Celina: Eden

Part 20

Priscilla felt her heart sink top her knees. For a while, she didn't say anything. She didn't want to believe the old woman neither. She couldn't be telling the truth, but then again, it was over one hundred years ago. Besides, why would she pick Priscilla out of everyone else.
"Want to play down at the Quarry? I hope Priscilla doesn't get mad again." The old woman spoke.
Priscilla crumpled inside. Her thoughts began to swim. It wasn't much longer before she heard: "Grandma, there you are."
Priscilla's group all turned their attention to that familiar voice. Isaac ran over to her. He gave his apologies to the group.
"I apologize children. You have to excuse my grandmother. She's losing her mind to old age, you see."
He helped her walked back, telling them, "I'll see you later if you stop by the Inn."
Leon patted her on the shoulder. Noel also became her hand of comfort.
"Pris, it's going to be okay." Noel replied.
He kept patting her on the shoulder before they spent more time in town. Noel would laugh and point to different sights to lighten the mood. Priscilla tried to push the thoughts into the back of her mind, but they would continuously float to the surface of her mind.
Nighttime gradually came into view. The Inn rooms were already set, showing Isaac's undying hospitality. Mostly everyone had two to a room, except for there were three girls, so they shared a bedroom containing three beds. It was that night that Priscilla couldn't sleep. Instead she stood, dressed in a white nightgown, compliments of the Inn, and picked up a lit candle from the bedside table. She looked over to see Jessica fast asleep. Rue slept in another bed, catching easy sleep. She walked through the pale, moonlit hallway. She almost passed a balcony and backed up to see Noel looking over a balcony, staring at the moon. Carefully, she held the candle by its bronze handle, her bare feet feeling the contrast from the soft carpet to the stone, balcony floor. She stood beside Noel. They exchanged smiles.
"Pris, I thought you were sleeping." Noel asked.
"Well, I guess I could say the same about you, but, I couldn't sleep."
"Still thinking about the old lady from earlier huh? Big Sis was her name?"
"I guess you heard that part of the story too?"
Noel nodded.
"That's cool, huh? Being able to live forever. I wonder what that's like. You don't have to worry about getting all old, or getting sick, or dying."
"You don't want to experience it." Priscilla shook her head.
"What? Why do you say that? I mean, you have this gift of living forever."
Priscilla smiled, looking into his eyes, which were lit by the night sky. She wished she felt the same way he did.
"But then again, my father, Lehnaan told me about people and where they go when they pass."
"Really? Hmm. I wonder what he said."
Noel looked out to the sky.
"I remember when I was younger, and my mother lie on her deathbed. My father tried many a remedy just to bring her back to health. She eventually stopped him. She just took his hand and said: 'husband, Lilyana is calling for me. She has a place for me in the lifestream--just like she has a place for everyone else.' I never knew what she meant by that until now. The stars, in the sky, just beyond those is another life. One where those that have passed create magical essence into the sky, yet only a select few can grasp this essence and use it as a weapon. For good or evil. And we are united, together, even in life and death. That is the lifestream."
Priscilla's eyes were fixated on him the entire time.
"But, what about me? I--I don't get it. I can't--I can't keep going like this. Noel, I've been alive too long to know that Liliana is not there for us. Her whole 'life after death' Kingdom is all a lie. There's only death and nothing else. That's what I believe."
Noel placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Pris, you can't be saying such things and actually mean it. Hasn't Liliana ever spoke to you. Showed you signs?"
Priscilla recalled the dream of meeting her parents once again. Reliving such a painful memory.
"Maybe the fact that you can't die is a sign. Your work on Earth isn't done just yet."
Priscilla nodded her head.
"I don't know, Noel. I just don't feel like I'm special or she needs me for anything. Every since my parents passed, I've gone out my way to despise anything about Lilyana." Her gaze moved down to the floor.
"You should give her a chance Priscilla. That's what I meant about earlier. You have this gift of living forever."
She thought about the old woman from earlier. Who she found out it actually was.
"People around me constantly die. I don't wanna be here just to watch countless people die around me, Noel. I can't go on any longer."
Noel felt a warm smile formulate on his face.
"You know, I want to tell you something..." Noel started.
She noticed his demeanor changed.
"What's that?" Priscilla asked.
"I remember when I first found you, out in the desert, lying there. Thinking you could've died, not knowing the full story. I just saved you anyway. I thought nothing of it."
"What do you mean? What's the point of that?"
