Legends of Amacia The Awakening
Chapter 28 Memories of a Childhood Friendship

Memories of a Childhood Friendship

Hanna wheeled Selina into their quarters at 1:05 AM, closing the door behind her. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she rolled Selina towards her dresser. “It’s good to be home,” she murmured, stopping Selina in front of her dresser.

“It is,” Selina agreed. “I can manage now, Hanna. Go; get ready for bed. You’re exhausted.”

“Okay, sis,” Hanna answered, sitting down on the bed and lying back. “Oh, man...this has been such a strange evening. Let’s not fight like that again, okay?”

“Don’t be such an ass and we won’t,” Selina chided, grabbing her silver nightgown. “You should have told me that you were having trouble with those memories. But I’m glad you were able to work through it. I’m sorry I scratched you like that.”

Hanna rubbed her face, feeling the scratches stinging slightly. “It’s okay, sis,” she murmured. “I deserved it for acting like an ass. You hit me with just enough force to shock me out of that hysteria.” She sat up, propping herself up with her arms behind her. “I don’t understand how I got so crazed like that. I’ve never been so irrational in my entire...life,” she said, trailing off.

“What is it?” Selina asked, turning to face Hanna as she sat up straight on the bed.

“I just realized I have been irrational like that before,” Hanna admitted. “Something very similar happened in the Painted Cave. But that was a panic attack. This wasn’t. I know it. What happened to me out there, Selina?”

Selina rolled her wheelchair over to Hanna. Looking her in the eye with a compassionate look, Selina stated, “Your deepest pain overwhelmed you. It exploded like your berserker rages and made you completely irrational.” She sighed deeply, troubled at the event. “You hurt me, Hanna. Your words hurt me to the quick,” she said softly, her tone reflecting her emotional pain. “I had no idea how irrational humans could get when stressed beyond their limits. So I snapped and slapped you, hoping to snap you out of that fit you were having. I’ll not be so naïve again.”

“Oh, Selina,” Hanna moaned in dismay. “I am so very sorry. I don’t know why I spewed like that. All I could feel was the pain of my family being killed in front of me and not being able to do anything about it. I forgot we’re fused telepathically too. Not only did my words hurt you, you felt my raging irrational emotional state. Oh, princess...I’m so very sorry. I should have known better. I’m terrible and don’t deserve you as my soul mate. Please forgive me!” She slipped off the bed, falling to her knees crying in Selina’s lap, begging forgiveness.

Selina choked from the emotion rising in her. She stroked Hanna’s back gently while kissing her on the head. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she purred softly in Hanna’s ear, her tone filled with compassion and love. “I forgive you. You just blew. That’s all. I know you didn’t mean it.”

“But I hurt you,” Hanna cried, looking up into Selina’s eyes...tears flowing. “How could I hurt you like that? You’re my entire universe! I fought demons, armies, and Old Ones to save you from the Emperor and now I hurt you like that. How could I do that?” She laid her head on Selina’s lap and continued to cry.

“Hanna,” Selina said softly, fighting back her own tears. “Look at me, Hanna.” Hanna looked up, seeing Selina sweet smile and tears streaming. Selina put both hands on Hanna’s face, leaned down, and kissed Hanna with one of her special kisses. It lit Hanna up all the way to her toes as she felt Selina’s absolute love and forgiveness through the kiss. Her eyes grew wide at first, and then closed as her sobs subsided. When the kiss ended, Selina touched foreheads with Hanna. “I should have done that outside, but I didn’t want to embarrass you, my prince,” she said warmly, talking to Hannibal and not Hanna. “I forgive you with all my heart. I may be your universe, but you’re mine. You can’t blame yourself for not being able to protect your family. You were just a kid. No one could have done any more than you did. Had you tried to save them, you too would have been killed and we would have never met. It’s okay. I forgive you for hurting me. Your emotions just overwhelmed you. I know better now what to expect. I still love you.”

