Chapter 6 - "What's Your Name?"

Do you remember how your mother asks you not to go to certain places as it's forbidden to enter? But the word forbidden is big to decipher for ten years old.

Persephone's mom asked Persephone not to ever cross that particular lake and go to the secluded villa ever. It was haunted she had said.

But what a child knew the meaning of the word haunted when she was inundating in the curiosity?

Like always curiosity got the best of Persephone whether it was ten years old Persephone or twenty-five years old. She crossed that lake and entered the so-called haunted villa. The villa might now be haunted by the ghosts but little did Persephone knew it would haunt her for as long as she was breathing.

The Villa was secluded, so the broken furniture, dirty floor, and creaking stairs were not surprised for the little Persephone. Wasn't it how the ghost house appeared in the horror movies? She knew that the weird sound she was hearing might be the ghosts as she saw in a movie last week when she told his elder brother that she wanted to watch a movie that too with ghosts and many witches in it.

She found another weird thing in the villa. A ten years old girl stood at the side and thought to herself ' Aren't stairs suppose to take them upwards? Then why are these stairs going downwards? Must be the ghost thing.'

She contemplated for a moment deciding whether to climb down the bizarre stars or not. In the end, curiosity got the best out of her again.

She descended the stairs that took her to the basement. The door where the stairs ended was closed. She turned the lock and when she heard the sound of a click. She grinned. Finally, she would be seeing a ghost.

As she entered the room, she was welcomed by a dimly lit room. Though fear crept inside her body, she lifted her chin and walked proudly as not to let the ghost knew that she was afraid of it. She has seen in the movies that ghosts hurt those who were scared of them and she was a Marino her brother said people fear Marino, not vice versa.

She walked forward slowly and said," Mr. Ghost? Mr. Ghost are you there? I'm Persephone as in the goddess of the spring. Mr. Ghost, can we be friends? "

Persephone kept on mumbling to herself but she didn't get any response. When she reached the middle of the basement, the sound of someone's breathing jolted her. She looked around to find the source of the voice but she couldn't find any trace.

"W-who are you?" She faked the courage though she was failing in it miserably.

"I'm not a ghost," came a direct reply in a hoarse voice.

"Then W-where are y-you?" Persephone asked with a stammer.

"Turn to your left," the hoarse voice replied.

Persephone turned left to find a young boy sitting in the corner. She walked in his direction and stood near him. She stared at him for few minutes without blinking. In the dimly lit room, she could make out his facial features. His hair was ink-black, his nose was straight and beautiful and his eyes were the color of clear water shining in winter afternoon. Those warm blue eyes held the sweet warmth of winter sun. 

Although he was all bones and no meat, she could reckon that he would be a beautiful man like her papa when he would grow up.

She noticed something odd. He was chained. His left leg was bound with an iron chain to the wall. His knee was injured.

She sat on the ground to a level equal to him and touched his injured knee with her soft and clean hands.

"Does it hurt?" She softly asked him as she cleaned his wound with her handkerchief.

He looked at her and shook his head.

"Who hurt you?" She asked blinking away the tears forming in her eyes.

"A monster," he answered honestly.

"A monster?" Persephone asked him and he nodded in reply." Does this monster have big hands, a super-strong body, and supernatural powers to hurt you? Is he an alien or an ugly being?"

He shook his head.

"Monsters are not ugly they can be very beautiful. They are not always alien or supernatural beings. Sometimes, they are the person we trust the most. Sometimes they are living with us pretending to be a friend when they want nothing but to destroy you and hurt you. Not all monsters are inhumane, Persephone. They all are humans."

Persephone looked at him as if she didn't understand what he said. She blinked at him.

"Do you understand?" He asked her.

"No." She replied.

"One day, you will understand it," the boy said with a small smile.

Persephone kissed his knees to make the pain shoo away. Only if it was that easy.

"Don't worry. So what I don't understand it now. I'll save you from monsters always. I called you my friend and friends saves friends. One day I will kill all the monsters that hurt you. The powerful Persephone will be your guardian angel from now on," Persephone announced proudly.

The boy smiled but didn't say anything.

"What's your name?" Little Persephone asked him.

"Santiago."