Fate of the Blessed
Chapter 4

Amara

My eyes fluttered as I regained consciousness “What happened?” Tiny lights danced in front of my eyes. My head felt as if I was whizzing down a plughole. A cool droplet of sweat beaded down my forehead. I tried to lift my hand to my face, but my muscles refused to cooperate with my brain.

“You fainted.” I heard a gruff voice say. It must have been Connor. I heard the door slam shut and an excitement fill the air. “Is she awake?” said a voice. It was timid like a dormouse, but it still clanged inside of my head like somebody was banging a hammer inside. I silently pleaded for it to go away.

“She is.” An older and gentler tone replied. Everything seemed louder than it was in reality and with every small sound felt like metal clanging together.

Ugh, is it time to go home yet?

I could feel the eagerness radiating from the small voice and it strangely filled me with a comforting sense like a cosy blanket. The blurred images slowly subsided, the swirling in my head relented, and the room came into focus. It took a moment to adjust before I noticed a young girl, no older than 9, hopping from foot to foot in front of me.

She had dark brown, almost black ringlets that framed her dainty face. She had dim hazel eyes that held a sense of wonder, but they hid a weariness inside them. I guessed she had been through more than she let on. The positivity she radiated masked a sadness etched within her.

“I’m Shanti.” She giggled as she thrust her hand out in my face. I’m not sure I could handle her over enthusiasm. It wasn’t in my usual vocabulary. It was like somebody had filled her full of sugar. I dragged myself up into a sitting position on the ragged sofa I lay on. I took the little girl’s hand in my own, she vigorously shook it in response causing as a feeling of sickness to wash over me as my entire body shook with it. Connor, seeing my discomfort, gently laid his hand on Shanti’s shoulder. I ceased shaking immediately.

She looked up innocently and mouthed, “Sorry, my Mummy says I get too excited.” A look of sadness crossed her pretty features. It made my heart ache to look at her.

“I just get so excited meeting new people.” A wide, toothy grin replaced the look. I couldn’t help noticing the enormous gap where her two front teeth should have been.

“How old are you, Shanti?” I said.

“I am 9 and a half.” She counted it out on her fingers. Her enthusiasm was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Connor, why don’t you take Shanti outside for some fresh air?” The Mágissa said, a smile playing on her lips. She had been watching the exchange silently with curious eyes, but had now decided it was her turn. Connor didn’t say a word, instead electing to take Shanti by the hand and pull her towards the door.

“Hey, wait a minute.” She protested, but his grip tightened slightly, pulling her towards the door. She was still craning her neck to see me, but Connor gently guided through the threshold.

“Come on, Shanti we’ll play outside.” he said. She turned, squealing, “Yes!” before disappearing, presumably, out into the field.

I guess concentration isn’t one of Shanti’s strong suits.

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Despite my misgivings at my surroundings, it was impossible to deny that she was contagious with her happiness. When they were safely through the door, he shut it softly behind him. Shouts of excitement came through the window when I heard her scurry down the rickety steps and onto the grass below.

The Mágissa turned to face me. I smiled sheepishly, but I could not look her in the eyes. The older woman’s intense gaze had me squirming uncomfortably under the scrutiny. It was like she was trying to see into my soul. Her eyes didn’t waiver when she asked if I knew why I was here. I gave a slow shake of the head to answer her question; I didn’t want to risk another wave of nausea.

This old lady is freaking me out.

The Mágissa suddenly lost her genial tone and the room around grew darker and more sinister like it would just before a growing storm. It made my insides tighten just a little, and that icy shiver returned to my spine. It caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand to attention. Then, just as quickly as it arrived, the feeling dissipated and the calm, safe environment returned. It left me feeling confused and more than uneasy. What the hell was going on?

Something wasn’t right about this old lady. Connor trusted this woman, but a niggling feeling had me questioning her motives.

Call me cynical.

“I see you met Phobos and Deimos.” she kept her tone neutral and her expression flat. She was harder to read than I thought.

Met? Talk about an understatement of the year.

Connor must’ve told her whilst I was unconscious. I remained silent, opting for an internal monologue instead. I wanted to play my cards close to my chest. I didn’t know any of these people, their motives were foreign to me.

Where I come from, nobody does anything for free.

I ignored her question, removing my hands from the Mágissa’s and placed them by my sides; they were clammy, and I fought the urge to wipe them down in my now filthy nightgown. I had a million questions running through my head all at once. In the end, I settled on a simple one.

“Where am I?” I said.

“That is a good question, my child. To put it simply, you are everywhere and nowhere all at once.” A small smile danced at the corners of her a mouth. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, a deep frown settling on my face. What sort of Billy bullshit was this?

