Mansion in the Forest

It was such a rough day for Lexi, too rough that she had to kick the poor trash bin on the corner along the alleyway where she used to pass by after her shift ended at the coffee shop across the college university. She had a fight with the customer, and her manager took the customer's side even if he knows that Lexi has the right to kick the guy's face after grabbing her not-so-flat ass. She got fired from her job after punching her manager and smash the cup of coffee into the p*****t customer's head. Who would grab an ass of a woman who vulgarly show that she's a tomboy? Only perverts. "Who the hell he think he was?" Lexi scowled as she kick another sack of garbage, she scoffed and continue her way to her apartment. When she was 10 meter away, she saw a black and shiny Mazda parked in front of her apartment. There was a guy in a suit waiting next to the car and there was another guy standing in front of her gate. Lexi stopped and quickly hide behind a car, she crouch down and peek at the suspicious men. They were doing nothing, as if they are just waiting for the owner of the apartment, they didn't even bother to ask to Lexi's neighbor, who's craning their neck just to see who's the unfamiliar faces outside Lexi's apartment. "Who are they?" Lexi whispery asked herself. "I don't know, did you somehow went to a casino and put yourself in debt, you piece of s**t?" The woman next to her, said. "What? No! I have never been in a casino, but I do have debt." Lexi said and she looked back to the men, it took her 10 seconds to realized that her girlfriend is hiding as well next to her. She whipped her head and see Jazen staring at her with her left brow raising intimidatingly. "What are you doing here?" "Hanz told me that you got fired from your job." "Oh." Lexi smiled sheepishly while scratching her head. "I.. uh, had a fight with—." "No need to explain, I heard it too, but are you okay though?" Jazen asked worriedly. "Yeah, I fought back but I lose my job." "It's okay, I know you'll find another one." Jazen's eyes softened and she cupped her girlfriend's face, kissed the tip of Lexi's face and flashed her smile, but her smile didn't even take 2 second and it fades away as quickly as the light flashes through them. "Now tell me, aside of beating your customer, what exactly did you do and why there are men outside your apartment?" "I swear I didn't do anything." Lexi said, shaking her head vigorously with her hand on her side to swear. "So who are they?" Another voice on Lexi's side, said. "I don't know!" Lexi exclaimed, slapping her friend's shoulder. "Don't you have class?" "Done, I went to your job but Hanz told me you already went home but you were hiding here with.." Trevor leaned back to see Jazen's face and he nodded at the woman. "...with that bitch." He whispered. "Excuse me?" "Oh, you heard me?" Trevor asked mockingly. "If I didn't know, you were just jealous that I'm the girlfriend." Jazen rolled her eyes even if Trevor couldn't see her. "Bitch." Trevor whispered hardly, gripping the hood of the car tightly. "That's enough." Lexi rebuked and let out a sharp breath. She easily gets irritated every time her girlfriend and her best friend fight, she already told them to be civil to each other if they cannot be friends, but it has been two years and yet, no one dared to show kindness between them. So she decided to just respect their decision. Lexi Myers is a 17 year old woman, she's an orphan who lives in an orphanage and decided to live on her own at her age of 16, she's currently having three jobs at the moment, but after losing one, she needs to focus in her two more jobs, one is a freelance photographer, second is she's a trainer in a sword school, with her frail and petite body, she's good at using swords but she never let her girlfriend or friends know about that. She met Jazen Kruz, the daughter of the company where she work as freelance photographer. A famous model at her age of 17. They became friends and later on, decided to be in a relationship without labeling their sexualities, they just became lovers and love each other. While Trevor Davis, Lexi's best friend, they've known each other since they were 12, they are both orphans but Trevor got lucky and been adopted with two rich businessmen, his parents were both gay but he never regretted being their son. They provided everything for him and show him true love of a parents. "Lexi? The f**k are you doing there?" The three teenagers along with the two suspicious men, looked at the person who called Lexi. The latter wants to shush her and tell her to stop calling her but it was too late as the men already looking at Lexi's spot. Lexi faced-palmed herself before she releases a guttural groan and stood up from where she was hiding, along with her best friend and her girlfriend. "You really don't know how to escalate the situation." Lexi sneered at Jisu, the exchanged student friend from South Korea/housemate. "What situation?" The latter asked confusedly. "I was just asking why are you—." Her words were interrupted when two men approached Lexi and they stood broadly in front of the young woman. "Lexi Myers?" One guy asked. "Yes, who are you?" She asked. "We are here to fetch you, the Queen is expecting to see you today." "Who? See me? Queen? What do you mean? I did nothing