The Count's Secret Maid (2)
I left the annex and headed to where I last saw Lucas. When I was illuminating the surroundings with a lamp in my hand, a strong wind was blowing. He drove dry fallen leaves along the ground and shook the lamp in my hand, so the fire in it swayed.
And then something caught my attention. I saw spots of some kind of liquid on the ground. And it wasn't just one or two drops. They formed a trail, like a path, leading somewhere.
- What is this?
In bewilderment, I came closer and looked more closely. It was definitely not water, the color was too dark. He clearly didn’t seem like that because of the darkness of the night. I leaned over and touched the spot. The liquid stained my fingers. I raised my hands to the light and was horrified.
It was blood. A whole trail of blood stains.
I looked at her in confusion. It led to the corner behind the outbuilding. Swallowing hard, I sat up straight, trying to calm my racing heart. It all looked ominous. Should I call someone?
Then I thought about Lucas, whom I had recently left. He was neither here nor in the mansion. No, it can't be. After a moment of confusion, I made a decision and slowly followed the trail.
The lamp illuminated the bloody ground. The closer I got to the corner, the more spots there were.
The wind loosened the ribbon from my hair, and its ends began to hit my face. I re-braided my ponytail and collected my thoughts. The sound of the wind mixed with some other sound similar to a whisper...
By the time I thought about it, I had already reached the corner. Swallowing hard, I silently stepped forward and placed the lamp forward.
At that moment a gusty wind blew and I had to close my eyes. My clothes fluttered wildly and the lantern swayed.
I raised my hand to shield myself from the strong wind and could barely open my eyes. Свет лампы мерцал, норовя погаснуть. Its flickering lights illuminated the ground, the walls, and the figure lying in front of me.
Then the lamp broke from an unexpected blow.
- Aah!
I instinctively screamed and, staggering, fell. The lamp fell out of my hands and broke. Darkness swallowed everything around.
I quickly began to look for the lamp with my hands. But all I could find were shards of glass and bent iron. I grabbed them, still screaming. I screamed with all my might so that someone could come to my aid after hearing my screams.
Then someone grabbed my ankle. I fell onto my back. Trying to fight, I desperately tried to shake off someone else's hand. Furious screams turned into bitter crying. I waved the broken lamp wildly in the air.
- Get lost! Leave! Get off me!
-...la. Pow...
- Go away! Ay!
“Help! Don't do this! Go away! – I screamed and kicked my legs wildly. I fought for my life. Then, as I was about to crawl away, a familiar voice was heard near my ear.
– Paula.
The tense voice brought me to my senses. I quickly turned my head. Tears of horror streamed down my face.
When I stopped screaming, the wind whistled past my ears, and a faint call reached me. I heard him clearly.
- Lucas?
-...
As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I saw a round figure. I called out his name, but there was no answer. I listened carefully, then slowly touched the hand holding my ankle. She was wet.
- Lucas? Is this really you?
- Pa... Paula...
- Oh God. Lucas!
I crawled up to him. Lucas was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball, reaching out to me, trying to touch me.
I tried to see his face, but it was too dark. I panicked and with trembling hands I felt his face, and then touched his chest. The shirt was wet. I didn't understand why and couldn't see.
I tried to lift Lucas, but his limp body was too heavy. With Lucas in my arms, I could barely stand up. His weak body slipped, and I had to sit him down on the ground and let him lean on me.
All this time my hands became increasingly wet. Touching his stomach, I realized that something was flowing from him.
Slowly I raised my wet hand. I still couldn't get a good look, but instinctively I knew what it was. Blood stains on the ground, fluid from the stomach that continued to drip and drip. Blood. It was his blood that wet my hands. Blood flowed from his stomach.
I fearfully pressed my hand to his stomach. But blood flowed mercilessly through the cracks between the fingers.
- Oh no. No. What is this, what is this?
- Uh...Haa...Paula.
- Yes, Lucas, it's me. I'm here. What in God's name happened here?
- Ha-ah. Haa.
Heavy breathing reached my ears. He buried his face in my shoulder and sighed heavily. His breathing was ragged and restless, as if it might stop at any moment. He was in very bad condition.
“Who did this? Who?..”
- Lu... Lucas, come to your senses.
I shook his shoulder. Lucas slowly opened his eyes, as if answering. His gaze was absent-minded, as if he was not looking at me. I burst into tears when I saw this.
- Ugh... Wake up. You can't fall asleep.
- Why... Ha-ah, why is that? I gave... Ha-ah, I gave you everything you wanted.
- Wow. It's too dark in here.
