Chapter 3. The Ring.

A cold sensation of ice tightened around Larisa's finger, and although the ring wasn't a tight fit—thanks to her tiny fingers—it was still cold enough for her to have felt it on her index finger. The silver ring had gotten her into a lot of trouble because Larisa would rather die than to lose the precious gift. Letting her arms wrap around herself, she enjoyed the draft of fresh air that came through the opened window. Heaving in deeply, the soothing breeze seeped through her nostrils, and it pronounced one thing and one thing alone.

Comfort.

At long last, they were in the city of Ettavile. The city was indeed beautiful and larger compared to where she was from, Larisa confirmed all the claims now. City streets and other cars flashed past the windows and the whoosh of air brakes swept past her ears.

"Cold?"

Larisa didn't hear him, she didn't even know he said something but caught the wide stare on his face occasionally glancing at her. "Huh?"

"I said, you cold?" He said, pronouncing much slower.

The shaking and bumping of the bus slowing down and speeding up rejuvenated her limped muscles and in that moment, Larisa knew she was elated to be there. It was the dawn of a new life for her. It would not be easy, she knew that much. In fact, that was the only thing she was certain of. The rest was that she would make it big in that City.

Ettavile was known to be the City of love—for many reasons.

There's a myth that stated that thousand of years ago, the goddess of love used to live freely in the town, and people worshiped her and adorned her name and so in return, she breathed the air of true and everlasting love. When couples were scared the end to their love was near, they would come to Ettavile to rekindle a lost romance. Single and searching souls came to Ettavile, and a high number—if not all—had reportedly claimed that their other half always found a way to locate them.

Now, Larisa didn't believe in any of those claims, but in that moment as the cold gust of wind whispered slow songs of comfort to her ears, she was starting to have a change of mind.

✩★✩

The truck parked in an area Larisa wasn't—obviously!—familiar with. It was a cool area with fascinating houses and companies, the competition was just too obvious. When she came out, it happened to be the back of a mini restaurant; compared to the other buildings Larisa had seen so far.

Her inquisitive side took the lead, and she asked. "You work here?"

Written all over Bernado's face was tiredness. His blue shirt had been wrinkled and even his black pants did not look straight on his huge legs. It was either he shopped for outfits a few sizes smaller than him, or he grew large in just a little period of time. "My wife and I own here," he replied and this brought wide eyes to Larisa's face.

"Really? This is nice. I couldn't imagine that you would even--" even what? How dare she bring herself to say that she'd thought he would be a homeless guy? How!

Luckily for her, Bernado's attention was quickly stolen by something in front. Someone. When Larisa turned to take a glance, she saw an average looking woman in a dark flared skirt and a one-hand white top. It might have been a gown, Larisa couldn't tell.

"Mi amor," Bernado grew a wild grin on his face as he ambled over towards the pretty woman.

"My Bernado, you made it." The woman said slowly, her hands stretched forward to accept a hug. "Oh I'm so glad to see you again--" before the woman could finish saying, Bernado grabbed her by her tiny waist, and pulled her closer to lean in for a passionate kiss.

Larisa's heart melted with delight for the happy couple.

✩★✩

Larisa had successfully convinced Bernado and his wife, Claire, that she would locate the supermarket that was just nearby, and fetch some important items they needed. She opted for the sidewalks and maintained a straight undivided focus on the road, though that didn't last for long. Yes, she was new to the City, but she was also curious and inquisitive. She always said her adventurous life would be the end of her someday, but until then...

Buses and cars and bikes swayed to-and-fro on her side, the air carrying the whooshing sound of the motion to her ears. The fresh air smelled of fuel and engine oil, but it didn't bother her, since it was only mild. However, the colorful and enormous houses and buildings soon distracted her attention, and that was when Larisa began to tell herself that someday, she would live in one of those mansions herself.

She was a strong young lady, and so, whenever the thoughts of her past tried to weigh her down, she instantly diverted her mind to something else. The past was in the past, and never must any of her heartbreaking incidents repeat itself again. All of the hurt and pain and suffering and humiliation... The incident of two days ago...

She shrugged off the thought as heavy eyelids filled with unwelcoming tears had already seemed to blur her vision.

She was in the city now. Away from all the past horrors.

