The Demon I Used To Be

Chapter eleven

    I had sleep paralysis for a moment before I was able to open my eyes. I could sense the gushing of water by my left. My head rested on the cushion of a moss engulfed piece of rock and the harmonic flow of the morning breeze brushed my face. Far above me was the canopy of leaves and branches from a tree behind my pillow rock. I stretched my arms and yawned. With how awake I was, it felt like I'd been sleeping for a week. I sat up and scrutinized my environment some more. I was at my stream, although, I didn't know how.
   "You're finally awake"
   I  looked swiftly in the direction of the statement's source. There stood a young man. He had light skin with short brown curly hair and green eyes. I recognized him. My heart raced as I stared at him, dumbfounded. I could also feel my eyes widen – they were bound to. He hadn't changed a bit. He was still the same charming young man I had last seen about ten years earlier. He was dressed in light brown shorts and the black sweater I had begged Grandma Lucia to knit for him for his twentieth birthday.
   "We finally found you and you're just gonna stare" he added, saucily. Tears gathered in my eyes at their will. I opened my mouth to speak, but there were no words. I tried again, and gasps followed by sobs escaped. He walked hastily towards me and engulfed me in a warm embrace. I buried my head in his neck, wrapping my arms around his still rigid body. When we last met, I could only hug him by his waist and sink my face in his belly.
    He drove his fingers through my hair then stroked it gently. "You've grown so big" he breathed into my ear. It tickled so, with a shrug, I rubbed my ear with my shoulder. He tapped the back of my head, hard, with one of his fingers, "You're still stubborn", withdrawing from the hug.
  "But it tickled my ear, really", I whined with my eyebrows creased. My tears had dried up.
   "Come on. Let's go", he said as he turned around then tramped on the stones and small rocks out of the shade. I watched him till he nearly vanished before me. My mind wasn't settled.
"Hey wait for me!" I screamed before jogging up, after him.
   As soon as I caught up with him, I grabbed his arm for support then moved sluggishly with my head resting on his shoulder. He ruffled my hair with his other hand. We walked towards the left of the stream. I had never gone that way before. I hadn't explored the town, fully. This part was a community of its own with storey buildings by our left and bungalows by our right. People moved to and fro, along the road. They were in pairs: male and female, and all displayed lovey-dovey acts as they walked. My hold on my brother's arm started feeling like a disgusting nightmare so I let go.
    We finally reached a distinct bungalow. It had a grey roof, tinted glass windows, leafy patterns on its white wall and lots of free space around it. No cars, no people, no animals, just the building, Alex and I.
   "Who else is still alive?", I asked softly.
   "I'll call mum", he replied, patting my shoulder. I didn't notice him leave as I wondered if he meant my mum or his, although, I earnestly hoped he meant mine.
   "Sweetheart!", an average height woman called out from the porch of the house. She took large strides to where I stood. The closer she came, the clearer my view of her became. I couldn't help but stare through tears of joy into her hazel eyes. My lips fidgeted as I tried to call her what I'd last called her ten years earlier. She had tears in her eyes as well. Her light skin was still as  smooth and her dark wavy hair framed her face. She cupped my cheek with her right hand. Tears fell out her right eyes. "My baby" , she gasped. "Mum", I finally said, leaning on her shoulder and sliding my arms around her. "You're so big now", she added, stroking my hair.
   After a while she said, "I should go prepare something nice for my baby", then tried to pull out. I tightened my hold on her. "I won't let go anymore momma". Tears gushed down my cheeks. I cried so much, my head began to ache. She patted my back softly.
  "But you're hungry, aren't you?"
  "I'm not hungry", I retorted.
    "Alright, but you're dad's in the living room and he also wants to see you"
   "Dad?", I pulled back. "How many of you are alive? Why did I always think I was the only one who survived?!" I yelled. I was getting more furious than I felt happier. I dashed towards the house. The door was unlocked. It creaked, sharply, as I opened it suddenly. She was right. Dad had dozed off, sprawled, on a couch. I stomped towards him. "Dad!" I screamed, making him lurch forward with his eyes opened widely.
