dining table. It was difficult to say how old he was. He looked thirty five, since the last two hundred years or so. Filling the bowl with water, he closed his eyes and murmured something. Opening his eyes, he looked in the water. He saw the tower building and tried to go closer. He was trying to see the occupants inside. He tried harder but it was not helping.
He had been trying to see what was inside the building but every time he came across a barrier. He knew his target was there but he couldn’t see it. He threw the bowl across the room in frustration.
*****
NINE
Jan showered. She was paying extra attention to herself today. She smelled the aroma of the shampoo that was on her hair and smelled the fragrance on her skin. She changed her dress in the room. Arthur had put the camera off now. He would only put it on after it got dark, he told her. That was for security. She did not understand why that was needed at all. Her room was at last 600 foot up in the tower and the only way to reach her room was through the stairs. Which was under Arthur’s watch. She thought it was just a sign of Arthur’s protectiveness for Jan. She didn’t mind being watched over by Arthur at all.
She wore one of new dresses that she bought. It was sleeveless, coloured solid peach and just ending above her knees. It was made of soft stretchable viscose and not only did it make her feel comfortable, it made her look attractive. She went down and saw Arthur had dozed off. The sun had set. She made herself a cup of coffee and then decided to prepare for dinner. She would prepare pasta with tomato-mushroom sauce and then dessert.
Arthur had fallen fast asleep. Sounds of the kitchen accompanied with delicious smell woke him up from his slumber. He got up and saw Jan busy.
She hadn’t noticed him. He watched her for a while. She looked pretty, and free. She had started to always look pretty in his eyes. He noticed the dress she was wearing, this was perfect for her size. He felt happy for Jan, she was starting to live her own life again.
Jan noticed Arthur. She brought him coffee.
*****
Twenty miles away, the white man with blue eyes went and caught hold of a hen. He went to his secret underground room. Only a candle was lit. On a red cloth, skulls and bones of men and women were strewn across. He picked up a bone and placed it on his left. He held the hen’s neck in his left hand and took a kitchen knife on his right. With a swift movement of his hand, the head of the hen was displaced. The warm blood that flowed was collected in a bowl. He dipped the bone in the bowl and murmured some spells. Then he wrapped the bone in a red cloth.
It was tonight. He would get back what was his.
*****
Jan looked expectantly at Arthur. They were dining. She wondered if Arthur liked the food she had cooked. She picked up her fork and started to eat and looked at him to guess his reaction.
“Did you make this all yourself?” Arthur asked at last.
“I got the raw pasta but I did make everything else. Did you like it?” she asked.
“This is the best tasting meal I had in years. It is amazing.” He took some more dessert. Jan felt great.
“You should tell me the recipe, I would try some day.”
Jan giggled.
“What’s so funny? You think I can’t cook?”
“It’s just so funny to imagine you cooking. Can you really?”
“Yes, as long as one needs to survive. But no, not if you call it cooking.” When it came to cooking, he lost his patience.
They finished eating. Arthur offered to wash the dishes.
While Arthur did the dishes, Jan went and looked at the cam screen. It was off, she put it on. She could see her room quite well, corner to corner. She checked the settings of the camera. Most of the controls could be set from here.
“Does it have night vision?” She asked him.
“It might have but I never checked it. Even if there is, it has to be very basic.” Arthur said.
After dabbling a bit
He had been trying to see what was inside the building but every time he came across a barrier. He knew his target was there but he couldn’t see it. He threw the bowl across the room in frustration.
*****
NINE
Jan showered. She was paying extra attention to herself today. She smelled the aroma of the shampoo that was on her hair and smelled the fragrance on her skin. She changed her dress in the room. Arthur had put the camera off now. He would only put it on after it got dark, he told her. That was for security. She did not understand why that was needed at all. Her room was at last 600 foot up in the tower and the only way to reach her room was through the stairs. Which was under Arthur’s watch. She thought it was just a sign of Arthur’s protectiveness for Jan. She didn’t mind being watched over by Arthur at all.
She wore one of new dresses that she bought. It was sleeveless, coloured solid peach and just ending above her knees. It was made of soft stretchable viscose and not only did it make her feel comfortable, it made her look attractive. She went down and saw Arthur had dozed off. The sun had set. She made herself a cup of coffee and then decided to prepare for dinner. She would prepare pasta with tomato-mushroom sauce and then dessert.
Arthur had fallen fast asleep. Sounds of the kitchen accompanied with delicious smell woke him up from his slumber. He got up and saw Jan busy.
She hadn’t noticed him. He watched her for a while. She looked pretty, and free. She had started to always look pretty in his eyes. He noticed the dress she was wearing, this was perfect for her size. He felt happy for Jan, she was starting to live her own life again.
Jan noticed Arthur. She brought him coffee.
*****
Twenty miles away, the white man with blue eyes went and caught hold of a hen. He went to his secret underground room. Only a candle was lit. On a red cloth, skulls and bones of men and women were strewn across. He picked up a bone and placed it on his left. He held the hen’s neck in his left hand and took a kitchen knife on his right. With a swift movement of his hand, the head of the hen was displaced. The warm blood that flowed was collected in a bowl. He dipped the bone in the bowl and murmured some spells. Then he wrapped the bone in a red cloth.
It was tonight. He would get back what was his.
*****
Jan looked expectantly at Arthur. They were dining. She wondered if Arthur liked the food she had cooked. She picked up her fork and started to eat and looked at him to guess his reaction.
“Did you make this all yourself?” Arthur asked at last.
“I got the raw pasta but I did make everything else. Did you like it?” she asked.
“This is the best tasting meal I had in years. It is amazing.” He took some more dessert. Jan felt great.
“You should tell me the recipe, I would try some day.”
Jan giggled.
“What’s so funny? You think I can’t cook?”
“It’s just so funny to imagine you cooking. Can you really?”
“Yes, as long as one needs to survive. But no, not if you call it cooking.” When it came to cooking, he lost his patience.
They finished eating. Arthur offered to wash the dishes.
While Arthur did the dishes, Jan went and looked at the cam screen. It was off, she put it on. She could see her room quite well, corner to corner. She checked the settings of the camera. Most of the controls could be set from here.
“Does it have night vision?” She asked him.
“It might have but I never checked it. Even if there is, it has to be very basic.” Arthur said.
After dabbling a bit
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