Cursed And Love's

09: The wounded prince [4]

Serena sipped her medicine with a sour face, now she has a fever due to breaking through heavy rain to bring the wild man to her home. While Van who was with him looked very healthy and did not even show any reaction from the wound on his chest, Serena was already panicked to death on that person.

"Well, you happen to be here, what if you told me where you came from? That way I might be able to help find a way out or whatever," said Serena who is now sitting opposite Van who is busy eating snacks.

Now it was night and the rain was still pouring out there, he let Van be at his house because it was impossible if the man he just drove out in the rain like this.

He was also surprised by Van who had changed his clothes with clothes that he had brought for the man, but Serena did not think that Van knew how to wear clothes. Sometimes the man looks like an innocent child who is unfamiliar with the objects he carries, but for some things Van is quite normal.

"Hey? Can you actually talk or not?" Said Serena, he was anxious because Van had only seen it while chewing a snack.

Serena spoke in a tone high enough to make Van stop his activity, the man looked down while playing his palm with his finger as if he was writing something there.

"P-uncle.., t-wait uncle.., k-back," said Van, he could pronounce it clearly even though he was still stammering.

Serena pecked, for the first time she heard the man's voice.

He's not mute...

Serena smiles knowing that Van can talk.

"Uncle? Your uncle? You waiting for your uncle?" Ask Serena.

Van shook his head, the look on his face became grim. I don't know why the man looks sad.

"N-can't go home...." In short, Van looked down at both of his hands.

Serena fell silent. He was confused too, though, but the girl preferred not to ask much further seeing the state of Van which seemed to indicate that all the things she would ask were something that the man did not want to remember.

"Look, Van. If you want to get back to your family, maybe I can help-"

"N-can't go back!!" Cut Van.

Serena was quite shocked, Van now looks restless while biting her nails.

"H-hey.., sorry, I'm sorry..." Panicked Serena, "it's okay, don't bite your finger, it can bleed..." He said softly, slowly pulling Van's hand whose fingertips began to bleed because the man bit him too hard.

"It's okay..." Said the girl again calming, now he crouched in front of Van who still looks trembling.

Does this kid have an anxiety disorder? It can be seen clearly he has trauma, but because of what? What am I supposed to do?

There were so many questions in his mind, now he began to have more sympathy for the man.

"You can sleep here, come back tomorrow if you want to go back to that forest" Serena said, finally deciding to let Van be at her house tonight.

*****

Early in the morning Serena woke up because a very noisy Van wanted to get out, apparently the man did not know how to open the door lock. At first Serena thought Van wanted to leave, but it was all wrong. The man pointed outward and pointed at the "bottom", it took a while before Serena understood what the man meant before she opened the door.

"I thought you were back in the woods." Say Serena while carrying a garbage bag.

"R-house," Van said, his fingers pointing towards Serena's house.

A home? Meaning myhouse?

Serena confusion.

He approached the crouching Van looking at the blooming rose, "This white rose, people call it a symbol of sincerity or pure love depending on who you give it to." Now Serena is crouching next to the man.

Van did not budge, he just continued to look at the blooming flower without blinking. While Serena turned to him, Van's face was covered because the man's hair was long enough to touch his shoulder.

"Van," Call Serena, "can I get your hair straightened?" He said, his hand slowly inserted Van's hair that covered the man's face.

"Wait here." Serena went back inside her house.

Soon the girl returned with a pair of scissors and a comb and a chair.

"Your hair, "Sperena said while demonstrating a gesture like she was cutting, "I'll help you trim it, you want?" Added again.

Van initially refuses to run as Serena approaches him with a pair of scissors. But it was only for a moment, the man immediately complied and sat quietly as Serena gave him a candy bar. He didn't even care if Serena had cut his hair.

"Well, it's done," said Serena, "I once had aspirations of becoming a hairdresser, but my friend told me it was a stupid dream." Serena added, her face looked annoyed as she said the last sentence.

"Let me see..." Serena turns Van's body to face him, "waaw..." He murmured, his eyes did not blink when he saw the results of his work on the man's hair.

"I-this is better," he said clumsily, "your long hair was really ugly" he added, then the girl immediately passed away with a face that glazed red.

Van looked at Serena's back which disappeared behind the door in confusion, he also fumbled her hair which had now been trimmed to short by Serena.

"Flowers...." Lirih Van, her gaze was still fixed on the closed door where Serena disappeared.

*****

"I can't open a shop. It could be bad if the kid hasn't left yet" murmured Serena.

Besides, today he plans to find information about missing people, maybe he can get a clue about Van. He could have reported to the police, but his heart was heavy and worried about doing so. Especially now that the police are busy with cases of "monsters" in the forest, he is afraid that Van will be linked to it. Looking at the face of the innocent man's attitude really made him not bear.

Serena starts turning on her computer that she hasn't used for a long time, patiently trying to research every single person on her city's official list of missing persons.

What's a...

Serena was completely confused.