Chapter 21

“Momma!” I rushed towards her. She didn’t seem like she knew me she moved away from me with disdain in her eyes.

“You!” She said pointing at me, while still in chains “I gave you one job! And you couldn’t even do that! Stay away from the shifters!” Never did I have my mum speak to me with so much hate. “But no. It always must be in your way, you ….”

My dad dragged me from my mother’s front.

“She is not okay right now. Just ignore all she has said. I promise. She’ll be fine” my dad said, smiling at me. It looked like a sad smile.

“And you,” she said facing my dad. “I’ve told you time and time again to take your worthless self out of here. Do you want me to turn you into a snail?” she sneered harder.

“Dad, what’s happening?” I looked at my dad, hoping for an explanation. I had a sense of déjà vu, of me being scared about a nightmare I’ve seen happen and then my dad consoling me when my mum doesn’t know how to”

“It’s the witches. It turns out that they weren’t always on our side.” My dad said disappointed. He looked to my mum again as she said something offensive towards my dad.

“But aunty Gratchen?” That was my mum’s best friend. She would not dare let anything or anyone harm my mother.

My dad shook his head no “I’m sorry honey, it was all part of the plan. But we’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise” I looked at my dad. There was no way I could believe what he was saying.

“Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here with mum. You didn’t do anything wrong” I had already started making up scenarios in my head again for what Eric might have done.

“Your mum is vulnerable at this point. I can not just leave her like this. She needs me by her side especially this moment” my heart leapt. My parents had the purest type of love. Even in this state, he would rather stay with my mum in this uncomfortable place than be away from her.

“I’ll find out who did this. I swear it”

“just stay safe kiddo.” My dad said to me. “Keep her safe.” He said to Eric. “He’ll always make sure that you’re safe. I promise”

I looked at my dad. “Why does this feel like good bye?” I felt a restriction in my throat.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t” he said with a joking smile. Something about the smile didn’t seem to be just a smile.

“Lets go princess” Eric said from behind me. I wanted to protest but one nod from my dad was all I needed to obey him. Eric walked me to the room, in quietness.

“I’m sorry about how I reacted. I know you meant no harm, but I didn’t, and still don’t like the fact that my mother and father is in a not so habitable place. But I understand.

Was all I said even though I knew what you as wrong. I saw my mum. She didn’t look okay. She looked…..

Feral.

I would never admit it out loud, but that is what it was. “you know that I would never hurt you intentionally right? I swear on my life. I would give an arm than to hurt you.” I nodded.

We walked for a while before reaching my room, it was Eric’s, but he had moved out to give me some space.

“I’ll see you later? We didn’t get to eat dinner” I blushed from embarrassment.

“I’m sorry I ruined out date” he stroked my cheeks with the gentlest touch I could ever experience.

“You didn’t ruin anything. If anything, I shouldn’t have dropped it in you like that”

I looked at him for a while, before I mustered up the courage to ask him just before he left. “can I….. can I have a kiss?” I looked anywhere but his face.

“I thought you wouldn’t ask” he smiled softly.

I closed my eyes and anticipated his lips on mine. Just as I expected, they were nothing short of a blissful moment. The butterflies in my stomach could not be calmed down,

“I’ll see you later.” He said as he walked away, leaving me in a trance.

I stood still, my mind went blank

∆∆ten year old vision

“Daddy, I had a bad dream” I said one night as my mummy was not around. Honestly, even if she was I would still have told my dad. He knew how to handle these situations more.

“Really sweetie? What’s it about?” my dad listened to me attentively.

“Mummy looked scary. And she was angry at me. I don’t know why. She warned me to stay away from the shifters. But I didn’t listen and she looked really mad. She didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. And then she also took her anger out on you” at this point, I was trying to clear the tears from my eyes.

“You’re doing good honey? What else?”

“there was blood, and you were lying in it. And mummy had powers again, but she wasn’t using it for good like she always said she did. Daddy, I’m scared.” My dad hugged me tight, trying to calm me down. “How about we watch some cartoons?” I nodded my head …..

∆∆

“Why does this sound like good bye?” my mind went back to me asking my daddy that question. “maybe it is, maybe it isn’t”

Something didn’t sit right within me. I couldn’t really remember the vision s I had told my dad about but it seemed so familiar to what just happened earlier.

I snapped out of my thoughts and ran as fast as my legs could carry me back to the basement.

“Daddy!!! I shouted on the way there, possibly waking up every one that was either taking a nap or just going about geor daily activities.

“My lady I can’t…” I caught a brief reflection of my self in the mirror. My eyes were glowing which was strange. My eyes had never done that before. I didn’t have time to focus on that.

“Move” it must have been the look on my face, or how my eyes glowed. But with a look of fear on his face, he moved away from me.

“Dad!” it was silent. More silent than the first time I came down here earlier. “Daddy?” I checked again, no one.

I walked down in to the place and there my dad was, in the pool of his own blood and my mum no where in sight.

“dad!! Dad!!” I tapped his face severally before be blinked slowly.

“It’s okay, I am fine.” He tried to smile. “it was all part of the prophecy, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later”

“This isn’t fair! Why didn’t you tell me about the prophecy! How could I forget?!” the tears were running freely at this point.

He didn’t answer my question though at his point he was already gone with his eyes partly open.

“papa” I called in a weak voice.