The Starling's Secret

4 - Reality Check

Chisa's POV

*****

"You belong to me!"

Joseph's voice echoes in my ears as I relive the moment he savagely hacked into my stomach with a saw. I writhe against the table, experiencing the excruciating pain all over again. I shriek in agony, my eyes locked on his fury-filled, steely grey ones.

It feels so real...

Suddenly the hellish scene fades away... and in my sleep I feel my body go numb.

Am I... Flashing in my sleep?

Soon the darkness is replaced by a pretty blue sky with mountains that can touch it. I'm surrounded by green grass and steep cliff faces. This place is foreign to me. I don't know where I am, but at some point in the future, I will be here.

Then, I see my future self... I can't help but gasp. This has never happened before... I always experience Flashes in my own body - this is new... and strange.

I'm not standing too far away from my future self. I look so... small. I don't know what else to say. I'm pale and I'm shaking - my face is contorted into an expression of pain, hurt and guilt... What's new there?

But why? What's going on?

I turn my face to the right, hoping to gain a better understanding of the situation. I immediately see Chise; I can tell instantly that she's angry. Her eyes are blazing with fury... and it's directed at...

Me...

What? Why?

She's gripping her hands tightly into fists that stay tense by her sides. She's raging... at me... Her lips are moving furiously - but I can't hear a word she says. This is also new... I've always been able to hear everything in my Flashes. Yet, a part of me is glad I won't have to hear this twice - everything I see, becomes reality.

I can't believe it...

Tears sting my eyes - we've never argued... so why is it happening now?

Elias stands behind her, his hand slightly raised. His ruby eyes are fixed on Chise. It's like he's trying to intervene...

Just then, I notice another bystander. A man... wearing olden day cream robes. He has blond hair and icy blue eyes - Lindel!

Why is he here?

However, his icy eyes aren't focused on Chise... but on me. Concern swirls within them, yet his face remains neutral. Curious, I turn to gaze at my future self again.

Shock overtakes my features as I see I'm sobbing. My hands cover my face as I cry. My eyes fly back to Chise. She's just standing there, anger still evident in her features. She doesn't rush over to comfort me like she would always do... because she's the one who made me cry...

I can't believe it...

Suddenly, her lips move again, more calmly than before, but her teeth are gritted. Lindel suddenly snaps his eyes over to Chise's form, appalled by what she has just said.

What did she say... to me?

I quickly face myself again, just in time to see my head snap up, out of my hands. Tears continue to stream down my face as my eyes harden. What did Chise say?

Then, out of the blue, I explode - literally. I'm shouting, my mouth moving in what looks like a blur. I'm waving my hands around violently - gesturing to me head, and then to Chise, so many times. I glance at Chise: her tough resolve is faltering, and she starts to bite her lip, something she only does when she's anxious. I wish I knew what I was saying? I'm out of control... that's the only way to describe it.