Chapter 7
Sofia Xanders ~
After
I came out of the portal, I found myself lost. One thing was sure and
that was the fact that I am in a land that I've never been to before.
Everything was so strange-looking. I held the child in my arms walking
aimlessly down the roads.
"Hello! Excuse me? Are you
lost?" a lady asked seeing Sofia and the young infant in her arms
walking aimlessly about the city dressed awkwardly.
"Ye… Yes… I … Am." Sofia replied walking to meet the lady.
"I
guess you're really new around here. Aren't you? Just got off the plane
right?" the lady alleged noticing the clothing put on by Sofia.
"Where is 'here' exactly?" Sofia asked turning around to the world filled with technology all around her.
"This
is New York City, of course." "You look confused and like you could
need somewhere to lay your head. Mind spending the night in my home? My
family wouldn't mind having you around until you get back on your feet
plus a weather like this is none for a child so young." she added
looking up.
"I don't mind at all. Thank you!" I said with a broad smile as I walked beside her.
"You also look like you've come a long way."
"As
a matter of fact, I am. Let's just say, where I come from, things
aren't so…. Like this." I said and followed the lady into what she
called a 'car'.
"Good thing that your kid isn't doing the waterworks. It's a girl right?"
"Yes, she is."
"How old is she? If you don't mind me asking?" the lady asked as she helped me place young Elena in the car by my side.
"She's..... A few months old." I replied with a convincing chuckle.
I
couldn't tell her that the young girl in my arms wasn't up to even two
hours old because within the short period of time of her birth and
before we went into the portal, she had grown so much.
Perks of being a supernatural creature - Vampyre.
"Oh!" "She sure looks older than that." The lady supposed.
I used a chuckle to remedy the awkward situation. She got the vessel started and it moved along the path into the open road.
"I'm Grace." The lady said after a few minutes.
I
guess she was trying to pick up a conversation with someone she knew to
be a complete stranger. She had no idea that I was from another world
and that there, I was royalty. I resolved to keep it that way. Telling
her about the whole 'supernatural' concept didn't seem so appealing. For
the moments in time that I and the young princess would he here, I'll
have to keep both our identities, a secret one.
"… I'm….
Flora. Flora Adamson." I managed to pick up a brand name from a coffee
shop and put it up as my birth-name. "But where I come from, everyone
just calls me Lora." I added trying to be as friendly as possible so
this conversation wouldn't get too deep and so I won't have to say
anything much on my background.
"Hope you don't mind my
questions? I get it that you're not from around here so I need to know
some fundamental details about you before bringing you into my home."
"That's
okay. You taking me under your roof is sort of a license to know all
what you're getting yourself into. I totally get it." I said.
I
should've prepared myself beforehand for the hailstorm of questions
that were to come my way because as soon as she begun, I had little or
no responses.
"Where is 'where you come from' exactly?" she asked. "Isn't there a Mister?"
"Let's
just say that where I come from is pretty far away. Perhaps, even
impossible to find on the map. As for her father, he's gone….. He died
about half a year ago." "That's why I'm here. I'm looking forward to a
fresh start with the one thing that he left behind." I replied framing
different answers to fill her questions.
"I'm sorry to
hear that. I get you now. Fresh starts are usually hard. You are caught
up with the decision to leave everything behind and never look back."
She spoke like she was some kind of psychic.
But she was
right though. I having to leave Frederick and the entire kingdom meant
that I shouldn't and couldn't look back. I was up to me to raise Elena
to be the strong and willful princess they'll want her to be.
"What's her name?" Grace asked.
"El…El…. Red! Her name is Red!" I said forming a little smile.
Until
she is ready, I'll have to keep Elena inside and let Red take over her
identity. The thought of her getting to know it all when she is older
gladdens my heart in one way and then shatters it in another.
She's
is going to hate me for keeping her past from her and for keeping the
truth hidden. I promised her mom right before she passed on that I'll
have her safe and if doing all these is necessary to fulfil a promise to
my deceased best friend, then I'm all in.
"A lovely
name for a lovely child. These days, we don't get a lot of 'Red's'
around. Everyone wants to go big with the names." Grace said breaking
into a chuckle.
She has no idea that I just picked up
both our names from street labels. She is giving me a lot of help by
helping me get settled in this world. I kind of feel guilty for doing
all these to her but this isn't my choice to make.
If I
tell her the entire truth, her primary thought would be that I am out
of my mind because here in the human world from what Frederick tells me,
we supernaturals' aren't so popular and to them, we are nothing but
'FICTION'
"I'm sorry but have we met before?" Grace asked. "Somehow I feel like I know you from somewhere."
"That
can't be. I don't remember having known you and I never forget a face."
I replied bashfully avoiding her gaze from the car mirror.
"I
live right by the supermarket down the road." "Just in case you change
your mind on just settling and stay in for good." she said turning back
in a quick glance to render a smile.
"Thanks but I
wouldn't want to be a burden on you or anyone else." "Besides, having me
around would be harboring a liability. I and my child, that is." I
replied.