....."You better fix this!"
Nara sat on the floor, shivering in fear, for the first time in her life she needed hope, she needed something to hold on to or someone to tell her everything was going to be fine and that she was safe. She wished it was some sort of prank. Her tears had dried, she was exhausted from shouting and crying for help that never came.
No movement, no sound, just darkness.
She pulled her knees to her chest. "I just want to go home please," she whispered. Her voice cracked from all the crying.
At that moment she thought about home, Grandpa humming in the kitchen, singing an old tune, stirring soup and still managing to keep his cold and calm demeanor. Then Erin, her loud and fun cousin, super friendly and very social among people unlike her. Suddenly she remembered a story grandpa once told her when she was little, a story about witches and illusions and in all of this story one sentence seemed stuck in her mind "If you believe it is, then it is." She didn't know why that line came back to her now. But she grabbed onto it like a rope. It was all she needed at that moment, something to believe in, hope.
"I'm not in a cave," she whispered with her eyes closed. "I'm in my room. I'm home." Believing in these words as they left her mouth.
Seconds later a cold wind hit her face followed by a sweet aroma from the kitchen, as she opened her eyes her joy knew no bounds "I'm home… I'm really home," she whispered, heart racing with excitement and mix of relief. With the surge of emotions she ran downstairs hugging Erin who happened to be in the hallway "Erin!" Nara called out hugging her tightly, surprising both of them.
"Whoa! miss What's gotten into you?" Erin asked playfully but got no reply as Nara had bolted of to grandpa's laboratory leaving Erin in confusion.
"Why didn't you get the job done?" Doc Morrow asked, he was talking to someone on the phone completely unaware of Nara's presence "you ruined everything! Now how do we get another chance? You better fix this!" He yelled and ended the phone call.
She waited a second before knocking.
"Grandpa" Nara called out with a smile on her face, "I came by your room earlier but you were sleeping" Doc Morrow replied "There's food in the cupboard. Don't forget your medicine," he said, not even turning around. With a tone telling her to go back to her room.
She nodded and left, but her mind was in turmoil, she was restless.
Back in her room after eating dinner and taking her medicine she fell asleep. What she had been through that day was too much for an eighteen year old.
Nara turned to the other side of her bed and a bright light hit her face "mmmmm it's morning already" she said with a sleepy voice.
While trying to lay on her stomach she realized she was floating above her bed. She was above her bed, three feet in the air. Immediately her eyes flew wide open in shock, she looked like she had just seen a ghost "Wha…?" She dropped like a stone crash!, before she could even finish her sentence, sinking straight into the bed and a loud crash followed. Her bed frame was broken.
She lay there, stunned, words stuck in her throat, she couldn't believe what was happening.
"I broke my bed?" she whispered, still unsure if she was dreaming or awake still in shock she got out of bed to prepare for school. Only then did she realize that the necklace was gone. "Where is it?" Nara asked herself why searching everywhere in her room for it, then she remembered something else: Akira. "Akira" she called out "yes Nara" Akira replied "hufffff I was scared for a moment, thought you were gone" said Nara, "Am here and I will always be here" Akira reassured.
At breakfast, "are you alright couz?" Erin asked while eating her cereal, "of course" Nara replied absentmindedly, "you look pale like you had just seen a ghost" Erin pressed on "I said I am fine!" Nara snapped hitting her squeezing her steel spoon in the process, she picked up her bag from the chair and headed out immediately
At school, things didn't feel any less weird. Nara walked through the halls lost in thoughts, she was extra sensitive to everything, the sun felt brighter than usual, not hot but bright, it was blinding, the noises from the classrooms sounded like thunder in Nara's ears, it was deafening, her body still aching from the fall. She sat alone as usual but she was aware of everything going on in the whole school even the sound of a pin drop was heard by her ears. The whole situation was new to Nara as she fought hard to control or ignore it but she couldn't, it was as though her whole body part was at a fierce war against each other.
"Nara!" a calm voice called. She turned around and it was Lily, waving at her with her usual bright and innocent smile. She jogged over, holding a small box. "Here,you left it at my place yesterday." Lily said, handing her the same gift box from yesterday, the one with the necklace, the same necklace that threw her into darkness.
Nara froze. Her heart thumped really fast like it was going to explode. She remembered putting on that necklace, the same purple ribbon and the same neat bow.
"I… I did?" Nara asked slowly, confused.
"Yup" You forgot it after all that wolfy talk." Lily smiled and handed it over. "I figured you'd be looking for it and would want it back."
Nara took the box, her hands shaking"Thanks…" she managed to say. "Are you alright?" Lily asked concerned "your hands! They're trembling, should we go to the clinic?". "Am fine Lily" Nara managed to force a smile.
"Alright" and about what you told me yesterday?" Lily asked, her voice going lower, more curious. "About the wolf stuff?"
"What about it?" Nara asked carefully.
"Are you sure it's real?" Lily giggled. "Because I've only read stuff like that in books. Not gonna lie, part of me thought you were just making it up to mess with me and I just played along."
Nara stared at her trying to be sure she was saying the truth. But there was no flicker of knowing in Lily's eyes, no fear, just curiosity, ignorance and her usual innocent and cute girl behavior.
"Yeah," Nara said slowly. "It's probably just a dream, try not to think much about it."
Lily grinned. "Wow I envy you, you get all the cool stuff" see you in art class!" She said running off to class.
Nara stood there, confused more than ever. Was yesterday even real? What was going on?
She held the box tightly as her hands trembled.