wrong to the Queen or whoever she is!" Lexi said frighteningly. She stepped backwards to distant herself from the men. "Oh my God, Lexi." Trevor exclaimed. "Maybe the one you punched at the coffee shop is the Queen's son?" "What?" Lexi and Jazen, exclaimed. "Wait, you punched someone? That is so not you, Lexi!" Jisu said in shocked. Lexi was known being the nicest person in their neighbourhood, she maybe a dumb most of the time, but she will never hurt someone because first, she know what she's capable of, second, she always has this attitude that she will always choose to forgive than to hurt anyone, she's rather be bullied than being the bully. "Is he?" Lexi asked worriedly, hoping that whatever Trevor said was all wrong, because she don't know what she's going to do if it happen that she really hurt the Queen's daughter. Though, she didn't know who's Queen they are talking about. "I'm sorry but we don't know anything about you're referring to, we are here to fetch you as the Queen's order." Another guy, then he motion his hand, the expensive car move to their spot and another man came out from the driver's seat and open the door at the backseat. "Let's go." "No." Jazen refused as she grabbed Lexi's hand. "She ain't never getting in that car." "We don't care about you, all we need is to bring Ms. Lexi Myers to the Queen." The guy said firmly. "Are you deaf? I said she's not—." "Then we have no choice." The guy said to cut off Jazen, he then lifted his hand in the air and that's when another cars around the street came over and 10 men in a suit approached them. The four teenagers were all staggered as they were surrounded by men in a suit, they held each other tightly, afraid that if one of them let go their hands, they'll be in dangerous situation. "It is much better to come voluntarily because no matter what happen, we have to bring you with us." The guy said, asking the guy behind him for something, there was a purse given and when he opened it, the teenagers gulped thickly when they saw the gun inside of it. Lexi was agitated and become more worried to her friends, she shook her head to shrugged the fear before she let out a sharp breath. "I'm coming, just don't hurt my friends." She said fearfully. "We are told not to hurt anyone, but we are told to bring you to the Queen by hook or by crook, and if someone try to stop us, then that means we're gonna use force." "Fine fine, just don't touch them. I'll go with you." Lexi resigned as she let go her girlfriend's hand. "Lexi, no. What if they hurt you?! They didn't even tell us who's Queen they are talking about!" Jazen still refused, gripping Lexi's hand more tightly. "We meant no harm to her, we were just doing our job." The guy said, he moved on the side and the other men moved as well to give path towards the car. Lexi turned to Jazen and cupped her girlfriend's face. "Listen, I'll be fine, okay? I'll message you. Just stay with Jisu and Trevor." "But—." "Shh, I'll be fine. I promise." Lexi said and kissed Jazen's forehead before she looked at Trevor and Jisu. "I'll be back." Trevor wants to protest but he couldn't do anything as one men still holding the gun, he has no other option but to nod his head and he grabbed Jisu and Jazen's hand to pulled them away from Lexi. Lexi get in the car without looking back, leaving her friends worrying for her safety but they couldn't do anything other than watch the cars sped away and vanish from their sight. ___ While in the middle of the road, Lexi feels uncomfortable and distressed. There are four people inside the, but neither one of the dared to talk, and it made Lexi feel discomfort, the growing fear inside her makes her fidgety. She needs to ask them and start any conversation or her anxiety will eat her alive. She c***k her knuckles, the guy next to her notices it and he gulped. "Ma'am, please. We are just doing our job." He said, finally breaking the thick like a blanket tension in the air inside the car. Lexi looked up to him and her anxiety somehow lifted off, she smiled when she saw the fear at the guy's eyes. "So now tell me, who is this Queen? And why she wants to see me?" "I'm sorry but I'm not in the position to say anything, we just received the order and I'm telling the truth." The guy said, and with the last four words he added, Lexi smirked. "Now you show me fear." "We know you, we've been following you since kid and we know your capabilities." "Why the f**k are you following me? Who exactly you people?!" "As I've said, I'm not in—." "Just shut up." Lexi interrupts dismissively. The car pulled into the driveway silently, it was such a huge mansion, made of finest woods and luxurious stonework. Modern and old fashioned combined, it has also huge lawn, covered with fresh Bermuda grass. Lexi felt that she has been in here before but she can't remember. The car finally stopped in front of the porch, a three steps stairs before the big two way wooden door. There are two another men in a suit waiting, there are wires attached to their ear and one of them pressed it as he speaks, but Lexi didn't hear it because she's still in a car. The guy next to her open the door and offered his hand to Lexi but the latter ignored it and she stepped out of the car of her own, she's in awe while wandering her eyes the whole mansion, she has never seen a huge house