“Oh, Selina,” Hanna whimpered, a trembling smile on her face as her tears slowed. “You still love me, even after I hurt you. You truly are a princess of the stars. Thank you for forgiving me.”

“You’re welcome,” Selina purred softly, letting her purr regulate Hanna’s emotional state. “I had to. You’re my soul mate. Besides, I figured we’ve eventually have our first fight. I’m glad we were able to work it out. I don’t ever want to lose you. We came so close to losing each other while we were prisoners of the Emperor. I don’t want anything to come between us.”

“Me neither,” Hanna replied gratefully, rising and embracing Selina in the wheelchair. “Thank you for understanding.”

“No problem,” Selina replied. “Besides, how could I not understand you? We’re telepathically fused, remember?”

Hanna laughed, which further drove away the despairing spirit that had seized her. “You’re right, sis,” she chimed, sitting back down on the bed and wiping her tear-stained cheeks. “Boy, am I dense or what.”

“Well, you aren’t the brightest bulb in the pack, you know,” Selina teased with a giggle.

“That’s mean,” Hanna chided, knowing Selina was teasing. “But it’s true. Sometimes, I can be very stupid about things like relationships. I may be a whizz at machines and fighting, but when it comes to relationships, I’m just no good at them. I’m always hiding my true self, deeply afraid I’ll be hurt again.” A solemn sigh escaped her lips. “I’m just a big fake when it comes to people,” she admitted. “You’re the only soul in this entire universe who truly understands me.”

Selina reached out and caressed Hanna’s cheek. “Not so, sis,” she reproved gently. “You’re no faker and you’re much better with people than you realize. I’ve seen you interact with the people at Tiamat, and with the people of this place. You think of them more than you think of yourself. It’s built into you. You deeply care for everyone around you; even those you think are strangers. You have so much love to give and care so much for everyone. Face it; you’re not truly happy unless you’re helping someone. That’s what drew me to you. That’s what I love about you the most: your compassion and love of life. No, Hanna, you’re no fake. You make and maintain excellent relationships with many people, not just me. I know you’re afraid of someone hurting you again. So am I. But it doesn’t stop either of us from sharing our light. That’s how we share our light. We show people who we truly are, even when we’re afraid to do so. That shows not just our light, but also our courage and the Lord’s light as well. Our friends and family will move the entire universe to help you and I know you’ll do the same for them. That’s who you are, Hanna. That’s why we all love you. So don’t say you’re no good at relationships. That’s a bunch of bullshit you put out to hide your true feelings. Remember, you can’t hide them from me.” She sighed and smiled warmly at Hanna. “By the way, that’s one sexy dress,” she complimented. “You had every man out there drooling and fantasizing about you, you little flirt.”

Hanna cackled loudly at Selina’s sarcastic comment. She realized Selina was trying to divert her attention from their earlier serious conversation. Leaning back on her arms and crossing her legs in a sensual pose, Hanna replied, “That I did. Did you see Corso’s expression when I came to the dinner table in this little number? It was priceless. Even Enoch was shocked that I wore this to dinner. I turned every head I walked by. I’ve never felt so powerful and beautiful, or wanted in my entire life. I had everyone except you eating out of my hand.”

“That you did,” Selina said bluntly, letting her jealousy show, “...a little too much. You forgot I was right there.”

Hanna sat up straight with a shocked look. “Oh, man,” she moaned. “You’re right. Forgive me for making you so jealous. But if you remember, I bailed on everyone when they started hitting on me, saying how beautiful I was and wanting to dance with me. They didn’t even wait for me to finish eating before asking me to dance. It reminded me of the last party I went to with my parents. I watched all the guys hit on my mom, wanting to dance with her. I even watched my dad dance with many of the girls there and my mom had no problem with it. I didn’t understand why they did that. I was a kid and didn’t know it was socially acceptable for that to happen. All I knew was I was alone on the sidelines. I was embarrassed because I didn’t know how to dances they did.”

