Once Dr. Isaac took the box, Lerisia was left with her hand still shaking and pale as snow. Her eyes were witnesses for the following moments in which it further reminded her that she did not know him entirely. She did not move a hand to help, rather she let him do it himself, barely moved her body to see what he tried to do with that metallic box. Lerisia felt a coldness in her arms as she watched, letting out a small sigh until a bright light coming from the box, widen her eyes. She heard Isaac speak, but she could not understand what he said. This was followed by Dr. Isaac taking out what it appeared to be a tube, and inside a needle. “The Medicine…” Lerisia whispered to herself, her hands and fingers getting colder and unable to move. Tension built onto her shoulders. It took the rapid shot of the needle into Isaac’s neck to make Lerisia flinch. Just after that, everything became quiet. Doctor Isaac was standing still, and so did Lerisia, her eyes reflected his glow as it vanished from his body. She blinked in awe.<br/><br/>Lerisia helped the mysterious doctor to sit in one of the chairs and remained at his side. He looked better than a few moments ago, which must mean the medicine is working. Lerisia tried passing her hand onto his back, but her hands was shaking so much, she did not felt his back. That’s when Isaac replied to her to keep what she just saw in secret, which somehow, Lerisia knew he’ll said. Pursing her lips, Lerisia lowered her head and took a deep sight. There was so much she wanted to said. There was many words she wanted to express. What was that? What happened? Why did this happened? Just who are you?<br/><br/>But instead, she nodded in silence. The shade of sunlight that came out of the window was weak, as if the room was embodied in a sorrowful black that could not allow light to reach both Lerisia and Isaac. The sound of the reddish clock was no longer heard on her ears. Everything felt strange. It was back to square one, she thought. She has seen more than enough to give reason to what her grandparents were saying, about a place that she does not know.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Extending his arms to push some tree branches out of the way, Jon enters to what it appeared to be a open space with the well at the center. It was not big, but it was not small neither. It did not have flowers, yet it have stems around. It looked enchanted in the sense of green, an ambiance Jon finds fascinating. He steps further and approaches the well that caught his attention. It looked old and rough, it’s wooden rod was raw and unrefined but the rope was perfectly fine. Jon assume the bucket was inside so he leaned over to see it. There was not water, but the bucket was down. Was someone here before? Jon was not stranger to a well even if he lived in a city of 90% concrete, rather he went places that handled a special experience which was not the real deal but was far more approachable than anything else. Jon chuckled to himself as he backed up from the well. He looked around once more and walked in circles for some time until he stopped. Jon took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his head upward. “This is it. This is the place” he whispered himself in comfort. He took his backpack and throw it to his right side, without a care in the world. Swinging his arms forward and backwards for a few seconds, Jon used momentum to sit down and let himself rest onto the grass and dirt; crossed his legs and moving his feet to the rhythm as he hums a song. He looked at the sky with eyes tempted to emerge itself into the clouds. This might not be as pleasant as he expected, but it helps to cope for the time being, which Jon finds surprising. No one sees to be close to this location, it’s isolation was apparent. Yes, perhaps this was the place he was looking for.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Hannes flinched at the word “rude”. Coming from a stranger, which she thought was such a child for sticking his tongue out, did leave her with a bad taste in her mouth, maybe more than her brother’s comments about her. As she saw the red jester walk away from her, she let a exhausting sigh out. Her patience was reaching a limit and she wondered why at first. Was this because she didn’t get what she wanted? Of course it was. Rats! Curses! Damn joker! The adorable girl repeatedly said in her head, her eyes gleaming in anger. Her clutching her soft hands was her most physical reflection to her reaction. Although impatient like a true kid, Hannes knows composure was key to a more lady-like behavior, another moral that she learned from her mother. She turned away, rolling her eyes and walk away to the opposite direction. She hold on to her backpack with one hand and brushes her golden hair back on both sides, refreshing her round face from the few moments of epic fail. Naaaaaah, that wasn’t an epic fail, Hannes thought. Someone just came out of nowhere and broke her conversation with her brother so it’s not a failure, right? Even so, Young Hannes was, and still is determined. She will get her brother to go to that place one way or another. If she doesn’t, she can’t go either so it all depends on him.