Across Aeliana's Village

Chapter 3- Beneath Your Skin

Rosa got up and ran to her grandmother, who was still sitting in her chair.

"Grandma, grandma!"

Estra looked up.

"What is it my dear?"

"I just went into the rock! I landed into Aeliana's Village." Rosa was panting. What a run.

"Oh, so now you know?"

"Yes grandmother. But they say I must help them. Save them from everything that has happened. What do I do?"

"What's your soul saying?" Grandmother asked and touched Rosa’s heart.

"I need to solve my problems too. I need to try-"

"Your problems aren't permanent. And what problems are you talking about?"

"Um. Nothing. It's just that it's a hard choice. What happens if I die in that world?" Rosa needed to know. What happens if she actually did die?

"Well, then you return home and will never be allowed to return there. Only your own child."

"Damn. I better get moving then."

Rosa got up but skids to a stop and turned back around.

"Grandma. What does it mean when someone says that your enemy is hiding beneath your skin?"

"Oh sweet heart. My little rose. You are your own enemy. That's what it means. Nothing else."

Rosa gulped.

'You are your own enemy? But that......that doesn't make sense."

"In fact it does Rosa. You make your own mistakes and problems. You make them bigger if you don't solve them properly and fall into your own trap."

It was Mother.

"The trap that I made? I will fall in it if I don't solve my own problems?" Rosa asked and looked at her mother. Sweat running down Rosa's face as she realizes that she might fall. Then she never will be able to get back onto her feet. Ever again.

"Yes. If you fall Rosa, it'll be hard to get out of it. Means you're stuck there for a long, long time. So be careful. Your every step is being watched.....by you."

Mother sounded so evil that Rosa wanted to vomit. Fear ran through Rosa that tickled her spine and tangled her brain's thinking.

Rosa ran to her room and locked the door.

"Mother. What do you see?"

"Rosa's fate awaits. Adrianna and James are her fate."

"What will happen?" Mother asked and she looked into her own mothers eyes. Estra has grown old but her magical powers still live inside of her. Orange wizardly eyes. She was a witch yet still had the strength to stop herself from using it. Magic is tempting.

"That's something Rosa will see, not us. We shall await of what will come and will be patient. Rosa will cry many tears, will fall into her own trap and will never stand up on her two feet again."

"MOTHER!"

Rosa woke up. She slept for a couple of hours. After hearing her grandmothers words and after entering the other world, she sure was tired. But she heard a yell. A shout. A mad shout that came from the living room. It was her own mother. She must've got mad at grandmother. Grandma's wise words can hurt and can be foolish at the same time.

Rosa ran down stairs and saw her mother cooking dinner. Grandma was just sitting watching T.V. Rosa knew there was something about this quietness. Something that destroyed every bit of noise. Not even a fly made a noise. Nothing made a noise at all. Not a creak, not a voice, not a footstep. Nothing at all. It was quiet. Even the running water made no noise to Rosa's ears. Nothing at all.

"Mum, grandma. What's going on?"

Not one of them replied and Rosa felt pain from all around her body. Rosa screamed but her own scream Rosa couldn't hear. Something was coming out of Rosa, something that was pulling it's way out to the surface. And there it was. The shadow. The enemy beneath your own skin.

"SEEK WHAT IS YOURS ROSA! FALL TO YOUR OWN FATE!"

The voice sounded different. It had two voices in one. James' and Adrianna's voice. Both of them were put into one voice. Rosa could hear them speaking. Words that didn't make sense at all.

The shadow screamed at her and Rosa's ears almost popped. She almost went deaf. She screamed and finally heard her own voice. It sounded terrible.

Rosa put her hands to her ears and screamed again. The shadow was destroying her and the voice that it used spoke words that didn't make sense at all.

"STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Rosa, Rosa wake up!"

Rosa woke up. Again. She was panting hard, very hard that she was not even sharing the oxygen that held up the room.

"Breathe my sweet heart breathe."

Her mother's voice was nice and soothed Rosa's tangled mind.

Rosa didn't know what was a dream and what wasn't. So she asked.

"Mother. Was I dreaming when I entered Aeliana's village with a rock?"

"No, the rock is still in your pocket."

Rosa dug into her pocket and took out the rock. She breathed in harder. She needed more oxygen.

"And when I asked grandma the questions and she told me my fate. Was that a dream?"

"No."

"Then what was a dream!?"

Rosa yelled and the voice came again.

Your own skin.

"Calm down Rosa. What you woke up from was a dream. Everything else was real. The world that you entered is real within the rock you hold in your hands. Your own fate will be lead by your own friends but never let that get in your way. Okay?"

Mother's words were clear, like looking through a glass. Rosa nodded.

"Now get up. Let’s eat dinner."

Rosa got up and showered letting the sweat wash off. She dressed in her pyjamas and went down to eat. Pasta was for dinner. Nice.

Grandmother looked at Rosa and was touching her pale cold face.

"Since when were you so pale and cold? Are you alright?"

"Grandma, don't ask the most stupidest questions. You know what's wrong. You're a bloody witch!"

"Rosa, no need for that language. And be nice."

"No mum, I won't be nice. Grandma knows my fate but she won't tell me. She never tells me anything important. If I knew that the school I go to now hates me, I would never of enrolled in that school. Plus if Adrianna and James is my fate then why don't you tell me how??!?!?!"

Rosa was made and she gritted her teeth. She looked into the eyes of her grandmother.

"Huh? Why? Why won't you tell me? Why Estra? Why?"

Grandmother was surprised and as well confused of why Rosa would call her Estra instead of Grandma. Estra was her witch name but not her real name.

"I cannot tell you the future Rosa. It's supposed to change. You were put with that fate, with that destiny, then bad luck. When you see that future Rosa, you can change it. Why? Well because you already saw it. But even if I told you, it is hard to change your fate and destiny. Either way Rosa James and Adrianna will always be your fate. Always."

Rosa went quiet but rage fired inside of her.

Beneath your skin.

Now I know who to watch out for. Now I know what to do. I'm going to go into the other world and use their help to stop me from falling forever!

Chapter 4- Hand Shaken Deal will be updated next week or so. :)

Enjoy reading!