Chapter 2

The rain was pounding on his window. The sky outside was a dull grey, with traces of black adorning the rims of the clouds. The weather matched his sullen mood, perfectly. The lightening striked with all its might. And he shuddered as his breaths came out in smoky puffs, despite the fire, that warmed the room. The fire-place was well-lit and was his only source of light in the empty room. He sneezed as he held his blanket closer to him. He just sat on the couch, watching the pelts of rain fall on the ground. He didn't even notice the portals of his chamber open with a creak, and as a beautiful maiden with ebony hair and glittering lilac eyes, entered.

A soft smile, adorning her soft complexion. She walked towards his hunched figure. He paid no attention, until her voice broke the barriers of his hearing.

"Danny!"

His head whipped around at the sound of her voice. And he stared at her with wide eyes, this could not be true. But he didn't heed a word to the fact of reality or fantasy and ran towards her. He held her in his arms as she laughed softly and embraced him as well. His tears started wavering out of his sapphire orbs and he held her tighter, fearing that he would lose her again. She threaded her fingers in the hair at nape of his neck. But she pulled away softly, and he saw that she was glowing. He laughed shakily, and leaned towards her.

"Wait for me, Danny. I want you to wait!" she said softly, and his eyes snapped open, and he found himself in his bed. He shot up and looked around, to find her. Sam wasn't here, she couldn't be here. Because she was in her own chamber, several feet away from him. Just the thought that she wasn't here with him, made him fall more in the bout of his depression. But she had said something to him...

"Wait for me, Danny. I want you to wait!"

He sighed and looked towards his ceiling and whispered, "I will. I promise!" His head snapped in the direction of his door as it opened, and the familiar red-head popped in. He sighed and fell back on his bed. Sometimes he just wished that he hadn't asked her to do what they had done...

Sam had cried, sprawled on her bed and cried.

Her father had brought her home and threw her in her room, while her mother watched helplessly with disappointment in her eyes at her daughter for ruining the family's reputation. Sam couldn't give a damn about the family's name. All she cared about was her Danny. What his father would do to him and his family. He couldn't arrest them because there really wasn't a big crime. Maybe her father might exile them, that way she wouldn't be able to see him.

Somehow, that thought made her cry more. Until she heard a sound. She looked up and saw that someone was throwing pebbles on her window. She wiped her tears but her sobs wouldn't stop. She slowly approached her window, and opened it.

What she saw, made her sad night into a blissful one.

He left first thing towards Sam's house after he came back home. His mother asked him continuously about what had occurred, but both father and son were silent. He was guilty for what he was about to do, but nothing felt more right then this. He left a note for his parents, telling them repeatedly that this was the right thing, he just hoped that they would understand. He packed most of his belongings, but left them in his bedroom. He needed her say in this, he went straight towards Sam's mansion.

He came towards the back and took a few pebbles that were lying on the ground. He was careful not to wake her parents. He aimed a pebble towards her window and threw it, which struck right on target. He threw some more, and he finally saw a shadow looming towards the window. That was when he found Sam, who opened the window. Her eyes widened and it hurt him so much to see her this sad. Tears were still slipping from her beautiful amethyst eyes. She wanted to say his name but nothing came out.

"Sam!" Danny said in a hushed tone, "I came to say something..." He was looking expectantly in her eyes. He had proposed this several times in the past, but she flat-out refused. But then their meetings were a secret, and now everyone knew, and everyone was against them. He thought that maybe she might change her mind this time. "Yes, Danny" she finally managed out through her sobs.

Danny looked down at his boots, then after a moment's hesitation, he said as he looked her in the eye, "Run away with me!"

She was not expecting that, several times before she refused his proposal, but now those words seemed better than anything. She tried to speak but only one word came out.

"How?"

He seemed to lit up, "I can come back with my belongings, you pack all that you need, and right before dawn, we'll run away." She looked aside. She needed time to think, this was too much at once. How could she run away. But when she looked at what she will leave behind, a father who might marry her off to some rich snob, her mother who only cared for the family fortune. And her entire family, who thought of her as some weird little girl, who got way too curious for the consequences of running away with the person she loved and trusted with her life. She didn't need a life of prison that her family constantly rambled on and on about. She didn't want to marry a man, who she didn't know, and live her entire life waiting for her miracle.

Then she realized that life with Danny was something that she truly wanted. He was her miracle, and she would give anything to just be with him. She had made her decision.

She looked towards him, who was searching her face for any emotion. Their eyes met and she said, "I'll be ready."

He grinned and lifted his palm towards her. She redirected by reaching her palm towards him as well. If they were close to one another, their palms might have touched. It was almost like reaching. Both of them were reaching for each other. Sam smiled as well. "I love you" both of them whispered to each other, and Danny ran towards his home after casting a longing gaze towards his beloved.

Sam turned towards her Almira, still grinning, leaving no trace of tears as she took out her belongings. Yes, she had no regret. As she looked up, no regret at all.