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Good God, I think I’m going to scream.

I felt my frustrations growing, but I choked them back down and placed my finger and thumb on the bridge of my nose. I had to stay in control; I hated meeting new people at the best of times, but being stuck in this position made it 10 times worse.

Was this woman some female version of Mr Miyagi?

She needed to stop with all the cryptic answers; they made my head hurt. Literally.

“What is that supposed to mean? And don’t give me any pseudo bullshit. This isn’t an episode of Dr Phil” Although my eyes were now closed, I still felt her intense gaze burning into me. When I opened them again, the Mágissa gave me a puzzled look. Clearly, she’d never heard of the American talk show host.

The Mágissa smiled, but it didn’t reach her icy blue eyes. “There is no proper way to explain it. You will find out in due course. I cannot tell you where you are you must discover it for yourself. I am just here to guide you.”

This lady had to be in it for some other reason? I don’t trust her.

“Guide me, for what? Mágissa you’re not making sense.” A feeling of hopelessness washed over me; this woman would not be of any help. It was all too much to take in. One thing was for certain, though, she was purposefully evading my question. She knew something, but why she wasn’t telling me was baffling.

“You are here for a reason, Amara. There is something special about you.” She said, but didn’t elaborate any further. It was possible she knew nothing else and was just trying to figure it out like everybody else.

You really can’t get any more cliché than that, can you?

Realising I wasn’t getting anywhere, I rose from the sofa and walked over to the window on unsteady feet. I used the surrounding furniture to steady myself. I stared out into the pitch black of the tree line. I needed to get out of here. The answers I needed weren’t here, but where they were was an even greater mystery.

“How the hell do I get out of here?” I stood up and stalked towards the door.

“You cannot just leave Amara. Not until the time is right.” she said. I wanted to scream with the vague answers she was giving. I hardly ever felt anger like this, but my body was shaking. I was furious. This was so unfair. I didn’t deserve this.

“I need some air.” I opened the door with more force than I had initially wanted and it slammed hard into the wall, taking a small chunk out of the wood. I didn’t wait for a reply as I ran outside.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, trapped in some other world with strangers. What the hell was the Mágissa trying to say? None of this made sense. I couldn’t remember how I got here. I tried to think back to the last thing I could remember. I think I went to see Mum and Dad last week, or was it last month, did I come straight from work? I remember visiting them and going out to a restaurant. It may have been my birthday?

“Why is that the last thing I remember, why is it only the memories of how I get here that are gone?”

I felt my body deflate; the anger replaced with a shivery feeling all over my skin. My hands now shook in terror. I tried to blink back the tears, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t give up, I had to get home. My mum and dad would look everywhere for me. It would destroy them.

I was so lost in thought I failed to notice Connor was sitting silently, regarding me from the swing. I jumped back in surprise as my cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. He gave a crooked smile in response, a boyish grin that made his eyes twinkle. I looked down, smiling at my feet.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be apples.” he said. My head shot up. I scrunched my face in confusion, still smiling.

“Means everything will be alright.”

I laughed at that and sat down next to him. We sat in silence for a little while, but my awkwardness got the better of me. I felt like something needed to be said, so the first thought that came to mind tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

“Did you know you can get pink dolphins?” I gave an inward groan as soon as the words left my mouth.

Great going Amara, show Connor how much of a moron you are.

He stopped swinging and turned his head towards me, a slight smirk on his face.

“Oh, really.” he teased. I shoved his arm a little before we both let out a laugh.

“Sorry, I have a thing for random facts.” I said, shrugging my shoulders. Mum and Dad found it hilarious, but it always seemed to irritate others. I guess knowing the actual name for a hashtag is an octothorp isn’t high on people’s lists of things to know.

“Okay, I guess I’m going to have to top that one. Did you know Arsenal has never been relegated?” he said.

I shook my head, putting my hand to my chin as if I was thinking hard about it. He playfully shoved my arm back, and we both let out another laugh. I guess it was something we both didn’t realise we needed. The tension in the air seemed to lift, and I felt lighter than I did before.

“Sorry, huge football fan. My Mum is British. She practically forced me into loving Arsenal.” he said, as if he was expecting my next question.

“Come on, let’s go inside, it’s getting cold out here. Maybe the Mágissa can point us in the right direction after some rest?”

I nodded in response, and we both rose from the swing. Connor called for Shanti. She came running up the stairs and enveloped me in an enormous hug. I stumbled at the force, but despite my aversion to accepting cuddles, I returned the hug. I hated social interactions, preferring my company, but I could feel myself warming to these two. We were all stuck in this together, after all.

“Come on, guys,” he said, gesturing for us to follow him inside.

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