"Against my better judgment, I hope to hear from you again"

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It had been a couple of days since my strange encounter with the man who saved me. Me, being myself, felt the need to give him a proper thank you. I figured I could do what I do best: Write.

I sat down at my quaint desk, pulling the chair up so my stomach hit the side of it, and I pulled out a piece of paper. I then grabbed my fountain pen and checked to make sure the ink was full.

I sighed as I thought about what I could say to him. After all, he very well could've saved my life. He didn't want to know about me, but I wanted to tell him what it meant to me. I suppose I could just start there. I grabbed my pen from the ink bottle and cleaned the nib. I took a deep breath and just started writing whatever came to mind:

"Dear Mysterious Castle Man,

Wait, does that even make sense? I don't know, I apologize. I simply wanted to write a proper thank you for what you did for me a few nights ago. It quite possibly saved my life."

I groaned and leaned back in my chair, not knowing what else to say. I guess I could just talk about myself, but what else is there to say? I picked up the pen again and picked up where I left off.

"I greatly appreciate the amount of care you put into me after I fainted, which was quite embarrassing for me, but we don't have to talk about that, haha. Writing haha on a letter is weird, but I didn't know how else to say that I laughed."

I had to put the pen down. I'm so stupid. Why would I ever write that? Realizing that I could either start over or get my point across, I kept trekking along. It's not like he'll respond. Maybe he'll find it amusing.

"Anyway, I don't know how to convey how much it meant to me that I could find such a kind stranger in a place I've yet to reside in for very long. I understand you do not care for my introductions, so I will keep this short, but I am Lucille Monroe. I'm a writer who has come to study abroad in Romania. Obviously, I did not anticipate the reality of being alone, so again, I am thankful for you stepping in.

Part of me feels the need to stop writing before I make myself appear any more of a fool, so I will stop here.

Thank you, again,

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Lucille."

I sighed and put my pen away. It was about midday, so it would be safe to go out alone. Then, I could write in the library again. Definitely not for as long as... when that happened, but I could hopefully get more of my work done.

I stood up, gathered my things into my messenger bag, and walked out of my apartment after petting Luma goodbye. Heading down the stairs and out onto the street, I walked down the path towards the castle with the bound letter in hand.

I walked through the trees, the light peeking in through the foliage and scattering along the ground. I sighed after taking in a deep breath. If it were for the fact I needed wifi to write on my computer, I would come out here. The soft ground shifted beneath my feet as I walked. I got flashbacks from that night, but I feel better now reminding myself why I was here this time around.

A small smile found its way to my lips as I saw the gate get closer and closer to me. It didn't loom over me as much as it did last night. It was... slightly inviting? I laughed a bit, well, it was more of a nervous chuckle. The gate itself was still cold and relatively bleak looking. I shivered at the thought of opening it by myself, but from what the man said the other night, I could deduce that this gate can lock, and it probably was.

I gently pushed on it, and sighed with relief when I found it was locked. Sliding the letter through one of the metal, sprawling roses, I let it drift off onto the other side. Well? That's that I suppose...

That was when I promptly turned around and headed towards the library to get some writing done for my assignment.

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The next day, I had woken up early in the morning to find a letter sitting on the welcome mat just inside the door.

I picked it up to read:

"Dear Miss Monroe,

I haven't the faintest clue nor idea as to why you decided to write me a letter to thank me for an act of service any good man would do., but I suppose your letter warrants a "You're Welcome."

It's been quite a long time since I've received a letter, and despite not wanting to know introductions in the castle, I was intrigued to learn more about you. From your more... personal style of writing, I can see how kind you are. No, it was not embarrassing that you fainted. It was quite a traumatic event for you to live through, and no, you do not seem a fool to me.

Also, I quite like the nickname of Mysterious Castle Man.

Against my better judgment, I hope to hear from you again,

A."

I couldn't help but smile. He wanted me to write to him again! I studied his handwriting, it was scribbled in a majestic way, as if it were intentional. It looked like an old style of writing as well. The letter "A" he signed with was magnificent and quite large, like he wanted me to see it and try to figure it out.

I went to write immediately before my class started:

"Dear Mysterious Castle Man (or A),

If you wish to hear from me again, I'm sure you do not mind me asking a few questions:

Do you live alone? Do you go into the village often, or are you more of a home dweller? Do you like to write as well?

If you are uncomfortable answering these questions, feel free to ignore them and simply tell me about your day? I'll certainly tell you mine

Sincerely your new friend,

Lucille Monroe"

After putting my pen away, I dropped off the letter and headed to class with a little skip in my step.