Before River went to open the door, she looked at the time. 7 pm. Who could it be? The girls left a while ago. Suddenly, she recalled the conversation she had with Scott, about Ilham's family being dangerous. Maybe it was someone sent by her. Was she in danger? But again, what kind of criminal knocks before committing a murder? Yeah. That question cleared the horrors painting her mind.
Opening the door, it turned out to be Freya, tired and thirsty. River wasn't expecting her that night, but they're friends and friends don't need to make appointments.
"This is a surprise.", said River, not actually surprised,
"I know.",
Freya got in and sat on the first couch she saw. She caught her breath as she used her hand as a fan. River closed the door after some seconds of scanning the area around the apartment.
"Isn't today your mom's birthday?", she asked as she walked to the fridge,
"It is.",
"You didn't have to come.",
"My sisters blamed me for my mom's death and just a couple hours ago, my dad was taking me to a psychiatrist.",
"Oh, did he now realize that his daughter is crazy?",
Freya rolled her eyes, "Ha ha, very funny.",
River gave her a bottle of cold water and Freya chugged it down all in one go.
"So, is your family legitimately rich or does your dad sacrifice innocent children to the devil?", River asked, making it sound like a joke but actually curious and bothered on the inside.
"I know you're grieving but don't make me slap you sideways.", Freya huffed, "I got lost 3 times trying to connect buses to come here.",
"Wait a second. You came here by bus? A public bus?",
"Public buses, plural. I just wanted to get away from my family and this was the only close exit.",
"No wonder you look like you've been walking in a thick jungle for a week.",
"Feels like it.",
River sat across from her, on a different, smaller couch.
"How did the funeral go?", Freya asked,
"It went well. We're done with that. She's now really gone.",
"You'll learn to exist with it.",
"I know. I just wish it'd happen right now as we speak.",
"Too bad then, yeah?",
"Yeah.", she wistfully smiled.
Freya put the empty bottle on the table, "About the question; you think the Hareek's family is responsible for Praxeda's death?",
"Praxeda wasn't sick. It just started so suddenly that even the doctors couldn't get a diagnosis. She died and Mr. Hareek gets an award he's been dying to get? On top of that, his son is now engaged to the daughter of another rich family, his reason being it's supposed to happen.",
"I didn't know Scott is engaged.",
"The party I went to was just a cover. It was his engagement party.",
"How was it?",
"Weird in so many ways. The vibe was foul. They all looked partially possessed. On top of that, Scott asked me not to eat any meat offered.",
"What?", Freya exclaimed, "Why?",
"He said his father made it so it tasted bad, fucking dumb he thinks I am.",
Freya leaned forward, "I have a bad feeling about this. You're right. Not every rich family gets their money through dignified ways. Some seek power from the underworld.",
"You know, there's a voice inside me saying I'm in the center of all of this.",
"Why?",
"15 years ago I witnessed something.",
Let me tell you that story. Before River moved into Sacred Heart Orphanage, she lived in a foster home. She lived with this other orphan, Dolly, two years younger than her. The foster parents were so loving and kind and gave them everything they asked for. But that wonderland didn't last for long.
After 2 months of staying with them, River started having weird dreams. Dreams where she and Dolly were in a land filled with beautiful people, delicious food and amusement parks, all free of charge. And in those dreams, they were always welcomed and ushered by the same two loving parents. It became weirder whenever she woke up and Dolly told her that she had an almost same dream. River advised Dolly not to say anything to their foster parents and just live as they always had.
It was on one fateful night that River found herself in the same dream again. She was starving and everyone seemed to be going to a deli where they gave out yummy food for free. Without waiting, she and Dolly rushed into the deli and started filling their cart with everything delicious they saw. The line to the cashier was long but unskippable. And in a quick second, it was their turn to pay, but not with money.
"The cashier had the most red lipstick I'd ever seen.", River told her, "But despite her bright smile, I knew she wasn't a good person.",
"Why is there a cashier when it's supposed to be free?", Freya asked,
"They demanded another payment method.", she explained, "The cashier opened both her palms before us and in each palm was a needle. She only asked us to prick our fingers and all the food we saw would be ours to eat for free, forever.",
"Did you do it?",
"I didn't because something didn't feel right. Dolly had already picked the needle. I asked her not to do it but she looked at me with these eyes and said she's done pretending to be something she's not. She added that she just wanted to sleep. I didn't understand then, but I did when I woke up.",
"What happened when you woke up?", Freya asked, hand on her chest.
"I woke up, but she didn't. She pricked her finger in the dream.",
"Oh no.",
"What she said, I understood then. When you're a foster kid, everything you do, you do it just to make the foster parents happy. Their happiness means a roof over your head, food in your tummy. If they don't like what they see, it's another move to another house, usually worse than the last. Dolly was tired of living that life. And she was just 6.",
"Poor girl.",
"After Dolly's death, they sent me to Sacred Heart saying it'd be hard for me to cope and that it was a must. Maybe I have something in me that makes me immune to black magic and maybe that's why the Hareek family decided to treat me like this because they can't kill me.",
"But you're just you, River Remington. You can't battle a family like that alone.", Freya told her,
"Maybe there's a way.",
"Maybe there's not. I'm scared.",
"Me too. But I feel like this is my purpose. I feel like I was born to do this, and more.",
"Well, do you have a plan?",
"Still cooking it.",
***