Charles

~~~

Today was a shockingly eventful day. I made a discovery that I wasn't exactly expecting.

But I should probably start from the beginning of the day, - after all, I started this journal to document the events taking place, so I'd rather keep it in chronological order.

I've been quite excited to get out of the house. Even with Mark's occasional visits, I certainly don't get much human interaction, and being stuck in the house had been quite a struggle. And as winter starts to loom above me more and more, expeditions to the outside are going to get rarer soon, so I'd better take my chances while I can.

Upon leaving the summer-house, early in the morning, I turned to walk through the forest along the shore-line of the Sobbing lake, allowing both my legs and my mind to wander. By the time I brought my mind back, the sun was well above my head.

The thing that snatched me out of my daze was a glimpse of a white wall.

At first it confused me greatly. Why would there be a wall in the middle of the forest?

Now, that thought infuriates me. I knew that Mark was always the brighter of us two, but I never thought I was this dim.

The wall, of course, belonged to a house.

It wasn't a large house. The majority of its white, calcy walls were covered in vines, the spruce shutters wide open to let in as much light inside as possible.

And the red. So much red.

The slanted roof was a gorgeous shade of dark red.

Similarly to it, a garden filled with the widest multitude of red flowers, - from roses to poppies, and a multitude of other flowers that I've never even heard the names of. The bright crimson of their petals seemed so striking against the white wall, like droplets of blood in the snow. In retrospect, it's surprising how the flowers are still blooming after all the frost that has been coming over in the night.

Of course, I was curious. I had no idea anyone lived out here, especially so near to the lake - I've always thought it was just the Pendragon summer-house. And now that I discovered some signs of life, my interest was piqued.

It's quite obvious that the house isn't abandoned - the path to the open door has been recently swept, and a smell of something sweet being baked hung in the air.

I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I didn't manage to work up the courage to knock, to find out who lived there. Not just that - but at some point a soft voice could be heard through the gaping door, and for a moment a slim figure appeared.

That was enough to scare me away. I turned around and dashed like a rabbit after hearing a twig snap. As I rushed off, I could hear a surprised gasp, later accompanied with a heavy cough, behind me. This only further pushed me to move faster.

I do not know what forced me to run like a coward. I've never experienced such fear in my life, and heavens know - I've always been quite daring, walking the edges of rooftops and getting into unnecessary fights just to prove that I wasn't "chicken".

But back then, in those bushes outside the fence of the house with the red roof, I was completely overwhelmed by this sense of impending changes to the calm life that I've gotten accustomed to since I ran away with the burning secret of my sin behind me. That feeling of change scared me so, that the only thing my brain told me to do was run... even though now I think my heart might have wanted to stay.