With the COVID-2019 outbreak, I've been unable to go out much. It's kinda freaky how quickly the virus is spreading around the world but I sincerely hope all of us are safe where ever we live. We're going to win the war against this monster so ...

Read on...

"My family used to have everything. We were rich and comfortable with our lives. My dad was a businessman, he had a line of businesses in India  and for the most part of the year, he was away. My mother was left to manage the home and the poor woman would work from dawn to dusk to ensure we had food on our tables. While she did all these, slowly, she forgot her maternal duties to me and my sisters."

From the frown on Pascal's face, Ella deduced he was digging up unpleasant memories. "Wendy's father and mine used to be close friends, so when our fathers and mothers were occupied, Wendy would come to play with me. She had no siblings unlike me but my sisters were little demons and I preferred to avoid them at all cost."

"Little demons?" Ella laughed.

"Dally once snuck in purple dye to my hair cream, Molly, soldier ants in my trousers and Tina, a snake in my bath water. Dally and Molly are twins so that made everything worse." Pascal recounted, a sad smile playing on his lips.

"Where are they now?"

"Dad took them to India after he separated from my mom. He discovered Mom was sneaking around with Wendy's father. My frienship with Wendy ended there and then. I expected us to still remain friends."

A pang of pity wracked Ella's heart. How bad he must have felt to have lost his friend.

"I'm sorry."

Pascal nodded. Their gazes met for a brief moment. "And now, she's sinking her claws into the prince." He mumbled.

All of a sudden, every trace of sadness was wiped from his face. He jumped up to his feet and pulled Ella up. "Let's dance. The past is gone, live in the present."

Ella smiled and allowed him lead her to where other people were dancing with so much glee. She shook off the feeling of a pair of eyes watching her and enjoyed Pascal teaching her some dance steps.

Live in the present.

"This is fun." Ella giggled as Pascal spun her round twice.

He matched her smile. "I told you so."

Ella did not spare Eric because Pascal kept her occupied throughout the celebration, sharing amusing jokes with her.

"Thanks for tonight." Ella told Pascal after he escorted her to her hut.

She could see him smile as the burning torch behind them threw a topaz glow on his face.

"Thank you too. Maybe we should do this some other time." He suggested, bouncing nervously on his feet.

Ella smiled. "Of course. Good night Pascal."

Pascal nodded, allowing her to go inside. With a heavy heart, he left.

Trisa was smirking when Ella entered their room. "You look flustered."

"It's probably because I'm tired and need some rest."

"I saw you dancing with our little rascal and you both looked so good together." Trisa pressed on, hoping to force a reaction out of Ella.

"I don't like Pascal in that way and he doesn't. We're just friends." Ella tied up her hair and changed into her night wear before sliding into her bed and pulling the blanket over her head.

"Really?"

Ella sighed. "I do not like Pascal. End of discussion."

Trisa smiled and abandoned the topic. But she wondered why Ella sounded so irritated. She was in a good mood this morning and then this evening at Wendy's party, Trisa had been watching her, she didn't look so excited. Eric wasn't with her.

That's it. Ella was irritated because Eric wasn't with her at the party. Of course.

A goofy grin animated Trisa's face. "Wendy just had to get to the prince first. It's annoying, I know."

Ella felt her blood run cold. She sat upright, meeting Trisa's collected gaze with a glare. "Stop talking, okay. I don't want to hear anything else." She snapped so hard that she flinched at her rudeness. But Trisa didn't. Instead, she smiled softly, understanding Ella's frustration.

"Sorry." Ella apologized.

Trisa turned to the mirror where she was applying a herbal facial mask before Ella came inside.

"No problem. Just talk to me if you want to." Trisa wasn't exactly expecting Ella to do that but Ella had reached her breaking point. She couldn't carry everything on her chest anymore.

"I like Eric."

Trisa smiled quickly before facing Ella again. "Now, that's what I suspected."

"He doesn't know and it hurts."

