Gifts

Chapter Sixteen: She's Gone

Rebecca led me to my room and Al's room was right across the hall.

I walked into my room with Rebecca trailing behind me. The room was a perfect square with a bathroom attached to the side. It had a large king sized bed on the wall across from the door. There was a large wooden cabinet a few feet away from the bed. There was a large body mirror on the wall on the right side. There was also a white dresser on the right wall. The left wall was pretty plain, except for the dark wooden bookshelf that housed at least 300 books.

"Now, Jaya, I need you to understand that you are Eska. Everybody will call you Eska, including me and Al. Nobody knows the truth besides us. Do you understand?"

I nodded glumly. All of my life I had been trying to be as good as Eska; as powerful as her. I had never achieved this, to me Eska seemed perfect and I was nothing compared to her. But now, I had to be her. I'm nothing like Eska. She would've been a great ruler, but me? I don't even know the first thing about ruling a kingdom. I'm only 15!

I sighed a sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well, I'm going to leave you alone for some much needed rest. You can take a bath or shower if you want to." Rebecca said gesturing to the bathroom.

I nodded as she walked out of the room. I grabbed my backpack and pulled out Marcus.

"Did you hear all of that?! I have to be Eska!" I exclaimed angrily.

"You're not Eska! You're Jaya! She shouldn't be able to take your identity from you like that, your the queen now! You're in charge! I say off with her head! She doesn't have the power to tell you to become your sister!" Marcus's face was as red as a fire truck and his glass was steaming from all of anger.

"Ugh I know. But I don't think I should chop her head off." I replied.

"Oh yeah that may've been a bit extreme." He said.

I put Marcus down onto the bed and I walked into the adjoining bathroom. I looked into the mirror as I splashed cold water onto my face. I looked at my reflection and my heart completely broke. I wasn't Eska, I couldn't be her. She was gone.

Sobs racked my body as I crumpled to the floor with a loud thud. I was laying in the floor with tears streaming down my face and my throat started to close.

I looked up and next thing I know Al was holding me in his arms.

"It's ok, it's ok." He said mumbling into my hair.

I shook my head. No it wasn't.

Al had his arms around me tightly and we were both sitting on the tiled  bathroom floor.

By now my tears had slowed and I was a little more calm.

"She gone." I whispered.

"It's ok, Jaya. She's still with us. She in our hearts, in our memories."

What Al had said was probably the most cliche statement ever, but it really took something off of my chest.

I looked up at him. "Thanks Al."

He replied by rubbing my back and helping me up.

"How did you know I was in here?" I asked him.

"I heard Marcus yelling, apparently he heard you fall. I thought I would make sure you were ok. I was going to knock but I heard you crying so I just came in. Sorry."

"No,no it's fine. Thank you."

Al smiled as we walked out of the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror one more time and thought She is really gone.