Staying Alone

Chapter 11: Preparations

Sara emerged from the black limousine, her black cloak draped across her shoulders and over her head. As she stood up from the car's truck, arms loaded with three to four large white boxes and her own green bag over her shoulder with her secret gift hidden carefully inside. Sara didn't and couldn't see Viktor standing in front of her, as she slowly and cautiously made her way up the tall stone steps, and through the tall wide open doors into the cold darkness of the empty mansion. Viktor didn't know what to say or do as he watched the young girl disappear into the house and went through another set of doors, which led into the main living room.

Viktor remembered when his mother and father would entertain guests with the most elegant parties in that room. Sometimes he and Nikolas would secretly watch their parents dance with each other late into the night, with only the glow of the warm firelight touching their bodies, making the couple look almost magical.

Snapping back to reality soon after, Viktor went to chase after Sara until he heard a soft click on the other side of the door. He tried the handle. She had locked it! How dare someone lock him out of his own rooms of his own house! His ice blue quickly filled with anger and narrowed, as he pounding on the door. So loud, and so hard the sounds echoed throughout the house, just the mere sound was ripping the hinges from the door. Just as Viktor raised his arm to deliver the final blow to the nearly dead, fallen door, a gentle steady hand came down upon his shoulder and stilled his action. Stunned from his angered rage, Viktor turned around eyes wide only to look into the kind gaze of Max.

"Young master, I hope you won't find me too bold when I say that, Miss Sara is quite fatigued from our outing. May I suggest you take a stroll around outside? Fresh air might do you well to clear your head and by the time you return, dinner would be just about ready.

Viktor sighed. He knew Max was right, and he could never argue with Max's logic anyway, no matter how strange it may sound. Viktor knew himself that he had stayed within these walls as if it was his cage, protecting him from all the things and people in the world. However, now he allowed a strange but pretty girl to his house and sleep in his beloved late mother's room. He knew he had to clear his mind, but he would not open his heart. It has suffered too much. Sighing once more, he turned toward the front doors, grabbing a long dark gray trench coat with black fur around the collar, and just before stepping out, he called out over his shoulder.

"Don't bother waiting up." And the doors closed with a slam.

Max just gave small all-knowing smile, 'Let's see, he should return in about six to seven hours.', turned briskly around hurried up the wide stairway and within another half an hour, he came back down with two large plastic boxes carefully secured under each arm. Softly, he rapped on the door three times. The lock clicked and the handle turned. Then Max saw familiar raven hair.

"Oh, Max! Thank you so much! This will help me a whole lot." Sara whispered unaware that Viktor had left.

"Are you sure you do not require any help, Miss?" Max inquired, as the young woman took the boxes from him and settled them within the room, without letting Max even gander a peek inside.

"Actually, sir...Max, I want to do this on my own. I could though do me the favor of not letting anyone inside until Christmas Day."

Max stared into the determined look within her emerald eyes, slightly taken aback at the forcefulness in her voice, but smiled and nodded in affirmation. Then he disappeared through the kitchen doors farther down the hall.

Closing the door and locking it shut again, Sara leaned her back against it breathing a sigh of relief. 'Now I can get back to work.' With that, the young Japanese girl went to the sofa in front of the fireplace and reached into her shoulder bag to pull out a long faded dark green silk ribbon. Then gathering a fistful of sleek black hair, Sara tied it up into a loose bun, with a few strands scattered around it.

Taking a moment to survey her surroundings of the room, then she went to work. Sara, struggling little, moved tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture to far sides of the room, still trying to make it look as neat as possible. As nearly three hours had passed, Sara wiped a little sweat from her brow as she stood in the center of the room in front of the fireplace, and the newly placed furniture surrounding her like a crowd of people gathered around an embroidered carpeted dance floor. Sara smiled to herself, she was halfway done. For the next two hours, Sara was in and out of boxes and all across the large room placing and rearranging long locks of green garland and white twinkling lights. Near the firelight, the oval oak dining table was being covered with brilliant red and green cloth, and the garland decorated the center of the table, surrounding a crystal vase, which Sara had found collecting dust, and she filled it with beautiful white sakura blossoms. To finish off the large dark room, Sara filled the room with tall white candles.

As she set the last candle in place, Sara yawned a little too wide. Finding she had been decorating for nearly six hours, Sara began to clean up excess trimmings and empty boxes. Taking one last look at her creation, the Japanese girl turned around, thinking it was perfect, and reached for the door handle. As she opened it, Sara found on the other side of the door, a silver key in the lock. Sara pulled it out and realized it must have been from Max; however, she was too tired to go and look for him. So, locking the door to her secret room behind her and proceeded up the wide steps to her own bedroom. Falling on the bed, all Sara could dream about was Viktor and what his reaction would be, which she would see in just five days.

TBC

Forgive me that this is so short and late, but one it's Christmas and two I have had horrible to no inspiration recently, and my writings have been kind of slow, so bear with me please and I hopefully will have chapter 12 soon. Thank you, for being so patient with me.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Whispirah