Chapter 3: No Heartbeat

As me and Haru walk inside with the woman named Amelia, we take a good look at the interior. There wasn't a lot of space. There was only a small kitchen with a table and two chairs and a king-sized bed all in the same room. The only light source is the giant hole on the ceiling, the afternoon sunlight shining down on us. There was an intimidating man standing in the kitchen drinking a bottle of alcohol. He was just as tall as Amelia, but he's more muscular than her. He has spiky white hair and baby blue eyes. He's facing away from us so I can't see his face, but I can all of his scars on his shirtless upper body. He's buff and sweaty, there's also a weird unrecognizable tattoo on his right shoulder. He's wearing baggy pants that have been through hell, covered in dirt and a few tears. And he's barefoot. Amelia has a long dress on, so I don't know if she's barefoot too.

All three of us heard the bottle of alcohol slam on the counter and his head turns to us. I get to have a good look at this mans face. His eyes were filled with so much anger and rage, yet they're as blue as the sky. He has a big scar on his left eye that looks old and a new scar on his upper lip. His eyes go wide as he sees two strangers that are with Amelia and he sprints towards us. Me and Haru panic and hide behind Amelia and Amelia protects us.

"Maryanne, who are these people?!" The scary man yells with rage. Amelia, even though she's blind, can somehow tell that the man is in front of her and slaps him, leaving a red mark on his cheek. Amelia scolds him, saying "Jackson! What did I tell you about your anger? Control yourself! We have guests." I can then hear her whisper to him "Do not call me by that name ever again."

The man named Jackson looks away and goes back to drinking his bottle of alcohol. Amelia turns to us, giving us a warm smile. "My apologies. My brother can be very protective." So Jackson is her brother, they do look alike after all. But I wonder why he called her Maryanne instead of Amelia.

She leads me and Haru to the table and we sit down as she makes us mint tea, surprisingly without any problems. I don't want to ask about her blindness because I don't want to be rude, but it is questionable how she can still see. I look to see how Haru is handling everything, and he's definitely shitting himself. His face looks terrified, his body language is screaming "Let's get the hell out of here before we get killed!"

"Can you stop being a wuss?" I whisper to him and he whispers back, telling he in a shaky voice "You want ME to stop being a wuss? We just walked into a strangers home and were going to be served tea. These people are going to kill us!"

"I don't think they will. Amelia seems nice, I don't know about Jackson though. Let's just see where this goes" Amelia then brings us two cups of mint tea and she holds her hands together feeling pleased with herself. "I do hope you enjoy. Oh dear, I don't think I know your names." She sounds very elegant and polite. I tell her "My name's Camellia, and this is my friend Haru."

"Hmm what lovely names. And where are you two from?" She asks while continuing to smile. "Oh boy, an interview" I think sarcastically as I take a sip of tea and answer her question. "Were from Tsubaki, the town a few miles from here. We're here for a field trip." I see Haru staring at Amelia in awe and in fear at the same time, not touching the cup of tea. I ignore him and Amelia says "Oh interesting. This is a very interesting village, so I do hope you like it." I notice that Amelia has unnaturally pointy ears, and so did Jackson. Amelia noticed me staring at her ears peeking out of her long white hair and she nervously laughs. "Oh my apologies! I am an elf, so my ears will poke out. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about them." She just casually says this like its normal, and now it was my turn to laugh. She gives me a confused look as awkward silence fills the room. I clear my throat and ask "An...elf?"

"Yes. Me and Jackson are elves. We live far away from Ninjō so we do not get caught by the humans. Jackson goes out to hunt for food and guard our cottage while I stay home. Our parents sadly pass away, so it just me and my brother." She gave me her story and I listen while still being skeptical. I suddenly ask her "So why did Jackson call you Maryanne?"

It seems like a touchy subject for her, she places her hand on her chest and takes a deep breath. But with all her strength, she decides to tell me. "Well, My name is actually Maryanne. Years and years ago, I feel in love with a woman. She was very strong-willed, determined, and brave. She feel in love with a common whore." She stops and gets emotional while wiping a fallen tear off of her face. "Who are you talking about?" I ask in confusion. She takes another deep breath and continues. "I do not remember much, but I used to be a Courtesan. I used to work at a very old club called Flora Rouge and thats where I met my love. We were sitting on top of a roof and she was confessing her love for me. I felt that I was not worthy of her, so when I rejected her love, she...she..."

Amelia then starts to cry. She covers her beautiful face to hide her sadness and without thinking, I rub her back in comfort. She quickly stops crying, determined to finish her story, and she says "She murdered me, in cold blood." She sighs, holding her chest saying "I could still feel her rip my heart out with her claws. I cannot feel any heartbeat." I assume that was a way of saying she was just as heartbroken as her girlfriend. I ask her "Who was your girlfriend?" She then looks at me and answers "Her name used to be Maria Antionette Lyon, but she now goes by Mari, or rather, The Pink Crimson Demon."