Zachary’s POV
I did not know how I reached home.Myabe a magic carpet brought me here. I made a joke out of myself. I was bad at telling jokes. But when I opened my eyes, I can tell that I was back on my rented cottage. I reached for my phone, which by habit, I know was on the bedside table. The time was ten in the morning.
Weird.
I have no recollection whatsoever of what happened last night. I am pretty certain that I have not consumed any alcoholic beverages while I was on my way here. The idea that someone could have drugged me sounded plausible.It was not uncommon to be roofied even back home. I bolted from the bed and checked my luggage, it was still locked and was not even opened since last night to see if i still have my belongings.
“Hmm, must be jet lag.” I convinced myself.
Now that the whole place was flooded by natural light, I could see now that the place was indeed a steal, whoever decorated this place was severely talented. The wooden floor and the simple furniture made it cosy and basic. Just like how I want my living spaces to be. I detest clutter and I specifically hate trash lingering all over the place. My mom would always comment positively on the way I keep my place in one piece, for a man. To be clear, I am not gay and I have nothing against them. I like their company and pretty much they are fun to be with.
My phone rang.
“Hi! How was the flight and how is everything? Your father and I have a bet that your rented place sucks.Tell me I won, honey. I have a plan on where to spend my winnings already.” My mother was a chatterbox. And I adore that trait. While my father was the silent type, Frances Oliver was the opposite. My parents were the epitome of ‘opposites attract’. Just hearing her joyful voice made me miss home.
My father came into view, he squeezed his stubby face on the camera and he was grinning too.”Tell, me I won. My bet was on the better place.”
I laugh. These two never fail to make my day. It looked like it was dinner time in Texas now. Judging by the dining area and half eaten plates that came to view when someone accidentally pressed the rear view camera. I am guessing that they were having my mother’s meatloaf and my dad’s famous watercress salad.God, I miss home now, my mouth was dry and my throat was parched. Dry as a dessert in the Sahara. I walked to the fridge and took a pitcher of water while still taking to my parents.
The water tasted awful, I threw it in the sink. It created a splatter on the marbled adjoining counter top.
“What was wrong, Zachary?” Mom asked me.
“Nothing, mom. The water tasted bad.” Wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“Maybe because you just woke up and that was your own saliva you tasted.” a voice said, I recognize it right away, there was no mistaking that voice--it belonged to my older brother, Ken. Ken likes to roast me, even when I am away.
“Thank you very much, bro.” As I raised the glass of water and forced myself to drink it, it was better now, maybe it had to take time before my palate gets accustomed to Bulgarian water. I reminded myself to get bottled waters from a grocery store. Getting diarrhea in a foreign land did not sound appealing.
“We wanted to see how the place looked like.” Mom coaxed me.She sounded too eager to know who won over their bet, I was too glad to oblige. After all, she won’t stop until I give her what she want.
“How much was the bet?” I teased them.
“Two hundred dollars.” They said in unison.
"Then wire me fifty." I joked again.
On that note, I flipped the camera to rear view and showed them around. I can tell that mom was sad because she just lost two hundred dollars to dad, who was very proud of himself now. Now that I am fully awake, I noticed the one window big enough to be considered as a door. Out of curiosity, I waked towards it. The white curtains blowing through the gentle breeze. I still have my phone in my hand. As I opened it, I almost lost my breath and my eyesight as well.
“Aaah!” I screamed.
“What happened to you, Zachary?!” My mother was panicking now after hearing my anguished scream of pain.
I went back inside. Opened my eyes and slowly adjusted my vision. Maybe because I went outside instantly. It happened before. Yeah, maybe that was it. Peeking through the window that was now a door, I saw what I thought was almost impossible to see in a metropolis such as Brooklyn. Brooklyn was wonderful, but it was a concrete jungle. While, this....what was in front of me was a view that looked like it was photoshopped but was not. The aesthetic was surreal. I now just realize that the cottage was overlooking a lake and rolling pastures that were dotted with perennial flowers that made the green carpet of grass colorful and I could see the green mountains. Oh, the fresh air, slowly, I found myself stepping out because mom was telling me that she wanted a good view.