"What I mean is that everything is predestined. Think about it, if our paths weren't set, you could've suffered, but you didn't. Think of having an invisible guide showing you the way, and we unwillingly or willingly follow that guide."
Priscilla thought for a moment. That day, there wasn't a cactus plant in sight.
"I wanted to help you...because I thought it was the right thing to do."
"Really? Well, I have a confession."
She felt her heart beating rapidly. She wasn't sure if he should hear it, but being alive for so long, it came to her naturally. So, she wasn't really sure why around Noel it was any different.
"So, about the day you rescued me out of the desert, I really appreciated the time you rescued me. Really, regardless of my--you know."
"Yes?" Noel said, bracing himself.
"Okay, here goes," she inhaled deeply, "I was going to steal from you." The words spilled from her mouth, as if she held water in her cheeks and couldn't hold it in any longer.
Noel chuckled at her words, but Priscilla kept a straight face.
"You were...you were what?"
When I saw you, I figured you were just some Priest and I would be able to get you for everything in your possession, but something I saw in you stopped me."
Priscilla felt shaken and nervous. Why am I feeling like this?
"Something? Like what?" Noel asked.
"That you're very nice. That you would make a fine husband."
Priscilla quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Where did that come from?
"Y--you think so?"
Priscilla nodded.
"Yes, just make sure the one you're with makes you very happy." Priscilla said.
"But, oh okay. I'll keep that in mind, Pris."
Priscilla felt a yawn force its way from her mouth. She waved her hand in front of her mouth.
"Excuse me, I'm going to get bank to bed. I'm getting tired now. Thanks for talking with me, Noel. You're such am excellent friend. I've never met too many sincere people lately."
They spoke their goodnights. Just before Priscilla made it out past the entrance, Noel stopped her.
"And Pris..."
"Yes?" She turned around to answer him.
"Have a nice sleep, okay?"
She smiled.
"You too, Noel. Your mother and father would've been proud." Priscilla said.
Noel watched as she disappeared. Priscilla walked back to her room, staring at the ground.
He reminds me of Endel, she thought to herself. The thoughts came to her. Her very first kiss. She touched a hand to her lips, remembering how his felt warm. They vowed to get married and have children. Her eyes closed once she made it back to her room. No, she couldn't. There was no way she'd do that to herself again. There was no way. Not again. That night, she felt a presence in her room. It was calm. It was relaxing. It was Lilyana. She stood brilliantly in a white, flowing nightgown. Her blonde hair flowed behind her, making her look like the most elegant being she'd ever seen. She felt a strange feeling, as if she were going mad.
"What are you doing here?" Was Priscilla's question.
"You still are having ill will towards me, my daughter."
"What do you want? I'm not in the mood for you talking to me in circles. And you're the reason I have this curse."
"Your mother was the one that had taken sap from the Sacred Tree. She knew the consequences for using the tree to save you. I understand it was her only viable option. But there was a reason why I put that rule in place...as you see now. So, I didn't curse you, Naenia. It wasn't my intention."
"It wasn't your intention? It wasn't your intention? You could've saved my parents. They didn't have to pass away in that desert. They had faith in you, they prayed to you. They were on their knees until their knees developed calluses, yet, you still had taken them away from me."
Lilyana, with the most elegant grace, walked over and sat on the edge of Priscilla's bed. Her blue eyes meet with Priscilla's emeralds.
"Have you harken to their prayers?"
"What?"
"Have their prayers not fallen upon deaf ears?" Lilyana gently ran a hand through Priscilla's long, ginger hair.
"I--I don't know what you're talking about."
"They knew their time was nearing. They couldn't take care of you any longer, so they requested that I watch you. Be your guide."
"No," Priscilla shook her head, "you're lying. They would never abandon me."
"Naenia, they were sick. They could no longer carry on in this life." Her voice was that of the calming sea.
"Then why couldn't you save them?! You have all off this supposed unlimited power, and yet, you couldn't heal two people? What type of goddess are you?!"
She pounded her tiny hands onto the bedspread.
"I am not to interfere with history. That would be the work of Lilith. She will intercede with the living and cause calamity. I must watch everything play out as I know the past, future, and present."
"You can bring them back, right? At least let me see them, please." Priscilla pleaded.
Lilyana hesitated for a moment.
"As you wish, but I can't bring them back."
"Whatever, I just want to see them. Other than my plagued dreams, I haven't seen them in over a century."
