Cursed And Love's

11: Stay here

The atmosphere at the dining table became silent, Van stared at Serena with her mouth still full of food.

"Y-yeah... You can come back here whenever you want" Serena said clumsily, "it just so happens to be an empty loft, you can stay there if you want," Add it again while scratching his nape that does not itch.

"Home," said Van plainly, he pointed towards Serena, "home." Say again.

Serena looked at the man confusedly, "yeah, home...." Slowly follow.

He does not know what Van means, but Serena just agrees. After he finished eating, the man went out and sat in the garden where he lay. Serena wanted to follow him, but just as she wanted to step out of the door, Van was back again carrying a rose.

"Flowers" said Van as he thrust the rose at Serena.

Whatisthis? Again he gave me flowers, is this like a thank you sign or something?

Serena was confused, but she still accepted the flower with a sweet smile.

"Van," He called, "follow me" Serena said as she walked to the other side of her house, where there was a staircase leading straight to the attic.

Van follows her like a chick tailing its mother, following Serena up to the top of the attic. The place does have a separate entrance from the main house building and has been used only as a storage of paintings made by Serena.

"I don't know what your life was like before or how you lived in that forest, but you can stay here whenever you want" he said.

Van was busy looking at each painting enthusiastically like a child who had just seen a toy, he went around to and fro.

"Pfft, it's a painting, I made it," Serena chuckled at Van who seemed to like the paint-painted canvases.

"You can sleep here, at least this place is warm" she said as she patted the large sofa that looked old, although it still looked comfortable because Serena was always guarding the room.

"Home... Homehouse... House...." Van muttered, he rolled around on the soft sofa.

Serena just smiled looking at the man's behavior. I don't know what he's doing right now, bringing people he doesn't know their origins to give him a place to live. After all, he was prepared to bear the risk, after all, it was fine to let the man stay there.

"Let's go if you want" said Serena, preparing to go down and shut the door, "and not to be seen by others" he added, the girl smiled sweetly before finally closing the door and leaving Van in the attic.

I hope he understands my words....

Serena went down the stairs while daydreaming, she turned her head back for a while and smiled again when she saw Van had not come out of there.

"It seems like she likes it," she was relieved.

*****

Serena was in the convenience store she always went to, she had to buy some goods and groceries to stock for a few days.

After everything was done, he headed straight for the payment place. Harry was sitting there with a flat face and preparing to count Serena's groceries.

"I heard you re-open the shop" Harry replied, his hands busy stuffing things into shopping bags.

"That's how it is, but some days it's closed again because I'm a little busy" Serena replies.

No word, Harry just glanced flat at the girl while giving her a shopping bag and some change.

"Uhm.., Harry.., I want to ask you something," he said stiffly.

"What's that?" Harry said without taking down the big newspaper that covered his face.

"Have you ever heard of a missing person in this town? Or maybe from another city, people who are in search" Serena said hesitantly.

Harry now lowered and folded the newspaper he had read, the man looking coldly at Serena.

"What are you asking?" The man now answered with a question.

"I was just curious" Serena replied, "recently a policeman came up to me and asked about the rumors in the forest, I don't think it was a monster or anything like that..., it could be an ordinary person, right?" Clearly hesitantly, Harry's sharp and cold gaze really depressed him.

Harry stared at her for a long time, which made Serena even more clumsy and uncomfortable. If one's gaze could perforate an object, then it seemed that Serena's face had already been hollowed out from being constantly stared at sharply by the man.

"Now, not many missing persons cases have been found in this city," Harry finally replied, "some of them are victims of kidnapping and criminal acts, if it is found it must be in a state of death or has become bones." Harry said with the same flat expression.

Harry's answer successfully made Serena shudder in horror, somehow it felt like everything said by the old man was always a scary thing. Plus Harry said it with a flat face.

"Ah.., so yes...." Reply Serena quietly, "alright, thank you. I'm leaving," he said, the girl immediately walked out of the store with a standing body feather.

I shouldn't have asked him....

Serena shook her head as she took a quick step back to her house.

The girl had already passed, but Harry was still staring intently at Serena's back which was getting further away from inside the store.

*****

"You like it?"

Van ate the cake that Serena had given him with pleasure, on the way home the girl bought her favorite cheese pie and now she shares it with Van as she remembered that the man liked sweet food.

Serena smiled faintly, she was happy to see Van eating the cake voraciously.

"You can take a shower and use my toilet downstairs, yeah... If you know how to wear it anyway...." Said doubtful.

It was already night, the two of them were sitting facing the burning candle. Serena had turned on the light, but Van snarled and made Serena turn it off. It seemed that the man did not like the bright light from the lamp, which is why there was now only the light from the candle in the room.

"Rest, I'll come down" said Serena, she came out and closed the door to get down.

Van stared at the closed door, his yellow bead glistening as it was exposed to the dim light of the candle.

"Flower, pretty...." Sluggishly.

The moonlight penetrated through the window glass, from the attic it could clearly be seen the night sky filled with stars and also the moon that was shining brightly.

Van drew closer to the window, his eyes twinkling at the moon perched in the night sky. His head looked up while closing his eyes, his body began to tremble violently until his veins protruded on the man's pale skin.

"Gerrrr...."