SONGS AND TRAILS (Book 1)

CHAPTER 8

Arabella was surrounded by masters together with the supreme master in the board room. She felt cornered and worse, she was bloodied just like the last time.

"Little one! We have to go." Her father's voice rang in her head.

"But... but..."

"We have to go or we'll die! Come!" she remembered how her father eyed her mother on the ground and her brother on top of her, dead in the attempt of shielding her. His eyes filled with pain and hurt.

"Pappy..."

"Don't look! Don't look, little one!" he stroked her face. He took her in his arms and ran. He ran off, leaving his dead wife and son there. The attack was too severe.

"I shouldn't look!" Bella said in her father's arms as she still looked while her father ran.

"...Arabella!" Jenny's firm voice hit her, snapping her back to reality. "Look at me!" she was in front of her just like the other time.

"Mhh!" Bella said.

"What do you mean, 'you shouldn't look'?" Jenny looked at her.

Bella realized she had zoned out. "I'm sorry, what?"

"What happened?" one of the masters asked.

"I don't know... there was blood." Bella said.

"We saw that." the supreme master said. "Where were you?"

"I was studying at the summer garden."

"At this hour?" a master asked.

"Yes."

"It's dark out and you were supposedly studying." The master narrowed his eyes.

"I... time must've passed. I was coming back inside..." Bella tried to explain.

"Ms. Heydar, What were your feelings against the two girls that just died?" the supreme master asked.

"We weren't friends." Bella answered.

"And they accused you of killing their friend?"

"They confronted me and started attacking me but..."

"You threatened them?"

"No... I..." Bella then remembered. "I was just angry." she breathed. "I... I didn't..."

"What was it you said?" a master mimicked. "Chop off her legs and strangle the other."

"I didn't..."

"Don't deny it, Ms. Heydar. People heard you say these words." He snapped at her.

"I was just bluffing." Bella's voice broke, "I wasn't going to do it... It didn't mean anything." she defended. She felt her heart thunder.

"Then tell us what you were doing at the time being." Another master shouted.

"I was studying at the summer garden and... and... I might've..." then she remembered.

She had zoned out, something that she avoids doing.

"You might've what?" the master's voice boomed.

Her mouth went dry. "It wasn't me."

"So, we hear you fought a Clove Beaver alone, something that most people can't do." another master starts.

"He made me do it." Bella looked at Caldor who had been quiet the whole time.

"And we're glad he did." The master said, "What are you? How could you do that? Are you not who you say you are?"

Bella felt choked. The air in the room started suffocating her.