2003."
2003? She thought, eyes wide. How could this be? No! It can't be possible! They're joking! It was a cruel jest! Without warning, she started to cry.
" It is not possible!" She cried. " How could this have happened?"
She covered her face with her hands. She didn't want mere strangers to see her crying. Women shouldn't cry. A girl of her class was not allowed to show her weaknesses to others. A girl like her was never supposed to cry.
But what exactly would you do if you went to the future without warning and knew that all of those people you love were now dead and gone? And what would you do if you didn't know how to go back?
***
A search was ordered. Town people looked for the pretty girl all over the place. She was no where to be found. People called her name. But what people didn't know is that where she went, she could not hear their calls.
Where she went, she couldn't see the tears in her brother's eyes. Where she went, she couldn't see the despair (surprisingly) Clause and her Father were in. Where she went she would not only find friends but a true love..
***
" To your house? Why?" She asked.
Françoise had a head ache. She really couldn't take all this pressure. She couldn't believe her situation. Was it possible to go 100 years in the future?
" Unless you want to stay here," The boy named Joe said.
" No, I don't Mr. Shimamura. I cannot stay here any longer. It's troubling to see my mansion in this state," Françoise said.
Joe smiled. Oh what smile that was! So bright, heart warming, and adorable. Her heart warmed. Her cheeks burned. How dare she think of such things? A girl in her time was not supposed to think of boys in this matter especially if they had a fiancé.
This doesn't count, Françoise thought. I'm going to get married against my will.
Joe stared at her, lovingly. He couldn't help but love this beautiful girl. Janet was just like any other annoying girl at school that had to use make up to be pretty. Françoise did not need make up to be pretty. Her beauty was natural. He loved how perfect her grammar was and how she was so polite. You can't find girls like Françoise anymore.
" There's one problem Joe," Jet said.
" What?" Joe said.
" Well, how are we going to get her to your house without anyone noticing her? She might cause some attention, you know," Jet said.
" How will-" Françoise started but Jet shook his head.
" You're dressed strangely," Jet said, and shrugged.
Why I never! Françoise thought. And all this time I thought they were dressed strangely! They wore a sort of uniform that really didn't look anything like one would look in her time. She rolled her ocean blue eyes.
" Oh," She said.
" Girls don't dress like that anymore, Françoise," Joe explained.
" How do girls dress?" She asked.
" Skirts, shorts, and jeans," Joe said.
" Skirts?" Françoise said. " Shorts?"
" Well, their skirts aren't as long as you would wear them. They're up to here," Joe said.
" Oh my," Françoise said, blushing. " And they wear no stockings?"
" Only at school. We have to wear uniforms," Jet said.
" Oh dear," Françoise said, turning red. She took off her hat, her hair bouncing out the hat and pins that had held her hair in a tight twist. It was a relief to have her hair loose. Girls were always supposed to have their hair up. Their hair was only supposed to be loose when they went to sleep. " I presume that girls do not wear hats or corsets?"
" Nope," The boys said.
" I see," She sighed. She dropped her annoying hat on the floor.
" Let's get going before the streets get crowded," Joe said, taking her elbow, gently.
Françoise smiled and nodded. His hand was so soft. He made her feel so safe. Unlike Clause. When she was with Clause, she felt like something horrible would happen. She felt fear when she was with Clause. And although Joe was more like a stranger, she still felt very safe and comfortable too.
" Your dress is going to get ripped," Jet warned as they walked to the window they had come in from.
" But you won't get hurt," Joe said. " It looks to me that your dress has many layers."
" It does," Françoise smiled.
Jet crawled out first followed by Joe. When it was her turn to jump down, Joe caught her by her tiny waist.
How tiny, Joe thought.
It was magnificent what a corset could do to a girl. Everyone says it's impossible to look like a Barbie® doll, but Françoise was an example of one. She was a Barbie® doll. A perfect face, golden like hair, white skin that was never exposed to the sun, a slender neck, a tiny waist, narrow hips, and long legs. She was perfection.
Jet walked over to the gate they had to jump over. He grinned and kicked a certain place and it opened as if it was a door.
" Jet, please tell me why we didn't do this when we came in?" Joe asked annoyed.
" I thought it would be more exciting," Jet said, grinning. Françoise giggled.
" Is anyone around here?" Joe asked.
" Nope the coast is clear," Jet said.
" Let's go then," Joe said, taking Françoise's hand.
***
" Where is she?" Clause said, shaking in rage.
" Calm yourself, Clause," Mr. Arnoul said, firmly. " You must not be angry at my daughter. She must have a reasonable explanation."
Clause rolled his eyes. And what might that be? Oh but things wont stay like this. She will not get off the hook so easily. She will have to answer many questions. She'll have to tell him everything because he was her fiancé and he had all right to know. But most importantly.. Who is she with?
If I find out that you are with another man other then your Father or Brother, I will kill you with my very own hands, Françoise Arnoul.
Don't you think that because you are rich, beautiful, and classy you can play with me. Don't you think you could act all prissy with me. Don't you forget what I am capable of doing, my dear, don't you forget..
***
" Phew, I can't believe it! We didn't get caught!" Jet grinned.
