C12 11. INVADER CUPID

RUBIN

I stared at her for a moment before looking back at the man near the doors. He is not going to chase me away if I ever did try to get in, right? He won’t even notice me for I will be discreet and I am best in doing that. I look outside the window–rain is still pouring and in here is much better; I feel safe and warm even if the staffs are not so welcoming.

I decided to follow my instincts and move away from the desk. I sneakily to the stairs, occasionally glancing on my back before running up the steps. This felt like creeping outside the castle during curfew hours. I am very good at this, I am sure I can do better. I ran up the stairs–ever winding and stretched beyond, I am afraid that my legs will fall off. I reach the third floor when the corridor split into two–I started going for the left wing.

350

.

343

.

325

"HOLY CUPID!"

I slap my forehead, irritated of my own silliness. It seems that I am going on the wrong direction, bloody arrows. I quickly turn and ran towards the other direction, my wing weighing me down a bit. I chose not to bother of it though, it comes in handy when I need to run away from here but right now, I am struggling. I pulled it close, breathing hard as I willed for it to disappear. I smiled as I feel them sinking beneath my skin, racing onwards and quickly searching for his room. I started running back to the right wing, my dress dripping water on the carpet. I glared at the man who is pushing the cart as he is staring at me like I am some kind of a lunatic–I guess I appear like one.

I started counting up the rooms, 358

.

365

.

377!

It was a simple cedar wood door, the only cedar wood in this whole floor–This confirms that he is a Cupid for this wood gives us energy and power. The cherubim on post outside his doors look ridiculous; what with the petal crown and necklaces accentuating how little both of the cherubim are. Is he the one who did this? He’s got a sense of humor hidden underneath his scowl. If he could only smile, I am pretty sure that he will make every woman fall down on his feet. He is so pretty but he’s got a bad habit of kicking people out or is it just me that he treats that way?

Anyway.

I tried for the door but it was locked, as expected. I ran my hands on the surface of the door, feeling the power and the enchantments on it as it lightly pulse beneath my hand. I pull out one of the arrows from my quiver and slide the fletching along the sides.

With a smile, I open the door with ace and slid in.

I did not expect for him to have a very unguarded room. It seems like he isn’t expecting a cupid to visit him. When I open the door I am surprise of how clean and elegant it was. The floor was completely covered by different patches of carpet, a motorcycle was fashioned on the side and a worn leather sofa placed next to it. The curtain hanging by the window looks like the flag I've seen from England, battered and quite old like everything else inside his living room. There were spiral of circles afloat near the window, the same size that is on the table beside the leather sofa, a glass table sat in the middle of his living room, holding what seems like a weighing scale.

“He’s got a thing for old things,” I muttered to myself as I ran my hands down on the carpet that have traces of enchantments, allurements. He must have been using those to attract more people. “I can’t believe that this is actually possible to live here on earth,”

The steel arrows that I saw from him was tossed carelessly on the sofa, a blanket barely covering it. No clothes were carefully tossed on the floor rather they were hung on the arms of the leather sofa as though he just came home. There is also a large mirror reflecting the canoe shaped stairs on the back of the sofa. The shelves situated near the windows held a thousand of books, the only thing inside this room that really drew me in.

My hands carefully brush the spines of the books. I pulled out one of the books that is entitled: Eros: A Cupid History and randomly opened it but instead of finding words in it, it reflected a couple of gold images floating on the cream colored pages. Mesmerize but bored, I pull out another one that is under the title of ‘Cupid Conundrums’. The letters and sentences appear golden against the cream pages. The paper, although old, smells like it was newly written, the font looks so elegant that it kind of reminds me of Grandma Aphrodite’s handwriting. “This is crazy! I have never been to a house full of Cupid history. Seriously, what is he? Is he a scholar sent down to Earth just to study?”

I stow the book inside my satchel hidden under my robes before entering another room situated on the right wall that appears to be the bedroom. The light coming from the window blinded me for a while and I have to blink twice to clear my vision–the rose plant situated next to the window appear differently with its amethyst flowers blooming with a hint of gold in them. I am mesmerized. I gently touch a flower before entering the room.

It was very simple–the window, where I said hello to him, was closed as expected. His bed that is facing the entry, appears comfortable and inviting; the wool brown blanket on top contrasted the black bed sheets and pillowcases. A couple of books sat at the bench which is situated at the foot of the bed, there are maps and globes everywhere, too.

I pick up a couple of steel arrows and put them on top of the map I begin to scrutinize. I took the biggest of all the maps and saw red pins that is carefully stuck in it. It was in oddly named places and most of them I barely knew since I am always focused on looking down here in the city Paris. I wonder where South Korea and Canada is? Were they as wet as London days or as cold as the Alaska? There are lines connecting one unto the other and there are dates on it, way back from 1400 until today.

Geez, that is creepy. Six hundred years ago is just…old.

The notes scribbled next to the places were confusing for my vocabulary. What do these numbers mean? Why does he have box and package design? And why does he need meetings? What does new application launch got to do with games and what are mobiles?

What is he doing here on earth, exactly?

I leave his notes and proceed at his bedside. I took one of the books which is red in color–it has marks on it and some scribbles on the margins. I did not understand the words at first but then I realize that it is written in our Old tongue. It will take me a while to translate this so I put it inside my satchel and plan to study it later on.

I am so curious of trying to read the title of the book I just took from the bench that I did not notice him going inside the room.

Is he a ghost? Why did he turn up suddenly?

I am so startled of his presence that I let go of the book and it fell with an echoing thud. His words continuously ringing on my ear as I gawk, “What the fuck?"

Oh, what does that mean?