Land of the Hidden

Esmeralda's plan

Tammika woke to the the sun streaming through her window. "Morning!" Her mother came in smiling "you'd better start getting dressed sleepy head. Or your going to be late for school."
"Mum?"
"Yes what is it dear?"
"What am I doing here? You don't know I even exist! Esmeralda erased your memory of me, I fell asleep in the hideout. I have to call Ria."
"Who's Ria honey?" Confused Tammika's mother looked at her daughter. "That sounds like quite a dream you were having."
Tammika started scrolling frantically through her contacts. She couldn't find Ria, Raphael, Louise or Jared. Panicked she looked out her window she didn't see the sky realm, she saw runagh. "What the hell is going on?"
"Tammy what is it?"
"This isn't real! It can't be, can it?"
"Tammika, what is going on? Maybe you should stay home today?" Frantically Tammika googled www.loth.myth, nothing came up.
"Tammika sweety, get back into bed you're not well."
Suddenly overwhelmed. Tammika passed out.

When she came to, she was lying in a hospital with her mother by her bed, looking incredibly worried. "Oh Tammika! You scared the hell out of me!"
"What's going on?"
"You tell me! First you start blabbering about someone called Esmeralda and about how I shouldn't remember you and then you pass out! What's the matter, honey?" Now utterly bewildered Tammika sat up,
"Ria?"
"Tammika! Yes it's me Tammika you have to listen! We were hunting a Grim and it's put you into some kind of sleep I-"
"Ria? Ria!"
"Tammika who's Ria? Terrified Tammika's mother grasped her daughters shoulders. "Tammy talk to me!" Tammika looked at her mother
"You're not real, none of this is."
Tammika got up and started running to the exit, she opened the door, the world started spinning and she passed out, again.

When she next woke up, Tammika was standing in a room with glaring white walls. Esmeralda appeared in front of her, "Tammika, I was wondering when you would wake up."
"Where am I? What's going on?"
"Well my dear, you and your friends were indeed hunting down a Grim and it kidnapped you. It gave them a choice, it would let you go if they let it go. They decided you weren't worth saving. They think you're too weak anyways." Shocked, Tammika took a few steps back, "no! They wouldn't, we're like family. They love me!"
"And yet here you are, still in a trance that the grim would have woken you up from if they had let it go. You know I'm right dearie. They don't care about you."
"Yes they do!" Angrily Tammika turned away, a lump rising in her throat.
"I admire your loyalty dear, but loyalty doesn't get you very far after all, it's because of loyalty that you are in a coma." Tammika's breaths were shallow, tears stinging her eyes she turned to Esmeralda:
"Can you wake me up?"
"I can."
"Will you?"
Esmeralda smiled, "yes, but not in the hideout. They betrayed you, you're better off without them don't you think?"
Heart beating loudly in her chest Tammika hung her head, "I don't know, they're all I have. Like I said, they're family."
"Crystal here could take care of you, she is lovely." A girl around sixteen appeared and smiled at Tammika, "come with me Tammika. I'll train you, you don't need them to lead an army."
Tammika bit her lip "okay, fine I'll do it. "
Esmeralda's lips curled into a smile
"Wonderful. Crystal if you please, take Tammika to her new home." Crystal held her hand out to Tammika who took it. Together they disappeared.
"Perfect." Esmeralda cackled.

"Esmeralda! Tammika, she suddenly disappeared! What's going on?" Jared strickenly demanded as the ebony haired Elitian appeared in the library.
Gravely, Esmeralda told them: "Tammika did not wish to come back to you, she believes she can lead the army on her own. She was adamant, I tried to convince her it was foolish. She has a message for you, she asks you to stay away from her, she does not want you trying to steal her glory. I am sorry." Shocked, Ria, Raphael, Louise and Jared sat down. "I can't believe Tammika would do this, it seems so unlike her."
"Yes, it does seem very unlike Tammika ." Clodagh said, looking at Esmeralda with her head tilted slightly to the side and a furrowed brow. Esmeralda sneered and nodded once before disappearing, taking Clodagh with her.