Best to think about something else. Her mind deviated back to her friend, Bernado and his happy ending tale. Though she did not know much behind the story.

Bernado's wife, Claire, and her husband had been separated for three months, according to her foretelling. There was a reason for their departure, one which was too personal to share but Larisa didn't mind. After three long months when she'd thought her husband would vanish from her life for good, they found each other again.

See? Magical things happening in the City of Ettavile. But, once again, Larisa did not believe in the history of the land. 'A mere luck' would be the most appropriate reason from her own opinion, instead of some mythical goddess.

Larisa didn't believe in any god at all. One time, her aunt Esther had told her of the god of luck, and had forced her for ten years to worship and serve the god just as they did.

Where had this god been when she needed her mother the most, but still lost her to cancer? Or when her father died in a plane crash?

"Okay goddess of Ettavile," Larisa muttered under her breath, forgetting the pedestrians might stop to stare at her for the strange bad habit, "I'm here now. You better make some miracle happen for me, and bless me with the man of my dre-- hey!" With menacing brown eyes, she stopped to stare at the rude figure that had yanked her, but two, three more people walked past her in a hurried pace, like she'd been invisible the whole time.

Then it hit her. Something was off, it was almost like a part of her had been abducted, snatched by the cold hands of evil.

"My ring!"

Instantly, she crouched low and threw her eyesight down to the ground, scanning the area whether the ring would be seen. It wasn't anywhere near her--and there it was. Just on the ground next to a black cat at the entrance of what appears to be the convenient store she'd been heading to, or perhaps just another one. The cat licked its paws, boldly resting close to the sliding doors. Larisa was a wild feisty woman but cats scared her. Lucky for her, they didn't terrified or frightened her, they scared her—on a minor level—and that was a good thing. She slowly made her steps over, and in just a few more, she would arrive and gently kneel to grab the ring.

Three more steps...

And her heart grew speakers and began to thump.

Two more steps...

The muscles in her legs forgot how to work, that she had to lunge herself forward to control them again.

A step to go...

Then, the vociferous cry emitted from her lips as the cat pounced viciously on her. Never in Larisa's life had she experienced whatever it was that was going on because behind the wailing for help and the purring of the cat, there was nothing much to describe about the incident at hand. She wondered just how much pound the cat would weigh, and in that flicker of moment, she feared the cat fed on poor innocents like her.

"Help! Help!"

Being the only thing she could do next, she continued to yell for help but not even a single soul was around to help. No. They were around. They just didn't want to help. Larisa suddenly remembered what she'd learnt in biology class one time, where she discovered the topic called 'food chain'. Last she remembered, she was on the top of the food chain.

"Vete a la mierda!" With that last word, she brought her head close to the cat's fluffy skin and the next cry emitted from the cat the instant her teeth dug deep into its skin. But the cat didn't prevail. A sharp but short pain pierced through her cheek from its pointy sharp claws, and Larisa's head pulled backwards from the pain. Just out of mere luck, the cat let out one last wail, then jumped off her and scurried away.

Devastated Larisa froze in terror as she tried to understand just what it was that had happened. Never in her life had she ever heard of a cat attack, and now, suddenly she was one to live and tell the tale. After a few seconds of consciousness, she glanced down towards where she'd last seen the ring. It wasn't there.

"Oh come on!" Her next instinct was to search around her vicinity for people, and she saw quite a handful of them. All of them bowing their gaze deep to the ground as they ambled to-and-fro. "Seriously!" Grunted flustered Larisa.

She was still disoriented, and completely out of breath, when a fit young man approached her. He was tall and that was importantly noticeable to Larisa because her eyes went all the way up to admire the stranger before her. Deep blue shone brightly at her, as if in awe of her existence, thick neatly shaped brows arching up just a bit. Larisa stared back, and for a brief second, her eyes wouldn't blink. There was a calmness in his gaze, and Larisa felt perhaps that was where he kept his charms. His lips parted slightly to say something, but she wasn't listening.

Soon, she realized she'd been staring for a little too long, and it was so unlikely. She moved back, adjusting her posture, then she saw it. The glittering silver ornament resting firmly in his hands.

"My ring!"

With utmost calmness and a warm smile that elated the allurement of his eyes, he said, "will you marry me?"