Pain shadowed my heart in the instant and hell yeah, I did it.
"What is this? Who is this girl?" I barked, having marched over to where they were, bringing their movements to a halt.
"Excuse me, do I know you?"
This was his question. His question! He looked so puzzled and the other girl must think I was some let-loose lunatic. She had put her phone away and was ready for a fight, and so was I.
"Woah Woah, forgive my friend, she had a tough night." Claire had hurried to meet up with the scene. She held me by the arm pulling me backwards but I pinned my feet on the ground with my eyes fixed on the girl he had come with.
"No, she sounds entitled and I would like to know why?" Chris said,
"Oh yeah? You want to know why?" I spoke to him rather upset.
"Hey, you do not get to talk to him like that." The lady pushed me.
Claire came in between, she knew better that I was going to push back and harder.
"Let's say we started rough," Claire said with her arms spread apart preventing me from reaching the lady. She gave this look to Chris. I think only they both understood but I noticed.
"Babe, please go wait in the car." He said to the lady. He spoke so gently.
Like a piece of paper stabbed by a dagger and dragged down till there was a divide, so was my heart as my mind processed the word "Babe". He had just called her " Babe" right in my presence.
The lady gave me a scornful look and eventually walked over to the car. She was infuriated and her footsteps gave it away.
"I told you, Claire, that I had someone." He said to her,
"Yes you did, but I didn't quite believe you, you're never really serious with these things. " She answered him. They were trying to whisper.
"I owe her nothing," he said, bringing his face to look at me ensuring I heard him. "And I do not appreciate you bringing her here at all." He added, taking his eyes back to Claire.
"Just forget this. Let's all get in the car, I'll take you to your apartment." Claire said to him, rimming her right fingers on her forehead as her elbow rested on her left palm.
"No way we are getting in the same vehicle with this–" he referred to me.
"And there is no way I'm being in the same space with your Babe! " I screamed at him. "Or you!" I added– didn't mean this part.
"See that? I can't believe this." He said,
I was going to engage him in some sort of argument but Claire was quick to intervene.
"Just stop!" She yelled, turning towards me. As her eyes met with mine, I understood she was fed up with the nonsense. I guess she had to be for her brother and not against him or perhaps I had gone too far. I didn't care. I just – walked away.
––
Ding-Dong!
I heard the doorbell. I knew who it was, I didn't wish to see anybody. Just wanted to be alone wallowing in my pain and defeat.
"Go–away!" I yelled.
"Oh stop being a child," Claire said. I could hear the locks breaking free and then I remembered she has the spare key to my hideout. She walked in, shutting the door behind her.
"Oh, Jesus." She said, rolling her eyes once she got close enough. She swiftly collected the glass of wine from my hand as well as the bottle. She took them to the kitchen area. It was a small apartment, everything was close together.
"What were you thinking?" She asked, having returned to where I was.
"Leave me alone," I replied, laying on the couch. "You come here acting like a sister, you took sides with them!" I added.
"Took sides?" She found my words to be funny. "You were acting like some wacko. You presented yourself as some sort of desperado. I know you to be smarter than this. For Christ's sake in this time, he is yet to know you, you can't just show up in his face playing his wife!" She said,
"What was I to do?" I sat back up. "This isn't how things are supposed to go. He shows up with some leggy lady and calls her "babe" in my presence and you expect me to easily suck it all in?" I retorted.
"I understand it isn't easy–" she said,
"No!" I staggered up. "You understand nothing. You are not from my time so you have no f*cking idea just how strong the love between us was!" I said to her,
There was silence.
She heaved a sigh and took her eyes downwards.
"You are right. I do not understand." She said,
"But I understand that as of now, you both remain strangers." She had lifted her head.
"And if you want that love to be as you knew it, you have got to start over. Plant it, water it and let it grow. You can't demand it." She concluded.
My eyes flickered uncontrollably as I took my quietly taken seat.
"But he seems very much in love with her. What if this isn't the past? What if this is just a time where I never get to be with him?" I speculated.
I think my words gave her something to think about. She reached for her bag and brought out some paperwork. She sat beside me spreading the works on the table before us.
" What you just said corresponds with the conclusion of my research." She began with her eyes fixed on me.
"I didn't want to rush things. I needed to be sure so I carried out more findings and it all kept pointing to one thing." She told me.
"What?" I inquired.
"Sorcery." She said,
"Oh come on Claire. You are beginning to sound like me. What sorcery? There is no such thing as that plus how does that have to do with time travel?" I responded leaning on the couch.
"That's it. All of this has nothing to do with time travel. It goes against its laws and ethics." She said to me,
"You're crazy, girl." I voiced.
"Take a look at these photos, the symbols, the ancient writings, and rituals," She said, scattering through the papers.
I gave her a scrutinizing look before leaning forward reluctantly. The first thing my eyes caught was a hand. It had some sort of symbol crafted in its palm in the shape of an eye.
"What?" Claire asked.
"This.." I tapped my finger on the diagram. "It looks– familiar.." I said,
My mind took a flight. That night, she had that symbol in her palm too. It glowed red when she waved it. The old lady.
My eyes shone brightly.
"Wait, what?" Claire inquired.
I got up at once.
"She had it. The old lady. " I told her.
Claire immediately got a hold of another piece of paper that seemed to have been an extract from a book. She browsed through so quickly and got up slowly.
"Oh my God.." She voiced while still holding onto it. Her eyes read through every line so quickly and the suspense was mind wrecking.
"What is it?" I inquired.
"That was no old lady." She finally answered.
"What do you mean? What's with the phrases?" I had gotten worried,
"Look at this." She said, showing me the extract having quickly walked over to where I was.
"What is this? Some sort of cartoon extract? An old woman with a pestle and an ugly nose?" I said,
"If you are here, right now something we both know is unbelievable. Why would you doubt this?" She told me,
"You said you saw this symbol appear in her hand that night. It explains everything. This is indeed sorcery and your reality was tampered with for reasons yet unknown by this non-human. She is the goddess of death and a trickster wielding dark powers and is extremely evil– Baba Yaga " she concluded.
"But, this isn't adding up. How? Why? What would such a creature want from me? I wouldn't even hurt a fly, why should this be my fate at all? Why does it feel like I am living in a movie?" I said, breaking down in tears. Claire moved to embrace me warmly and the tears only kept rushing out.
"We will get to the bottom of this. We just need to focus." I heard her say.
"You don't have to lie to me. There is no way out of this. I am stuck here for good unless we find her." I said, sniffing.
Claire immediately let go.
"What did you just say?" She asked,
"Unless we find her," I repeated. "What?" I inquired. It seemed something had struck her mind.
"That's it, Ann. All we need to do is find her." She said,
"But how?" I asked, taking back my seat.
"Sorcery and science aren't so different in the way they operate. Like science, if she was in your future–" She said,
"She is in my past." I said, "meaning.." I got up excitedly.
"She is here." Claire nodded with a smile.
"But how do we find her?" I was curious.
"We will." She said,