Befriended ✔️

Chapter 21: Miserable Memories

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Mariam's POV

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She exited my undersized room and out into the tight, narrow hallway, her feet floating elegantly. I took small steps and chased her. She flowed down the hallway and stepped into the opening. I proceeded behind her. She lingered there for a while before she returned to her motive. I walked silently, hoping my pounding heart wasn't loud enough for a soul to hear. We went down, passing the third floor and then stopped on the second. I took this precious time to warm up my bare feet, which felt cold and raw, the aching so severe. The woman-jinn- occasionally casted glances at me, her lifeless eyes making sure I was there. 

We resumed, finally going down the last batch of steps. I did make sure to stay a good distance away from her. About four meters. I couldn't simply stand being with her. I was pretty sure she wasn't going to hurt me, but my instincts told me that it was best to stay away from her.

We eventually made it to the first floor. I viewed through the hulking windows and into the twinkling town. I considered about escaping, but then I saw guards patrolling around the mansion outside. Of course they couldn't see us in the darkness of the mansion.

The woman turned and led me behind the staircase. There was nothing there.

I forced myself to survey her and found her floating there. Her head was tilted in a weird angle and she just stared at me. It was really creepy sight. I wanted to go back, hide under my blankets and never come out again. She was probably going to kill me.

But that was not the case. She scanned me, then at the floor, then at me, then again at the floor. I gazed at her with an expression mixed with horror and confusion. I then lowered my gaze to the floor, squinting my eyes. Was there something there? Yes there was. I saw a faint line going around in a shape of a square, carved into the floor. A trapdoor.

I didn't want to look at her again for approval to open the door. Her view was obviously overwhelming. I bent down and felt around for something that would possibly open it. I didn't find anything. I raised my head at the woman, but she just stood there, observing me with intense interest. I cursed in my brain and continued feeling around for whatever opened the trapdoor. I only felt dust and spiders. Gagging, I went deeper into the staircase, my face getting tangled in cobwebs. I coughed occasionally while encountering thick dust.

At that point, I clutched some kind of lever and pulled it down. I heard a faint creak and looked back. The woman was descending the stairs and I hastily crawled out the staircase and quickly went down the trapdoor before it shut behind me. There were torches lit up and I could clearly see the walls were painted yellow.

I shut off the muscles in my legs and skimmed around the staircase.

I was forbidden to be here.

It was painted yellow.

I can't go any further.

But the woman continued going down, though I kept my ground. She stopped, reversed, and frowned at me. I couldn't bear her staring at me like that and started again. It was better to anger Sir Immortia than anger her.

We hit the end and she had me open the door in front on us, so it became accessible for us to walk through. I fumbled for the knob, which was slippery. I had it opened and we came into a hallway, really similar to other ones I've been in. The only distinction was that these were painted yellow. There was an unspoken logic that there was a concealed obscure here, and if anyone found out, they would be immediately killed.