"Men are stupid." Trisa remarked.

Ella couldn't agree or disagree. Some words were better left unspoken. She stared up at the thatched room for a long while before sleep pulled her into another world.

"Do you think you can really defeat me?" Brian's unpleasant voice echoed in Ella's ears.

She panicked when she realized her hands were tied with a tough rope. "Let me go."

Brian chuckled, edging closer and seizing her chin roughly. He made her stare into his eyes emitting so much hatred. "You're a failure, so pathetic. You let your mother die. You couldn't save her. Imagine all those innocent people you involved in this war that got killed. It's all your fault, Ella."

Ella sobbed. "Leave me alone."

"I'm only going to leave you after snuffing your life right out of your filthy body. Rot in hell, bitch."

Her eyes widened when he drew out a knife and stabbed-

Ella jolted up in her bed, almost falling to the ground. Her heart beat slowed down after she was relieved that it was only a dream.

"Bad dreams?"

Trisa was watching Ella curiously from her bed. Her ears had picked up Ella sobbing and yelling.

"Yes."

Ella wiped her eyes. She didn't like it that Trisa was disturbed but what worried her most was the dream that had Brian in it.

"I'm sorry for waking you up."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault."

Ella was unable to sleep until dawn when she got out of bed to wash her body and change into her clothes. Trisa wasn't in the room when she woke up. Maybe she had duties to carry out at her post.

After checking her reflection in the mirror, Ella went outside the room. Pascal was waiting for her. He smiled.

"Good morning Ella."

"Morning, Pascal." She smiled back.

Pascal's lips curved downwards. "I don't like anyone saying just 'morning' in response."

Ella chuckled. "Petty." She teased him.

He rolled his eyes then reached out to her. "Come on, the food won't get to you."

Ella laughed and followed him to the Dining Hall which was filled with people. Her eyes bulged at the number of people seated. She wondered where they would sit.

Pascal caught her expression and interpreted it perfectly. "Meals on Sunday mornings are always tasty. No one likes missing the food. I asked some of my friends to reserve a space or two for us."

"Or two?"

"Depending on their mood this morning, one of us will be seatless."

Ella narrowed her eyes at Pascal making him erupt into uncontrollable laughter almost hitting someone in the face. The person glared at him and Ella appeased the person with a smile and when they had left, she stomped on Pascal's  foot.

He grinned. "You need to try harder. Come on." They wove a path among the tables until Pascal reached the table they'd be eating at.

A petite girl waved them over. "Do you know how many people I had to box off because of you?" She patted the space beside her and Ella slipped in, Pascal next to her.

"Box? You?" Pascal taunted the girl.

"You know I can easily tackle you right?"

Pascal chuckled. "I don't doubt you at all. Einat, meet Ella, Ella, Einat, my bestie."

"What's bestie?" Ella asked.

Einat snickered. "It means best friend."

"Oh." Ella scolded herself internally.

Her downcast expression didn't slip past Einat who hung her arm on Ella's shoulder. "Oh sweetheart, don't be sad."

Awkward, Ella just smiled at Einat. Pascal poked  Einat with his index finger, and she slapped his finger away.

"Ella, we're going rabbit hunting this evening, would you like to come along?" Einat offered

"Rabbit hunting? Sure, I'd love to come."

Breakfast passed smoothly and soon, Ella was strolling around the village, greeting nearly everyone in her good-natured manner with a smile. The people waved back, liking her already.

Ella played with Patty and her friends till she got tired. One of the boys, Jared fetched her some water to drink and while she lingered on the grass watching them play, her eyes strayed to Eric and Wendy who were walking past the field.

Eric hadn't spotted her yet and Ella wished he wouldn't. How would he when Wendy has all stolen all his attention to herself.

Maybe, this was Becca's way of punishing her.

"I don't like Wendy at all. She's mean to everyone, well except the Prince." Patty spoke up, flopping exhaustedly onto the grass and drinking some water.