Françoise used her hand as a fan, blowing air towards her sweaty face. She never thought that Paris could change so much! There were many buildings and homes and all those old mansions she grew up by were destroyed and replaced by some other shop or building. How much a city could change in 100 years!
It was amazing but yet sad to see the beautiful Paris she had grew up in changed into a different city. It was more sophisticated and the architecture of the buildings were not as fancy as they had been in her times. She was surprised to see that in a city of such sophistication there were still trees and plants. But not as much as there had been in her time.
She almost cried when she saw her mansion vandalized by colorful man made letters and symbols ( graffiti is what Joe had called it). All the gardens that used to surround it and the trees that grew such wonderful fruits were all dead and changed by time. The windows made of fine glass had been broken and she had had a fit when she saw that the boys had broken one of the very few unbroken windows to get in and out.
Though there was a large KEEP OUT! DANGER sign on the old gate the surrounded the mansion, teens ( like Joe and Jet) would still jump over the gates and vandalize her poor mansion. It angered her that the police did nothing to preserve her mansion. She had asked Joe about it and he shrugged and said that people would only preserve mansions that belonged to important people. Either that or the mansion was too dangerous to live in or it was completely damaged and no one could repair it.
She didn't understand the part about important people. Her family was very important in her time! Her Father was very respected too! What had happened? Did her Father lose respect? Did something happen? It pained her not to know what caused this all. Why had this all happen to her?
Why? How was she supposed to get back to her time? Her eyes widened, frightened. What if..What if she never found a way to go back? What if she stayed here forever? She would never see her Father. She would never see her dear brother, Jean Paul again. And what about Claire? The only thing she thought that was pretty good was that she was VERY far from Clause. But that didn't matter. She lost her family and might never see them again..
" Françoise? Are you okay? You look pale and frightened," Joe said, putting an arm around her waist and his other hand on her back. " Are you okay? Don't be scared."
I wish that everything was okay, Joe, Françoise thought through teary eyes.
***
Claire sighed deeply. Where could young Miss Arnoul be? She was worried sick over her poor friend. She sighed as she wiped Mr. Arnoul's large portrait of himself clean. She wiped the dust and spider webs off the portrait until she felt that someone yanked her elbow, hard.
" Where is she Claire?" Clause demanded.
" I do not know, Sir," She said, eyes wide.
" I seek no lies ( I stole that phrase from Pirates of the Caribbean), Claire," He said, firmly.
His finger nails pierced through her delicate white skin and she whimpered in pain. Who would have known that this handsome, respected boy could be a dirty, no good man? Her eyes widened.
Miss Arnoul would marry this boy! Claire could not imagine Miss Arnoul's delicate, graceful soul with this horrid man. As if it wasn't enough losing her Mother years ago. And now this? She wondered if Mr. Arnoul knew about this. Would he really let his beautiful daughter marry him?
I must tell Mr. Arnoul! I will not stand it if Françoise marries Clause! Poor Miss Arnoul would suffer to her grave! Why did Clause want to marry Françoise so badly? Then a thought hit her. Claire didn't understand how she could have been so blind! How did she not notice that Clause just wanted Françoise's money? It was obvious! I must tell Mr. Arnoul at once!
But, I am but a mere maid and it is not my place to do so, she thought bitterly with teary eyes. It was not fair that she could do nothing to save Miss Arnoul from an unhappy life.
" Let go of me now, Sir Clause! Please let go or I will go to Mr. Arnoul and tell him how abusive you are to me and especially Miss Arnoul!" Claire said, angrily. Poor Claire would regret ever saying that to Clause.
" Do not raise your voice at me Claire! I will not let a dirty maid like you threaten me!" Clause said, striking her very hard on the head.
Claire was delicate and frail. So delicate that her vision instantly went black from the strike. Everything went black for her. Forever.
Blood dripped from her temple to the fine rug. Her eyes were wide open and a single sad tear rolled past her eyes and mixed with blood on the floor. Her mouth was slightly open. She had turn pale and the cloth in her hand was not only soaked with water but by blood as well. Dark red blood. The same blood that had splattered on the once clean portrait.
Clause stared at Claire with horror. Did he really hit her THAT hard to kill her? He knew that he could be aggressive at times but he never imagined that he out of all people would become a murderer. He gulped. What will happen now? Will everyone find out it was me?
No, he thought. Never.
He looked down at Claire then at his surroundings. No one had saw. No one was near. He looked down at Claire one more time and then gulped once more. The coast was clear. He ran as far away from the body of the innocent maid ignoring the fact that he was a murderer, a fake, and had a bloody hand.
TO BE CONTINUED...
" NOT EVEN TIME CAN CHANGE TRUE LOVE."
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AN:
Killing Claire was not in the plan, believe me. But then again, most people know that I love writing twists and a mysterious murder is one. Someone was murdered in the book so I decided it was only right to kill someone. Even though I did it all wrong. In the book, the servant is killed because he knew too much and the murderer killed him on purpose. Here it was the opposite. I am so sorry for the delay. I was going to post this yesterday but I got REALLY sick all of a sudden and that's why I was not online ( I'm so sorry Katherine!). I will try to update faster next time! Review when you have the time!
--SDA 009
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" NOT EVEN TIME CAN CHANGE TRUE LOVE."
REVIEW!
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