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;">♦</span></div><br/><br/>It was already night with a few clouds and a gibbous moon in the Salem family’s residence, a bungalow house known for it's saint statues in the entrance and a modest garden, though the flowers on the garden cannot be seen in their true beauty at night. In the kitchen, close to the dining table, was a tired but dutiful Lerisia finishing serving the grilled chicken with vegetables for what was about to be the last meal of the day for her and her children. Her hair was tie up, with a long, sleeveless gray shirt and jeans that reached her knees. The day for her was...peculiar. It was not going to be easy for her to forget what happened at her work place, even by petition of Doctor Isaac, who keeps testing Lerisia’s judgement of any individual that is close to her. As she thought of the moments she lived that afternoon, Lerisia picked the ceramic plates, colored with red and white lines and set them on the table near the counters. One plate was placed in front of one watchful Hannes, who has been kicking her legs, watching mommy and waiting for her food. Dear Hannes did have a peculiar day too, except this involved being ignored. She looked at the plates her mother placed on her front, each in one seat. The ceramic colors bothered her, making her grumble in disgust. She grabbed the already placed fork from the table and starting tapping the plate with it, her hand holding her head and elbow on the table. As she did, she started thinking on what to do in this town: There was not much to look other than any historical place that would make her head scream in boredom. It was kind of gloomy and , as she would said, too old. Not to mention, the last few months have been too weird to not notice. The many reports of sighting of “animals” and people vanishing. It creep the heck out of her skin. She could not help but tap the plate even louder at the thought of it.<br/><br/>“Hannes, sweetie, stop that.” Lerisia answered in response as she brought the chicken to the table. “That’s very aggravating”<br/><br/>“Aggravating?” Hannes eyes sparkled in confusion.<br/><br/>“Annoying.”<br/><br/>“Ah. Maybe you can use that word next time…”<br/><br/>“You should learn it instead…” Lerisia returned to the stove to pick the steamed vegetables in a red casserole. “It will help you in future conversations.”<br/><br/>“What’s the used of having many words that have the same meaning?” Hannes shakes her head. Maybe it was a stupid question, but also worth the risk for her.<br/><br/>“Well…” Lerisia placed the casserole on the green mat in the middle of the table. “Many are sophisticated and have a more detailed meaning to it-”<br/><br/>“you did it again….sofistake, what was it?”<br/><br/>“Sophisticated.”  Lerisia replied with a cold tone. “It means more civilized”<br/><br/>“Oh...do I have to learn that one too?” Hannes stopped her kicking.<br/><br/>“Yes, you do.” Lerisia chuckled. Once finished organizing the table, Lerisia went to the refrigerator to pick up a pitcher full of lemon juice and came back to start serving her beloved daughter. As she poured the liquid on the glass, she could see the light reflect onto the pitcher, it’s color glossy and softness recalling the moment she saw the light from the metallic box. Lerisia frowned. Hannes raised an eyebrow at her mother.<br/><br/>“Soooooooooooo…” Hannes tried to break the silence.<br/><br/>“Yes?”<br/><br/>“Where’s jon?” Hannes wondered. Lerisia let out a sigh and closed her eyes. “Your brother must be in his room. I’ll call him down.”<br/><br/>“Pft, good luck with that.”<br/><br/>“Excuse me?”<br/><br/>“I am just saying, he is hard to deal with, like, uh, super salty at everything.” Little Hannes is not wrong. Jon is not comfortable to be around with either Lerisia or Hannes and they both didn’t understand why. This was Lerisia’s sorrow. Thus far, she has not been successful in rebuilding a circle of trust with her family and due to that, it was getting harder to find any feeling of love. Lerisia knew that Hannes and Jon did not get along, even beyond simple half-siblings fights, though she cannot rule out the rivalry as simple sibling fights.<br/><br/>“Jon has to learn to get along with us better…” Lerisia acknowledges as she took finished setting the table. “but we also need to have patience. He’s difficult, I know, is frustrating. We just arrived here and I’ll like to give him time to get used to this town.”<br/><br/>Hannes rolled her eyes to the side in response to the comment. “ Right. Give him time to be an cunt”<br/><br/>“Hannes!”<br/><br/>“It’s true!” Hannes demurred with a strong voice. “you gonna defend him?”<br/><br/>“I don’t want to hear that word coming from your mouth again, is that clear?” Lerisia warned as she pointed her finger to Hannes, making it clear that she was serious.<br/><br/>“Hm” she grumbled<br/><br/>“Did you hear me-” a stronger and threatening tone was heard<br/><br/>“Yes.” Hannes looked at her mother, her eyebrows had pressed down her eyes full of bloom. They both stare at each other for a few seconds until Lerisia, with a face of concern, turned to walk to the sink and wash her hands. Hannes looked down, pressing her finger onto the fork. This is what she didn’t like about her. She was so damn naive, it’s so annoying. Annoyance is common enemy of Hannes and she would wanted to leave the kitchen. However, she didn’t and it was because she didn’t want to make things worse. Not tonight, at least. “ I’m sorry, mommy.” she murmured, still looking down. Lerisia sighed and approached her daughter, pulled her head, and leaned to place a tender kiss on her forehead. “I just want you to grow up being a wonderful lady. Bad words sounds ugly coming from a cute girl like you.”