Chapter 5: Amarav
Amelia stood in her bathroom, brushing her hair out so it didn't get too many tangles in it as she slept. She had been restless in her sleep lately and it was taking a toll on her personal grooming. She also had alternative motives, including the man sitting in her library downstairs that she had kissed. It had felt so incredibly right to be close to the warmth of that man in black, and it made her shiver ever so slightly to think about him paying her late night visit.
She blushed slightly and turned off the bathroom light, her mind full of visions of Roger's strong hands sliding along the white silk of her nightgown, his eyes taking in the swell of her breasts before sliding the thin straps from her shoulders. Amelia smiled in her private fantasy and walked to her balcony doors, opening them all the way.
The wind was blowing slightly, wrapping the flowing skirt of her nightgown around her legs. Her slippered feet were steady on the balcony as she walked out and immersed herself in the fragrant flower boxes that were hanging from the railing on the sides of the stone balcony. The balcony was designed so that the front had no railings, but large pillars that connected the floor to the house it's self, holding it tight to the master bedroom.
Amelia braced her hands between two of the smooth, white stone pillars and leaned forward just slightly so she was looking down four stories to the garden at the back of the house. She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow against her face, pushing her hair back as she let it take her breath away for just a moment, relishing the feeling.
Eventually she leaned back making sure she was firmly on the balcony before taking her hands from the pillars. Amelia turned around and barely stifled a cry as she immediately spotted a dark figure lurking in the shadows between her bedroom and the balcony. The figure was tall and muscled, without any distinct features without any light shining on him.
"Good evening Miss Julaine."
Amelia felt the cold stone of the pillar press against her back, reminding her that she was trapped. "Who are you?"
He bowed, a mocking gesture no matter how noble he tried to make it. "Amarav, at your service. Do come inside, it's getting far too chilly for that nightgown, and I would hate to know that you caught your death of cold because of me."
Amelia remained where she was until he moved backwards, deeper into the shadows except for his right arm, which glinted strangely in the soft light coming from the lamps around her bed. She walked in cautiously, wondering what kind of scream she would be able to get out before the stranger attacked and choked the air from her throat.
"Please don't think about screaming for help. Mr. Smith is no match for me, and I would be forced to hurt you. Sit down."
She moved past him, taking shuffling side steps to keep her eyes on Amarav at all times. He chuckled deep in his throat as she sat down on the end of the bed, a sound that made her heart pound with fear. He stepped into the light and her heart impossibly picked up the pace, hammering against her sternum to the point where she feared she would have a heart attack.
Amarav was close to seven feet tall, his angular face set with hard lines, his eyes the pale blue only seen in the sky on the coldest of winter mornings. His left hand hung at his side while his right was obviously an android part and matched his pasty, unnatural skin tone. His brown hair was shaved on the sides and the bottom, the rest long and pulled back in a ponytail.
He moved forward and it was all she could do to keep from scrambling completely onto the bed as he squatted down in front of her, his human hand touching her knee.
"I was whole once, you know. But I had an accident when I was working construction for the Paradigm Corporation and my body was almost torn in half. When I woke up, I had been put back together using prosthetic parts, and now the right side of my body, including that side of my face, is machinery."
Amarav took her hand and brought it to his right cheek, pressing it against the skin so hard that the metal forced her to bend her fingers. Amelia tried to pull her hand away and found it held tighter than before.
"I owe my life to Alex Rosewater. He had me rebuilt in a way that made me twice the man I once was. You'll have to understand that what I do isn't because I harbor any ill feelings towards you."
The words sunk in before Amelia saw his android hand slide out of his pocket and wrap around her throat, his body rising as she slid backwards on the bed. His hand followed her and he loomed over her, his left hand joining the right as they slowly cut off her air.
She screamed with the last breath she had and felt her head pound with sudden pressure before the room faded to black.
Amelia stood in her bathroom, brushing her hair out so it didn't get too many tangles in it as she slept. She had been restless in her sleep lately and it was taking a toll on her personal grooming. She also had alternative motives, including the man sitting in her library downstairs that she had kissed. It had felt so incredibly right to be close to the warmth of that man in black, and it made her shiver ever so slightly to think about him paying her late night visit.
She blushed slightly and turned off the bathroom light, her mind full of visions of Roger's strong hands sliding along the white silk of her nightgown, his eyes taking in the swell of her breasts before sliding the thin straps from her shoulders. Amelia smiled in her private fantasy and walked to her balcony doors, opening them all the way.
The wind was blowing slightly, wrapping the flowing skirt of her nightgown around her legs. Her slippered feet were steady on the balcony as she walked out and immersed herself in the fragrant flower boxes that were hanging from the railing on the sides of the stone balcony. The balcony was designed so that the front had no railings, but large pillars that connected the floor to the house it's self, holding it tight to the master bedroom.
Amelia braced her hands between two of the smooth, white stone pillars and leaned forward just slightly so she was looking down four stories to the garden at the back of the house. She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow against her face, pushing her hair back as she let it take her breath away for just a moment, relishing the feeling.
Eventually she leaned back making sure she was firmly on the balcony before taking her hands from the pillars. Amelia turned around and barely stifled a cry as she immediately spotted a dark figure lurking in the shadows between her bedroom and the balcony. The figure was tall and muscled, without any distinct features without any light shining on him.
"Good evening Miss Julaine."
Amelia felt the cold stone of the pillar press against her back, reminding her that she was trapped. "Who are you?"
He bowed, a mocking gesture no matter how noble he tried to make it. "Amarav, at your service. Do come inside, it's getting far too chilly for that nightgown, and I would hate to know that you caught your death of cold because of me."
Amelia remained where she was until he moved backwards, deeper into the shadows except for his right arm, which glinted strangely in the soft light coming from the lamps around her bed. She walked in cautiously, wondering what kind of scream she would be able to get out before the stranger attacked and choked the air from her throat.
"Please don't think about screaming for help. Mr. Smith is no match for me, and I would be forced to hurt you. Sit down."
She moved past him, taking shuffling side steps to keep her eyes on Amarav at all times. He chuckled deep in his throat as she sat down on the end of the bed, a sound that made her heart pound with fear. He stepped into the light and her heart impossibly picked up the pace, hammering against her sternum to the point where she feared she would have a heart attack.
Amarav was close to seven feet tall, his angular face set with hard lines, his eyes the pale blue only seen in the sky on the coldest of winter mornings. His left hand hung at his side while his right was obviously an android part and matched his pasty, unnatural skin tone. His brown hair was shaved on the sides and the bottom, the rest long and pulled back in a ponytail.
He moved forward and it was all she could do to keep from scrambling completely onto the bed as he squatted down in front of her, his human hand touching her knee.
"I was whole once, you know. But I had an accident when I was working construction for the Paradigm Corporation and my body was almost torn in half. When I woke up, I had been put back together using prosthetic parts, and now the right side of my body, including that side of my face, is machinery."
Amarav took her hand and brought it to his right cheek, pressing it against the skin so hard that the metal forced her to bend her fingers. Amelia tried to pull her hand away and found it held tighter than before.
"I owe my life to Alex Rosewater. He had me rebuilt in a way that made me twice the man I once was. You'll have to understand that what I do isn't because I harbor any ill feelings towards you."
The words sunk in before Amelia saw his android hand slide out of his pocket and wrap around her throat, his body rising as she slid backwards on the bed. His hand followed her and he loomed over her, his left hand joining the right as they slowly cut off her air.
She screamed with the last breath she had and felt her head pound with sudden pressure before the room faded to black.
