Lifelight: Calypso Returns

4.

Little droplets glided down her body as though escaping the sun. She stood on a rock at the edge of the lake. Summer was the best because it was the only time she could swim. She waved to Khatya who waved back and whooped.

Hera fought to hold on to the dream but the edges became shadowy and then it was gone. She opened her eyes, the ceiling was very close. Hera felt like she had been to the dentist. She was under a bright blue quilt and a quick test confirmed that she could once again feel the toes on her infected leg.

She got up, swung her lighter legs to the floor and looked around. Cori had a well-stocked kitchen for someone who lived inside a small mountain. There were other quilts, wool mats and rugs, beautiful wooden furniture- all of it looked hand-made and was in bright yellows, reds, greens, purples. A small window let light in.

"When I tell this story, I'll say she was a hobbit." Hera mumbled to herself.

There were voices coming from another room. She was starving. Her options were to get up and find food or wait for someone to come find her.She went to stand up but had a sudden reminder of the suction cups and the ghost grip on her calf. She decided it was a bad idea to be on her feet. Besides, she was not sure she could tell the difference between eye of newt and jelly.

Her stomach grumbled. The mug that had the sleeping draught was still on the table in front of her. It looked to be made of some kind of wood so would not break. Hera slid it off the table to let it fall. It clunked on the stone floor and the talking stopped immediately. Cori's head poked out of the door (to what might have been a portal to a galaxy far far away for all Hera knew).

"Good,you're awake. Why don't we warm you up some soup and then I will have a look at that leg." She said.

"Was I asleep for long?" Hera asked.

"Just a few hours. Lucky the draught let you sleep, I thought you'd never stop screaming." Cori said.

"Oh yeah," Hera winced, "What happens when they bite you?"

"You scream for longer."Cori said.

"Oh joy."Hera mumbled.

Cori brought the soup over with some bread and Hera did her best not to attack it. The food was amazing but still pretty ordinary for a witch. Her bowl was clean almost as soon as she started and she took Cori's offer for seconds.

It was while resisting the urge to lick her bowl that Kairu and Yuli appeared out of the room. They took their plates and sat on the floor across the coffee table. Cori sat by her on the couch.

"Thank you." Hera said.

"You are welcome and it was my duty." Cori said.

"Why do you live in a hill?"

"I am close to the earth. My people like to be closer to their elements."

"So my aunt was closer to water?"

"Khatya was not a witch. She was a nymph."

"So my nana was telling the truth, they're all nymphs."

"Yes, nymphs are different. We, my people, are one with the earth, but the nymphs are of the earth. A manifestation almost of nature itself."

"And the chronicles were true?"

"I believe they were, yes."

"If that is true then they really were keepers but what were they protecting?"

"You."

Through the fog something came to Hera, a long lost hurt she had hidden away and now she could finally let it out.