Perchance it is dark. I cannot precisely tell. I run in the forest, harder. My lungs kick and burn, all at the same time. The way I feel—it is like when you are being forced to run to your death. I don’t attempt to look back. There is no time to turn behind. Wheeling back means accepting death. I keep heading forward, faster and more careful with each progressive step. The skeletons are all around me. They are numerous like flies, dry like fish which has been scattered in the sunlight.
“Mia!” I know that voice. It is dad.
“Dad?” I cannot exactly tell the direction his voice echoed from. I look south, then north, east, and west. I am not sure. “Dad, where are you? Can you hear me?”
I put my senses into use. Before my mother died, she surrendered her powers to me. The trouble is no one has taught me how to use them. I can only heal, no matter how grave or small the injuries. The smell in the air is nasty—like that of lifeless bodies when they are molding into dust. I stare about me. The corpses are coming back to life. Their flesh, at the moment dust, composes quickly and clothes their naked bones.
“Dad, I need your help!”
She stands before me. Her eyes are white and fierce. I have never seen anything like them before. I thought this only happened in horror movies. I was not convinced it could happen to me. What do I do? She is my enemy, her and no one else. She is my blood sister, taken possession of by her late mother’s spirit. Dad thought Aubrey was dead. That is what I believed; that was what those culprits who burned her went preaching everywhere. Right now, she is tracking them, one by one. Before she finishes them off, she wishes to do away with my life.
I don’t know what is happening. My feet stir up the air. Aubrey seems surprised too. Her mouth drops open while she stares at me like she has seen a ghost. She is the ghost, not me. The spirit giving her these tremendous powers belongs to a dead woman. I don’t have a ghost occupying my body.
“Traitor!” She yells out accusingly at me. “You are a witch as well, aren’t you? I was always the witch, evermore the wicked girl. What about you, Mia? Can’t you see you are wicked yourself?”
“All this is your fault, Aubrey. Things are happening in accordance to your choice. If you had been so good to me and dad and everyone else, all this would not have happened.”
She places her hand behind her—and the host of the dead quickly marshal behind her. Everything happens too quickly. One moment, these corpses were around me. The next second, they are motionless behind her like they are soldiers under her command. How does she have tremendous power over the dead?
“You know that the dead fall under my control, don’t you? I have your mother here. She might have been a goddess, yet she is dead. If you won’t do what I want you to, I will banish her soul to the Underworld. You want to know what the Underworld is? You do your research after I am done with her.”
On the spur of a moment, I am spinning quickly in the air. Wind blows at ms me from all four directions and pushes away Aubrey and her dead army. By the time it is gone, I have secured my feet down on the ground. There my wicked sister stands, far from me. She turns behind her and sees that her weak army is lying dead on the ground like before, dry bones without any flesh.
She roars louder while sharp, long nails emerge from her hands. Then she leaps into the air rapidly after me, arching like a cat when it is about to launch on its prey. I spin again and wind comes back from all four directions. With astounding swiftness, it wraps me up and hits Aubrey off me. She is thrown on top of the piled bones. The moment I cease spinning, the wind is gone too. I step towards her while she groans up to her feet.
“How have you become so powerful, you witch? I am Queen of the Dead. No one defeats me that easily.” With these words, she points her fingers at me and vanishes away like ash scattered by wind. The truth is she turns herself into ash and drops out of sight along with the heap of skeletons she is standing on. I am never going to see her again; which doesn’t mean that she will not return for me. For now, dad and I are safe.
“Mia,” a voice says behind me. I turn around quickly. Dad? He stands dressed in his ragged clothes. His breaths are quick and exhausted. I flee after him and pitch myself into his arms. Did he see everything happen? I am silently wondering when he hugs me and asks politely, “Who were you fighting with?”
“Ashley, dad—she is not dead.”
When I first set my foot at Brunswick High, boys seemed to swoon over my presence. I know. Dad always tells me I look like a goddess. At first I used to laugh and brush his words aside like they were mere jokes. He is right. I have the blood of a goddess flowing in my veins. My mother died from the curse of Aubrey’s mom. Yes, Aubrey is my step sister, whose mother happened to be a witch. Her mom hated mine, and never took a moment to rest until she had done something terrible to her. It was her wish to kill us both. She only managed to kill her anyway. My mom cursed her back to keep me alive. That’s the reason I am breathing this morning. If it weren’t for mom’s curse, I would have been good dead too just like her.