Selina became quiet as she listened intently to Hanna. “What kind of dances did they do?” she asked softly.

“Ballroom dancing,” Hanna murmured, her tone betraying a rising hurt. “There were waltzes, tangos, and several other styles of ballroom dancing I’d never seen before. I remember sitting there watching them dance when the only girlfriend I ever had finally arrived.”

“Oh,” Selina purred. “So that’s who the little girl in your memory was.”

“Yes,” Hanna admitted. “We were both thirteen years old. Samantha was the daughter of my dad’s best friend and colleague. On occasion, they worked together and as a result, Samantha and I became friends. We had similar interests in archaeology and astronomy. In a way, she reminds me of you in her mannerism, Selina. She was so nice to me when all the other girls in school ignored or bullied me.”

“Go on,” Selina urged, resting her hands in her lap while looking Hanna in the eye. She knew Hanna was revealing a hidden piece of her past.

Hanna chuckled. “She actually rescued me from a couple of bullies the first time we met,” she admitted. “A couple of older girls had cornered me in the hall at school, demanding any money I had. I had none, so they took my backpack and started to beat me up. That’s when Samantha saw it and chased them off. She got my pack back and took me to the office to report what had happened. I’d never seen anyone, much less a girl pay me the least mind. She asked if she could be my friend. I obviously agreed since she saved me from the bullies.” A soft smile crossed Hanna’s lips. “Samantha could fight. I mean, really fight,” she stated. “She knew White Crane. She also had a reputation of being a loner and a bit of a tough girl. Everyone who tried to bully her got their asses handed to them. Samantha is the reason I started learning martial arts.”

Selina chuckled. “I like this girl,” she stated. “She sounds like me when I was in grade school. Was she smart like me?”

“Smart?” Hanna replied. “The girl was brilliant, but not as smart as you, Selina.”

“You liked her, didn’t you?” Selina asked, seeing the obvious.

Hanna sighed. “I did,” Hanna admitted. “I may have even loved her, but I was young at that time and didn’t really understand what love was. But I did care deeply for her. We became best friends and on several occasions, worked with our parents at archaeological sites. We first met when I was eight. By time we were thirteen, everyone considered us two of a kind and figured we’d eventually marry when we grew up.”

“You loved her,” Selina concluded. “It’s okay to admit it.”

Hanna looked down. “I did,” she admitted. “I loved that girl so much, and she loved me back. Samantha was the only girl who ever loved me for me when I was young. She never demanded anything of me except my friendship. But we were star-crossed. The only reason I went to that last party with my parents was they told me Samantha was going to be there. So I sat on the sidelines while the party went on, alone. After three hours, she finally showed up with her father. I quickly found out the reason they were late was they were leaving for Bolivia early the next morning. Samantha’s dad had been brought in to be the chief archaeologist at the Tiwanaku excavations. Samantha’s mother had already gone ahead with their things. But her mother insisted that Samantha and I be allowed to say goodbye.” Tears welled up in Hanna’s eyes and she sobbed softly. “I felt betrayed by her parents,” Hanna whispered between her sobs. “My only true friend was going where I couldn’t follow. We spent the remainder of the party together where we shared our first and last kiss and danced the only dance we ever danced. She promised to keep in contact, but it never happened. She never called or wrote. Then, six weeks after the party, I lost everything on Mt. Rainier. I never found out what happened to Samantha.” She wept with her face in her hands. “When I tried to find her, no one knew what happened to her or her parents,” she sobbed. “They had mysteriously vanished shortly after taking over the Tiwanaku excavations much like Harry’s sister Zoë did. Not even the masters of the universe could figure out what happened to them. A whole lot of good they were to me. Why does bad shit always have to happen to me, Selina? Why?”

