Meanwhile over in Mystique Hollow that same evening, Levana was helping Vaggie paint another glorious mural on a wall that had been left blank and white. Vaggie was painting moths this time but she didn't want to paint them so perfect like she did the butterflies. She wanted to paint them as imperfect, with lots of scribbles and out of place lines and colors. Sometimes she liked to paint neat and elegant, and other times she liked to paint messy and modern. Basically she painted something however she felt like painting it.
Levana painted moths too but they were just straightforward and perfect. No lines out of place or scribbles. It looked just like something you'd see on display in an art museum. But there didn't to be any emotion in her art. At least not from Vaggie's point of view. Still it was an impressive piece, as impressive as one of her father's paintings. In fact that way she painted was identical to how her father would paint.
"You're really good." Vaggie complimented. "You know my parents and I used to paint on the walls like this when I was a kid. The house we lived in together was so dull and colorless. basically a run down shack.So we painted different images on the walsl to make it a nicer place to live in. When we moved into the apartment, I wanted to paint on the walls of y bedroom but my mother wouldn't let me."
"Your mother is a very troubled person." Levana said.
"What do you mean?"
"She has a very dark aura."
"What does that mean?"
"Well judging by what you've told me, she's not very happy with the life she's chosen to live. She's not happy being a mother."
"Well I guess it's not easy for her but I don't know about that."
"I'm just going by what you've told me. She never encourages your artistic dreams, she doesn't listen to you, she's never around, she always expects you to just focus on school and nothing else. And you did tell me once that she just wants to make sure you don't screw up your like she did hers. Didn't you say that?"
"Yeah."
"Well I'm no genius, but isn't she basically saying that she screwed up her life by choosing to be a mother instead of going back to college?"
"No...She's not saying that." Vaggie replied, though she wasn't entirely convinced of that.
"Again this is just me drawing my own conclusion on things that you've told me about her. but it sounds like she never wanted to be a mother and that she resents the fact that she had to be one."
Vaggie wanted to protest but she couldn't. She couldn't find anything to say because she didn't know for certain if Levana was right or wrong. She knew her mother was trying hard to take care of her but she wondered if she did that because she loved her or felt that she had to. Vaggie's birth had been an accident and her mom did give up a college education to take care of her. Her mom seemed to always be in a rotten mood recently and she was always acting like the worst thing Vaggie could do was repeat her mother's actions in high school. Did she resent being a mother? Did she resent having Vaggie?
"My mother was the same way." Levana said. "My father was married when she had me and he said that he could handle a mistress but not a bastard. So he left us and she blamed me. Said he'd still love her if I had never been born."
"Oh...Gee I'm sorry to hear that."
"She was an awful woman. She made me feel responsible for everything bad that ever happened to her. As if my existence was a plague on her. What kind of a mother would make her own child feel like that?"
"I...I don't know."
"If I had a child of my own I'd never let her feel like her being born was a mistake. I'd see to it that she would always feel wanted and adored. That's why I'm so kind to all children. So they never have to feel as awful as I felt growing up. I sincerely hope you never feel that way."
Later Levana went to join Charlie in admiring the garden, telling her all about each species of flower and each of its wonderful qualities.
"What makes my flowers the best that not only are they beautiful, but flowers don't need any water. They don't need any pruning or weeding. They never wilt or collect pollen. They're perfect."
"They are pretty amazing." Charlie said. "But they don't have a scent. How come?"
"Well flower scents are highly overrated. Most scents stink anyway. It's probably better that these flowers don't have a scent."
"I don't know. Stolas always said that a flower's perfume is the best part."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. He is a botanist, so he knows everything about about flowers and plants. He has his own greenhouse where he keeps specimens that he has to study for work. I'm not allowed in there though, because his job is to make sure none of the specimens are toxic."
"Levana."
Someone new came into the garden. Someone who Charlie had never seen before. She was wearing a pure white, blank face mask and had long white hair with pink streaks and a body that was very skinny. On her left thigh, Charlie could spot a heart-shaped tattoo that bore the Mia on the inside. Something about her seemed very familiar to Charlie but she couldn't figure out why.
"Hello Mia." Levana said to her sweetly. "What can I do for you?"
"Dennis sent me to fetch you. He saw that owl flying about in your room."
"Oh that nasty little winged beast. Excuse me, Charlie. I must now rid my room of a little pest."
"You won't hurt him, will you?" Charlie asked. "Owls are so beautiful and they don't really mean to bother anyone. Well anyone who's not a mouse or insect that is."
"I've never been particularly fond of birds Charlie." Levana said. "Feathers make me sneeze and their incessant screeching makes my ears bleed. Can't stand any of them, owls most of all. Mia, assist me with disposing of this vermin, won't you?"
"Yes ma'am."
Before leaving, Mia stopped and looked back at Charlie and for a moment the girl thought that this servant, she assumed, wanted to tell her something but couldn't.
"Mia." Levana called gently.
"Coming." Mia said exiting the garden to join her mistress inside.
Charlie watched them until they were completely out of sight.
"Finally! I thought she'd never leave!"