<br/><br/>“I know…” Hannes claimed.<br/><br/>“Really?” a grumpy voice was heard from the hallway. Lerisia  lifted her head and saw Jon coming in, his hair messy and his clothes disheveled. Apparently, he was in bed, or so did Lerisia believed.<br/><br/>“Dinner’s ready, sweetie”<br/><br/>“I want to eat on my room.”<br/><br/>“Why not here?”<br/><br/>“I just don’t feel to” Jon lowered his arm, blinking with little weariness.<br/><br/>“Can you try eating here for tonight?”<br/><br/>“I don’t know.”<br/><br/>“He doesn’t want to stare at our faces.” Interrupted a bragging Hannes. Jon and Lerisia turned to her. “Are you gonna start?” Jon argued. Hannes turned to face him. “I am not the one wanting to eat away from family.”<br/><br/>“I would do it if I didn’t have to argue or be called out as frequently as I had.” Jon responded. He felt that he was a target of everyday discussion, somehow he felt his name came in any conversation and it was depressing. On top of that, Hannes likes to make things worse or so Jon believed. No, he was sure she did it on purpose.<br/><br/>“Both of you, stop.” Lerisia cut the argument. “Jon, dear, If you're not feeling well, that is fine. But, can you make an exception tonight? Just let us eat together for a few minutes and you can head upstairs, how about it?”. Jon looked at his mother with doubt and a poker face. Clearly, he knew she was trying to convince him to stay, on the sweetest way, by asking with kindness. Such devotion and love was poignant and fake. Would he heard her plead and play along?<br/><br/>“Yeah, brother. Come sit with us….” Hannes teased. “ a few minutes only”<br/><br/>“Hannes, Let him be.”<br/><br/>“I am being nice to him.” the young child innocently responded. Jon crossed his arms and told what he thought was his thoughts. “Since when have you been nice? You are only nice enough to cause troubles…”<br/><br/>“I am not! I don’t try to ignore and hate on my mama unlike you.”<br/><br/>“Ooooh, Should I be concerned if I don’t kiss her ass?”<br/><br/>“Only if you eating dirt instead!”<br/><br/>“Can you fuck off already?!”<br/><br/>“ENOUGH!” The voice resonated throughout the house like powerful waves, roaring echoes of a thousand emotions. Lerisia had heard enough to stop the conversation. Here we go again, she thought. It was the same thing, every night. She failed once again. Jon and Hannes looked up to her. She really looked distressful, but for Jon, she just looked about to snap of him and he, as always, didn’t give a shit. “Can we please stop this?” the mother pleaded. “All I ask from the two of you, my children, to eat dinner together. This exchange of words is not necessary.”<br/><br/>“You’re right. Is not necessary”  Jon nodded. His eyes explored the dinner table and saw the chicken and the vegetables set up already. Then it meet Hannes eyes. It quickly turned to Lerisia’s. “ I think I lost my appetite. I am going to bed. You can leave something for me, maybe I can eat it later if I get hungry again.” and just like that, Jon turned to walk away from a mother in complete shambles. “Jon,Wait-, at least have something to drink-Honey, come back here!” she followed him. As she left the kitchen, A unimpressed Hannes returned to her meal and started to chew on the chicken that was already served for her. Closing her eyes, she grew a small grin while shaking her head lightly.<br/><br/>Later that night, where the rooms were filled with silence, Jon found himself seated on the window in his room, his leg against the casing and his arm on the knee. He kept looking down, barely watching the wind blow the leaves off the trees. Another bitter night for him because he got angry once again. It’s like a disease already, one that he refused to get rid off. He lowered his head until he heard a soft knock. “Jon...is me. Can I come in?” the voice of her mother was heard. He expected this and he hate it. Jon looked to the door and did not respond back. There was a pregnant pause. “Jon, I just need a few words, I won’t take long.” she replied. Jon frowned and still did not responded. Another minute of silence passed until she knocked once again. “Jon, I-” it didn’t take long until he got up and went to open the door. There she was, still her hair tied up and with that face that he can’t stand. His face did not looked angry, yet it was visibly bothered. “Sorry if I bothered you. I put the rest of the dinner on the refrigerator in case you get hungry again.” Lerisia notified him. “Just try to eat something, even if is just the chicken. I don’t like the idea of you going to bed without eating”. Jon nodded, looking away. He actually was hungry back then, and still is. His sole act back there was to find a way to avoid seating with his mother and sister, which Hannes apparently encouraged. “Ok…” Jon said as he was trying to close the door, until Lerisia stopped him. “Jon..wait.” “hm?” he looked up again. “What do you want?”<br/><br/>“Don’t speak to me like that…”<br/><br/>“I just asked a question. What is it?”