Author's Note: Wow! To everyone out there who has been reading my story, I am SOOOO sorry it's been so long! My life has been SO crazy, and then when I finally sit down to upload more, fanfic decides to redo itself. *sigh* oh, well...more is here now! Enjoy, and PLEASE review! ~Jenny the chica~
Chapter Four: In which the mystery thickens, yet Celia triumphs...
Celia was instantly paralyzed with fear. Her breath caught in her throat and she could feel herself stiffen. A few shaky breaths gave her fear, as well as the fact that she was awake, away. In a slightly braver mood, she sucked her breath in quickly, and reached behind her head to smooth her hair.
'It must be my imagination,' she thought. 'Everything has been so mysterious around here that I must have imagined it.'
But when she was smoothing back her hair, trembling in an unknown state of fear, the fingers gently grasped her hand.
Celia nearly fainted in terror, and a small gasp escaped her lips. Whoever was behind it heard her, for a soft laugh was heard. It was not a laugh of triumph or of malice, but of amusement. Celia, for all her worth, felt herself gently relaxing.
After a harsh internal battle, Celia decided to turn around in the murky darkness and try to make out what was behind her. Following many failures of courage, she finally mustered up the courage to turn around. All she could see was a black shape, but it was not gigantic.
Celia realized that she was stuck in this situation, so she decided to speak. "Are you a prisoner here as well?"
Again, that laugh of amusement, although it was slightly louder now. "You could say that," it stated. "But why do you feel like a prisoner? Have they not been treating you well?"
Celia shook her head, then realized that it could not be seen in the dark. "No," she whispered. "I have been treated wonderfully, but I am confined here, away from my family."
"Oh," was all he said, for Celia had been listening to the voice and realized now that it was very similar to that of her brothers, or other men in the town that she had talked with. His voice reminded her of the bear, in a strange sort of way.
"Who are you?" Celia managed to ask.
"No one of consequence. What you have to know will be told you, but remember: not everything is what it seems."
Celia was utterly baffled now. She then heard a rustle in the sheets and cringed away from the figure, but then she heard footsteps, and realized that she was once again alone.
'This place is too strange,' she thought. 'I wonder is the bear knows if one of his prisoners has escaped?'
With a sigh, Celia dismissed these thoughts and once again drifted off to sleep, although she wondered what exactly the shadow was.
Thankful that the lonely ache in her heart was gone, Celia reflected on how calm she had felt during the whole ideal.
'Maybe all this has eased my normal jumpy self,' she told herself. 'Or maybe I've just become tired of all this intrigue and mystery. I suppose I'll never be free from that here.'
With the strange calmness still there, Celia drifted off to sleep, and the lonely ache did not return.
Celia, for once, woke late in the morning. For an instant, she thought that she was still at home, and that she was already late to breakfast, but she then remembered her strange situation.
She hurriedly got dressed, then ran down the staircase and into the dining room. As she entered, she looked to the end of the room and saw the great white bear. She gripped the nearby doorpost for support as he looked up, but managed a weak smile. He seemed to smile as well, as well as bears can smile, and offered her the seat at his right hand, for he was sitting at the head of the table.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, and she noticed his deep, husky voice, though it sounded concerned.
Celia nodded. "Yes, I did. Th-thank you."
He smiled, but said nothing more. Celia decided it best not to tell him about her mysterious visitor.
"Forgive me. What would you like for breakfast?" he asked kindly.
"Food," Celia replied simply. "It really doesn't matter. I'm sure whatever you had will do fine."
He nodded, solemn again, but Celia saw floating trays once more coming towards the table, but she merely leaned back and watched them.
After eating her fill, the bear, who had sat respectively throughout her meal, asked her if she would like a tour of her new home. Celia nodded eagerly, and followed him, as he explained each room, when it had been built, and any other interesting bits of information on the subject. In all her still untamed fear, Celia still laughed every now and then. She noticed that the bear was very considerate, asking her occasional questions about how her stay had been, and she began to enjoy how his face would light up when she told him, "Yes, it was wonderful," or "It was better than I could ever have imagined!"
What startled Celia most about the tour was when they reached the hall of portraits. The bear was able to name each one, as well as say how they were related. Curse the thought, but Celia thought whether or not he had eaten them all.
She pushed the idea aside roughly, for she could not imagine this kind creature killing or eating anyone.
Celia was surprised when the tour ended, for she hadn't noticed the time. The bear smiled and courteously said, "Thank you for joining me. I will leave you alone now for your have lunch, for I have a few things I have to do. Good day."
"Good day," Celia murmured, watching him amble off.
