11

Eleanor spun to face her.

"How did you know my name?"

She laughed. "I know everything. I'm Anna."

Eleanor blinked. "Uh.... Okay."

"Please, sit down."

She sat and watched Anna stare at her, with a strange smile on her face.

"Anna?"

"I'm sorry, Ella. I'm just so excited. You're finally here! And even more beautiful in person." She laughed out in glee.

Eleanor was freaked out. "Finally here? Do you know my mom? Or boss?"

"No no, well, not yet anyway. How are you?"

"Who are you?"

Her smile deepened. "I'm Anna. I see you're confused."

"You see very right! This place looks amazing!"

Eleanor couldn't help herself. It looked amazing. Anna smiled.

"I know. Planted them myself."

"No way. It's like wonderland out here!"

Anna smiled. "Not to toot my own horn but, I'm awesome."

Eleanor laughed, "No kidding." and stared at Anna. Anna stared back.

"You're not screaming. That's good."

Eleanor nodded. "Thank you. It's a gift. I've been in a lot of weird situations since I got here so... This is strange but... I don't know."

"I'm here to answer your questions, Eleanor."

She cocked her head to the side, interest peaked. "All of them?"

Anna leaned in and whispered, "Even the ones you're not supposed to know." then winked.

"Okay. First, who are you?"

"I'm Anna. I'm a seer."

"A seer?"

"Yes. I can see into the future, past and all that. Pretty cool stuff."

"That's how you know me?"

"Yes." Anna nodded

"What else do you know about me?"

"I know that your boss is a sling duff." She rolled her eyes.

Eleanor's brows rose.

"I mean, who makes an advance at an employee, then threatens to fire that employee because she refused him? That's crazy."

"I know! There's a non-fraternization policy! Put in place by him! This whole thing, I'm sure he's just looking for an excuse to fire me."

"Would you have gone for him if the policy weren't in place?"

She grimaced "God have mercy, no! He's an egotistical bumclum who doesn't understand the word, 'no'."

Anna guffawed "Oh, I like you! And you're his best writer. It's not smart to threaten you."

"I know right! Jesus Christ, you get me!"

Anna smirked "I was born this way."

Eleanor erupted in a fit of laughter and Anna followed.

"Do you think he's really going to fire me though?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "He can't and he knows it. He's just trying to ruffle your feathers."

Eleanor perked up. "Really?"

"Yup." She popped the P.

Eleanor looked at Anna with curious eyes. "What else do you know?"

Anna sighed and looked at Eleanor with a certain look in her eyes.

"I know that your dreams are not your mind tricking you."

Eleanor's face turned blank "What?"

"Your dreams, Ella. They're not ordinary."

"How did you know about my-- wrong question. How are you so sure?"

"Look at everything that has happened since you got here. The dreams started before you even came. You know it's not your mind, you just don't want to believe it"

"Then why do I have them?"

"They're warnings, dear."

"What warnings?"

"Warnings of the amount of danger you're in."

"Exactly! Danger! Why? Why me?"

"Because you're the one."

"What one?"

"THE one."

Eleanor squinted "Am I suppose to know what that means?"

Anna chuckled. "The voice you heard? He wanted to kill you."

"So it is a male?"

Anna nodded. "It has to be, if not, that would be uncomfortable."

Eleanor grimaced and nodded.

"Why does he want me dead?"

"They all kill people. They tried to get you, it didn't work. He's curious."

"They? Who's 'they'?"

"Topic for later. All you need to know right now is that you're not safe alone. Stick with Andreas."

Her eyes widened. "You know him too?"

"I Know everything." She said with a smug smile.

"But... Wh-- why am I safe with him?"

"They fear him."

Her eyes almost dropped out of their sockets. "Faceless voice is scared of mystery man?! No way!"

"Ouu, mystery man. I like it. Suits him so well."

"Anna!"

"Yes child?"

"Why do they fear him?"

"Have you seen his crazy eyes?"

"Yes but that's why they fear him?"

"No, it's because of the reason behind his crazy eyes."

"What's the reason?"

"He comes from a very strong line."

"Of...?

"He'll tell you. Not me."

Eleanor huffed, then perked up. "Wait, he's not human?"

Anna smiled. "Nice try. He'll tell you. Not me."

"No he won't! He's not used to people and he's broody and he doesn't even like me!" She crossed her arms.

Anna rose a brow "He doesn't like you?"

"He doesn't. Please tell me."

"What makes you think that?"

She groaned. "Anna--"

"Ask him."

"What? If he hates me? No!"

Anna gave a creepy smile and shrugged. "Okay."

Aarrgh!

"Okay, back to the dreams. If they are warnings, why was he in the last one?"

"Not just the last one, but, he's there's because you're safe with him."

"What do you mean not just the last one?"

"Let's call him your protector." Anna said, ignoring her question.

"Anna--"

"Your smoking hot protector." She winked.

"Anna! Stop." Eleanor chuckled.