"I don't know much about Wendy. Maybe she isn't as bad as she looks."

It was always in Ella's nature to offer some form of explanation for someone's ill actions.

"Wendy is terrible, Ella. Trust me. You don't want to get on her bad side."

Ella watched Wendy laugh heartily, Eric joining her. It was as if someone stuck a butcher's knife in her chest.

***

Ella went to visit her mum again and helped her with some chores. Then, from there, Marie suggested they should go and assist the women in the kitchen.

Ella agreed and when they reached the kitchen, the women and men there were delighted to have Ella there. Ella got to taste a little out of every pot and by Lunch, her stomach was already filled.

"What have you been up to today?" Pascal asked Ella at their table. Einat was nowhere in the vicinity.

"I played with some teenagers before visiting my mother and finally helping out in the kitchen."

Pascal looked pleased. "That's great! Already, I've started hearing little bits of gossip about you."

Ella shook her head. "Every deed one does is never hidden."

Pascal laughed. "Well said, philosopher." He patted her back and snatched a chunk of meat from the food basket that was passed around. He retrieved another for Ella's rice and tomato stew before releasing the basket to someone else.

They ate in silence, although a steady buzz of words floated in the air. Ella's mind wandered to Eric, for the hundredth time today.

She made up her mind that if he wasn't going to talk to her, she will, and she'd remind him of the reason why they were here.

Maybe Wendy was Becca's tactic in sidetracking Eric from their mission. But Ella would foil their evil plan by all means. They hadn't come all the way down here for nothing.

"What's on your mind?" Pascal whispered very close to Ella's ear.

"Wendy and Eric." She replied honestly.

"Wendy is such a rat." Einat spat, tasting how sour the rice was in her mouth just because of Wendy's name.

Ella cringed. "You don't like her too?"

"Who doesn't?" Einat raised the left sleeve of her shirt and showed Ella a scar trailing from her upper arm to way past her elbow. "There, that was Wendy's artwork. Need I give you more proofs that she's a bitch?"

Ella gaped at the slightly fading scar in horror. "This is horrible. How did-"

"We were practicing knife target practice when the psycho suddenly decided sticking a knife in my arm would be glorious."

Pascal rested his hand on Ella's shoulder. "In conclusion, Wendy is the devil herself."

Ella snickered. "The devil is a man."

Einat guffawed loudly, pulling a lot of eyes to her but the girl just didn't care. "Not in this case."

"Wendy deserves what is coming to her, Ella."

Ella figured this was a prophecy from Pascal but she had no idea how soon it would be fulfilled.

***
"Is this really necessary?" Ella asked Pascal who had been trying to teach her a couple of things on how to deliver a good punch.

"Yes, Ella. Most of the times, a simple kick to a man's groin can be a grave mistake." Pascal explained.

"They only get aggressive after being temporarily weakened." Einat supported, watching them from an old tree stump she was sitting on, breaking off a twig from the nearby shrubs.

They had chosen this place in this forest to afford them some form of privacy while Pascal teaches Ella how to fight.

If only she would cooperate with him. Pascal sighed.

"Damsels in distress are boring, Ella, I prefer damsels in charge. Why wait for your prince in shiny armour to come for you in a galloping horse when you can go after him on yours?"

Ella stared at Einat. The accepted custom was for the man to do the chasing and not the woman. What was this new theory?

"Come on Ella. Better be prepared for the war coming ahead of us. What would you be doing while the others are fighting? Hiding under a rock till the war passes?" Pascal asked Ella.

She grinned. "I'll take my chances."

Pascal and Einat snickered at Ella's logic. "You're just like Danny."

Ella observed how Pascal's expression dimmed when Einat mentioned Danny and decided against asking who Danny was.

"Teach me how to fight." Ella was determined to end this nonsense once and for all.

The climax of events is fast approaching and a lot of stuff will happen.

Just hang in there a little longer.