Crimson Sanctuary

Part 1 Morning arrived far too quickly. For several wonderful seconds Evelyne simply lay beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling and wondering whether the previous evening had happened at all. Then she saw the rose. The crimson bloom rested exactly where she had left it on the bedside table. Not a dream. Not imagination. Real. A smile appeared before she could stop it. Slowly she picked up the flower and turned it between her fingers. "Celestine..." Even saying the name felt strange. The city had frightened her. Overwhelmed her. Yet somehow one mysterious woman in crimson had transformed her terrifying first night into something she knew she would remember for the rest of her life. A glance at the clock shattered the moment. "Oh no." The interview. An hour later Evelyne stood before the hotel mirror. The country girl staring back looked almost professional. Almost. The cream-colored suit was new. The shoes were uncomfortable. The city still terrified her. But she looked respectable. Capable. Adult. She carefully placed the crimson rose inside her suitcase. "Wish me luck." The company occupied the upper floors of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Everything gleamed. Everything sparkled. Everything looked expensive enough to buy half her hometown. The receptionist smiled politely. "Miss Evelyne Harper?" "Yes." "Please take elevator sixty-two." Sixty-two. The number alone nearly made her dizzy. The interview surprised her. Instead of feeling intimidated, she found herself answering question after question with growing confidence. Her experience. Her education. Her ideas. Her goals. Everything seemed to flow naturally. Even the interview panel appeared impressed. One woman nodded repeatedly. Another scribbled notes. The senior manager smiled. When the session finally ended, Evelyne almost floated from her chair. Perhaps she really could do this. Perhaps she belonged here after all. Outside the conference room another candidate waited. A sophisticated brunette dressed in expensive designer clothing. The woman smiled. "How did it go?" "I think... good?" "Me too." They laughed. The shared nervousness instantly made them friendly. Then the office manager appeared. "Miss Harper?" "Yes?" "The director would like a private word." Evelyne's heart jumped. Private word. That sounded promising. Maybe she had actually won the position. The director's office overlooked nearly the entire city. The man behind the desk smiled warmly. "Please sit down." Evelyne obeyed. "You performed exceptionally well." "Thank you, sir." "In fact, the decision has become difficult." "Difficult?" "There are two outstanding candidates." Her stomach tightened. "The brunette and me?" "Exactly." The director leaned back. "I haven't made my final decision." "Oh." For a moment disappointment flickered. Then his smile changed. Only slightly. Yet something about it reminded Evelyne of the man in the hotel bar. "Tell me," he said. "Are you enjoying the city?" "A little." "You must feel lonely." The question felt strange. "A bit." He stood. Slowly. Casually. Too casually. His desk no longer separated them. "I imagine a pretty young woman receives a great deal of attention." Evelyne shifted uneasily. "I really came here for the position." "Of course." Another step closer. "You have remarkable potential." Another. "And I think we could help each other." Something inside her suddenly screamed danger. "Sir..." The smile remained. "Relax." His hand settled lightly on her shoulder. Every instinct told her to leave. Immediately. She stood. "I should go." His expression darkened. "Sit down." "I really should go." "You misunderstand." His hand moved toward her arm. That was enough. Evelyne jerked away. "No!" The word echoed through the office. Without thinking she ran. Straight toward the door. Straight into the hallway. Straight past startled employees. She heard laughter. Whispers. Someone shaking their head. Someone muttering: "Small-town girl." The humiliation hurt almost as much as the fear. And she never stopped running. Back at the hotel room she locked the door. Then collapsed onto the bed. And cried. Everything hurt. Her pride. Her hopes. Her confidence. Maybe she had been foolish. Maybe the city had been right all along. Maybe she didn't belong here. Hours passed. Eventually she forced herself to stand. The money was gone. The room had to be vacated. She began packing. One blouse. One dress. One dream. All going back into the suitcase. Then came a knock at the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. Evelyne froze. No one knew she was here. Slowly she opened the door. And her breath caught. "Celestine..." The woman in crimson smiled softly. "Hello, Evelyne." And before she knew what she was doing, Evelyne threw her arms around her. Part 2 For several moments neither woman spoke. Evelyne simply held on. Held on as though the entire city had been trying to sweep her away and Celestine was the first solid thing she had found. Celestine wrapped her arms gently around her shoulders. "Easy." At the sound of that calm voice, Evelyne began crying again. Not because she was frightened anymore. Because she wasn't. Not while Celestine stood there. "Something happened." Evelyne nodded against her shoulder. "Tell me." So she