"How is she!" he asked nonchalantly. Jazz's head whipped in his direction, she wasn't expecting him to be awake. She just bit her lips and turned away guiltily, "You always ask the same question, Danny" she mumbled. It had become a routine for, she would come to him to ask about his health, and he would ask the same question again and again. And it always afflicted her to deliver him the news that she was the same as she had been for the months time since she got here. She felt pathetic that she couldn't do them any good.

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

The dusty specks were everywhere. For the fact that no maid ever came in to take a look at the dusty tapestries and the cinders and grime of the room. Basically, they felt uneasy, dealing with a living corpse. So they left her alone, since she flinched when ever someone came to her lodging, so they thought it best to leave her alone until she felt better. Some said that she was improving, saying that now some of the maidens and Jasmine herself could come to her room and she wouldn't try to scream like she did the first time.

Some said that she was secluding herself further inside.

But that still didn't prove that Samantha Elizabeth Manson had uttered a word since the time of her stay. It was passing the third month of her stay, and it was a miracle that Jazz made her eat something.

Back to the topic of dust, the window sill was covered with husks of dust. And Sam was mindlessly swapping her fingers over it, just so she could move out the remains. Her attention solely focused on the rain outside. It was getting frequent now, the rain. Just to match her mood and tell her that she wasn't alone in her melancholy mood. That the bleakness surrounded her every where. But just to think that she was wiping of the dust from the sill, mindlessly, made her realize that she was used to it. She was used to cleaning up the mess so that she could be saved from the pain she felt that her Mistress tried to show her when she missed a spot. And how she would cause pain and inflict upon her sullen body.

"I want this place spotless by the time I get back. Or else!" the warning was enough for the maidens. As they wasted no time in taking a hold of the brooms and mops.

When Penelope Spectra laid down an order, it was best not to speak after her. What she said was carved in stones for the poor maidens. And if one tried to go against her, well, the others never got to know what came of her. Sam was no exception. The minute those vile and ruthless men that brought her here, she knew that she would be doomed, if it weren't for the walls that screamed hell, well she saw how the maidens glanced her way with pity.

This was a whore house, and maidens who got in, never got out.

As Penelope took grasped her dull ebony hair and threw her across the floor like some dirt rag the time Sam was the one left to face her, she knew that the moment that uncouth and heartless woman threw her in a room, that she would soon be served as bait. The silhouettes that formed leaning towards the door, just proved her right.

She sighed, the memories came more and more, but it hurt less. She tried remembering the good moments, but was always blessed with the nightmares she had to face. The good memories were blurry, as if there was no room left for them in her life that they annihilated themselves. But then a foggy image formed, and she found herself back home.

"Honestly dear, how could someone be this apathetic!" came the shrill voice of Pamela Manson as she scrutinized the glass boutonnieres. It was very expensive, and she had ordered for it to cleaned regularly. But the maids were slacking off on yet another one of the tasks she gave them. She huffed as she set it down and sat down on one of the couches, and pushing her daughter's feet off one of the tables, in the process.

"Mother, they have so many other things to do. They could get a little tired once in a while!" Sam said and resumed reading one of her favorite books.

"I am aware, but this is the third time this day that I have seen them ignoring my every order!" Pamela yelled. Sam rolled her eyes and set the book down on her lap as she looked up to her mother, "If you would have requested, then maybe they'd listen!" always trying to make her mother understand that servants were human as well. And they didn't deserve to be treated like...

"And would you still take their side when I tell you that one of them sowed a vibrant pink dress for you!" her mother said in a nonchalant tone. And Sam's head snapped in her direction, "What!" she shouted and her mother started laughing as her daughter's face turned red with anger. Soon she found the barriers stopping her lips from turning into a grin, broken. And she too laughed with her mother.

It was one of the moments she always cherished. The times she spent with her parents. A small smile passed her lips, as if it weren't there. And suddenly the doors opened and she gasped. But calmed down as a maid brought a cup of tea for her. Which she hurriedly placed on her table and sprinted towards the door without even saying a word. Sam looked at the mist escaping from the hot tea, and for the first time in several months, she drank something other than water. And it provided a welcome relief to her lips.

Okay, people I have (*sniffs*) writers block (*break down*). I tried to write good stuff, but this shit came out. I know that I was supposedly going to write The Elite. But I only reached a 1000 words in it, and those are crappy. I am really anxious, because tomorrow is a big day for me.

I am trying to write some good stuff, but it just won't come out right. So I hoped that I could write a new story. It's based on Ian McEwans novel, 'Atonement'. I hope I could write it today.

And since I am dealing with Writer's Block, so I created cover photos for my upcoming stories and pasting them on facebook to get approval from my peers. So far I love what I made for the Atonement, so I guess I might post a new story. And if any one of you want my cover photos, just ask. Because I tried damn hard.

Anyway, Love

Red