<br/><br/>“Don’t twist the words, please.” Her tone changed. “I….I recognize that I made mistakes before. I do. I just, I know that it’s been bad for you. It's been hard for us to start in some town far away from the city and from Grandpa and Grandma.” Lerisia pursed her lips, trying to explain her feelings. “I know that you don’t like me because of what happened with your father and Ludwing. I failed you. I did. Many times, Yes. but, I want you to know that I am trying my best to make it up to you. You don’t have to like me now, or tell me why...just tell me you’ll be alright, just want you to be by my side for the time being. That’s all I ask.”<br/><br/>Jon blinked and just stood there, looking at her. He chuckled. “So, basically you want me to be living with you without knowing why am I like this? Is that what you wanted me to know?” He clarified as Lerisia was feeling scared of what was coming. It was not going to be nice. “I thought you would  ask me if I loved you or some shit like that, but I guess that’s another way to put it.” he chuckled once again. “ I, ah, still can’t get my head around of how blind you are...how easy you make words sound. Have you heard yourself before?" Jon was not backing up his feelings this time. He wanted to said something else but instead, he poured more salt to his words. "Oh, and Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere any time soon, even if I feel like I should.  I just want to let you know that too.” with that said, Jon steps back and closes the door.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>The dark skies of the night had cleared the path way for the moon to shine down. In a few feets away from the Salem residence, just pass a few trees and bushes, there was a small pond. The waters in this pond were clear as if it was glass;The earth that surrounded it fertile. In that particular place, the sound of the wind was easily felt and heard, kisses the trees with gentle careness. In this night of summer, the sound of a first note of violin played. It sang of of love and serenaded it with a story about love and water, expanded throughout the town like rain. The very source of this melody was a man seated on a rock, just to the side of the pond. He had long, black hair that extended to his shoulders, eyes yellow and mellow and was dressed in white long shirt and pants. His eyes closed, and as he focused playing the music, the water in the pond grew three ripples. Three ripples for three individuals.<br/><br/>One ripple was for Lerisia. Inside her room she lie on her bed, exhausted for the events of the day. Despite her room being sort of disorganized, she has gave up to do any sort of cleaning after her brief talk with her son. She only wished, at that moment, to find peace and tranquility within herself, to love herself. Then she heard the song. She looked to her side, where the window was and then to the left. She wanted to get up but her body felt numb and heavy. Where is that music coming from? she asked herself but after thinking it twice, it did not matter; it was a beautiful melody, so relaxing and charming. A small smile grew from her mouth. Humming and rubbing herself against the bed, Lerisia turned her body over adjusting her pillow and her arms. Once done, she made herself comfortable until falling asleep.<br/><br/>The other ripple was for Jon, who was still seated on the window contemplating the scenery and lost in his thoughts. When he heard the music, he slowly sit up and started looking around. Damn, what a good melody he thought, but where could it come from? His initial belief was perhaps a nearby neighbor, or maybe one of those mysteries that keep happening in Everspring? He kept looking around some more until all of the sudden, tiredness overcome him. He might not be energetic but he did not get sleepy so easily. As he yawned, he rubbed his face, jumped on his bed, and lay there until he closed his eyes.<br/><br/>The final ripple was for Hannes, who was in the tub, taking a nice bath before her beauty sleep. The melody did reach her ears as well, opening her eyes and moving then sideways. Slowly, she raised her head to look towards the door. Was anyone in the house listening to classical music? Her best guess is Jon. She always knew he had an appreciation for all kinds of music, and to be fair, she have respected that even though it wasn’t her cup of tea.  But wait! This melody is pretty, so good it makes her bath much more relaxing. She slowly submerged down the water, trying to hold her breath. For Hannes, this was enjoyable and she used to do this when she often visited the swimming pool. Unfortunately, is not the same with a tub and it was irritating. Hannes ascended from the waters and took a deep breath, feeling such force and delight. For some reason, Hannes felt drowsy despite being completely wet. She laid her head back onto the white towel she placed on the end of the tub and closed her eyes until late.<br/><br/>The music continued until much later. At 3 AM, the music has stopped. The black-haired man has lowered his violin bow, placing it on the surface of the rock, to his side. His other hand lowered with care as it held the violin along with his shoulder.  The man focused his eyes on the dark pond. The ripples were long gone, yet he looked at the waters with such fascination, such obsession. It was almost time. Another story in the history of Everspring was about to begin. What would it be this time? A tragedy? A comedy? Will it have a happy ending or will it fall in despair? The man placed two of his fingers onto his lips, feeling the warm of his own skin. He moved them towards the pond, as it sending a kiss. He smiled once again as he said this.<br/><br/>“Let us begin.”