Thread: Original Sin - Cast in Stone

Alessandra closed her eyes, feeling her chest rise and fall with every rush of air that filled her lungs. A few moments passed as she stood there in silence with her body lean against the stone wall before she was able to open her eyes again. The sound of her breathing echoed through the alleyway, almost magnifying its intensity. Her soft, full lips trembled in fear and anticipation as she exhaled a shaky breath. The streets had started to become darker as night was approaching, but she dared not move from her hiding spot in fear that the man would find her once more. Her eyes shifted over to a cat that was strolling casually down a small flight of stone stairs, meandering through the street as though in search of food. She watched as it approached her slowly and she used this as an attempt to calm herself, to get her mind off of the childish games she had obviously taken to playing. To believe that his man was looking for her was outlandish. She hadnt done wrong in going to the market, even if she was the daughter of a senator. One could argue that she shouldnt have been alone, but Alessandra felt she was a person of age that could fully fend for herself. And as she watched this curious cat as it rubbed its fur against the velvet of her dress, her eyebrows pushed together. The way its tail raised as soft velvet touched it, the soft purring that too echoed through the alley, made her almost forget about the man entirely. Part of her wanted to pet the cat, stroke it gently and to take into her arms and return back to her home, calling it her own. The orange stripes on him reminded her greatly of a tiger, an exotic cat she had seen in books alone of a boy and his quest through a jungle where he met talking primates, serpents, and other unworldly reptiles. He seemed as though he almost didnt belong there and just as she was about to pick it up, the man appeared. Startled, Alessandra inhaled sharply through her nose, tightening the grip on her bag as the cat screeched and scurried down the alleyway. She didnt know what had alarmed her morethe cats screeching or his presence. Either way, her clear eyes shot up at him, narrowing as she stared into the eyes of the man whom had pursued her. If she was to die right then and there, she was pleased to know she would die at the hands of a beautiful man. Much to her surprise, his voice sounded sincere, yet prompt, as though he had been there on a mission to find something and she was the only one with the definite answer. She tilted her head slightly, her eyebrows pushed together as if confusion was being lightly painted across her delicate face. So he hadnt been there to harm her or to take her satchel? She swallowed hard, feeling her heart thumping away in her chest, underneath the fabric of her dress. She was almost afraid to speak, but she mustered the courage to. Yes, signore, she said in a timid voice but her gaze never leaving his. She might have been timid in her speech, but the last thing she wanted was for him to think her weak. She forced herself to stare into his eyes, to show him that she wasn't one to back down from a challenge--whether it was to steal from her or to cause her any harm.