Breath taking.
The sun was still painful but it was tolerable now. I did not linger much since I felt hunger and and starving in Bulgaria was none of my concern these days. Firstly, I had to convert the cash I had into Bulgarian Lev. I said my goodbye to the family and promised to talk soon. Got dressed and was soon out of the cottage. I walked a little farther as a part of being a tourist and getting to know the place where I plan to stay for the next couple of weeks. I found a cafe that served American breakfast and decided that it’ll do for today. The cafe was not busy and I made my way inside, found a spot and made my order.
Believe me, I was just enjoying my brunch when a lady sat in front of me. The burger I was eating did not end up in my mouth. It spluttered all over my face and had to wipe it off embarrassingly. She was shook me. Also, I forgot where to stick my food because the woman was very pretty and I was rarely approached by females even back home. Oh, Bulgaria, I am loving you now.
“Hi.” She said, smiling.
“Hello?” I said. Looking at my surrounding if she was indeed talking to me and that she had not mistaken me for someone else.” Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, uh, sorry. Pardon the rudeness. I noticed that you were alone and I just arrived here. “ Oh, my goodness, she was not just pretty. She was an exquisite representation of the female populace. Her eyes were aquamarine and her teeth were perfect. If I were a talent scout, then this girl is the jackpot.
“Uh, yeah, same here. Where are you from?”
“New York. “ She said, as she offered me her hand, which I take wholeheartedly. “My name is Helena, Helena Mountbatten.”
Helena’s POVLike any siblings that roamed the Earth, take Cain and Abel for an example--there will always be sibling rivalry and the parents have their favorites no matter how much they try to deny it. My mother’s favorite was Maddox. I really do not mind, as long as I have full access to the family wealth. They can team up and I still do not care. I am my father’s favorite and when he passed on , I felt indifferent, alone. Sometimes I think Persephone visits me in my dreams.“Where the hell is Maddox?” Solandra roared in search for her favorite child.“I do not know, and while you look for him, I am gonna go out in a while. It is a bit cloudy. “I did not hear any protests from my mother. I am no longer surprised, I have lived three hundred years and I have not received a single strand of concern or worry from her, even if I blatantly announced that I would go out in broad daylight. I will take the car, park in the in-parking lot and go to a cafe or a mall. Whatever I fancy.I Chan
Helena rushed to the parking lot and drove as fast as she could. She almost crashed into a flower vendor because she needed to go home. The Duchess needed to know what she had seen. It would flip her and witnessing her mother flip because of an imbecile who disrespects the decree she so valued among the other decrees she had imposed to keep their race alive was almost exhilirating for her. Solandra will exhaust everything under her command to find the identity of the culprit. No one dares to insult her by disobeying her.She paused for a while when she saw on her rear view mirror the look of dismay and defeat of the vendor she had almost ran over. She know that look. The look of disappointment. Her foot on the gas pedal wanted to go ahead and forget what she was looking at, but her head says otherwise. She grabbed her purse and disembarked her car.“I am sorry, I was just in a hurry.” She apologized at the woman.“I know.” The vendor said. From this proximity, Helena can tell that sh
Zac’s POVThe woman I met in the Cafe was very pretty, yeah, sure. It could have been a better encounter of two tourists who ended up spending the day together because they find each others company rather fun and for anyone who have never traveled alone, it is a bit reassuring to get along well with another person who is as foreign as you are.What was her name again?Elen? Helen? Ahhh... It was Helena. Helena what, I do not remember. I was good with numbers but not with names. Ugh.She was very warm and happy and if she could have stayed a bit longer, he would have built the courage to ask her out for dinner later. But she did a Cinderella on him, the only difference was that Cinderella left her glass slippers, she did not. Before he knew it, she was gone, she came in hot and left hot too.“Well, at least you made a friend.” Ken was laughing after he recounted the story to his brother for the fifth time today. “She was really pretty.” “No photos, not sure she was, bro.”“Just trus
