ROSE

Chapter Thirteen - Gone

Kimberly stared at Elizabeth most strangely, breathing calmly, making no unnecessary movements. It was as though Kimberly was a statue. Her eyes flooded with tears, they began streaming down her chicks. Elizabeth felt miserable seeing Kimberly in her moment of sorrow: she stood from her chair with intentions of comforting Kimberly but was rebuked.

"You are lying to me, crazy woman!" exclaimed Kimberly in anger.

"No. I'm telling you the truth."

Kimberly insisted, "Prove to me that you speak the truth."

"The only proof I can give you is elucidating your vision. Tell me your vision and I will explain the meaning."

"You are a cheat! Harriet told me the vision without me explaining it to her, but you want me to explain it to you so you can deceive me with fake ----"

"Child," Interrupted Elizabeth, "What you speak is the truth; I'm not Harriet and I will never be Harriet no matter how much I try to mimic her, I will never be able to reach her level of proficiency. What I mean to say is that Harriet and I are different, I don't practice magic or see the future ----"

"Then how will you be able to explain my vision if you don't practice magic or see the future?"

She replied calmly, "Because I know of someone whom you share destiny with." She continued, "but you are not ready for the news, rest, and we'll continue tomorrow." She turned around and walked to the door, she stood at the door for a time glancing at Kimberly as though trying to read her mind, then, she walked out of the room.

Kimberly wiped her tears with her palm. Still convinced that she has been kidnapped, her mind began plotting an escape: she would first have to find Thomas. Her mind recalled Elizabeth confirming that he was in the next room. Her challenge, however, was how she would be able to walk past the people she heard chanting outside the room, it would be an impossible task to complete, but she was possessed by determination; nothing was going to stop her, not even her wounded ankle.

She peeked outside her window: she saw some people, mostly youth, dancing and singing while trotting around a blazing fire. It seemed like they were preparing for a ritual. She saw one man swirling a butcher knife; a horrible envision of her slaughter creeped in her mind.

She rolled out of the bed, and wrapped herself in the blanket after picking up her bag from the chair. Furthermore, she opened the door and limped into the hallway, where she faced three closed doors. Unaware of which door Thomas was in, her mind blurred.

She stuck her ear to the door, she heard verbal combat from behind the door. She went on to the second door; she didn't hear anything: her mind deluded that Thomas was inside. She knocked gently, a deep voice startled her, "Come in..." She tiptoed into the third room where she heard snoring, she turned around and saw Thomas fast asleep.

In excitement, she treaded to Thomas and prized him with a tight hug such that he woke up. "Kimberly...?" He said with his face confused, rolling his eyes around the room.

"Oh, thank goodness you are alright."

"Where are we?" He demanded.

"No time to explain, we have to go."

"Go? Where?"

She replied tremulously, "They want to kill us."

"Who intends to kill us?"

"Shhh," hushed Kimberly, pulling him to his feet. "We have to jump down the window. It's about five feet high."

While Thomas was still pondering on how he survived in the forest, Kimberly climbed on a stool onto the window and jumped, hurting her ankle. She gathered strength and stood upright, she motioned for Thomas to jump. He climbed on the stool onto the window and jumped.