did. Everything. The interview. The hope. The private meeting. The smile that had changed. The hand on her shoulder. The panic. The laughter. The humiliation. Celestine listened without interrupting once. But as the story continued, something changed in her eyes. The warmth remained. Yet beneath it something colder appeared. Something ancient. Dangerous. When Evelyne finally finished, Celestine spoke softly. "You did exactly the right thing." "I feel stupid." "You are not stupid." "I ran away." "You protected yourself." Tears filled Evelyne's eyes again. "He made me feel so small." Celestine gently lifted her chin. "No one has the right to do that." An hour later they stood inside Celestine's penthouse. Evelyne simply stared. And stared. And stared. The apartment occupied the top floor of an impossibly tall building. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the city beneath them like a sea of lights. Marble floors stretched endlessly. Artwork lined the walls. A grand piano stood near the windows. Fresh flowers decorated polished tables. Everything looked impossibly elegant. "People actually live like this?" Celestine laughed. "Some do." "This is bigger than my parents' house." "That is probably true." "And you live here alone?" "Usually." Evelyne smiled. "Not tonight." Something warm crossed Celestine's face. "No." "Not tonight." The library nearly stole Evelyne's breath. Three stories of books. Rolling ladders. Leather-bound volumes. Ancient maps. Massive globes. Comfortable reading chairs beside fireplaces. It felt less like a room and more like an entire world. "Oh my goodness." Celestine smiled. "I thought you might like it." "Like it?" Evelyne slowly turned in a circle. "This is heaven." "You enjoy reading?" "I love reading." "Then consider the library yours." Evelyne blinked. "Mine?" "While you're here." The words echoed. While you're here. Nobody had offered her a place to belong in a very long time. Hours passed peacefully. For the first time since arriving in the city, Evelyne felt safe. She read. Explored. Admired the view. Eventually she discovered a comfortable armchair and lost herself inside a novel. The penthouse seemed almost magical. Timeless. Removed from the ordinary world. As sunset approached, Celestine appeared wearing a dark coat. "Going somewhere?" "A small matter requires my attention." Evelyne closed her book. "Will you be back?" The question escaped before she could stop it. Celestine smiled. "Yes." "I'll wait." Something flickered behind Celestine's eyes. Something pleased. "Then I shall return as quickly as possible." The city belonged to different creatures after dark. Some hunted with money. Some hunted with power. Some hunted with fear. And some hunted with sharper teeth. Far below, a certain company director worked late. Very late. Long after most employees had gone home. When the elevator opened onto his floor, he found a woman waiting. A woman dressed in crimson. Smiling. The next morning he would resign without explanation. But tonight... Tonight he would learn what true fear felt like. When Celestine returned, the city was asleep. Evelyne waited in the library. Half reading. Half listening for footsteps. The moment she saw her, she smiled. "You came back." "I promised." And somehow that promise meant everything. The following morning sunlight spilled across silk sheets and warm blankets. Evelyne woke slowly. For a few seconds she forgot where she was. Then she felt an arm around her. And remembered. A smile appeared instantly. Celestine was already awake. Watching her. "Good morning." "Good morning." Neither seemed eager to leave the moment. Finally Celestine spoke. "Evelyne." The seriousness in her voice immediately caught attention. "Yes?" "I would like to make you an offer." Evelyne sat up slightly. "What kind of offer?" Celestine reached for her hand. "Stay." The single word filled the room. Stay. Evelyne stared. Not trusting herself to speak. Celestine continued. "You are intelligent." "Kind." "Curious." "You deserve better than what happened yesterday." Tears immediately gathered in Evelyne's eyes. "I need an assistant." She squeezed Evelyne's hand gently. "And..." A rare uncertainty crossed her face. "I would very much like you to remain part of my life." The tears finally escaped. "Celestine..." "You may refuse." "I don't want to refuse." "You may leave whenever you wish." "I don't want to leave." For several seconds neither spoke. Then Evelyne began crying openly. Not from sadness. From relief. From gratitude. From hope. She leaned forward and buried her face against Celestine's shoulder. "I thought I'd lost everything." Celestine wrapped her arms around her. "You haven't." "I don't belong here." "You belong wherever you choose." "And if I choose here?" A soft smile appeared. "Then here is where you'll stay." Outside, the city awakened to another ordinary morning. But high above the streets, in a penthouse filled with books and secrets and crimson roses, two very different women began building a future neither had expected to find. A Story by Germaine Corbeau - Click here for links to all Germaine Corbeau Stories! Quick 👏 Guide: 0 = I got lost! - 1-4 = Nice font... nice images. - 5-9=Read a bit. Nice try!, 10-14=Okay... Pretty good!, 15-19=I actually enjoyed this! - 20=Absolutely legendary!