Chapter 2 Road

Luna woke up to the brightness of the sun, looked around, and didn't recognize where she was. It was a sophisticated room; the bed she was in was large, with clean white sheets, and the smell was unfamiliar. She didn't know where she was or whose extravagant room it belonged to. She was getting ready to get up when she looked at her feet; they were bandaged and stinging a bit. It was then that she remembered what had happened the night before, and she began to panic, crying quietly, feeling very scared and her whole body aching. Then, footsteps started approaching the door of the room, which swung open. A very beautiful woman, appearing to be in her 40s or 50s, entered the room with a broad smile. _ "Hello, dear! I'm so glad you woke up. We were beginning to think you wouldn't wake up at all. My name is Lúcia; I'm the matriarch of this house. What's your name?" Luna, although scared to be in a strange place, responded politely:

_ "My name is Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lúcia. How did I end up here?"

_ "My son found you by the roadside. You were unconscious and had bleeding feet. You seemed to be running away from something... Are you alright?"

At that, Luna broke down in tears. The woman named Lúcia approached and embraced her, making Luna feel welcomed. She then recounted everything that had been happening, what her scoundrel uncle had done, and how she had run for hours until she fainted. Lúcia's expression turned somber, but she tried to comfort the girl.

_ "Dear, stay here with us, at least for now. We'll arrange a room for you and some clothes to wear. We have a celebration tonight, and I really want you to join us. I know we are just getting to know each other, but I want you to know that you will be very welcome here. I can see in your eyes that you don't carry any malice, so please stay, alright?"

Luna couldn't believe the trust Lúcia was placing in her at that moment. People were often very cruel, always. Despite not fully trusting Lúcia's kind smile, Luna accepted. She asked Lúcia to promise that the reason for her terror would remain between them and posed a few questions.

_ "Ma'am, you said you would find a room for me to stay in, so... whose room is this? And how long did I sleep?"

Lúcia looked at her and said:

_ "This room belongs to my eldest son. He was returning from a trip when he found you by the roadside and brought you here. I took care of your injuries. You slept for two days due to exhaustion. Well, my invitation stands if you want to join the party tonight; just let me know. We need to arrange a dress for you." Luna accepted the invitation, and the woman beamed a wide smile. A few minutes later, Lúcia returned with clothes and a towel for the girl to bathe. With difficulty in walking, Luna made her way to the bathroom, removed her filthy clothes, and began her shower. She washed her long curly hair, which, when wet, easily passed her waist. She took off the bandage from her feet and washed her wounds, which weren't looking as bad anymore. As she scrubbed the rest of her body, she pondered what kind of family this was; they were surely very wealthy, and what had happened to her aunt since her uncle had likely harmed her. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a noise in the room and shrank back under the shower, as she didn't know anyone. The noises stopped, and after a moment, Luna stepped out of the shower and dried herself. She wrapped herself in the towel but realized she had forgotten her clothes in the room. Stealthily, she left the bathroom and headed for the bed to grab them. When she turned to return to the bathroom, she was startled!