Just the Start. (The Clovers series: Book 1)

Chapter 9

Everything around me was white. I have been walking for ages and my legs are aching. I stopped before a long suspension bridge. People are crossing it, one after another. Where exactly am I?

"Where are you going?" I approached someone and asked.

Instead of answering, they stared blankly ahead and crossed the bridge. Everyone is crossing the bridge. Maybe it leads somewhere. I stepped onto the bridge and started to make my way to the other side.

"Come back!" I spun around as I heard an extremely familiar voice.

Mum. I waved at her excitedly.

"Mum, come here!" I cupped my mouth and shouted to her. I was already halfway across the bridge.

"No, Fortis. Get back here at once!" she ordered.

I looked between her and the other side with the unknown, hesitating. Okay, I decided and walked towards my mother.

"Good girl," she embraced me when I reached her and I smiled. I wrapped my arms around her to hug her back but she disappeared, leaving me all alone in the white space.

"Mum!" I hollered in fear. Where did she go?

"It's time to go back Fortis," her voice echoed from my surroundings.

"Go where?" I questioned in surprise.

"Open your eyes and you'll know the answer."

"But my eyes are already open!" I exclaimed in puzzlement.

"No it's not. I'm waiting for you. Don't disappoint me,"she said and her voice faded away into silence.

Open my eyes? Okay then. I shut my eyes tightly and opened them again.

I was blinded by the intensity of the light and blinked repeatedly as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. Where am I?

I sat upright and winced when a jolt of pain ran up my leg. My throat also felt parched and dry.

"Thank god you're awake!" someone spoke and I searched for the person in the room. Zander. What is he doing in my room? My leg hurts like crazy too. What happened? Where's my mother?

"Where's my mum?" I asked.

"What?"

"Wasn't she here?" I glanced around the room and cursed when another jolt of pain ran up my leg.

"Fortis, she has never been here. Go easy on your leg. It's still healing. And..." he trailed off.

I was baffled. How did I get my leg injured? And where is my mother?

"I'm sorry," Zander broke my train of thoughts.

"Pardon?" Why is he apologizing?

"I'm sorry I didn't arrive in time and let Savage do these to you,"

I took a second to process what Zander had just said. Savage. The name sounded vaguely familiar. Out of the blue, everything that happened came rushing back to me and I doubled over in shock. I had almost died in his hands. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Zander reached out to me.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed at him.

He withdrew his hands and stood there, staring at me.

"I pressed it! You told me to if I met with any accident and I did! But you didn't come as you said! Even at the last moment, you didn't come!" Hot tears were flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably.