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Still Flashback
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"Mom!" Roxie rushed towards her mother, throwing herself once she was close, she hugged her tightly. She felt very happy and relieved to see her mother.
Her mother hastily hugged her daughter back, "Oh, honey, I thought I lost you. I've been searching everywhere around the school but you're not there," she said while caressing Roxie's hair.
She continued, "I was gonna go to the police station to report you're missing but it hasn't even been 24 hours. I even called the school so many times, but they claimed that you already went home during the lunch break and missed the rest of the school's subjects. I'm guessing they didn't care to look out for you. Makes me wonder why I enrolled you there,"
Her mother narrowed her eyes while glancing to the side. Then blinked her eyes and looked at Roxie again.
"So, I surveyed the whole building myself. And I'm so glad I finally found you." She said continued in relief as she takes a look at Roxie's face then stroked her head upward, combing her disheveled hair to the back.
Her mother's eyes filled with tears as she gazed at Roxie. Then she blinked it out to release her tears.
"Mom, don't cry. I'm alright," Roxie said as she brushed her mother's tears away, but the tears still came out.
Her mother sniffed, "Your phone is dead when I called you several times. You got me terribly worried," she said while clasping her daughter's face.
"Sorry, mom." Roxie smiled sheepishly.
Her mother sighed as she wiped her tears away, "It's alright sweetie. What matters now is that you're fine." She nuzzles Roxie once again while stroking her daughter's head. Roxie grinned while leaning on her mother's shoulder.
Then they hugged for a while closing their eyes, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.
Then her mother blinked open her eyes to see what was behind Roxie. To her shock, all the space was coated in ice frost, as well as the ground was wrapped in ice. It was not noticeable at first because it looked murky from the entrance, but as soon as she gets inside, everything came to be realistic.
She was captivated by the glistening ice on the walls and above the room. Even though the pattern is a little messy, the ice looks elegant in blue, as in blue topaz gemstone.
Unconsciously she twirls her foot a little as if bewitch in touching the ice nearby. Just when she had shifted a little, she felt as if she was almost sliding to the ground.
How alarmed she was when she found out she could stumble at any moment; she did not realize the floor was slippery. Her mother gasped as she released their hugs.
"R-Roxie, what did you do? How did this happen?"
"Well, I can explain," Roxie said with a hint of hesitancy in her voice.
Her mother then gave emphasis to proceed with Roxie's explanation, "Explain it now."
Roxie sighed, "You wouldn't believe it at first mom,"
"Oh, yeah? Try me," her mother said, crossing her hands.
"Okay... Well, you see, I was, kinda, um, kidnapped by Courtney and her goons ..."
Roxie said nervously as she dabbed her fingers together while rotating her eyes, looking in another direction than looking at her mother who appeared like she was preparing to scold herself.
"But then-" She had not completely uttered her words, her mother had already interrupted her.
Her mother was frantic, "What?! Those girls, I swear, I'll find some time to give a real talk to them or even better putting them in jail for hurting my daughter," she said while clenching her fists and glanced at the door, preparing to take off to them.
Roxie snatched her mother's hand and took it in hers, "Mom, mom, relax. I've taken care of them,"
"How, sweetie? They kidnapped you."
"Um, I've taken care of them with-" She cut off hesitated as she peeked at the room.
Her mother also followed her stare.
Then she shifted sideways sluggishly, to display it to her mother, "...with this."
She said as she presenting the whole area made of ice.
Her mother gawked, "You mean you did all this?"
"Well technically, a dragon did all this." Roxie casually replied.
"A what?!"
"A dragon, mom."
"What?"
"Dragon."
"What?"
"Dra. Gon."
"Sorry, honey, what?"
"A dragon, mom!"
Her mother felt dizzy suddenly, she grabbed her forehead and stepped back slowly so as not to slip. She then proceeds to sit down steadily on the ice floor, soaking her jeans. She was overwhelmed by the information.
"Oh, my goodness," Her mother draped her head with both hands while sighing regretfully. "It can't be happening again."
Roxie was very confused by her mother's behavior.
"What's happening again? What do you mean, mom?"
Her mother shook her head and then got up again, "No, no, no. You mustn't be here right now Roxie. You need to go to Fiaxora." Her mother looked at Roxie with worry.
"What's a Fiaxora?" Roxie furrowed her eyebrows.
"An Academy of all Magics."
Roxie was silent for a moment. Then bursting out laughing, she bent down while holding her stomach, then hit her knee.
"Pfft, what kind of academy is that? good one, mom." She then wiped the tears that came out.
However, her mother did not smile at all. Instead, her eyebrows furrowed. She had a serious expression.
On seeing her mother who was not smiling at all, she stopped laughing, she stood back up and turned her smile flat.
"Oh, are you serious?"
"No, I flipped on the floor Roxie. Of course, I'm serious!"
"Alright mom, chill, sorry," Roxie pouted while crossing her hands.
Then she blinked and looked at her mother, "But how do you know all this? how do you know magic? And most importantly, how do you know that I have this power? And how come you're not surprised?" Roxie raised an eyebrow.
Roxie's curiosity could no longer hold back, she spilled all her curious thoughts on her mother.
Her mother looked at her uncertain about telling the truth. She opened her mouth but closed it again. She stayed silent for a while, then eventually opened her mouth.
She sighed, "Let's just say, I made a promise with your dad."
"What promise, mom?"
She shook her head, "I can't tell you that either."
Roxie sighed, "Not you too, mom. Why is everyone keeping something from me?"
Roxie was getting irritated. Her mother later feels sorry for her, she wants to tell her daughter but it is not the right time now.
Her mother clasped her hands together and then placed it on her chest.
"Roxie, honey, you must know that you are still fourteen, you're very young to know everything. You could be manipulated by someone evil for that knowledge. Because of this, I will have to send you to Fiaxora, it's really heavy for me to send you there and what will you be facing there. But it's for the best since you've already discovered your powers. You're not safe here with me, honey. I can't guarantee your safety,"
"You shouldn't know about your powers yet until you're at least on the right age." She muttered while sighing.
Instead of asking why she should get her power at a reasonable age, she asked why she had to go to a magic school, which she didn't even know it existed in the first place.
"What?! Why should I go there?"
"Since you need protection, I cannot provide it here. I'm also limited in that. So I will send you tomorrow afternoon to the person in charge of Fiaxora. He will take you to that school."
Disbelief with her mother's words, 'She wants to send me away?'
Roxie gulped, "Is it because of my powers, mom?" She asked slowly.
"Yes." Her mother replied without pause.
Roxie pleaded, "But I don't want to go there, Mom. I want to stay here with you. What if you're alone at home-"
"Enough, Roxie! If I say you're going there, you have to go there. It's not for my sake. But for your safety!" Her mother raised her voice.
Roxie was surprised by her mother's outcome. Then she got furious too, her voice also rose.
"Don't I have the right to refuse?! Why can't I just stay with you? I can't even get every logical answer today. And you always do whatever you like,"
Roxie was frustrated.
She tossed her hands up, "We also suddenly moved house to Vancouver because you told me we have to move when I was ten years old, back when we were still grieving about dad. And I didn't want to move at that time. But you're still insisting because you said you wanted to live in a different place that is calm and quiet. I don't even understand everything! You have no feelings,"
Tears began to emerge in her eyes. Roxie felt hurt, she didn't understand anything. Yet her parents kept secrets from her.
Her mother was stunned, her heart throbbed. Then she got angry too but held back her sentiments, to rationalize calmly to Roxie.
"I'm doing all this because I love your father so much, Roxie. I promised him. We also moved here at your father's request for your safety because you're his only daughter that he loves and cares."
Roxie doubted, her father is rarely at home. How does she know if her father truly loves her?
"And I also worry every day if something ever happens to you, Roxie. Especially with an incident like this ..." She's looking around the room one more time.
Then she looked down, sad as she remembers the past. "It reminds me of your dad. Because your dad, he ..."
Her mother halted for a moment, thinking about Roxie's father. She hesitated to say something. But finally managed to let it out.
"... is the same like you."
Roxie was surprised.
'So that explains why Ioreos know about my dad. He must have know more about him. I have to find a way to talk to him again.'
Roxie thought as she made up her mind.
She replied to her mother after thinking for a while, "You mean like what I'm doing in this room?"
Her mother nodded slowly with a sad scowl.
"Then is it because of this power that made him disappear four years ago?"
Her mother shook her head, "There is someone evil trying to stop him. And your father is trying to protect you from that," Her mother's eyes furrowed, glaring down as if she was staring at the enemy.
Again her mother didn't explain Roxie anything. Just a short response, not very effective for Roxie.
Roxie was only quiet this time. She didn't wish to ask anymore because every time she asked, she would get the same answer.
She clenched her hands for a moment then let go. She was annoyed by everything. But she attempted to hold back.
"Never mind, I want to go home. I'm very tired today, mom. We'll continue this conversation anytime. I want to go to the car."
Roxie then wandered past her mother to the warehouse door. Her mother followed closely behind Roxie in concern.
Her mother continued with pleading eyes, "Roxie, your dad loves you. You should know that. That's why he ..."
"Trying to protect me?"
Her mother stopped walking, dumbstruck when Roxie turned her body glaring at her mother.
Then she continued, "But without telling me any important information?"
Her mother was silent, standing still.
Roxie continued, "That's what I thought ..." She nodded her head in understanding. Then walked towards the car. Her mother followed quietly behind.
When they got to the car, her mother started the car engine, turning on the car lights. Then start driving out of the frozen warehouse and return to their home.
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End of Flashback
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