Reflections

Chapter 12

"Xenia." Callisto called again as everyone took their turns at archery, targets missed or hit. Far behind or extremely close, dead center or the edge of the target. It was a winning or losing game, no inbetween.

"Callisto." Xenia said as she stopped and turned to face Callisto head on.

"Please just talk to me, I'm not sure what I did. I can't remember anything other than the shower." Callisto said softly and Xenia sighed, taking her by the wrist until they were far away from the group and sitting on the floor in the shade of the trees above them.

"You had this look in your eyes." Xenia whispered to her friend who stared back at her blankly.

"You need to give me more than that dude."

"Oh my god! Can you take me seriously!" Xenia gwuaffed.

"I am! I am!" Callisto laughed, holding her hands up in surrender, "but seriously, dude what happened." and just like that the rhythm had been reset, the arrhythmia shocked out of its system and the heart was beating normally again.

"I was saying that when I found you in the bathroom, you looked like-" Xenia paused, trying to come up with anything that sounded real. "You looked like someone else was controlling your body. It was just like what happened on the first night, cops and robbers. Like you were there but there was no one home." Xenia knocked her fist against Callisto's skull and Callisto swatted it away with a soft laugh.

"I know what you mean." Callisto said softly.

"You know? I thought you said you didn't?" Xenia looked confused as she turned to face Callisto.

"You remember the first day?" A nod prompted her to continue, "After the obstacle course I told you it was like I was sitting in the passenger side of my brain. Well, now it's like whenever that happens i can barely remember what I'm doing but I remember other things. I'm always seeing glimpses of other things." Callisto said, her eyes travelling across the groups of kids who dispersed to move under the shade of the trees.

"What were you seeing?" Xenia asked as she rested her head on Callisto's shoulder, a small gesture to reassure her that she was there.

"It was weird." Callisto started as she thought back to the hours earlier.

~

It was hot, so hot.

Blue fire licked the buildings and people around her. They yelled for help as they ran, they ran towards the docks. Calling for water and for the ships to pull away before they were ruined as well. Callisto gasped as they ran through her, like a ghost who wasnt really there. And yet it seemed so familiar and so real.

"Help!" A gutted voice carried over the cries of the people around her.

Without thinking Callisto ran forward, she rushed to where people were gathering around someone. A small boy covered in soot was sobbing as he looked at the bodies laying on the floor.

Like a ghost she floated through the crowd until she came to see who they were surrounding. They all had tears running down their faces as they looked. Unable to help, yet helpless to turn and leave.

A man, a man crouched over the body of a woman. Sobs racked his body as he held her close. His voice raw as he begged, he begged that she would come back to him and that he would take her far away. He would take her somewhere where they would be able to live together.

"Habibti." She barely caught the whisper before he pulled away from her body to move the blood stained hair off her face.

Callisto froze, her body feeling as though iced water had been thrown over her.

That woman had her face.

She stumbled backwards as she watched the man, whose face she had yet to see, pick her body up before he walked. He walked away as fear gathered in her throat. The fire seemed to climb higher, the heat becoming unbearable. Desperate to leave, Callisto turned around only to come face to face with herself, her face was covered in soot and she had blood running down the side of her face.

"Wake up." She whispered as she pressed a cold hand to her face.

~

Callisto paused before she chose to speak, an uncomfortable feeling climbing up her spine made her turn around to see if there was anyone around. And almost feeling eyes watching her she turned her head to the group of teenagers in front of her and between the bodies of people her eyes connected with Ms Trolles's who was soul staring.

"I was..." Callisto tried to come up with a lie that sounded believable enough, "flying above the forest that was on fire?" She winced. That didn't sound believable.

"Right... you better tell me later." Xenia mused, not believing a single word out her friend's mouth. Callisto only nodded in agreement.