"He's waiting for you."

"What?"

"He's outside."

"How do you know that?-- you know everything. Got it."

Anna nodded in satisfaction.

"Anna, i-"

Anna stood, "Go now. Come back later. I'm gonna go take a nap." and began to walk back in. Eleanor followed.

"But Anna, i-"

"Here's a bag for your book. You need to keep it covered."

Eleanor looked from the purple bag to Anna. "Oh no Anna, I can't-"

"Return it later when you come back." Anna said, already knowing what Ella was going to say. Eleanor took it and exhaled. She put the book in the bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Thank you."

Anna sat on her bed and smiled.

"Anna, can I buy just one flower?"

"No no. Just pluck it from the back."

"Bu-"

"Bring me chocolate ice cream the next time you're coming." She clapped her hands in glee.

"That's what you want as payment?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you not supposed to NOT have that?"

"You want answers right?"

"Touché." She went, almost gave in to the temptation to stay, but plucked a sun flower and went back to Anna."

"Thank you so much, Anna." She bent and pulled her into a hug.

"No problem, child. Go now. Don't forget my Ice cream."

"Will do." And she walked out of the inner room and into the shop. In she shop, she saw just Daphne. No Andreas.

"Hey. You satisfied with the flower?"

She turned to face Daphne. "Oh yes, thank you."

"Sorry about Anna. She could be a little strange sometimes."

"It's okay."

"So, I haven't seen you around before. You new here?"

Ella nodded while walking down the flowers isles.

"Like a tourist?"

She nodded again and took a whiff of a rose.

"Andreas is your tour guide?"

Eleanor looked at her. "Yes."

"Okay." She observed Daphne. That was weird. She turned to continue walking and she saw a flash of something up front. She walked to the window and saw Andreas standing out there.

She turned to face Daphne "I have to go Daphne, thank you so much."

Daphne frowned. "You're going alone?"

Ella shook her head. "No, I'm going with-" she turned back to the window and saw no one. Huh. "-alone."

Daphne nodded. "Have a nice day. Come again."

"Thank you, i will." Eleanor walked to the door and out of the shop but saw no one. Where did he go? She walked to where she'd seen him but he wasn't there? She turned around. Where had he gone just now?

"You looking for someone?", came a voice from behind her. She turned and saw a tall man with cute brown disheveled hair and honey coloured eyes. He looked nice and his smile encouraged her. She smiled back but before she could answer, a voice answered from behind her.

"No."

She turned, forgetting about the other guy. Andreas was causally looking at her with no worry in the world.

"You! Where did you go?"

"Where did you go?", he returned.

"I went there-" she pointed "- because I came out of the library and you weren't there."

His eyes turned a light shade of red. "You went where?"

"To the flower shop." She shrugged.

He stared at her.

"Why're you mad?"

"Let's go."

He started walking. Eleanor had to run to keep up with him but he didn't stop. They soon got into the forest and she was already panting. The uneven ground wasn't easy to run over. She managed to catch up to him and stretched forth her hand.

"Here."

He looked from the sunflower in her hand, to her face, then stopped walking. Sweat coated her brows and some of her hair had come undone and was sticking to her face. He looked back to the flower and stared at it's pretty colour.

"I know that you don't like holding or touching people and you don't like people at all, least of all, me, but you let me hold your hand when I was scared today. It mustn't have been easy for you so I got you this. It's not a lot but it's me saying thank you."

His eyes slowly came up to hers and they flashed a soft violet colour.

"I don't hate you."

She exhaled, still feeling a bit winded. "You don't?"

He shook his head and took the flower. He stared at it for a while, then slowly..... He smiled softly.

She watched him smile and let out a smile of her own.

"Thank you." He said softly, still staring at the flower. His mom used to love sunflowers. Eleanor nodded and turned to walk, feeling good about herself when she was suddenly picked up off the ground. She gasped and looked up. Andreas was carrying her bridal style, the sun flower in his fingers. She noticed his eyes were a sharp emerald green.

"What are you doing?"

"Carrying you."

"Why?"

"You can't keep up."

"Oh. Well then.... Thank you."

He kept walking and she stared up at him. He wasn't puffing or anything.

"Stop staring."

"You aren't tired? How can you carry me easily?"

He rose a brow. "Why not?"

"I don't know.... I'm heavy."

He scoffed. "You're not."

"I am."

"You eat but you're not heavy."

She kept looking.

"Bella."

"Where are you from?"

He stopped walking and looked down at her.

"Please?" She pouted.

He looked away and kept walking. After a few minutes, he said,

"My grandfather migrated from Ireland to Italy and married my French grandmother, who had come visiting at the time. Had just one kid who later married my Italian mom."

"Irish, french and Italian. I see why you're so hot now."

He looked down at her with violet coloured eyes. "You think I'm hot?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Where's your grandfather now?"

"Dead." His eyes took on a very disturbing shade of black.