2 Chapter 2: Who am I?

The sounds of the ocean rotate intermittently. The roaring crashing waves and the gurgling sound of water as she floats in the dark cavern. Her eyes so heavy, and her body feels as if it's paralyzed. All she can do is sleep, but as each wave comes rolling into the cave to rock her body her memories come flooding back in fragments. One wave crashes into the damp cold dwelling... Her memory is coming back in another fragment.

The skies look grey, dark, and angry. Fitting for her current state of mind. "That jerk!", she shouts as she swipes at her eyes. It's bad enough that the rain is pummeling down upon the windshield so fast and hard, but the stream of tears just would not let up. She reaches down to grab a tissue that fell in the passenger floorboard. Her foot slipped and the car accelerated and she whips up and sees the truck heading right towards her.

Whoosh... another big wave comes crashing in, jarring her body. The sounds of footsteps are approaching her. She tries to open her eyes but was only able to make her long lashes sweep along her face. Mentally she is hyper-aware but her body will not budge. She hears him stumble then after a short time he shuffles closer to her. The pads of his fingertips strum along her face as they catch her hair and tucks the strands to the side of her head. How warm... she thinks to herself upon his touch. The last thing she remembered was being lifted and cradled in such warmth and her consciousness finally slips into a dreamless state.

Rolling around to her side, her heavy eyelids flutter open lazily. The bright sunlight spilling in through the window that faces her and the bed. Her eyes squint shut and her head slightly pounds from being overstimulated. Slowly she moves her limbs to see what works and what doesn't and the pain hurts just trying to stretch her limbs from the stiffness. She tries to prop herself up and falls back into the deep cushions of the bed. She closes her eyes again and lays there slowly breathing. Her dry lips part and a croaking sound comes out.

She hears an abrupt noise of a chair shuffling along the hardwood floor, and footsteps quickly padding towards the bed she rested on. Turning her head to the side, opening her eyes to a squint as her white-blonde brows furrow due to the sunlight. She sees the waistband of a slim waist and a buckled belt settling in the middle, with a Victorian letter L etched into the buckle. Rolling her violet eyes upward she at first sees the blurry image of a silhouette of what appears to be a man. She blinks her eyes and the strain of the sunlight and the trauma her body has been through. Tears free themselves and coat her porcelain face. The water in her eyes from the tears finally coat her eyes and the blurry vision begins to take form as the figure beside her begins to kneel before the bead.

Vibrant blue eyes look back at her with full long lashes that fan out around the beautiful eyes that seem to look into the depths of her very soul. Thick midnight black eyebrows taper along with those blue eyes with a regal shape to them. Masses of hair strands drape along the sides of the face she finally takes in the person before her. Small gasps escape her lips as she realizes this stranger is indeed a man who dares to stare back at her with such curiosity settling into the blue orbs of his eyes. Her eyes drift down along the sharp angles of his jaw and the soft stubble that rides along the edges of his masculine face. Finally, they rest upon the lips that are just equally sharp that match the features of a very handsome man.

Instantly she regretted letting her hungry eyes feast upon such a handsome man. Her face begins to warm and the soft pink colors come creeping along her cheeks and the tip of her nose, making her violet eyes almost seem translucent. Involuntarily she squirms away from the edge of the bed as her mouth opens to say something, but a soft croaking moan comes out.

"Shh... It's quite all right.", the soft masculine voice cooed. He continues to speak, "I'm Master Lucian, this is my Manor that I reside in. I found you and brought you here to shelter you. Who are you?" As he finished asking her. He tried to reach forward to move the long white locks away from her face. She crouches down squinting her eyes thinking something bad is going to happen. Instead, timid soft fingers dragged along her forehead and she heard him softly calm her with his voice. She opens her eyes wide in awe and looks at him.

How do I tell him who I am? I am not entirely confident in what is going on either. Surely he may think of me as a crazed woman, but he did just say he brought me here himself. Opening her mouth she tries to speak. Almost as if her body hasn't functioned for a long time. Her words stammered through, "W-ho a-am I?"

"Yes, that is what I asked you. Is it not?"

"Y-yes... but I d-don't recall. Who I-I am." She looked sincere as she spoke those words. The muscles of her mouth and tongue working is making it easier for her stammer to calm down as she kept speaking. "Do y-you know who I a-am?"

"Ahh." Lucian sighs softly. His head shaking mildly as he pauses to look at her again. So, she doesn't know who she is. I bet she doesn't even know how she got here either. I guess the next best question is, "What's the last thing you do remember?"

She looks up at him. Her head beginning to have a dull ache as she recalled the small flash of memory, and the noises. Her eyes began to water as they form along the bottom of her eyes. Closing them she takes a deep breath as they open once more. A tear shining as it is captured in the bright sunlight, dripping off the ends of her beautiful long white lashes. "It was dark out. I was driving, and I was crying. I reached for something, but between the pouring rain and the tears, I didn't see the vehicle in front of me. Now I find myself here in this unfamiliar area." Looking dejected she sheepishly turns her head away as hot trails of tears slide along her cheeks. Her arms come to bring her hands to rub along her upper arms trying to keep herself warm from shock.

He stands up to sit down at the bedside next to her. She turns her head back towards the man as she felt the bed sink down beside her. Her violet eyes roll up towards him with anxiety and worry. With him looking at her and watching the emotions flit across those beautiful eyes. He wonders just what exactly she is thinking. Why is she so full of worrisome emotion? His perplexed feelings mixed with curiosity and the urge to protect her. He reaches his hand out to grip her chin with his fingertips to angle her face to focus back towards him.

"It is clear that you have been through a lot. The sun will be ready to set. Perhaps you should take a warm bath and dress in some warm clothes. When I brought you here the doctor said to make sure you get some rest." Just as if on time a knock resonates through the room. "Master Lucian, I brought fresh towels and pajamas for the Miss."

"Come in, and place them on the dress by the door and see your way out."

The maid comes in and calmly places the items upon the dresser. She turns to face the Master and Miss on the bed she places her hand on either side of the skirts and bows with a slight curtsy. "Good day Master Lucian." She then goes back to the door and shuts it softly. The woman in the bed looks up at him and yawns. He gets up and wanders to the window as the daylight begins to turn red. His back facing to her he says, "The bathroom is the door over there, and the closet is here." He points to the right of himself to the door that has glass squares with wood trim. The massive claw tub showing along with the selection of windows that are given looking through the door. She sits up and turns her head following his other arm pointing to a solid door next to the bed she lays in. That must be the closet he spoke of.

She winces while sitting up but is thankful for the man's kind gestures. Finally able to move a little bit she looks around at the furniture that appears very plane. The solid white oak furniture matching the hardwood floors that run along one end of the room to the other. Plain white linens dress the bed she currently lays in as she sees the bedpost rise to a square frame atop of her and the sheer veils of white curtains that lay along with the canopy of the bed. They swirl down along the four posts in a loose gauze look. Though plain, she appreciates the simplicity and tranquility of how the room is adorned.

Moving she swings her legs over the edge of the bed and her legs dangle there loosely. Her toes barely brushing the wood floor beneath her feet. Looking up she says, "M-Master Lucian. I can't seem to move my legs very well." She looks up at him in disappointment for having to be a burden over and over again. He's done so much for her, how could she ever pay him back. His shadow spills over her as he looks down at her. He smiles, "It's okay, I can understand. I'll be sure to send a maid to come in and help with whatever you need. Just hang tight."