like this in her entire life other than in internet. The lavish two doors opened, revealing the luxurious interior design that you will expect in such a huge mansion. There are more men in a suit inside along with maids, lined up on the side of the door, their body bend in a 90 degree position. "Welcome." The man in front of the line, said. His hands were in a white gloves, he's wearing a tuxedo and a bowtie, a butler. Lexi thought that the one got greeted is one of the guy with her, but the butler is looking at her spot, and in her eyes. "Me?" Lexi asked, pointing at herself. "Yes, you thank you for accepting the Queen's invitation." "Oh uhm yeah, you're welcome. But may I know what does she need?" "The Queen will tell you herself, please follow me." The butler said as he lead the way to the far end of the mansion. Lexi followed him while keep amazingly roamed her eyes around the mansion. "We're here, Your Highness." The butler announced after he opened the door, leading inside the room full of different kind of swords and anything that can be used to severe and kill an animal or a person. Lexi's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She's a sword trainer, no wonder she was too amazed to see a lot of swords in front of her, that she didn't noticed the Queen looking in her way with pleasure in her eyes. "Wow." Lexi breathed as she kept roaming her eyes. "This is amazing." "I know, my father used to collect swords from the whole world." The Queen said and that's when Lexi's eyes shifted to her and was stunned in a beauty in front of her. She was actually expecting to see an old lady in a old fashioned gown, but she's wrong. The woman in front of her was way too far from the way she anticipated. "Thank you for accepting my invitation." "Uh uhm, y-you're welcome." Lexi said stuttering. She suddenly felt embarrassment, her face tainted with hues of red like a ripe tomatoes. "I should introduce myself first." The Queen said as she walked towards Lexi and extend her arm. "I'm Sakura Himamoto, a Japanese heiress of the Himamoto family, Royal blood from Japan." Lexi is confused, on how this beautiful woman wants to see her, she's indeed a beautiful woman and the Japanese features are all over her face, she looks like in her 20s and too young to be a Queen but just like what she said, she's a Heiress and to be honest, she's fluent in English as well, but Lexi didn't know her. "Lexi Myers." She introduced herself even if the Queen already know who she is. "I know who you are. That's why I called you here." "Why?" Lexi asked curiously. "You know, I have my men following you since you moved out from the orphanage." "Oh yeah, your men told me that, but why? I wanna know why." Lexi said impatiently. The Queen smiled at her and turn her heels. She walked towards the corner, where a table is placed. Lexi followed her and they both stood in front of the most lavish sword inside the room, it is inside the glass box, for Lexi's eyes, there's a glowing aura around the sword and the Queen could see it as well. "I inherited a mansion when my parents passed away, besides this mansion, there is another one in the middle of the forest." The Queen said. "So you mean, you want to give me that one because I'm an orphan?" Lexi asked giddily, she's giddy to the thought of having a huge mansion on her own. "No." Sakura said which made Lexi frowned in dismay. "But I'll give you this one if you want, and half of my wealth will be yours." Lexi was astounded, but quickly recomposed herself as she cleared her throat. "Why? I don't even know you. And what has your mansion in the middle of the forest got to do with me?" "You are one of the chosen people who able to accept the challenge I offer, in exchange for unparalleled wealthy that I can give to you." "What? I mean, what kind of a challenge? And you already have lot of money, why don't you just give up that one and buy another one?" "That mansion mean a lot to me, and I'm willing to give everything I have just to take that back." Sakura said, her eyes were void of any emotions when she turned to face Lexi's confused face. "Accept my offer." Lexi stared at the sword, she was so confused at the moment and there are lot of questions running in her mind. She didn't know the woman, she don't know what challenges she would face if she accepts the offer. And mostly, why her? "One last question." Lexi said without looking at the Queen. "Shoot." "What's in that mansion and you have to ask someone to take that back?" Lexi asked as she turned to face the Queen. "You'll know once you get there." "You know what?" Lexi smiled widely. "Thanks for showing me these amazing collections of your father, but I suggest you to find another person who's willing enough to accept your offer. I'm an orphan, yes, living in a small room with my roommate, but my salary from my two jobs are enough to feed me and pay my bills,and I'm not asking for more, so I'm sorry but I am politely declining your offer." She said as she bow her head and starts walking away, leaving the Queen who's looking at her amusedly but when she's about to exit the room, the Queen spoke again and Lexi halted her steps. "Your mom is in critical condition, I believed that you should go and meet her before it's too late." The Queen said, smirking proudly at herself after revealing the