The Gorgon's Curse

Chapter Four: The Confession

"Open up the door, Lucinda! Come on!" Jackson said pounding his fist on the door.

"Go away!" Lucinda replied feebly.

"Lucinda, can I talk to you?"

"What?" Lucinda asked weakly, opening the door. "Come in!"

"Ignore both Jessica and Devin, right? Just forget about them."

"They are hard to either ignore or forget, you want me to do both?"

"Just chill out, okay? And calm down, you look both scared and scary."

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then, believe me, Devin, he is a-he is a threat! To all of us, to the whole of Gem Land."

"I believe you. Just, let's do something together, have fun? It's been so long since we have done something together! I mean, we both used to be besties, and then we came to know that we were siblings and everything changed."

"That fact didn't change anything. The fact that our parents were murdered by some villain did that to our friendship. Jackson, you have to take my word on this, please. Have faith in me. Everything I have done is to protect us, all of us. There is a reason why I am doing what I am doing."

Ever since Lucinda first arrived at Gem Land, she could feel herself changing. She felt a part of her long-dead coming back to life. She felt herself becoming someone who was completely the opposite of what she ever remembered herself being. More aggressive, sweet-talker, fearsome (he had heard about this one from other rumours) and slowly she became someone completely unrecognizable. More powerful, no doubt, but not the same. Colder, cunning in some ways, independent and some might think that she had changed for good, but she often had a hard time trying to control that new part of herself. She never showed others that part of herself, because only she herself knowing that was hard enough without others avoiding her and disliking her.

"What are you doing Lucinda? Tell me."

"I can't. And can't in the sense I am not supposed to say. I'll get in trouble if I do."

"What trouble?"

Lucinda shook her head. "I can't say."

"Okay. I get it. I trust you and I know you will do what is right."

"Thank you. I just wish others too trusted me like that."

"Look, Jessica didn't mean any of it. She just gets angry sometimes, you know! And gets hyper about small things! Don't let her insults get to you!" Lucinda nodded. "Are you good now?"

"No, I am not good! She is treating me like everything that's happening here is happening because of me, right? I am the cause of all these troubles! The barrier of Black Kingdom opened because of me! And now the barrier of the Monster World has been opened by me! Right?"

"Lucinda it's not like that! You didn't open any-wait!" Jackson stopped in the middle of his sentence realizing what exactly Lucinda had said. And as his eyes widened, Lucinda too realized her mistake.

"The barrier of Monster World has been opened! And you didn't tell me or any of us! How could-! Can't you just tell us everything? Can't you stop lying for once? You know, you might not have realized but you have changed more than you know. You were open before. No lies or secrets. Just the complete truth. I wish you could become that old Lucinda again."

"It's not like that-!" Lucinda started.

"So, what is it like? You found the secret book! You didn't tell anyone! You gave the book to the stranger! We all trusted you! You drank less mermaid potion last year, you didn't care! You think you are great! But do you have any idea what could have happened? One more minute and you could have died!"

"I know! But if someone else would have drunk it, they would have died earlier! No one would have been able to stay conscious for longer than me!"

"Yeah, you are great, I told you right! Best at magic! Best at studies, magical of course! Best student! Best bearer! That's who you are, great at everything except friendship or emotions!"

"Really! That's what you want to say! Well, that's not true! There are things that I don't know! And the only reason I didn't tell this to you guys was because I couldn't!"

"Why?"

"I can't say. I am unable to."

"You know, it's alright. You keep everything to yourself! No one cares. Keep your lies and secrets and we don't care. You're hopeless."

"Jackson, please leave my room right now!" she said looking behind him.

"I was going to do exactly that thing!" he left the room and slammed the door so hard that it again bounced two times loudly before it stood ajar. Minutes later, someone entered the room. It was Queena.

"Lucinda, are you fine?" she asked. Lucinda shook her head slowly. Queena walked closer to her. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"They all think it's my fault bad things are happening!"

"That's very cruel of them!' Queena remarked kindly.

"They all call me mean and selfish, but I am not! I am doing all this to keep them safe!"

"That's mean of them!"

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Thanks for believing me!"

"Don't worry they'll too understand and will believe you."

"Thanks!"

"I'll talk to them!"

"Fine bye!"

Hearing this, Queena realized that she was told to leave in a friendly way. She walked out of Lucinda's room to Jackson's room.

"Hey Jackson!" she smiled as he opened the door.

"Hi, Queena! I didn't expect you!" he said trying not to sound rude.

"Lucinda is upset right now. You shouldn't get so mad at her without knowing what the problem is."

"I don't care what the problem is, Queena. She doesn't want to tell me so, why should I care?"

"You should care because she is your little sister. And as a big brother, the least you can do is understand her. She has no one except you, Jackson. Just support her. She needs you."

"What do you mean she needs my support?"

"She might be strong and hard but once broken, hard to rebuild. She's still the old Lucinda inside. You would be surprised if you knew how much pain she goes through. Take care of her Jackson, she needs you. She has always wanted a family and you do come in her family. You're her brother. A big brother. It's your job to give her a shoulder to cry on every once in while!"

"Touché! But how can I support her while I don't know what's happening? All these secrets and all, I can't help but wonder why she's doing it?"

"I dunno! But as much strong she is on the outside, she is weak on the inside. And as much as she would deny it, she needs your help. Moral support. I know her, she was my friend when we were younger."

"Thanks for coming, but until she tells me, I am seriously not talking to her."

"Your choice," she waved goodbye and left. "I'll talk to Devin and Jessica, they might wanna make it up to Lucinda."

"Lucinda isn't friends with Devin, she thinks of him as an enemy."

"They were really close when we were young. Are you sure of everything you are saying?"

Yes, of course."

"I'll still try. Maybe they both could talk about it."

Even though the three of them had realized their mistake, no one felt like apologizing the same day.