***
(2018)
'THUMP.'
The girl squeaked and she gnawed her lips between her teeth.
'No.... no no no....'
THUMP.
She felt her heart drop as if it were a bag of bricks that settled heavy on her stomach.
'Don't come here. Go away...'
THUMP.
The tiny girl scrambled out of her bed and squeezed behind her dresser. She put her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
'I didn't do anything this time... go away...'
THUMP...
'Go away...'
Her heart rate picked up with each heavy foot fall.
Her fear of the figure that hovered at her side was replaced by her terror of the heavy foot steps that were coming closer to her room.
Hopefully they forgot something. The green eyed girl prayed, she hoped the steps would pass her room and she could try to sleep again...
'Just go away...'
"..." The ten year old almost yelped again when an ice cold hand came over her mouth.
'Stay quiet.'
Blue eyes met green and he put his left index finger to his lips. 'Today I will guide you to freedom, little one...' the green eyed girl slowly nodded. Freedom was a dream that left her until the blue eyed man came into her dreams... his promise to guide her to the dream served to make the far away thought seam obtainable....
"Oh little green eyed girl..." sang a gentle whisper, "it is quite late to play hide n seek..." the woman's voice sounded in the room: "little one? Why are you not in bed?" She sang, "you know how-" her voice ended on a gasp as the heavy thuds stopped. There was a beat of silence and then a series of tumbles down the stairs that led to the little girls room.
The green eyed girl let a whimper escape her closed lips as she curled further into herself.
'We must go, little one-'
'I can't...' tears started to fall from her closed eyes. The tiny girl was gripped by fear and frozen in her own terror. 'Go away...'
It was quiet.
'Just go away, please...'
It was too quiet, yet the girl stayed curled into herself as the heavy silence gently laid its weight on her trembling form.
'Come little one.' The blue eyed man pleaded, the green eyed girl slowly lifted her head and she gave a tiny nod. The little girl slowly crawled out from behind the dresser, she dusted herself off and lifted her head, she would see blue eyes this time-
The eyes were green emeralds, that matched her own. Wide green eyes met wide green eyes. Pink, chapped lips crumbled into a whimper as older pink lips curled into a deep frown, "The moon is almost at its' peak. If we are to be successful, we need to leave. Now." The older green eyed woman snapped, her voice a stark contrast to its coaxing song before the bumps sounded.
"I will go to bed, I-" Manicured claws lashed toward the girl who could only whimper as her body disobeyed her command to duck. Tears spilled from her eyes when the nails went straight though her. "Mo-"
"Run!"
And the green eyed girls world turned black....
***
(Present)
'That's right… the fever never came to me…' Jasmine thought as she wondered the black world around her.
'It was the burning in my head… and then I was unconscious… and here I am…' she thought as she stopped her stride when she bumped into Myriah.
'You gave me hope you know?' Jasmine tilted her head and Myriah did the same. 'After that nurse left you scared out of her life… I saw you.' Myriahs expression became solemn.
'I had just undergone questioning, narrowly avoided the lightning rods… you looked so sad and when you saw me, your eyes lit up.' Jasmine sighed as tears filled her eyes, 'You grabbed my hand, ignoring the electricity, and told me that we'd be friends when we both got out.' Jasmine eyed Myriah who was watching her.
'I saw you again when you got the fever… I was assigned to ensure you came in without fail.' Jasmine reached for Myriah who flinched away from her. 'You had destroyed your home. Nearly killed your siblings…' Jasmine sighed, 'Your mother, though severely wounded, tried to shield you from me, she fought so hard… I thought the soldiers killed her…' Myriah tilted her head to the right, 'In your delirium, you remembered me, and was rendered unconscious when you reached for me…' Tears slid down jasmines cheeks. 'At the time… I didn't remember you. But I felt remorse that I didn't reach for you as well, Myriah… I still feel that remorse…'
***
"How would you like to come with me?" Green stared into silver and she nodded. The bracelet was taken from her and she felt better immediately.
"Take your time…" Jasmine felt her world tilt before she fell limp into Mr. Ryan's arms…
***
'That's how I met Axel.' She smiled fondly, 'He helped me with the nightmares… with… ' Jasmine paused as the Blue eyed man appeared in front of her… 'Axel helped me to shield my mind and learn to control my abilities…' she extended her hand to the blue eyed man, 'He helped me learn to communicate with you…' The blue eyed man took her hand in his and offered an assuring smile. 'Axel.. is like a brother and a father to me in one… much like you… Keyonie.'
Jasmine pursed her lips, 'Am I you? Or are you me?' She pondered as the blue eyed man imitated her movements as if he were her actual reflection.
'How can I claim to be part of The People? I don't speak the language… and I never got the fever, I-'
Her mind wondered to the past… 'I hunted you… helped Alexander capture you…' her mind wondered to the blue eyed boy, Lucien. 'I almost got you killed…'
***
Axel, Edymond, and Angalo stared at the two sleeping girls. "Do I want to know?" Kain asked as he happened upon the scene.
"They met, they clashed… and when Jasmine was speaking with Edymond, Myriah came back into the room, and here we are." Axel summarized.
Kain tilted his head, "so…" he circled his hands for Axel to continue. But the vampire was perplexed.
"None of us know." Edymond murmured, "The vampire says the dream is the dark world."
Kain tilted his head, "The dark world?"
"It is the place between life and death." Syrenia murmured as she wondered into the room with Mika and Atoli.
"That dress becomes you." Edymond greeted. "You truly are the beauty of the ocean." Angalo murmured. Syrenia blushed, "I am flattered."
"It was a fight but we got her to wear clothes." Atoli murmured as her eyes fell on Myriah and Jasmine. "So they're in limbo?"
Syrenia shook her head, "They are connected ." She pointed to her temple, "here."
She knelt before the two girls, "and here." She pointed at their chests. Axel pursed his lips, "You mean they're connected mentally and spiritually?" Syrenia nodded. "Will they wake?" Axel shook his head, "she's saying that these two girls are connected… by fate. They're meant to find one another." Syrenia nodded, "Jasmine never endured the fever and she doesn't know the language…"
"Yet she's like us?" Kain asked. Axel nodded, "She is. We have not been able to retrieve her file to conclude what was done to her."
"What was…"
"She was kept hidden from when she was eight until she was sixteen…" Angalo murmured, "I feel like she is how Alexander knows of the language and the imprinted memories."
Atolis hands flew to her mouth, "are you saying-"
"Thirteen children were taken from within the facilities… she was the only one who surfaced again."
Axel narrowed his eyes, "I did see a glimpse from her dreams… until now, I was not certain… but I believe they opened those children's brains… and fiddled with them…"
Angalo felt his stomach turn and Edymond turned ghostly pale.
Kain felt his world stop.
"So.. you're telling me…" Kain whispered…
"Jasmines brain is not fully or naturally hers."