This dress reminds me of my late sister, Aubrey. She was born by a witch. She was one throughout her life. They burnt her to death three years ago. Her story is somewhat painful. Yet there is nothing I can do about it.
I sigh to myself as I head to seat down on my bed. Zoe's party will be tomorrow night. She invited me there herself. There is no way I am going to miss it.
When I fall asleep, I see his face. He is a stranger. I don't think I have met him somewhere. His eyes are cold; his skin is pale and frightening. He does not look human to me. Who could he be?
First, I am Mia Ashton. I have never seen my mother face to face. She died the moment shortly after giving birth to me. Dad tells me she was a goddess, beautiful like no woman he has ever seen. He loved her deeply. She died from the curse struck on her by Aubrey's mother, who happened to be terribly jealous of her.
When I wake up, it is cold. I don't remember what date this is supposed to be. I head straight into the bathroom and wash my face and then brush my teeth. I look at my reflection in the mirror. I have big brown eyes and dark gold skin and curly light brown hair. Dad says I look exactly like my mom. I don't know how truthful that is, honestly.
"You are going out?" I ask him after I stumble on him in the passage way. He is clad in black pants, a white shirt, and a black long jacket. He pats my back and kisses my brow.
"I won't take long, sweetie. I am going to get coffee just for the two of us. What else would you like to have?"
I think about that quickly. "Chocolate; no, I don't mean a chocolate cake, but plain chocolate."
"Fine, sweetie! I will be back with it."
My room is strictly girlish. Here, I have posters stuck on the wall of my favorite girl singers. There are dolls and love-decked diaries inside my dresser. My duvets and blankets are pink, which is my dearest color. Frankly, I love feminine things. They are incredibly sweet and irresistible in my perspective.
When Zoe calls, it is afternoon. "Mia, how are you doing, girlfriend? Have you begun preparing for my party yet?" I smile while I talk to her on the phone. Since this morning, I haven't been out or gone to any place honestly. I am still dressed in my pajamas.
"I am fine, Zoe. No, I haven’t started my preparations yet."
"Okay. Shall I come to pick you up at your place with someone special? I mean someone who is curious to get close to you. He is handsome, for your own piece of information."
I start to wonder. Who could he be? Has someone begun crushing on me all this while? What exactly? "Who is he, Zoe?"
She laughs, loudly. "Don't worry. I will come with him. Only then you will know who he is."
"Fine; I will be waiting, girl."
The sky is fast darkening. I must get myself preparing for the coming party. What will I wear exactly? I walk to my closet, throw its doors open, and look over the clothes that are packed inside. I think....this will do: A green mini that has a provision for a belt. In fact, not just any kind of belt fits here. This dress has a ribbon-graced belt that shakes hand and hand with it. As for the shoes, I will get pink heels. Yes, they will like cute on me. For my hair, I am not really sure. I just have to wash it and blow it and then curl it over again. In an hour and half, I will be done, I calculate.
This done, I start preparing myself. After I am through, I step my way into the living room and ask dad who is seated on the sofa reading a fast-paced thriller. "How do I look for the party, dad? I want your honest opinion. Please, don't flatter me."
He checks me out and then smiles sweetly to himself. "You are amazing like an angel, Mia. You are beyond recognition, sweetheart."
I feel flattered. I know that I am not supposed to. I can't help it though. “Thanks, dad! Zoe will bring me back, I imagine.”
“No problem, sweetie. Be careful with boys. Remember what we agreed on.”
Zoe stands outside of a lavish car waving at me. I rush after her and then slow into a walk once I am close to reaching her. She is happy. She hugs me affectionately. “Your dad is not brutally strict after all, is he?”
I make a face. “He is not, girl.”
“That’s impressive to hear. One more thing before we go any further. He is waiting for us inside.” I look at the car. It is really dark. I mean the windows. I can’t tell who is seated in there. “It is my brother, Ty. He has an eye on you, you know. I beg you, don’t be mean with him. If you are not interested in him, just fake stuff up and don’t act like you are not willing to be his friend. I beg you, girl.”
Oh? He is the mystery behind these happenings? I had no idea. “It is your brother?”
“Yes. He is sweet too, darling.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I am furious with her. How can she be keeping something this serious from me? I had every right to be aware. Besides, I would have long known what to meet and how to handle things.
“Mia, we will talk later after the party, please. Let us get moving now, shall we?”
“No problem. After your party—you and me have this to settle alone. Is it a deal?”
“It’s a deal.” We hug once more and then slip into the car.
Ty looks cheerful. I settle down besides him and he smiles warmly at me. “Mia, it is nice to see you. How are you doing, beautiful?”
