Twisted Worlds

Chapter 16 - Statues

I ran and ran and finally when my lungs felt like they were about to give up on me, I pushed through the front door of grandmas home. The hallway was dark, but the closer I got to the living room door the brighter the orange glow coming from inside.

Grandma was sitting in her armchair, a large glowing orb floating in front of her, and on it was my mothers wedding to my father; She was dressed all in white, her long flowing dress trailing behind her. The church was small, smaller than the Chapel back home and my father was watching her intently, a huge smile spread across his lips as he watched her walk gracefully down the isle; the large bungle of white flowers clasped tightly in front of her. I watched the whole scene; the vows, the kiss, the cheers from their family and friends before the scene vanished and another appeared; the same beautiful church in which I could see my mother and father surrounded by a happy family and friends and a tiny baby , me. It was my christening, everyone watched on happily, even grandma was there looking far younger than now and then the screen went black and the orb faded into the air of the living room.

"Oh grandma" I ran to her and collapsed into her arms; she began to stroke my hair just like mother used to as she pulled me up onto the armchair with her. "You miss her don't you? Mother" everything came out as a whisper, gentle and a little scared.

"I miss her terribly, you remind me a lot of her; your feisty like she was, and you won't do anything unless your comfortable with it....that's why you are here and not in your new palace with Chito"

I hugged her again, tightly; I never wanted to let grandma go. She was a friend and a mother, a teacher, a nurse and a grandma all in one and I wouldn't trade her for the world.

"But I have you to look after now, and I have you to keep safe; but what is troubling you my dear, you seem torn up?" Grandma always knew when something was wrong, it was a gift she had possessed from when I was a very small child.

"I've made a mistake grandma, and I don't know what to do" I collapsed into her again, but she wasn't finished with me yet, so she pushed me away and sat cross legged facing me in her huge armchair.

"You have fallen in love haven't you? But why would that be a mistake, you are so beautiful, and kind and genuine; Arabella, any boy would be daft if he didn't fall for you"

"But grandma, its all a lie, everything is a lie and I can't take the guilt of not being truthful, Mother always said that if you love someone you have to be truthful"

"You do, but why lie, if you love him tell him who you really are and if he loves you back; he will accept it"

"But grandma, if I tell him who I really am he will kill me" I saw the realisation hit her, I could see it in her eyes, all the fear and terror that had made the Assassin so powerful came to her. And she froze, like a statue of Medusa she just froze. After a minute or two i began to panic, I had seen this happen before, a powerful witch can shut down. Her entire body would freeze as she recoiled inside; and while in there she can see every memory like a movie, feel the happiness of a wonderful day and feel the pain of loss. It was like going back in time; my mother had done it after my father had died, she would spend hours, days, even weeks as a statue. Reliving every lost memory, every second she spent with my father and it nearly killed her. I couldn't let that happen to grandma, I could not loose her to herself. So I did everything I could to make her feel better, I found a blanket that was lying behind the armchair and wrapped it around her. Then I headed for the kitchen, and began digging into every cupboard and draw till I found a how water bottle, I heated some water over the stove because I didn't trust the strange plastic water hearer in the corner, and filled the plastic bottle up before tucking it under the blanket. Looking at grandma was hard, her eyes were glued open, but I did what I felt was right and closed both eyes like you would on a dead person; but in truth grandma was a dead person, every bodily action had been shut down, her heart was no longer beating, she was no longer breathing on the outside. But inside she was still alive, still thinking and feeling and I had to make sure her Earth body stayed that way till she came back to me. If she ever came back to me.