In my dreams...for all I know 'this' could be a dream. She thought. At least, it sure 'feels' like one.
Lilyana held out her hand.
"Come my daughter. Come and I'll show you."
Priscilla hesitantly had taken her hand.
"I see you still doubt me. Your anger for me is great."
Priscilla couldn't see anything else besides brilliant white light. Suddenly, she felt weightless. Was she still in bed in the inn? Or was she in another place? Another world? She could see the entire world as she flew along with Lilyana by her side. She could hear a cacophony of voices next. Voices were interwoven with laughter. It sounded like children were playing.
"Hey--hey--where are we?"
"This my daughter, is the Lifestream. This is where those that have passed, and given their lives to the Goddess, come here."
She could see people floating around, surrounding them as she could feel their essence. They were blue, glowing spectres. The ethereal beings were a sea of energy and magic.
"This is where magic comes from." Priscilla said in awe.
"Umm hmm." Lilyana nodded with a smile.
The wind ruffled Priscilla's nightgown as she soared past many trees, clouds, and valleys that she gathered from a bits eye view. Her heart didn't beat, she couldn't feel fear. She couldn't feel much of anything. As light as a feather she was.
Just ahead, she spotted a structure that she never seen before. It was a tall, glass tower that might've reached from the ground and all the way to the clouds. It was an elongated funnel shaped tower. As they got closer, she could see it was made completely out of glass.
"Hey, what's that?"
"This is a place where Angels rest." Lilyana replied.
They stopped just shortly of the glass tower. More ethereal souls swarmed this area. They seemed to be laughing and talking and having a good time.
"What's this? More of the Lifestream?"
"Yes, and in this, everyone is volunteering their prayers and their essence to those in need."
"Naenia? Naenia, is that you?"
The voice sounded a bit distorted, but she could easily tell by the innocence of it, whom it belonged to.
"Mother?"
"Of course, baby. It's us my dear Naenia."
"Father!"
She floated towards them in excitement. She felt years in her eyes as she thrust herself into her father's arms. Her mother joined in on the embrace. It was a very long embrace, but Priscilla never wanted to let go again.
"Oh please tell me you're real! Tell me you're real! I've been so lost without you! I've been so alone!" Priscilla cried.
"We know baby. We know. We've been watching you throughout the years, and things have been rough on you." Her mother said.
"But why? Why have you not spoken with me? If this is where you've been this entire time?"
"Dear Naenia, you haven't believed in Liliyana your entire life," Her father said sadly, "you've carried nothing but malice and hatred in your heart this entire time, for the Goddess and for others."
"I was just tired of seeing people die every time I get closer to them. I was even hesitant about traveling with Noel, Jessica, Leon, and Rue. Now, I'm caught up in this ordeal with curing the Queen of Selah, Jess's Mother, by finding Eden."
Her mother pinched her cheeks.
"My dear, sweet Naenia. You're no longer a little girl anymore. You've seen so much throughout the years."
Priscilla could see how high up they were.
"Don't worry. We're not on the physical plain." Her father said, reading her mind.
"We're not of the physical plain anymore, which is why we are here. I've spoken with your parents on multiple occasion. They're devout believers," Liliyana replied, "you just have to believe also, Naenia. Once you do, you're parents can reach you from the Lifestream. You'd be able to use magic from them."
"You'd just believe in Goddess Lilyana. She'll guide you if you just believe in the Goddess."
She couldn't forget one person. The reason why she changed her name. Her mentor, was she here?
"Lilyana, Mother, Father, is Priscilla Ardella here? I really want to see her too."
Lilyana didn't answer right away. She looked to her parents, whom in which exchanged glances with her, then she looked back to Priscilla/Naenia.
"Did she...?" Priscilla was confused by her reaction.
"No, I haven't seen her essence wading in the sea of the Lifestream."
"But, she passed...right?"
Lilyana's only response to her was: "my dear Naenia, you will find out soon enough."
Lilyana placed a hand on her shoulder.
With that, Priscilla closed her eyes for a split second, then opened them. She was back in her room at the Inn. There was no Lilyana. There were no parents. It was just her in an empty room of the Inn.
All she could do was out reach her arms to the sky.
"Wait! Don't go!" She cried out.
"No, I haven't seen her essence wading in the sea of the Lifestream."
What happened to Priscilla? She wondered, didn't she die?
"My dear Naenia, you'll find out soon enough."
As she laid in bed, she wondered: what did Lilyana mean? Should she even trust her?