“I am fine, Ty,” I notify him. I shut the door quickly and he steers the vehicle away. Zoe is seated behind us. She is quiet but attentive. I scowl at her in the rearview mirror. She giggles voicelessly. At least I must put in some efforts. I don’t want to come out as weird or creepy. I swear I don’t.
“So, where are you based, Ty? Your sister and I are at the same school, Brunswick. I have never seen you there. What makes you busy?”
“University; I am studying Medicine; with intentions of wanting to be a doctor.”
“That is great news. You must have been excellent in Biology, weren’t you? I despise that subject.”
“You do?” He is surprised to hear that. The truth is I hate Sciences. All Sciences, I mean. If I had the alternative, I would have dropped them right from the start. Now I cannot. It is too late, especially that I am close to finishing high school.
“They make me sick, I swear.”
“Ty, one thing Mia has not told you is that she is a lazy girl. She never attempts her Science homework. I am not a genius in these subjects, but at least I try something. How do you expect her to get impressive grades that way? You are lazy, Mia. Admit it, girl.”
I look back at her and make a funny face while chewing bubblegum. “What you seem to also forget is that you copy your assignments from the internet word by word, letter by letter. You are equally worthless, Zoe.”
Ty laughs loudly at that. He swerves the car into a poorly lit boulevard. I can hardly see. “Girls, you are funny—I must point this out. Well, Mia. I was also like you in school; lazy and not bothering to attempt my homework. I learned to work hard the tough way. I am sure the same will come off to you too, beautiful.”
Why does he keep calling me ‘beautiful’? I am starting to feel something for him. I swear. When I look at him, he strikes me as being overwhelmingly handsome. I want to place my hand on his face and quietly stroke it. Damn me! What I cannot resist is the thought of being caressed by a boy this drop-dead.
He suddenly looks at me and sees that I am ogling him. Our eyes lock for a while, then we both stare ahead of us at the same time. I breathe out. I hope that wasn’t being creepy on my part. The truth is some boys hate being stared at by girls. It makes you look cheap and slutty in their eyes. I don’t care what he thinks of me. If staring is a crime, then I deserve to be put in jail for it. I swear.
I don’t know what time it is by the moment we make it to Zoe’s place. It is already crowded. There are young people our age, some seated down, some standing on their feet. They are all in groups, chatting and mingling with the other freely. “At last we have arrived,” Zoe notifies me in a sing-song way. I peer behind at her from my seat and she quickly winks at me. “If you don’t mind, you two—I will excuse myself for a while. I must sort some few issues before I join your company once more.” Having said this, she scales out of the car and walks away joyously.
Ty and I are alone. We are mute for a while. Neither of us speak. Finally, he faces me in his seat and I stare back at him voicelessly. Then he tells me with a welcoming smile, “I would like you to do me one favor, Mia.”
“Which favor, Ty?”
“Will you be my date just for tonight—I mean my dancing partner? I have no one to hang out with. You are the only one who can save me from this boredom that is threatening to kill me.”
I laugh madly. It is like I have gone insane or something. “How can you say that? You are joking, right? No—you are not going to die from loneliness or boredom. You have me sticking by your side for the rest of this night. I swear.”
“That’s cool then. Shall we?” He stretches out his hand to me. I don’t hesitate to take it.
“Sure.” It is like I am a VIP today. Say like Beyonce when she is attending a special party meant for a special girl. Ty first slips out, then he rounds over to open the door for me. I creep my way out gracefully, and he takes my hand again so we can walk towards the enthusiastic crowd smilingly. “Your place is wonderful,” I tell him, “I didn’t imagine you stayed in a paradise of this kind.”
He looks at me briefly and grins to himself. “I am flattered, Mia, honestly. I am glad you like my home. In case you become bored or sleepy, you can come over to my room and take a nap on my bed. I have all sorts of entertainment to keep you busy there. Feel free—this is the newest version of your home, beautiful.”
The guys can’t help but stare at us. As we approach a group of laughing girls, they fall quiet and goggle us like they have seen the weirdest couple. Well, we are not a couple actually. Tonight, we will be acting like dates—which we are not. “Do those girls know you? I heard one of them whisper your name to her peers.”
He frowns. “She is history, Mia.” That might explain the reason she was glaring at me like I stunk or something. She is history….meaning she possibly might have gone out with him in the past or something. She shouldn’t worry. Nothing is going to happen between the two of us. We are going to dance and do nothing else. I swear.