last resort she has to make Lexi accept her offer. "I don't have a parents." Lexi said without looking back, but still didn't move. "You do have a mom, she's in the hospital and dying, if you want to see her, I'll send you the address of the hospital." Lexi scoffed and continue her way, when stepped out of the mansion, she released the breath she didn't know she was holding for too long. The car door open in front of her and the guy earlier, didn't said anything, but he motioned his hand to Lexi. She get in and sat silently as the car leave the place. The car stopped and they dropped off Lexi in the nearest bus stop and the car sped away in too much speed. Lexi is in dazed when the bus stopped in front of her, the driver yelled to get her attention, asking if she's going to ride or not. She did climbed into the bus and sat on the far end, still confused to what happen. She got offer from unknown Queen, the sword she was staring at earlier, seems calling her name and she felt something heavy clings inside her when she stepped out from that mansion and found out that she still have a mother, but sadly, she's dying. Until Lexi arrived at her street, she's still idled, walking towards her apartment, she didn't even noticed her friends waiting for her outside their small apartment, if it wasn't for Jazen who grab her hand to stop her from walking inside. "Lex.." Jazen called softly and worriedly but also relief upon seeing the young lady without any bruise or evidence of getting hurt from wherever she has been in the past few hours. Lexi looked at her, her eyes were unfocused and seems not seeing who's in front of her. Until Trevor had to butt in and squeezed his best friend's shoulder. Lexi then turned to Trevor, eyes still blank. "What happened?" Trevor asked softly. "Nothing." Lexi finally said but her friends wasn't convinced as they could see how preoccupied she is. "Did they hurt you?" Jisu asked this time. "No." Lexi shook her head. "Then why did they take you?" Jazen asked, getting a bit annoyed as to how Lexi acting like she became dispirited all of a sudden after those men in a black suit took her. "I don't know, they are just a bunch of prankster." Lexi said but no one believed her. But they didn't ask further as the young woman seems so out of herself. The three teenagers looked at each other and talked instinctively through their minds. They decided to let go Lexi and talk to her sometime later. Lexi and Jisu got inside their mini apartment, not talking to each other, but Jisu maintain to watch her roommate cautiously. She prepared their dinner and called Lexi to her room so they can eat together like they usually do whenever Lexi's shift at the coffee shop will end early. She's been knocking for five times now but no respond from Lexi, until she decided to let the girl rest and she eat alone. While she was eating silently and reading one of her favourite novel, she received a notification on her phone. Not being so interest, she still opened the message and froze upon reading the message. She suddenly burst out crying and Lexi, who's standing on the door got startled, she finally got her senses and she ran to Jisu. "Hey, what happened?" Lexi asked as she approached the girl to engulfed. "My.. my p-parents." Jisu said, choking in her own tears and couldn't talk normally. Then Lexi had to steal the phone from Jisu's hand and felt her heart clench upon reading the message. Jisu's parents got into an accident, her dad was dead on arrival while her mom is in critical condition. Lexi didn't know what to do nor to say as her mind still occupied from the address she received. It was the address of the hospital where her possible biological mom is trying to fight for her life. When Jisu's cry died down, Lexi retracted herself and she sat down on the other chair and tugged down Jisu. She held both of the latter's hands and squeezed them lightly. "I'm sorry for your loss." Lexi started. "I need to go home." Jisu said between her uncontrollable sobs. "Maybe tomorrow, it'll be dangerous if you go tonight. It's too late." "I don't care, I need to book a flight as early as it is." "Ok then, I'll help you. But if there's no available flight tonight, you should go tomorrow morning. Okay?" Lexi said and Jisu agreed to her by nodding her head. And so they booted on Jisu's laptop and tried to look for a flight but there was none and the earliest flight will be tomorrow morning at 6 AM. They decided to book that flight and take a rest for tonight. Jisu already gone to her room, still crying, while Lexi left alone in the kitchen and browsing the address that was sent to her by unknown number. She take down note to her phone and decided to take a rest. Morning has arrived and Jisu already gone to her early flight, she left a bill for Lexi to pay their bills because she know that Lexi won't have the capable to pay them as she was fired to her job. Lexi prepared herself before she exited their apartment and hailed a cab then she told the driver to bring her to the address she showed from her phone. It was such a nerve-wracking for Lexi as the cab drove to the hospital. In her 17 years of life, sh didn't know that she still have one parent alive, for she treated them dead after they abandoned her and the orphanage took her in when she was 6 years old. Her life became miserable