"Shhhh!!! Isn't that Ariona?" a voice said as I walked by. Somehow I feel directed back to the pack from which I had first found myself. A force- an unknown force pulls me back to the pack which seems strange and not so strange at the same time.
"It feels like we've been here before, Lily" Ana told
"Yeah, when we first landed, Ana" My stomach churned with anxiety, and every time I remembered Damon and how he had treated me, I broke a million times.
How could he???? I gave my life for this man and all he did was throw me away the first chance he got???
"No, not that time…" Ana was taking note of the environment as we entered into the gate of the strange pack amidst so many stares. "Like before that time, it feels like we've been here before."
I stopped brooding and stood to take in my environment. A chill ran down my spine.
She was right. I saw buildings and people and I could remember them and their names. The remembrance seems opaque and clear at the same time.
I shook my head in disbelief.
How's this even possible??
"Ariona!!" a fragile lady was at my face looking up at me in wonder"
"Ariona?" I repeated the names that I have been called several times since my return from the foggy gate "Who's she?"
She looked at me intensely, the shock slowly being replaced by amusement, and burst out laughing. "You always do have a good sense of humor, Ari…" She drew me into a hug which felt oddly familiar
Her laughter attracted a mini crowd and soon I was surrounded with different faces and voices.
"We heard you died?" a voice said
"How did you come back?" another one asked
"What took you so long?"
"Lisa would be excited to see you. Lena takes good care of her like she's a mother" a stout lady with grumpy voice and big stomach added.
An unspoken disagreement ran through the crowd as they murmured.
Lena?? Lisa???
Who are all these people??
"Lana is in the prison," a lady with a very small frame and face like that of a pixie tells me. I ran my eyes through her features and decided against my wish that I like her.
I began to ask who Lana was but stopped myself. These people looked as confused as I was.
"Why is Lana in Prison?" I asked instead.
A weird hush fell among them as they exchanged looks.
"Well…" the pixie-faced lady continued, shrugging her shoulders, "Luna Lena said you tried to kill her after you were rejected and that Lana was your accomplice but when the plan failed. You ran away but Lana wasn't smart enough" she exchanged looks with her pack member who nodded in approval to what she just said.
Who tried to kill who??
Luna Lena?
"Never heard of that name in all my life" Ann sounds amused.
"All these are funny to you, yeah?"
"Somewhat" she gave a short laugh as I rolled my eyes.
"I think you've been reborn. That's the only explanation to all these Arizona and names"
"That's quite a catch" I gave a humorless laugh
"We need a mirror"
"No. I think the only thing happening here is that the world ran mad after I died and resurrected"
"Stop her!! There was a commotion at the entrance of the big building.
Guards ran out of the building chasing someone. My little welcome crowd began to disperse hastily.
"What's going on?" I asked the pixie-faced lady as she started to flee.
"I think Luna Lena knows you are here." she turned to leave but stopped "Now; I have to think of you as well??" her eyes held so much concern and pain, I felt it "You should have stayed wherever you were, Ari." she touched my hands and disappeared into the crowd.
I stood reflecting, digesting the word when I felt a huge weapon land on my head. All I saw after that was gross darkness.
************************
"You came back to haunt me, yeah?" she snarled at me.
I opened my eyes to a very smelly cell.
"Ana?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are we, please?"
"I wish I knew" She sat so still at the back of my head it was easy to miss her.
"When I talk to you, you answer!" her voice reeled out angrily bouncing on the walls of the smelly cell.
"Grrr!" I grunted as I tried to sit in position.
Who is this lady and whatever is she angry at? I wondered.
My head felt very heavy and I wondered if it was from the pain or something was placed on it. I could swear, it was broken.
A liquid substance dripped from the top of my head to my face.
"Why did you come back?" she slapped me heavily across my face.
I sat in position, trying hard to look up at her. Throbbing head and a blurry sight from pains and blood, it was hard.
"Sorry, do I know you?"
For some reason, the question seemed to annoy her because she lunged forward and attacked me. Kicking and pulling my head. Pains in different forms shot through my body, reverberating my bones.
"Shouldn't we turn?" Ana stood angry and ready to take over control.
"Not yet." my head felt too big for my body and ready to explode.
"When??? Until you've been killed?"
"Who dies thrice?? I need to understand what's going on, Ann"
She scowled angrily and sat
"You think because you were gone for three years I won't recognize you???"
Three years?? Who has been gone for three years???
"I honestly do not know you, Lady" I began, as I struggled to get on my feet. "I was supposed to be mated to the future Alpha before he died. I gave…" I paused to take in the audience.
The angry lady looked at me with so much hate and anger I wondered what it was I did to her. She looks so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
"I can't remember much," I concluded.
"Of course you can't…" she snarled "Who remembers much after they've been rejected by their fated mates" a knowing smirk played at the corner of her lips.
I furrowed my eyebrows and a frown marred my features as I clenched my teeth and fist tightly.
Fear replaced the smirk on her face and she took a few steps backwards.
"Throw her into the cell! Let her meet her accomplice" she ordered.
"You should know better not to have come back" She gave a cold laugh and flounced out of the cell.