Meeting (1)

At night the city side where Amelthia's house was located would go into deep silence. Only owls and crickets could be heard on the dark side with no street lamps. At 12 the police would patrol around the area and leave without finding anything useful.

And due to the forest on the other side, the number of crimes increased around that area. People's houses would be robbed and police would not be able to find the thieves. They assumed that the thieves hide in the forest.

That night when Amelthia found a safe place, someone was looking for her.

That person was a dreadful nightmare for Amelthia.

??: "Find her!! Dead or alive find her!!"

Man 1: "Yes sir."

Man 2: "But sir for that we would have to go into the crowded city."

??: "Then go, disguise but bring her to me! Or else pray for your lives then!"

Man 1 & 2:" Y-yes sir."

_______________________

Amelthia was walking in the hallway of the hostel when a young lady around the same age as Amelthia walked to her in a pink and white attire, her hair tied in a bun.

"Hello. You must be Amelthia right?"

The girl bowed and passed a sweet smile to her.

Amelthia looked at her from head to toe and smiled back. She never met people other than her family or people her parents would ask her to meet so she was a little reluctant with softly meeting people. Yet she tried to show her soft side to the girl standing in front of her.

"Yes."

" I am one of the attendants here. My name is Amanda but you can call me Mandy, everyone does."

Mandy introduced herself to her.

Now it was Amelthia's turn to give the gesture back.

"Hi Mandy, I...I am Amelthia. Nice to meet you."

"Now come let's treat your wounds first and then I will lead you to your room."

Mandy suggested after looking at Amelthia's state.

Amelthia nodded and followed her. She looked around, right beside the stairs was the room for staff.

I guess a lot of people work here besides Mandy.

Climbing the stairs, I the walls had beautiful paintings on them, and a big clock on the top ticking.

Mandy halted at the start of the hallway on the 1st floor. There were rooms on both sides of the wall.

"Do a lot of girls live here??"

Amelthia questioned after looking at the rooms around.

"Yes, this is not a hostel. It is centered on girls and boys who have witnessed something harmful to their health and they are in danger. The company protects such people. And so every girl and boy has a guard around her or him to protect them."

Mandy explained to her.

" So mum worked here to help them."

Amelthia mumbled while looking around.

" Did you say something?"

asked Mandy.

"Huh?? No nothing."

Amelthia said shaking her head.

Mandy gestured for her to move with her.

"Come let me show you your room and your roommate too."

Amelthia followed Mandy until they stopped in front of the room with a board having "16" carved on it.

Mandy knocked on the door to be opened by a girl around 16 or 18.

Mandy smiled at her and the girl let her in.

"Hey, Ann. How are you ??"

Mandy greeted the girl with a smile.

Oh her name is Ann.

Amelthia thought.

"I am good. Who is she??"

Ann asked with a questioning look.

"Ann meet your new roommate Amelthia. She will stay with you."

Mandy told Ann.

Mandy look at Amelthia and nodded.

Amelthia got the sign and she introduced herself to Ann.

"Hi. I am Amelthia. Hope we get along well."

Amelthia passed a smile at her.

"Hey. Myself Ann. We will get along well."

Ann introduced herself too.

"So Amelthia there are clothes in the last drawer, change and make yourself comfortable, I will be back with the first aid kit," Mandy said motioning to Amelthia inside the room.

"Okay. Thank you."

Amelthia and Mandy passed each other a smile and Mandy left the room.

Amelthia felt a little relaxed that she is in a better place right now than the roads. Amelthia was still in her thoughts when Ann walked to her with night Pjs in her hand.

"Here."

She is a nice girl.

Amelthia thought.

Amelthia grabbed the clothes and went to change.

________________________

The next morning Amelthia woke up groaning and stretching in her bed. She hasn't had a nice sleep in a while so for her last night's sleep was a nice one. Amelthia yawned as she got up and she looked around to find herself alone in the room.

She looked at the clock.

'8:00'

"Shoot!"

"I have to go meet Chief at 9."

"I am going to be late."

Amelthia hurried out of her bed. She opened the cupboard to find a dress ready for her. She quickly grabbed the dress and rushed into the washroom to get ready.

Around 8: 30 she came out in a blue knee-length long dress and very little makeup so she would at least look better than yesterday.

She put on her shoes and walked downstairs.

She knocked on the staff's door.

"Come in!"

Amelthia went in to see a different person than last night. She was much older than Mandy. She looked around in her 30s.

"Um...I am Amelthia-"

Just then the door opened and Felix entered.

"Hi, Mam!"

Amelthia turned around to see Felix.

"Oh, you are ready?? Should we get going??"

Felix observed her from head to toe and he couldn't believe she was the girl from yesterday in shabby clothes and injured self, even though her face still had the mark of the cut she had but still, she looked pretty.

Amelthia noticed him looking at her so she spoke.

"Yeah, I am ready to go."

Amelthia broke the silence.

"O-hh let's go then."

Felix stuttered a little at the sudden voice.

Felix opened the door for Amelthia and she walked out of the room.

Felix followed her greeting the old lady bye.

"See you, mam!"

Felix walked past Amelthia and opened the car door for her.

Amelthia looked at him being a gentleman and entered the car.

"Thank you."

Felix started the car.

The drive to the main WPC building was quiet. Neither Amelthia said anything nor did Felix.

Amelthia and Felix both felt the atmosphere a little tense but shrugged it off and focused on what was ahead.

Felix stopped the car in front of the building. Amelthia came out and stood in front of the building observing it. She couldn't see the building last night because it was dark and there were no street lights around. 

Felix walked ahead of her and looked back to see Amelthia still standing beside the car.

"Are you going to come or stay there??"

Amelthia snapped out of her thoughts and walked to him.

Felix looked at her.

"Um... yesterday you said you bumped into me... Are you the road girl??"

Amelthia looked at him and once again got lost in his doe blue eyes trying to figure out with what emotion he is asking her.

Disgust or sympathy??