Three's Charm(Messed Up Minds)

Chapter Ten

Alia sat on the grass covered ground bathing in the morning sun and enjoying the wonderful beginning to her day. The only downside was that Carmella, who also happened to be an early riser had found her and had decided she would make the perfect audience for her anecdotes.

"So the man stared at the shrubbery and poof! He turned into human. A freaking human! Can you believe it?" She asked, finishing the second tale she had begun and looking at Alia expectantly for her approval. Alia smiled, trying to resist the instinctive urge to frown due to the headache pounding in her head.

"Carmella!" A man called from one of the tents and the said girl sighed heavily, then she stood up slowly and trudged to the campsite without saying a word. Alia chuckled and faced the river again. Thoughts were running through her mind and she couldn't stop them, she didn't know how.

Thoughts of her childhood, stolen moments with her father. The woman she remembered from her childhood was simply not the woman she knew now. She couldn't seem to be able to shake off the voice at the muddy swamp. Those voices, had they always been a part of her? Was she going crazy because of the situation with her mom? She couldn't help but wonder and she really wasn't keen on finding out the truth. Somehow, deep inside herself, she knew this.

"Good morning," Raymond said sitting besides her and staring out onto the river as well.
"Rough night?" He asked and Alia nodded.

"You?" She asked and he smiled ruefully.

"As good a night as a man who was almost mauled by a freaking bear can have." He said and Alia laughed, the sound echoing across the river and her chest felt a bit lighter.

"How was the mud swamp?" He asked and Alia frowned.

"It was_ well it was disconcerting to say the least. I_" she started to say but she was interrupted when Elma reached them, smiling as brightly as can be.

"Good morning, the chores begin...now. So please follow me so you can be allocated yours. Alia looked over at Raymond, shock written over her expression.
Elma laughed.

"In the gypsy camp, we have a saying. 'Guest overnight and gypsy at dawn, and forevermore.'"

Raymond stood up, then he offered a hand to Alia who grabbed it and hoisted herself up. They both dusted themselves of any grass.

"Let's go," Alia said gravelly. Elma smiled and led the way.

                                                   *
"Why won't it light?!" Alia exclaimed angrily, glaring at the carefully arranged firewood and twigs.

"Well, maybe it's because the fire monster is sucking the fire away. He does like flames you know. This other time...."

"Not now Carmella," Alia snapped, sighing and trying to compose herself. They were supposed to be gathering evidence for freeing her mother. Not training for whatever it's the gypsies had in mind.

"Becoming impatient? So soon?" She heard a familiar voice and it was all she could do for her to not bang her head on a huge pole.

"Why are you out here? Better yet, why are you walking around as if it's Free America and not a freaking busy morning?" She enquired harshly, her voice taut and her brows furrowed. Hella's lips twisted upward in an almost smile.

"The elderly don't work," she said, her voice almost breaking in barely hidden laughter.
Alia rolled her eyes and returned to trying to figure out the invisible fire and also how to protect it from the fire monster, definitely that.

"Well the elders do eat don't they?" She mumbled and Hella's laugh confirmed that she might have been old but she wasn't hard of hearing.

"Come into the tent when you're done," she said and turned to return from when I she had come. For someone who barely had legs to speak of, Hella almost flew over to the tent, a creepy smile still on her face, her lips moving as if she mumbling something to herself.
Alia puffed out a breath and crouched before the firewood. She had never had to use an open fire before. The wind kept blowing the fire out.
She glared at the matchstick.