“I don’t know,” Selina admitted, tears of compassion flowing. “But now I see what happened at dinner. You flirting with everyone in that dress caused the memories of your lost family and friend to overpower you. You remembered something you’d forgotten, which was intimately connected to the loss of your family. Come here, sis.” She opened her arms and Hanna went to her, crying on her shoulder in a sad embrace. “Let it out,” she purred, choking with emotion. “You’re still so wounded by your past. But now, you can heal. Samantha was a critical piece of your past you held back without realizing it. Now, you can release the pain of this tragedy. Let me help you bear it. Was she as upset about the move as you?”

“She was,” Hanna stated softly. “She was very angry at her parents for moving so far from me. She apparently begged them to let her stay with my parents, but they refused. They said it wasn’t proper since my dad had important work to do too. She promised to call me the moment they moved into their new home in Bolivia. The call never came. I can only guess what happened to her. I miss her, Selina. She was such a card, always happy and a bit of a joker.”

“I know you do,” Selina replied. “I know how you felt about her, and it’s okay. One day, we may find out what happened to your childhood friend. I know it. By the way, how do you feel now?”

“Tired,” Hanna admitted. “But I feel like I’m starting to get some form of closure now that I’ve shared these things. Selina....”

“Yes, Hanna?” Selina answered.

“I’m sorry I flirted with everyone at supper,” Hanna apologized. “I couldn’t help myself. Next time you see me doing that, please stop me, okay?”

“Okay,” Selina replied softly, caressing Hanna’s cheek. “I forgive you. Just be yourself and I won’t have to stop you. Now, why don’t you change for bed? You’re exhausted. Don’t worry about the bath. It’s almost 2 AM. You need to get to sleep.”

“Yes, mom,” Hanna teased in a weary, but loving tone. “Thank you for everything, princess.”

“You’re welcome,” Selina replied with a weary smile, patting Hanna on the cheek. “Go on. I can get ready by myself.”

“Okay, sis,” Hanna said warmly, going to her dresser. After retrieving her black silk nightie, she retreated to the bathroom.

Selina watched her go and sighed. “What am I going to do with that girl?” she whispered. “Oh, well...I better get ready for bed too. I’m wiped out.” She moved close to the bed and pulled herself onto it with her silver nightie in hand. In a couple minutes, she stripped naked, throwing her little black dress, stockings, and teddy in the wheelchair. “This would be a whole lot easier if these blasted legs would work properly,” she muttered, donning the silver nightie that reached to her knees. The spaghetti straps left her shoulders bare and the V-cut on the chest left the upper half of her cleavage bare, but covered everything else.

Selina was struggling to pull the blankets back when Hanna came out of the bath wearing her knee-length black silk nightie. Seeing Selina struggling with the blankets, Hanna rushed to help. “Here, let me help,” she offered, pulling the blankets back so Selina could lie down.

“Thanks, sis,” Selina replied gratefully. “It’s really a chore to do this while my legs are still out of commission.”

“Don’t fret it,” Hanna said warmly, sitting down beside Selina and pulling the blankets over both of them. “It’s the least I can do after being such a twit earlier.” She yawned widely, lying down. “Oh, dear,” she breathed. “This bed sure feels good.”

“It does,” Selina agreed, rolling on her side facing Hanna. She caressed Hanna’s cheek as she rolled towards Selina. “Sleep well, sis,” Selina purred wearily. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

Hanna chuckled as the warmth of the bed and Selina’s purr caused great drowsiness to hit her. “They’d better not bite,” she replied sleepily, “...because I bite back. Good night, my sweet celestial cat of mercy.”

Selina chuckled at Hanna’s humor, seeing Hanna drop dead asleep in less than twenty seconds. A pleasant chill raced up her spine at Hanna’s good night declaration. She shifted and kissed Hanna gently on the forehead. “Good night, my love,” she whispered. “Soon, you shall be my prince again.” Without thinking, Selina wrapped her arms around Hanna, pulling her in as if to protect her while she slept. Two minutes later, Selina too fell asleep, purring softly.

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