Eve's Hollow by Charles Bedlam (best free e reader .txt) 📕

“Is this about what he said?! Don't listen to him!”

“I have to go.”

She turned.

“Estelle, wait! Wait!”

She was gone. Without thinking, her feet carried her back down the alley, toward the street, and way from her only friend. She couldn't rely on the Supernova Samurai. He wasn't a monster, but he obviously had some sort of reckless death wish. She wasn't going to wait around for him to save her. She couldn't. The circumstances left her with a questionable guardian and still she needed a way out. Estelle was acquainted with only a single person who had any sort of drive to leave Eve's Hollow. She felt that he would be a better choice to rely on. Both her rational and her irrational mind carried her to this person now; this person that she had vowed to stay away from.

Making sure not to appear threatening as she waited at the opening in the alley. She kept her hands out of her pockets and held the sword at her side as the flashlight beams danced down the street. Before she knew it, Grigori's men had surrounded her, forming a wall of soldiers. Neither Mike nor Harrison were among these men. After confirming her description among each other, Estelle was given a ride in the center of a convoy of trucks. At least the ride to the estate was better than the last one.

Estelle found herself sitting in Mr. Grigori's study once again. Cigar smoke burned her nostrils. This time the man stood in front of his desk. He leaned back against it with his hands on its edge. Estelle looked down at the carpet and this cylindrical room felt very small. Mr. Grigori's men allowed her to keep the sword at least. He studied the her, making sounds as if he were going to speak, but then remaining silent.

“You met him?” Mr. Grigori said, finally. “You saw him in the flesh?”

“I did,” Estelle said, still looking down.

“Why are you here then? Was I not right about what he was?”

“He- I wouldn't call him a monster,” Estelle said. “It just seemed like... he didn't care for me. At all.”

Mr. Grigori was silent again. He cocked his head to the side.

“I mean, I just asked for a chance,” she continued, absentmindedly. “I wanted to help him find the keys...”

“What keys?”

Estelle hesitated to answer, but did. “Before I was brought here, the Goddess told me to find five keys to open a door out of Eve's Hollow. But he didn't want my help and told me that he was finding them on his own.”

“You're sure?”

Estelle looked up and met Mr. Grigori's eyes.

“He told me that it was dangerous work. That it was too dangerous for children, like me.”

Her head dropped back down. She had said it so spitefully and didn't even realize it until she sat in silence once more. Mr. Grigori didn't say anything for several moments. Estelle was was very uncomfortable not knowing what he was thinking. One thing she knew was that if he displeased her, she could always run away again. After all, she would not be there if she had not willingly walked into the soldier's line of sight.

“You said that he was being tortured before,” Mr. Grigori said after several minutes. “So he's weak right now?”

“I suppose so. He was coughing a lot. What does that have to do with-”

“You shouldn't have let him go so easily.”

Estelle's brow furrowed, but she still did not look at Mr. Grigori.

“I tried, but he wouldn't even speak to me,” she said. “Besides, you're the one who told me he was a monster,”

“You told me that he was collecting the keys for you. He could have killed you if he wanted to, even after being tortured. I stand by what I said. The man is a monster.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You need to get those keys because I don't believe he can be trusted to get them. What if he does get them and decides to leave on his own? What if that's why he doesn't want your help?”

“I... I didn't think of that,” Estelle said after thinking her heart couldn't sink any lower. “I can't believe it.”

“Listen,” Mr. Grigori said in a soft voice, leaning forward. He placed his hand on her shoulder

Mr. Grigori watched his daughter. The dark, sad aura emanating from her was heavy.

“I'll never get out of this place.”

“You need to try again,” Mr. Grigori said to her.

Estelle instantly looked up at him, eyes full of hurt and sorrow.

“It's simple isn't it?” he continued. “All you have to do is persuade him to allow you to accompany him. Help him get the keys, then we will use them to leave Eve's Hollow together.”

Estelle was exhausted and confused by her emotions. All she really wanted to do was sleep. She couldn't imagine leaving Eve's Hollow with Mr. Grigori, but his way seemed to have a good chance of working. If only she could persuade Supernova.

“But... we don't even know where the door is,” she said.

“Yes. But he does. As much as I hate the idea of throwing you to that wolf, Eve's Hollow is not the kind of place to be picky about options. I believe that if he wanted you dead and out of the way, he would have ended you. If he's looking for the keys on his own, you wouldn't even be necessary, but he still spared you. My men will find him, just as they found you. Once we do, we will escort you to him and you can do whatever you need to in order to get on his side.”

Estelle didn't like the idea of deception. However, at this point, she truly didn't see another way out. How would she even convince him to let her accompany him? This whole idea made her head and heart hurt. She just wanted to lie down and rest for a very long time. She could not escape this situation though. She wanted her new life. Even if she did deceive the samurai, she would be doing the work to get the keys. She wanted her new life and she wasn't going to wait for Supernova to deliver it when he was ready. Perhaps she could even manage to get ride of Mr. Grigori once she had the keys. She didn't have anything to lose.

“I'll do it,” she said firmly.

Publication Date: 07-28-2014

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