"I am...so...sorry." Havillah whispered. All the eyes swiveled to her just as she covered her face from shame and at the horror she had perpetrated with her own two hands. "I am so sorry," she repeated again, this time drawing closer to the still form that was Selene lying on that brown carpet. Her back was proped up against the wall. Her hands limp on both her sides and her eyes, they remained closed behind the curtain of her thick wavy hair. "I can do something. I can help..." she mumbled even as she moved closer to the woman, but Neema Lithewood stood in her way and prevented her from going on further.
'No Havillah!" the woman prevented her. The shock of the occurrence had already faded and even now, Neema was moving forward to check on Selene's unconscious form."It is better that you do not touch her again." She finished albeit in a much softer tone that was meant to be comforting, but Havillah felt none of it. She sadly bowed her head and stepped back, resolving to look on in quiet acquiescence.
"Aaaw...don't be sad. It would not be wise for you to cross her."
"What do you mean?" she said turning to the old lady.
"Make yourself scarce. That is what I meant to tell you. " The younger lady, Killion's mother told her even as the old lady placed a soft comforting hand on her arm and Havillah looked at her in confusion.
"Why? I could help." she protested even as she turned a wary eye at the still form that was subject of Neema Lithewood's ministrations.
"No! I think you've done enough here!" Neema riposted a little too harshly that her mother sent her warning look. " I mean, she's breathing, but nothing I have done so far has been able to make her conscious." She attempted to explain herself. "I may have to call for help and like I have already told you, it would be wise for you to make yourself scarce."
"Okay." Havillah stuttered. Her guilt was immeasurable and so was the confusion and hurt tearing up at her insides, darkening up her features even as she continued to think upon it. What did she have now? Her fingers twitched even as she gripped her garments tightly. Her fingers tore away at the silken fabric even as she turned away nervously, unsure of the decision she had just made to walk from the room and from the scene of her latest tragedy.
"It's for your own protection Havillah," Grandma Kezzia told her and she could only nod her acquiescence even though she could not understand, what the two were going on about. The old woman must have seen this, for she went ahead and took the trouble to explain it her. "I do not know if you've met Calla, Calla Barrageway? The only female and slightly unhinged officer at the hub?" The old woman went on to elaborate.
"Calla?" Havillah stopped in her tracks as a look of horror replaced all the confusion that had originally been swimming in her eyes.
"Yes. You Calla is Selene's Barrageway's daughter."
That explained it. All of it and Grandma Kezzia did not need to further expound the matter to her. Comprehension had finally dawned in Havillah's eyes. If Calla hated her now, imagine what she would do to her if she learnt of this. For the word unhinged was actually a good word to somehow describe her somewhat intense nature. Stout faced with a perpetually sour look and a taciturn disposition that was only broken by the ocassional need to spew out even more sour words from her ever frowning lips.
"Okay, I'll go." She finally agreed to leave and slowly, she wrapped her now red Triban robes around her shoulders, even as she prepared herself to walk out into the stinging cold brought in by the cool afternoon breeze that had blown in from the ocean. The old lady gave her a nod. Her only goodbye which coupled with several pitying looks did not bode well with her.
"You didn't have to be that harsh with her." She quietly scolded her daughter who nodded her head in agreement.
"I know mother, but you saw what the girl did?" she responded in a whisper.
"I did and if this silly woman hadn't been too nosy, then everything would have still been okay. I mean, despite Havillah's warning, the stupid woman just had to go on and grab at her robes! What do you make of that?" the old lady remarked rather angrily.
"Mother!" she scolded. "Still, no human should be capable of something like that. No, not without a taser or something of that kind."
"You're right. That we can agree on, but still,it would have to be a very high powered taser. You know, to lift up a woman and throw her that far?" The old lady reploed with a contemplative smile that earned her another scolding.
"Mother! She's not waking up." Her daughter said with a frown even as she moved on to take out her cell phone from her jacket pocket.
"Who are you calling?"
"Killion and an ambulance. He's still at the Barrageway's, right?" the younger woman inquired.
"As far as I can tell. Mr. Barrageway always seems to have a thing or two to share with his would be son in law, not that that is ever going to happen." The old lady chuckled with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Mother!" Neema scolded for the millionth time that day, but as usual it did not work. No, it did not do anything to wipe off the smug grin that had gotten stuck on her dear old mother's face. No, the old lady was immovable and knowing that she was not going to achieve anything by continuing to chastise her, Neema proceeded to call the Hub and request an ambulance. Next, she placed a call to her son and sat back silently, waiting for both vehicle and man to arrive, before they could decide on the next course of action.
After leaving the Lithewood house, Havillah slowly walked down the street still unsure of which direction to follow. Rows upon rows of the two storied cottages that made up the Western District rose up to meet her and she let out an exasperated sigh, when she realised that she had no idea where she was going. However, that did not stop. Her feet kept on going and going as it was the only thing that she could do, not to buckle down and crumble from the despair.
"Oh Great and Eternal Light, what am I to do now?" she groaned out even as she clutched her gowns at the emotional pain searing at her chest. A whirring sound filled the air, as an ambulance passed by further cementing her fears and her shame. "Oh dear Light, my Hope, what am I to do?" she thought, looking up into the skies and to what she believed to be the source of all light, but no answers seemed to be forthcoming.
"What am I thinking?" she laughed bitterly to herself. "No one has ever spoken to the Great and Eternal Light in centuries. Why should I think that the deity can hear me let alone answer me?" she thought audibly to herself. "No, but someone, something saved me from that terror and even reactivated my scales." She thought some more. "Come to think of it, it was right after I mentioned the Light that I was saved!" the girl spewed out excitedly.
"Well done Havillah. You've finally figured it out."