Rose spent her time staring at the ceiling, feeling no sleepiness coming to her. "Josie?" She asked, thinking to talk but it didn't appear that Josie was awake. Sighing a little, Rose decided to push herself from her bed. She pulled herself and walked out of the room. Josie who hadn't been able to sleep as well finally turned her head. Seeing the empty bed, Josie sighed and turned her head to the side of the wall, pulling her other pillow to her head. In the morning it was warm but now that night come, it was very cold to the point Rose's body shivers. She had opened the back door of her house, standing at the backyard to admire the star in the night. Rose thought about a lot of thing. She thought about her mother's relationship and came a question in her mind. Why does Aunt Mary avoid them so much? Of course she knew how she detested the poor so much that she would frown whenever she came to the village. If she could, A

Rose didn't know what kind of bad luck she had rubbed against to meet such a man who can ask her such absurd question. "There is no answer to that," Rosè hurried her answer, "We need to leave. Don't you think your life is precious as well?" She tried to win her way out of this absurdity using her cleverness but Dominic had been one step ahead of her. "Why would I run away? My life is precious but I have been chased and hunted for so many times more than I can remember that I see no point of running away. It's always better to stand here and faced it," Dominic uttered and Rose wondered what the man do for a living to be chased and hunted around. He was chased the first time they met but why? "So what's the answer?" Dominic's voice rang again next to her ears. "I won't step on any of the fingers," Rose answered resolutely and while she think the madman would not be satisfied with her answer, he

"Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor." —Thích Nhất Hạnh ******** Rose woke up still in a daze about last night. Her meeting with Dominic felt like a passing dream in her head, a dream that linger freely inside her mind. She had never met someone so forward like him and perhaps because she hadn't allowed anyone inside her small world. Rose questioned the sound about last night which came from the forest. She was no fool to be fooled. She clearly heard the sound of growls from behind the bushes and yet what appeared was a squirrel. It was hard to think that in such a short time, Dominic had killed whatever beast that had been hiding behind the bushes and Rose crossed the idea at first thought. Perhaps the wolf had ran away? It was a good news but she worried if the wolf was still roaming around their village. Rose quickly tied her hair into a b

Rose went back home when on her way she had seen a man's back who seemed to be familiar. When she had gotten closer, the person had turned his back before she could properly identify him. It turns out the man was Mr. Harding. Politely the man offered her a smile and though Rose felt that she shouldn't be closer to the man for some reason, it would be polite not to return his greeting and ignore him. "Miss Rose," greeted Jayden Harding. "It's a fine afternoon. I heard what had occurred to your family, I hope everybody is alright in your home?" "Nothing had happened. Fortunately, the huntsmen had killed the wolf before it got to our home," Rose answered briefly, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Harding I will have to leave—" "Truthfully, I have been waiting for you, Miss Rose. In hope that I can speak with you," Mr. Harding cut to her words earlier before she could dismiss the man and leave the p

Rose read the letters aloud as reading didn't help clearing her doubt for any second, "It has been a long time, dear sister. Things haven't been going well in the house. As your sister, I do not think it was a good choice for me to ask you help with the condition and burden I have to shoulder but I have come to the time where I am cornered and I cannot ask any help to people other than you. It is shameless for me to ask your help but I cannot find anyone else other than you to turn around on. Please, please answer my letter." "Shameless," Josie's voice came behind them. Her expression was sour as she continue to hear the letter written by their aunt. "Now that she is in need help, she finally write this letter? Not only is she shameless but a hypocrite! She knew better than anyone else how shameless she is and she still speak as if it wasn't something she intended to do?" "Calm down sister," Rose said as Josie raised her voice. Her hand soft