“Wait...di...” he muttered. It was a quiet voice that seemed like it could disappear at any moment. I hit him on the cheek and shouted at him to come to his senses. I was afraid that Lucas would fall asleep.
-You can't sleep. Don't fall asleep.
– Every day... I waited... Not my brother, but me. They are behind me... Yes... I was waiting... Ha-ah, uh, wait, oh!
He groaned and twitched with his whole body. I grabbed him tightly as he tried to slip out of my hands. His breathing on my ears was so intermittent and uneven, and the blood did not stop flowing.
I looked around. I screamed, trying to find out if anyone was nearby, but no one responded. Not a single living soul.
Tears blurred my vision. I rubbed my eyes and looked around, in case someone would pass by and help save him.
-You can't sleep. Don't sleep, please. Don't sleep.
– I was... Happy... I really...
- Lucas, you can't sleep.
He muttered something. I slapped him on the cheek again to keep him awake. His body temperature dropped. He became so cold and it scared me.
We need to help him quickly.
Time is running out.
I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him up with all my might. However, it was not easy to lift it. He fell again without taking a step.
I put it on my back and took a step. His limp body was still too heavy. In the end, I fell without walking even a couple of steps. It hurt, but I jumped to my feet and threw him onto his back again. However, again she could not go far and immediately fell.
I was nervous. My heart began to beat with anxiety. All I could think about was that I needed to quickly get to where there was someone who could help him. I tried to carry him on my back a few more times, but gave up and instead hugged him from behind, grabbing his upper body and pulling him along with me. I dragged him along the ground.
-You can't die. You can't. Please don't die!
I walked, dragging him with all my might. Sweat ran down my tear-stained face. However, I didn't give up. Muttering under my breath like a madwoman, I advanced step by step. But he was too heavy, and I was too weak to drag a person for so long. I was angry with myself.
“Please hurry!”
“You need to go quickly, you can’t die, don’t fall asleep.” We need to go. Come on!
-...la.
- I need to go, quickly. Faster.
- Pa...
He wrapped his arms around my trembling hands. I felt his touch and stopped.
We walked out of the darkness into the moonlight, a bloody streak following him along the ground where we passed.
I immediately checked his condition. I saw a pale face. So pale that it looked like a dead man's. I pressed my trembling fingertips to his nose and felt his breath, albeit weakly.
I clenched my hands into fists to stop myself from sobbing. My hands were covered in blood. There was too much of it, he could die at any moment.
- Lucas, Lucas!
I cried and called him. I begged him not to sleep. As always, I wanted him to say my name in response. But instead of calling me, he pursed his lips softly. As if he wanted to say something. Noticing this, I carefully laid him down, pressing my ear to his pursed lips.
Quiet words were heard through muffled breathing.
- Run, run, hurry. Go... to your brother. Pa...Paula.
- Lucas, I'm here.
I slightly raised our clasped hands. He tried to squeeze my hand. His eyes, which had been blinking weakly before, finally focused and turned towards me. He blinked once, meeting my gaze. I cried with relief.
At that very moment I felt someone's presence in the darkness.
Steps. As soon as I heard this sound, I immediately tensed up. When I turned my head and turned toward the sound, something sparkled in the darkness. Gradually this something began to manifest itself.
Lucas squeezed my hand. I turned to him again.
- Go now. Run, come on. Run.
-...
He begged me to move on, but my body did not move. My legs are numb. Every muscle was so tense that I couldn’t move a finger. Fear filled me. I'm afraid. I'm so scared. Someone please save me.
Lucas, who had been watching me, suddenly cringed. He groaned. He was in pain, but he tried his best to lift his upper body, pressing one hand into the ground and holding his stomach with the other.
He squeezed my hand tightly with his trembling hands. My empty eyes met the shaking brown irises of my eyes. Despair splashed through them.
Tears flowed from his eyes.
- Run away.
-...
- Come on, go... Go...
He suddenly pushed me away with the hand he had just been holding onto me.
- Run!
The moment I saw his face, covered in tears, I instinctively jerked forward. I tensed my stiff legs, stood up and turned around. Leaving behind the approaching unfamiliar steps, I ran as fast as I could, looking only forward, as he wanted.
"I will never forget this moment."
As darkness engulfed me again, I remembered Lucas standing in front of the mansion and looking at me. His eyes sparkled with kindness, and he smiled so sincerely. His smile addressed to me was always full of warmth and care.
I wonder if he smiled at me also now, as we moved away from each other.
Tears flowed mercilessly down my face.
The whole time I was running, I was desperately hoping that Lucas wouldn't fall asleep.