I don’t know what to think. What in this world is wrong with me? How can I be so stupid? I feel terrible.
“Juniper! Get down here, NOW!” I flinch at the tone of my mother’s voice and softly snap my fingers to get my door to slide open. A heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach weighs me down; it has been all day. Ever since they grew, she’s been getting suspicious. She knows. She knows my secret.
“Juniper! Am I going to have to come up and get you?”
“Mum, I’m coming down the stairs.”
“Walk faster.” I slowed down just to annoy her. When I walk into the living room, he’s there. He always is. I almost feel he’s been stalking me. But I don’t know his name.
“Juniper, meet Hazari.” His silver eyes bore into me, leaving me breathless. I don’t know what to do; I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never felt this vulnerable, this open to anyone before. But now I do.
He smiles slowly, his perfect white teeth contrasting incredibly with blood-red lips. Extending his hand to me, he says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Juniper.”
I think to myself that yes, to him, it probably is pleasure to meet someone you’ve been following for the past six months. But I don’t say this aloud. Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror on the wall. My coppery gold eyes are widened, but whether from fear or surprise, I can’t tell.
“It’s nice to meet you, too. Hazari.” I took his hand and shook it. I won’t be able to stay here as long as he is here. Hazari is dangerous to me, and my mother knows it. My mother will do anything to kill me. She knows my secret.
“Come, Juniper, let’s have tea in the den.” She and Hazari head to the living room as I walk to the kitchen. I know the routine. She has friends over, and I am the servant.
I boil the water and pour it slowly into the two teacups, and dip the tealeaves in. There is a little water left for me, so I take advantage of it. I make another cup of tea for myself, but set up a tray for Hazari and my mother. I set the saucers, teacups, two spoons, a creamer, and a bowl of sugar on the tray and take it out to the den.
I nearly drop the tray in surprise. My mother is showing Hazari our family treasure, the crystal necklace.
“Mother!” I scream. This time, I do drop the tray. She look at me in fury and surprise.
“What?”
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“You aren’t supposed to do that!”
“Who says?”
“They say!” I am astounded. Why is she doing this? Doesn’t she know that They won’t let won’t let her? Obviously not.
“Whatever They say doesn’t go with me, Juniper.”
“Mum! You know They’ll kill you!”
“Not if They don’t find me.”
“They always do.”
“Not with me, They won’t.”
“Hey, who are They?” Hazari interrupts. I just look at him. And that’s when I decide I can’t take this anymore. I run. I throw open the front door and run out. But I don’t run straight, because I know Hazari would catch me within a second. Instead, I run around behind the house, fling open the cellar door, and almost sprain my ankle running down the stairs. I pray they don’t hear the door slam shut, and I lock it from the inside. It’s dark in there, but I can see perfectly. A flashlight would help, though, so I find one on the many shelves. I need a flashlight for what I am doing, which probably won’t be the safest thing in the world. Then I hear the banging on the door.
“Oh, cr**.” I find the door in a matter of seconds and open it. Even though I am shining my flashlight down into it, it’s still pitch black. One foot is in when I hear the door break under Hazari’s constant pounding. By the time he’s down the stairs, though, the door has shut behind me and I am falling into nothingness. It feels like forever before I hit the floor hard.
“Juniper! Get down here, NOW!” I flinch at the tone of my mother’s voice and softly snap my fingers to get my door to slide open. A heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach weighs me down; it has been all day. Ever since they grew, she’s been getting suspicious. She knows. She knows my secret.
“Juniper! Am I going to have to come up and get you?”
“Mum, I’m coming down the stairs.”
“Walk faster.” I slowed down just to annoy her. When I walk into the living room, he’s there. He always is. I almost feel he’s been stalking me. But I don’t know his name.
“Juniper, meet Hazari.” His silver eyes bore into me, leaving me breathless. I don’t know what to do; I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never felt this vulnerable, this open to anyone before. But now I do.
He smiles slowly, his perfect white teeth contrasting incredibly with blood-red lips. Extending his hand to me, he says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Juniper.”
I think to myself that yes, to him, it probably is pleasure to meet someone you’ve been following for the past six months. But I don’t say this aloud. Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror on the wall. My coppery gold eyes are widened, but whether from fear or surprise, I can’t tell.
“It’s nice to meet you, too. Hazari.” I took his hand and shook it. I won’t be able to stay here as long as he is here. Hazari is dangerous to me, and my mother knows it. My mother will do anything to kill me. She knows my secret.
“Come, Juniper, let’s have tea in the den.” She and Hazari head to the living room as I walk to the kitchen. I know the routine. She has friends over, and I am the servant.
I boil the water and pour it slowly into the two teacups, and dip the tealeaves in. There is a little water left for me, so I take advantage of it. I make another cup of tea for myself, but set up a tray for Hazari and my mother. I set the saucers, teacups, two spoons, a creamer, and a bowl of sugar on the tray and take it out to the den.
I nearly drop the tray in surprise. My mother is showing Hazari our family treasure, the crystal necklace.
“Mother!” I scream. This time, I do drop the tray. She look at me in fury and surprise.
“What?”
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“You aren’t supposed to do that!”
“Who says?”
“They say!” I am astounded. Why is she doing this? Doesn’t she know that They won’t let won’t let her? Obviously not.
“Whatever They say doesn’t go with me, Juniper.”
“Mum! You know They’ll kill you!”
“Not if They don’t find me.”
“They always do.”
“Not with me, They won’t.”
“Hey, who are They?” Hazari interrupts. I just look at him. And that’s when I decide I can’t take this anymore. I run. I throw open the front door and run out. But I don’t run straight, because I know Hazari would catch me within a second. Instead, I run around behind the house, fling open the cellar door, and almost sprain my ankle running down the stairs. I pray they don’t hear the door slam shut, and I lock it from the inside. It’s dark in there, but I can see perfectly. A flashlight would help, though, so I find one on the many shelves. I need a flashlight for what I am doing, which probably won’t be the safest thing in the world. Then I hear the banging on the door.
“Oh, cr**.” I find the door in a matter of seconds and open it. Even though I am shining my flashlight down into it, it’s still pitch black. One foot is in when I hear the door break under Hazari’s constant pounding. By the time he’s down the stairs, though, the door has shut behind me and I am falling into nothingness. It feels like forever before I hit the floor hard.
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