Find me

Chapter 61

Alice

I'm wearing my blush-coloured sweater paired with blue jeans and a plaid scarf around my neck to keep me warm. When I walk outside, Luke is already waiting for me. He is in a black denim jacket over a grey hoodie paired with black jeans. He watched me coming under his black sunglass. He looks incredible. Hair is perfectly styled. Everything makes him more handsome than ever. This is why he is every girl's dream. Not just handsome. Attractive. Wait, what the hell are you thinking? Pull yourself together, Alice.
He grinned while saw me coming. And so do I.
He opens the passenger door for me and gestures for me to slide in. He slams shut the door and trots around to the driver's side, sliding his big frame into the seat with surprising grace. He starts the car and guns the engine.
"Seat belt".
"Yeah, one second". I tried to pull the seat belt but it's like, it get stuck there. Crap. And suddenly, he leans across me, grabs the seat belt, yanks it down, and clicks it into place. This caught me off guard. I didn't expect this. My heartbeat skip a beat. I blinked, trying to look out of the window. A flush appeared on my face and neck, I can feel that. Staring outside, I worked to steady my own breathing.
Then he grabs the steering wheel. We take off, his white Volvo XC40 engine roaring, we're speeding down the street.
After forty minutes of a long drive. Luke slowed down the car. It's like we reached. I look around, but can't see anything other than woods, grass and trees. No sign of any living soul in this forest.
"Are you okay?" He asks.
I nodded 'Yes'. I kept silent during the whole ride. I don't know but I'm getting this weird thought about him and talking to him will only complicate things, which I don't want. For the first time, I'm feeling nervous around him.
He waves his hand in front of me "Ready?". I blinked and without any second thought, I jump out of the car. He followed me.
"Are you sure we are at the right place?" I ask.
He look around "According to the address she had given you. Yes". He pauses, and locks his SUV behind us "Need little walk from here" he adds and starts walking. I followed him.
We walk through a narrow muddy path which leads us don't know where. Finally, we passed that disgusting path and reached somewhere beautiful. But it's like we need to do some climbing now. Great. The muddy path was better. I guess.
When we reached the top, all of my energy is drained out already. And I can't move an inch now. I'm tired as hell. Although, that big rocks helped us completely because we use them to reach here.
"Come on, we almost reached," he says, grabbing my hand. He pulls me with him "You can do it" he assures me. I'm walking with him, not a real walk. It's like he's dragging a lifeless soul with him.
We have been walking for like twenty minutes which feels like a hundred years. Jesus Christ. Which corner of the earth did he live in? If we continue like this then I'm sure we reach the end of the planet. My throat is dry, and my legs feel like they had been beaten badly. I can't move now. It's like I'm going to faint at any moment. Luke is walking ahead of me, giving me directions "I think, we reached" he says.
And this is when an arrow came from nowhere, and stops right in front of my eyes, just an inch away. My eyes widened. I look up and saw Luke was the one who stop it from going through my head. He's holding it so strongly. How did he see it coming? God, he saved my ass. Suddenly, all the tiredness has gone. And I'm ready to run back from where we came.
Someone fire another arrow and Luke stops that too.
"Stay behind me" he whispers to me. He look around, alarmed "We are just here to talk" he snap. And I don't know if they listen to us or not. And they didn't because they fire it again, this time two at a time. He throws himself on me, shielding me, as he dodges them. He's so fast. "We are not here to harm you, goddamit" he yells again to them, louder than before "We are here for help. Someone needs you. We don't want to fight. So, please come forward and hear us out".
They listened. They stopped attacking us. Thank God. After a moment, I saw one image coming from a distance, coming towards us. I see it from Luke's behind. He's still a top of me.

Finally, he stood up, pulling me up from the ground. And now I can see him. Sorry, I can see her. It's a woman. And I didn't expect that. She's in her middle-aged maybe early forties or something. Her long hair sprawled over her long white gown, having full sleeves with volume. Luke is standing in front of me, still protecting me like I'm some baby. I lean forward but he stops me "Don't" he commanded.
She stops in front of us, watching me with curiosity in her eyes. She crept closer, staring down at me, as she say "Alice?".
Wait, What? She know my name? How is that even possible? Luke jerked his head towards me in surprise. I know he's been thinking the same. I watch him and then her, wondering who is she?
"You are Alice," she says again, leaning closer to me but Luke covers me, standing tall between her and me.
He narrowed his eyes, "How do you know her name?" He asks.

Ignoring him, she continues "Daughter of Andriana" she paused, looking down at me. Her eyes lit with some inner glow, she continues "I am Alessandra".
My breath hitched in my throat when I looked at Luke. No way could this be real. This is the first time when I hear her name from someone.
Finally, I decided that it was time now, as I questioned "How do you know her? And how do you know me?"

She smiled, and watched me for a moment as she replied "How could I forget my own sister's daughter".
I was shocked into silence by her confession. On the other hand, Luke's mouth falls open, he's gone completely still. He tilted his head to watch me. But I'm too distracted to pay any attention other than her statement, my mind voicing in the confusion: It can't be possible. I don't understand.

"No. It can't be true. My mother doesn't have any siblings. And I'm 100% sure". I say, my words stammered.
Her smile widened, "You are just like your mother. Stubborn".
My blood starts boiling "Don't act as if you know me. Because you don't" I snap.
She doesn't respond this time.
"I don't believe you" I snap.
And this is when she does something with her hand, and some red energy emerges from her hand. Luke jerked his body again to cover me as if something bad is going to happen.
But unexpectedly, several houses showed up right in front of our eyes. So many peoples come to our periphery. In a matter of seconds, the whole village appeared which was just an empty forest for just a few minutes before.
"Welcome home, Alice" she states.
Home? I can't believe in my eyes what they are watching right now.
Taking a step or two back "Are you kidding me?" Luke ask. His eyes are bulging from the view. He seems amused somehow rather than surprised.
His eyebrows furrow as he tries to understand what has just happened.
And I myself speechless.