Charlie jumped at the sudden sound of another voice. One unexpected but she recognized it. Turning around, she watched the mysterious figure called Alastor dropped down from the garden gate and landed on his feet right in front of her.
"Goodness!" She gasped. "Must you always sneak up on people like that?"
"I'm sorry, terribly rude I know but sneaking is the only way around these parts for me." He said. "If she knew I was here right now, she'd throw such a nasty fit."
Charlie then recalled the warning Levana had given her about Alastor. The warning that he was a bit of an old pervert, and quickly took a few steps away from him.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"Just wanted to say hello again." He said and then for moment she thought he looked very bashful. "And I...I wanted to show you something."
Charlie looked at him cautiously.
"It's not on your body is it?"
"What?" He said raising his eyebrow. "No. It's something I made."
From his sleeve he produced a small sphere of clear material, glass, crystal, and began to spin around in his fingers.
"Take a look inside."
She did so but kept her distance. It was just like the one that owl had given to Octavia the other morning except inside were little porcelain flowers.
"And watch what happens if you turn it."
He flipped it to the left side and the porcelain flowers flipped into a porcelain theater house. For a minute, Charlie forgot her fear and was astounded but the item. She had heard of little trinkets and devices that could do tricks like these but she didn't have a single theory of how a mere orb without some kind of windup key could do it.
"You really made this?" She asked him, awestruck.
"Yep." He said, pleased that he had impressed her. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful."
"You can have it if you wish."
When he said that, her fear and suspicion had returned. Now she couldn't say for certain if Alastor was a pervert like Levana had warned, but if there was a slight chance that he was one, then she shouldn't be taking gifts from him. Stolas always said never take candy, toys, or any kind of presents from strangers. Then again she had been taking little presents from an owl. But that was different. What threat was a common owl to a young girl?
"What is it?" He said sending the change in her mood. "You don't like it?"
"No, no, it's not that. It's just I don't know you that well and it's very unwise to take things from people you're not familiar with."
"Oh…Fair enough." He put the wonderful crystal back in his sleeve. "I'll just save this for after we get to know each other better."
"Actually I...I don't think I should talk to you anymore."
Not at first Alastor looked very hurt by what she said. Hurt and worried. Had he offended her? Did he make her feel uncomfortable? Did he frighten her? But then a thought occurred to him and his attitude turned smug.
"What you really mean is, she told you not to talk me anymore."
"She who?"
"Levana. She told you specifically not to associate with me in any way. Correct?"
"How did you know that?"
"Because that's what she tells everybody. She tells everyone over here not to speak to me or even look at me if it can be helped. Want to know why?"
"I think I have a good idea for what her reasons are."
"It's because she hates me. She hates me and she tries to keep me out, and she may try." He chuckled in an amused tone. "Oh yes, she may try. But she can't of course. Much like a stray cat, I come and go as I please."
"Yes I've noticed." Charlie replied. "But you know you can't really blame her for disliking you. You're not exactly safe to be around."
"Oh?" He said. "Oh dearie me, what outlandish story has she thought of this time?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Tell me, what reason did she give for why you should stay away from me? Hmm?"
"She...She said that you used to work for her but she fired you because you had...Well...Because you had taken in unhealthy interest in young girls."
"And you believe her?"
"Well you do seem to have taken a peculiar interest in me and I don't think someone your age, should be this close to me."
"Someone my age? How old do you think I am exactly?"
"Um...Late thirties, early forties?"
Alastor suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.
"Ha! Is that what she told you? My dear, I am almost eighteen years of age."
Charlie looked at him.
"Bull!" She said. "There's no way you're a teenager."
"I swear to you I am. My birthday was November 16 1991."
That was only a year and a half before Charlie was born. But he could still just be lying, after all he didn't look very much like a teenager. He was so tall, taller than even a teenage boy of unusual height. And the parts of his face that she could see, had so many lines and markings on it. The ones that came from years hard times and suffering. Very few young people had lines like that.
However when she looked up into those strange eyes of his, she recognized that these were not the eyes of an older man. Or a lustful and ill intentioned one. They were marvelously bright. They seemed be sparkling and twinkling the whole time he looked at her, simply alight with fun and laughter. But what had her doubting Levana's words the most was that behind all that brightness and cheer, she could see the soul of a boy. A lost and sad little boy.
Could he really be so much younger than he looked? Perhaps if she saw his whole face, then she would be able to tell for certain. How did he look without that scarf he was wearing?
Without thinking, her hand slowly reached for the red fabric covering the lower regions of his face. Terror flickered in Alastor's eyes the minute he realized what she was about to do and jumped away from her.
"No!" He shouted, for once sounding very upset and almost afraid. "You mustn't ever see me without my covering!"
"Why? What are you hiding? A terribly unkept beard? A bad case of acne?"
"Worse than all those two things combined! Worse than anything you can imagine!"
"Oh really, it can't be that bad."
But it apparently was, because he was now moving as far away from her as possible., far until he was out of sight. A puzzled expression was now on her face, and she began to wonder what about his face was so dreadful, that he couldn't allow anyone else to see it.
Answer to guest: No Slenderman will not be mentioned in this fic. Why would I mention him? He's no where in any of the material that inspired this fic.