Ty has me settle down on a lush sofa by the pool side. Before me is a wide table filled with cakes, chocolate, drinks, and fruits. He tells me before he disappears tensely, “I will be back, beautiful. Just for a while……Pardon me please.”
“No problem, Ty. Take as long as you need. The night is still young. We have plenty of time to make out before it gets old.”
He smiles at me joyously. “I give my word: I will be quick.”
He trots away hurriedly. I watch him sneak inside the house. I stare about me and grab a bar of chocolate. It is my favorite. I can’t imagine life without it. My phone chimes and I quickly check to see who is calling. Dad! Well, I am okay if he is worried about me. No boy is going to come closer to me and take me by force. I swear. “Dad, how are you? I thought you were sleeping already. Aren’t you supposed to rest? You had a restless week, mind you.”
“I wanted to know how you are doing, princess. How has the party started out so far? Is it brilliant….maybe dull and lackluster?”
“It is okay, dad. I mean it’s fantastic. I have no regrets about being here. C’mon, you need to enjoy your nap. I am not going to talk to you for hours if that is what you are wishing for.”
“I will not be asking you of that, darling. I swear.”
“Bye then. See you tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you returning in the night? You said Zoe would bring you back.”
“I don’t think I will be able to. She offered me to sleep in her room. It is comfortable and nice just like my own bedroom there. This will be my newest home solely for tonight.”
“Fine, sweetie. Take care.”
“I love you, dad.”
“I love you too, Mia.”
Once I am through speaking on the phone, Zoe appears suddenly and settles down in the couch opposite me. She looks intensely excited. “Hi, girl!” She waves at me delicately. “How is it going with my bro? Do you like him? He insists he has got deep feelings for you.”
I scoff it off. “Perhaps he is just infatuated with me. Those feelings go away with time, Zoe.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so sure. You know how guys are. They fall in love quicker than us and they almost never fall out of love.”
“I am aware of that, girlfriend.”
“Fine, beautiful.” She laughs the moment she finishes that word—beautiful. I roll my eyes. Is she teasing me or what? Yeah….yeah! She is trying to speak the exact way her brother does. “I want you to tell me something. Have you been in love before, Mia? You turned eighteen a couple months ago. Who was your first guy—first date, I mean?”
“You are curious to know everything about me, aren’t you?”
“I definitely am.” The visions are abrupt. They come with the speed of lightning—and go away swiftly. I feel that something is not right here, somehow. First, I see a girl with long black hair. I see her from behind. She is walking in the crowd, looking for someone. She suddenly hits into Ty and quickly turns her head around to him and apologizes. With this done, she taps her hand on his shoulder and a faint green light creeps out of her into him. Ty seems paralyzed. He can’t move for a while; he doesn’t seem to know what is precisely happening to him. When he stirs, the girl is gone—nowhere to be seen or traced.
I blink to my senses all of a sudden. The air around me has sharply changed. I smell danger everywhere. I glance back at Zoe. She is annoyed with me. Her eyes are narrowed. I don’t know how long I have been absent-minded.
“Aren’t you going to explain anything to me?”
“Explain what, Zoe?”
She snuffs out angrily. “Don’t tell me you have a lousy memory. I asked you who was the first guy you dated just a minute ago, and you have already forgotten? What is the meaning of this, Mia?”
“I am sorry, dear. I wasn’t paying overmuch attention.”
“You are starting to tell lies, girl. You were paying attention to what I was saying—until something suddenly came over you.”
“Something like what?” I ask her like I have no clue about what happened.
“How am I supposed to know? You give me this weird impression that you are not natural-oriented as you appear to be; like you are a spook or something.” Well, she has got it wrong this time. I am not a spook. I have never been one. I will not ever be one!
“Okay, here comes the answer you are dying to hear: No, I have not dated any guy yet. The truth is I haven’t begun making arrangements about accomplishing it. If I will, Ty will probably be my first.”
Her eyes bulge wide. “That is wonderful to hear, cause you know what? I have a crush on someone else. He seems interested in me too.”
Really? I am curious to know more about him. “Who is he, Zoe? Please tell me more concerning him.”
“Not now, girl. Later—I promise.”
“If you say so! Where do you think Ty is? Will he be taking long? He promised me he was going to come back soon. I wonder what is keeping him long.”
“Don’t worry. If he takes long, it is only because he is fixing something to wow the bliss out of you. He will be here any moment now. Just be patient, girl.” I am not totally convinced. My fear is if that weirdo girl did something terrible to him. Who was she in any case?