History Between Us | JJBA (On Hiatus)

Plainly, The Beginning Part 1

Plainly, The Beginning Part 1

1868

The rhythmic beating of rain on the roof of the coach was no harsher than the sound of rice hitting a wooden table. Not drizzling, but not a ruthless downpour. This, and the sound of the slow, wooden wheels, cautious on the dirt road was the only noise heard by the couple within.

Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, crashing thunder following. Brightly, it lit the face of the dark-skinned woman, whose head rested upon the shoulder of a dark-haired Englishman. The Englishman's arm was secure around her scarf-covered shoulder. The cloth itself was traditionally Indian. A red and gold-accented dupatta.

Another crash of lighting and thunder. Eyes shadowed with anxiety, the woman dared to look out the glass window.

It's dark, save for the phantom-white moonlight. Although pale, it lit up the view of the river meters down below. Cliffs. The road they took was beside a mountain or hill. And they were ever so cautiously riding at least two meters away from the winding edge.

Cliffs tend to crumble on rainy days. Carriages tend to slip. By god, what if...

The sudden thought of falling into the river below racked up dread within her. As fast as the very lightning in the sky. She looked away and buried her head into the shoulder of the Englishman.

He immediately reciprocated, holding the woman closely. What were they thinking? Driving down this path? And in such weather?

The woman at the shop... She had ordered the driver to go down this path? What an irrefutably foolish thing. In his opinion, the driver should've disregarded such advice and made his own way to their destination.

But... she was kind enough to give them money. A decent amount too. Could she tell that they were in a desperate situation?

The money he took from his father was... less than he had assumed he needed.

After a moment, the noise of the weather was broken by the dear woman beside him. Her voice was meek. "Steven... do you think we're even going the right way?"

The Englishman, Steven, slowly nodded his head. "Mina... Mina... don't worry. The woman said that this was way to the port city. We'll get there. Please don't fret, lo—"

The carriage stopped, jerking both parties.

"What's happened?" the woman—Mina—cries.

"Hold on, dear... Driver! What is wrong! What is the meaning of this!" Steven couldn't see the driver, as the wood walls of the coach blocked his sight.

The coachman's voice was clear from outside on the bench. "Th-there's a crash up ahead, Sir! Someone's carriage has slipped and fallen!" from the corner of his eye, Steven saw Mina's eyes widen, "There're two people there!"

Mina sat up, seeming to have forgotten about her fear for even a brief moment. "Steven... Shouldn't we help?"

Steven was torn. Would it really do much if they went down to check the situation out? Well, of course it would, they have a means of transportation.

Surely, there could be some survivors. But there were two people there already... Did he even need to interfere? But then what if the two needed assistance... should he go down there and help the desperate situation?

...But he was in a desperate situation too.

Steven must've thought about it for at least a long minute. 

The voice of the coachman rang from the front again. This time, it was suspiciously more somber, "S...sir... Do you... want to leave them be? It... it's a horrible sight. They could get help if they walk a mile away from here."

Still silence. Steven was still in a moral dispute.

"Steven?" he looked at Mina full in the face. As she looked at him, a frown was clear on her face. But there was a softness... it was less of a frown of anger and more of her knitting her eyebrows in pleading. She was pleading for a response. And mercy. She wanted to help the poor souls.

Oh, Mina. You're as old as I, and yet you're so naïve.

Steven's mind was made. He nodded in assurance to Mina. "No, driver. That's not necessary. I'm going down to see what's going on." He grabbed his bowler hat lying beside him on the leather seat and fixed it upon his head.

He opened the carriage door and climbed out, thankful that he was already wearing a knee-length coat. The cold was even more bitter on the outside.

Steven Harker trotted down the dirt road, passing the driver planted to his seat. From the light of the lamp secured to the side of the bench, Steven had caught a glance at the driver's face. From way up there, the driver's face froze—wide eyed and twisted in what looked like fear and disgust.

A strange and unwelcome sight. The anxiety it brewed tightened his throat. He slowed his walk a bit and actually took time to study the road below.

Judging from the straight skid-lines of wheels left behind, it looks like the carriage had slipped off the road and flew down the cliff. But just as you couldn't see an object directly below a dining table if you sat at the other end, he couldn't see what was down there beyond the edge. But It was getting closer in his field of sight as he slowly walked closer. What in hell had made the driver's face like that? What brutal horror did the accident bring? What was so disgu—

Steven choked when he saw why. 

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Wow, it's been a while since I've actually updated... but hey, here's the beginning of the story my 5 loyal readers!

Yeah, it was kind of an asshole move for me to end on a cliffhanger. (Lmfaoo, ironic💀) But y'all don't have to wait much for the next chapter. The next one will probably be out next week? Or tomorrow? I'm spending wayy too long on just this prologue alone.

Promise, these chapters only get longer.

Anywho, see y'all either on Wattpad or in the next chapter <3