The loneliness came back again, but Celia was learning independence. She had found, deep within her, that she had the spirit and the spunk to provide for herself, that she need not rely on someone else forever. This new finding drove away the wave of loneliness, and, for the first time since she came here, Celia felt free.
Chapter Four: In which the mystery thickens, yet Celia triumphs...
Celia was instantly paralyzed with fear. Her breath caught in her throat and she could feel herself stiffen. A few shaky breaths gave her fear, as well as the fact that she was awake, away. In a slightly braver mood, she sucked her breath in quickly, and reached behind her head to smooth her hair.
'It must be my imagination,' she thought. 'Everything has been so mysterious around here that I must have imagined it.'
But when she was smoothing back her hair, trembling in an unknown state of fear, the fingers gently grasped her hand.
Celia nearly fainted in terror, and a small gasp escaped her lips. Whoever was behind it heard her, for a soft laugh was heard. It was not a laugh of triumph or of malice, but of amusement. Celia, for all her worth, felt herself gently relaxing.
After a harsh internal battle, Celia decided to turn around in the murky darkness and try to make out what was behind her. Following many failures of courage, she finally mustered up the courage to turn around. All she could see was a black shape, but it was not gigantic.
Celia realized that she was stuck in this situation, so she decided to speak. "Are you a prisoner here as well?"
Again, that laugh of amusement, although it was slightly louder now. "You could say that," it stated. "But why do you feel like a prisoner? Have they not been treating you well?"
Celia shook her head, then realized that it could not be seen in the dark. "No," she whispered. "I have been treated wonderfully, but I am confined here, away from my family."
"Oh," was all he said, for Celia had been listening to the voice and realized now that it was very similar to that of her brothers, or other men in the town that she had talked with. His voice reminded her of the bear, in a strange sort of way.
"Who are you?" Celia managed to ask.
"No one of consequence. What you have to know will be told you, but remember: not everything is what it seems."
Celia was utterly baffled now. She then heard a rustle in the sheets and cringed away from the figure, but then she heard footsteps, and realized that she was once again alone.
'This place is too strange,' she thought. 'I wonder is the bear knows if one of his prisoners has escaped?'
With a sigh, Celia dismissed these thoughts and once again drifted off to sleep, although she wondered what exactly the shadow was.
Thankful that the lonely ache in her heart was gone, Celia reflected on how calm she had felt during the whole ideal.
'Maybe all this has eased my normal jumpy self,' she told herself. 'Or maybe I've just become tired of all this intrigue and mystery. I suppose I'll never be free from that here.'
With the strange calmness still there, Celia drifted off to sleep, and the lonely ache did not return.
Celia, for once, woke late in the morning. For an instant, she thought that she was still at home, and that she was already late to breakfast, but she then remembered her strange situation.
She hurriedly got dressed, then ran down the staircase and into the dining room. As she entered, she looked to the end of the room and saw the great white bear. She gripped the nearby doorpost for support as he looked up, but managed a weak smile. He seemed to smile as well, as well as bears can smile, and offered her the seat at his right hand, for he was sitting at the head of the table.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, and she noticed his deep, husky voice, though it sounded concerned.
Celia nodded. "Yes, I did. Th-thank you."
He smiled, but said nothing more. Celia decided it best not to tell him about her mysterious visitor.
"Forgive me. What would you like for breakfast?" he asked kindly.
"Food," Celia replied simply. "It really doesn't matter. I'm sure whatever you had will do fine."
He nodded, solemn again, but Celia saw floating trays once more coming towards the table, but she merely leaned back and watched them.
After eating her fill, the bear, who had sat respectively throughout her meal, asked her if she would like a tour of her new home. Celia nodded eagerly, and followed him, as he explained each room, when it had been built, and any other interesting bits of information on the subject. In all her still untamed fear, Celia still laughed every now and then. She noticed that the bear was very considerate, asking her occasional questions about how her stay had been, and she began to enjoy how his face would light up when she told him, "Yes, it was wonderful," or "It was better than I could ever have imagined!"
What startled Celia most about the tour was when they reached the hall of portraits. The bear was able to name each one, as well as say how they were related. Curse the thought, but Celia thought whether or not he had eaten them all.
She pushed the idea aside roughly, for she could not imagine this kind creature killing or eating anyone.
Celia was surprised when the tour ended, for she hadn't noticed the time. The bear smiled and courteously said, "Thank you for joining me. I will leave you alone now for your have lunch, for I have a few things I have to do. Good day."
"Good day," Celia murmured, watching him amble off.
The loneliness came back again, but Celia was learning independence. She had found, deep within her, that she had the spirit and the spunk to provide for herself, that she need not rely on someone else forever. This new finding drove away the wave of loneliness, and, for the first time since she came here, Celia felt free.