  "My baby..."
   "Don't baby me! How have you all been in town and I've neither seen nor heard from you?!" I protested.
  "Easy baby. Sit here and let me explain", he replied, tapping his lap.
   The last time dad had ever carried my on his lap was when I was six, mum told me. She said it was his way of avoiding his girls getting acquainted to sitting on a man's lap. Dad could get quite over and above protective at times.
   I eyed him as he sat, ready to host me, then  sat on a wooden table opposite him.
  "Oh my girl" he sighed. I rolled my eyes. It felt as though they were better off dead.
   "You see...", he started then cleared his throat, "...I was expecting you to have met with the family lawyer, before now. There's so much for you to inherit if you're left alone in this world, but you didn't even try to lay your hands on them."
   I hadn't thought of that until then. He was right. "I'll consider it when next you die", I blurted. He smirked. "Welcome home", he replied, patting my shoulder. He rose up and left the room. I sat for a while in the quiet room then decided to remain with Alex instead. Springing up and whirling around, I bumped into our Xena, the Amazon, Ariana Smith. I would have fainted, but I refused to get anymore shocked. Even if every other person survived, Ariana couldn't have been among.
  "Hey girl", she said, bobbing her head. I let out a sigh. "Who else is here?", I asked.
  "Oh!", she exclaimed. " I really need to check this stuff on my hair. I'll be right back.", she added, storming out of the room. There was nothing on her curly pink-dyed hair – or at least, nothing I could see. I ignored and headed to the dining room and then the kitchen since it's door was swung open. Mum wasn't there. I was expecting to see her preparing something nice, but the kitchen was neatly kept with no one or food stuff littering. Another familiar young lady walked in, through a door opposite me, and moved to the refrigerator that stood by the wall on my right as I entered.
   "Arabella" I called out, softly. Amongst she and her sisters, we got along best. She rotated her head to her left. "Wait a sec", she turned the rest of her body. Her lips remained parted as she stared intently at me for a moment then blinked repeatedly the next moment. "Anna?". I could finally smile, someone's approach felt more like it. I ran into her and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back. Our cheeks rubbed against each other; I could feel her lips twitched, through her expanded cheek.
  "How've you been?" "Iono", I whined. I could've sacked out in her embrace. I pulled back, swiftly, remembering her younger sister. "What about your Ally?"
   We had two Allys so one was theirs and the other, mine.
    "She...er...", she stuttered then pushed back her hair. Her eyes were no longer on me as she spoke. "Is she okay?", I asked, concerned.  "Of course! She is. She's just...out...with a couple of friends. You know how Ally can be", she stammered then ended with an obviously forced chuckle. She left me puzzled. I could feel my forehead wrinkle as I pondered. I had never known how Alyson could be. All I was certain of, about her, was the identity of her parents and siblings, her appearance, age and the fact that she attended a boarding school since she was seldom with her sisters whenever they visited. I also knew she was the youngest of four of them. Alex only lived with them for about nine years out of which Alyson was a part of four so he also didn't have much to say about her.
   I felt a child slam herself against me. I knew it was a her by the giggles she couldn't control as she wrapped her tiny hands around my thigh. I recalled that mum had been pregnant before the incident at our house in 2011. I lunged my hand behind me and ruffled her hair. It was soft – extremely soft. "Alright, turn around and face big sis", I said. She let go of my legs and jumped in front of me with great enthusiasm. She wasn't a new face. Her smile was from ear to ear with crescent moons engraved at both ends. Her dark eyes dazzled. The blotches from the oil bath were still visible. I realized something. I was the only changed person, physically. They all looked the exact same way they did ten years earlier. I raised my head to check Bella's look again. She was gone...again.