for the past 6 years until Trevor arrived at the orphanage, they became best friends and the boy protected her from all the bullies, they became best buddies, until the boy got adopted when she turned 15 and Lexi got left alone once again. When she turned 16, she left the orphanage, looked for jobs here and there, when she got enough money from her jobs, she decided to rent a room and met her roommate, Jisu Nam. They became friends instantly and clicked together. There are few people she has been close but she treats Jazen, Trevor and Jisu differently as she considered them as her only family. And now that she found out that her mother is still alive, she didn't know what to feel nor to think, she didn't even know what she was going to say if she meet her mother. Will she shout at her? Will she get angry? Or she will cry and be happy because she's not really an orphan after all. But they abandoned her, and Lexi wants to give her mother a benefit of the doubt, there must be a reason why she has to do that. The cab stopped exactly at the entrance of the huge hospital, and it seems private. She wondered who's paying the bills and who's taking care of her mother, and by that thought, Lexi feels more anxious to assume that she has more relatives waiting inside the hospital. She paid the driver before she enter the hospital, she went to the information desk to ask the patient in room 108 given by the unknown number. The nurse looked up to her and smiled upon hearing the room number, then she proceeded to tell Lexi the direction. "She will be happy to see you." The nurse said when Lexi left the desk. She looked back to the nurse but didn't say anything, she shrugged off the weird feeling and continue her way to the elevator. When she arrived at the said floor, mixed emotions came back and her hands started to tremble along with her lips. She bit the lower part to stop them but it won't not helping at all. She jumped three times to shrugged the uneasiness and shook her body, earning weird looks from the passers by on the hallway. She smiled shyly and hid her face from the embarrassment. And then she proceeded to the room 108. There was a moment of sudden change in Lexi's confidence when she saw the room, she halted her steps and wanted to turn around to run away, but there's also the strong feeling to be in that room and meet her mother. The latter won, and she reached for the cold metal knob, twisted it and pushed it open. There was an old woman in her late 50s, lying on the bed, with lot of apparatus attached to her body, the only sound can be heard inside the room is the heartbeat of her mother, coming from the machine. Lexi agitatedly approach the bed and saw an envelope on top of the woman's chest. She open it and there was nothing inside except for a calling card. LMK company, behind the card, there's a number. Lexi put it back inside the envelope when the door swung open behind her. She then turn around to see who walks in. "You must be Lexy Myers?" The man in a white scrub asked, followed by the nurse at the information desk earlier. "Y-yes." Lexi replied. "I'm Doctor Jones, and I'm happy to finally see you. She's been waiting the for you since last week." "Who?" Lexi asked confusedly. "Mrs. Anna Myers." The doctor smiled at her before shifting his gaze to the envelope. "They came here?" He asked the nurse behind him. "Yes Doc, they just left before Ms. Myers arrived and left this." The nurse gave another envelope to the doctor, which Lexi followed her gaze onto it. She's wondering who are they talking about but no confidence to ask. The doctor fishes out the paper and scan it before giving to Lexi, who took the paper confusedly. "Look, there are people who brought her here and they informed us that she has a daughter who will pay all the bills." The doctor said and Lexi was surprised to hear that. "Wait, I don't even know this woman—." "Is this you?" The doctor cut her off by showing a picture of the old lady and the young Lexi. The latter didn't say anything because she was too emotional to see the young her while she's in between hands of the old lady. "Based on your reaction, you confirmed it." The doctor said as he put the picture back inside the envelope and looked back to Lexi. "Now, I have to tell you that her bills been running continuously while she's here, and we need an immediate operation to do about her heart disease and we need you to sign this, you will need a 50k dollars down payment and—." "Hold the f**k up." Lexi held her hand in the air to interrupt the doctor. "First, I'm not even sure if she's my mother, second, I don't have that huge money to pay her bills for her operation, and third—." "Third, we have to remove every machine inside this room and that will be the end of her life, so you have to decide because we've been running out of time." Lexi fell in silent, she then began to take a deep breath and turn around to face the old lady on the bed, who's already looking at her daughter with tears in her eyes. Lexi's gaze went down to the envelope, that's when she remembered the offer she received from Sakura Himamoto. She took the calling card and shoved it inside her pocket before she turned around to face the doctor once again, she sign the waiver and looked up. "Wait for the money, I'll be back." She said and leave the hospital.