Helena had time to spare . The rest of the sin-eaters will arrive around midnight because no matter how modern they claim to be, and no matter how many centuries have passed, midnight will always hold a special place in their unbeating hearts.It was early and she felt bored. Something tells her that she needed to see that Zac again. To her, he was a curious case. In the history of sin-eaters since their creation, no one was like him. He was supposed to be just food but he was not. A living proof that anomalies can happen. He lived.She took her time and liberty to read the books and records of their race in her father’s study. Nicolas Battenberg was known to have kept meticulous records of their race since their inception. It was her father’s legacy. She was well versed to some of the hundreds of books but she knew that something was missing. That there must be a text or a mere mention of a case as peculiar as Zac’s. There has to be. Her father was very careful and excellent in keepi
Zachary was on cloud nine when Helena showed on his doorstep. He was beginning to love Bulgaria more and more. After taking the mandatory selfie that Ken was asking to prove that he had met a girl and that she was cool with it, he asked Helena out. He asked her in the most unromantic way there is but he did.“Let me see, you wanted to take me out for dinner huh?” ‘’Yeah, if that is okay with you.” They are now in the balcony enjoying the view of Sozopol night lights, from this view, they seem to be firefly lights that never moved. They did not drink the rum because it was not his and it was inappropriate to take what’s not included in your lease papers. Instead, they had beers. They found a little store nearby that doubles as a mini bar to the residents who do not like going far and does not have a car.“You know what, I would love to, but, I have to attend a family dinner. ““It’s past ten.” Zac laughed at her joke. Thinking that it was indeed a joke.“It’s okay to show up late.”“
Chained with the same chain that used to restrain Fenrir, the elven chain. Forged by the elves that was designed to be unbreakable even by a God. Hades, the God of the underworld could not believe that he took Zeus’ bait. The daughter he had offered as a bargain to keep him from destroying his brother’s precious humans was the same reason why he was rotting in there. The most insulting part was that, he was imprisoned in his own domain and guarded by his own creatures of chaos. His beloved ghouls are half dogs, half humans. They now serve his wife. Those bastards will be the first to go if he gets out of here.That bitch.Persephone was his wife. He used to enjoy her pleasure and presence but now, he hates her with all his might. He hates her more than her father now.The door to his prison opened and in came the woman he despises. Today, she was wearing a black barely there dress that would have proven to be comely and sexy had he been so horny like he was before at the sight of her
Solandra had always been a calm sin-eater. As a leader, she wanted to be an epitome of a regal and eccentric woman that was left with no choice but take over the realm after her husband’s passing. None of this should have fallen into her pretty little shoulders if not for her daughter Helena.Helena was Nicolas’ favorite and when the time came to decide between his life and his daughter’s, he glady gave up his for Helena’s. It was 1725 and Helena was left alone in the mansion grounds by her nanny. The girl saw a rabbit and followed suit and it was soon that she realized that she wandered away from the mansion grounds and was near the village. Everyone was deployed. Even Nicolas went to find his beloved daughter despite Solandra’s plea. The crimes committed by Thadeus were still fresh amongst the villagers. Her pleas were disregarded and her husband went his way. It was then that he came to the village and found little Helena tied in the village plaza. Nicolas made a deal with the peo
George Smith, Zac’s best office buddy and real life bestfriend cannot leave him alone at peace for three days. Sure, he promised not to haggle on him while he is in Bulgaria but right after Helena left, George face timed him. Zac half expected it. Three days was long enough for George and he misses the dude. It was still early in Brooklyn and his best buddy was notorious for making unnecessary phone calls while on the pantry. His friend’s grinning face welcomed him when he accepted the invite for a video call. If George was grinning this way---then Ken and George might have had the times of their lives discussing his endeavors in Bulgaria. They sort of liked making fun of him whenever he was not around and it was vice versa.“Man, I missed you!”“Can’t say the same to you.”“Agh.” George touched his heart, pretending to be in an intense pain. “ You hurt me, man. You and your words.” “I won’t fall for that trick. I am not your soon to be wife.” His best friend will finally tie the k