Chapter 2: The Enchanted Man

JILLIAN

“Angelo.” I uttered his name once again as my eyes started to feel heavy. They closed and I’m going to be taken far into some deep dream once more. But it feels weird. It’s like I’m already asleep and is waking.

“Jillian.”

I know that voice that’s repeatedly calling me. Why is he here?

“Jillian! Wake up!” He is hurting my ears with his loud and angry voice. A sudden kick woke me up making me cough and curl to my knees. My stomach felt his huge feet with heavy shoes harassingly kicking me.

“I see you are still alive,” he spoke with his normal voice. 

I forced to open my eyes only to see how blurry my vision was. Water is covering my eyes and I have no choice but to let them flow once more crying in silent.

“Stand up and do your chores!” My stepmom is here too walking from the door. They left me there still weak and unable to move right. I studied the whole room using my eyes. 

‘Is this reality? This can’t be real. I meet a man last night and he said he is Angelo.’

The body is aching a lot making me feel more alive and in reality. I’m so much convinced now that Angelo is just a dream after standing up. This is the reality that I know. This house is my prison which I wanted to escape from. Still unmoved, I look at the open window and the outside to the forest. 

‘Is there really a mansion down there?’

Before my dad or stepmom do anything else to me, I hurriedly went downstairs to start all my chores. I’m all tired but I have no choice but follow every order they have for me. I’m treated like a slave than a daughter. I wish I never wake up and just stay with that Angelo. 

I look at the knife and dark thoughts came inside me.

‘What if I kill myself?’

Before I could do anything else, the wind caressed my skin as if it’s telling me not do it. I look at the outside by the window. The foods are ready and the next thing that I should do is to call my parents for breakfast but the window is tempting.

A part of me is hesitating but my heart is screaming that I should go, run and escape. I climb on the window and feel the ground with my bare feet. Running, I felt free once more just like how I felt inside my dream last night. The wind is brushing all my hair away from my face taking them all at the back of my head.

“Jillian!” My heart almost stopped beating when I hear my stepmom’s voice angrily calling me. A gun shot was fired. It’s dad, as if he is shooting on some stray animal running to the forest.

“You can never escape!” I hear his voice too. 

I reached the forest running a bit faster. Multiple gunshots are still fired at me but I don’t care. If I die this way, then I die. My feet are not giving up. I’m panting and sweating hard the more distance I travel by running. I’m losing all my energy but I can’t stop or they will catch me. 

I was running but I see no mansion. Crying in disappointment, I suddenly stepped on something sharp and fell down on my knees. I was screaming with no sound, crawling on the ground. 

“Stand up Jillian, run this way.” A familiar whisper hushed from the side making me move my head. I look at the direction from the right and stand up running once again. A mansion, a mansion is visible from afar and it’s calling me. 

My father and stepmom’s voices are no longer audible at this point as I ran across a river. A huge mansion is finally in front of me. I touched its walls, the vines climbing them and myself. My dream was true. I’m awake and I’m seeing the mansion I once visited inside that dream. I rushed inside walking to the hallways opening the huge door but everything is different. 

I see nothing but an abandoned, old and cracked walls with dirt and vines adorned to it. The place is silent and there’s no man living in there. 

“Angelo is not real,” I whispered all disappointed. 

I am alone watching the birds flying freely from the window sitting at the side hugging both of my knees. The more the sun changes its position in that sky, the sadder and heavier I feel. My empty stomach is aching but I can’t find anything to eat. I decided to walk outside still anxious about my parents finding out that I am here.

I ripped anything that’s edible outside. Some fruits that will take away my starvation and thirst. It’s the very first time in my life that I haven’t done a lot and it’s amazing. I watched the sunset and the sky looking like an art of spray paint crafted by a creative hand. It was peaceful until the darkness took over. I was standing outside when the mansion suddenly had light on.

The lights passed through the windows making me wonder what’s going on. It’s when I noticed, the mansion looks livelier during the night as if someone is living inside. I started walking inside and a soft melody greeted my ears. Everything looks exactly just like the dream I had last night.

I pinched myself a bit checking if I am awake and I did feel some pain from it. The door is wide open exposing the insides. The chandelier is dazzling and glimmering with the lights as if it’s dancing. The furniture looked expensive and antique. The sweet scent soothes my wounded body and soul. My eyes closed by itself, feeling the place more.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” a familiar voice spoke. That deep and calm voice must be his. I opened my eyes immediately to look if I was right. He is indeed standing there wearing the same outfit as how I remember him.

“You know I would come here?” I asked like it’s not our first encounter.

“You dreamed about this place and me. You’ve been here through a dream and now you’re seeing it with your human eyes,” he said walking towards me just to tap my head. His touches felt different and is more enchanting than the one from the dream.

“So you are Angelo.”

“Yes. Welcome to my world, Jillian.”