Aurora is an 18 year old young woman from New York, New York. She visits a store on 37th street and is given a book that sends her spiraling into the darkness. She never reads the book and it just drives her insane. She discovers that she has the ab...
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I awaken from my deep slumber. I stare out the window. The hooves of horses and birds chirping caresses my ears. In the corner of my right eye, I feel the pinging of a bright shiny object. I look to it and discover a golden crown sitting in a chair facing my bed. This crown was nothing special. It was dull and gaudy. I promptly get up to study the crown. I hold it in my hand as a mother would a newborn child. I can see the reflection of my image in it. As dull as the crown is, my image comes out quite clear. My beautiful red hair. My feminine, striking physique. I glare at the crowns design and just as words were forming on my lips, I hear something hit my window.
It was a sudden sound. I gracefully walk over to the window as I hear something tapping the glass. I place my hands on the window seal and lift. A beating of wings rushes in. It was a raven. Black as night. His feathers were so silky, one could swear they were made of tar. He lands on the rosy end of one of my bed legs. I wasn't startled by him, instead, I was captivated. I walked closer to him and his eyes and beak were aligned with my eyes and cheeks. Feeling a sense of connection, I lay out my right hand for him to land on. He lets out a set of loud caws. I still wasn't startled. I leaned in closer.
He flapped his wings and accepted my hand. The warmth of his clawed feet satisfied my skin. It was as if he was meant to be here. To be my bird. My raven. My wandering eye. As these thoughts race in my mind, I close my eyes and think. "This raven has to mean something. He serves some purpose in which I don't know. I shall give him a purpose. He will be my eyes and ears around Dubar. He will make sure that I hear everything. See all. I will know all. Nothing will get past me. I shall dress him as if he was gearing up for war.
A golden helmet to protect his head. One golden feather to represent his connection with me. And dark, icy eyes, that can hide themselves in the darkest of days. I open my eyes and see a stunning sight. My raven. He looked just as I had imagined him in my head. I walk over to my window. I lift my hand towards the air to release him. He stares into my soul, sealing our connection, and flies off into the bright of day." I back up from the window feeling ecstatic and ready to take on the world. I can feel the shiny crown staring at me again. "Ah yes, I need to create myself a crown. A crown that has a striking appearance. No, not golden, but red. With oval spikes that reach up to the skies. In the middle of the crown will be a rose. This rose will symbolize my heart. I will intertwine the two. Almost like having two souls. I close my eyes again. I take a deep inhale. I exhale and slowly open my eyes. Lying on my bed lies the crown. It's calling to me. Like little voices coming from it. As if it had a conscious. I walk over to it. I won't put this on now. Instead, I will throw a festival. A festival to honor me. I begin to grin.
I walk to my big, heavy door and look to my guards. "Guards, invite everyone in this kingdom out tonight. I wish to throw a festival. And take this crown. Lay it on the finest pillow you can find. Tonight, you will place it on my head." They complied with my wishes. I wonder if they know of my ability. Why didn't they question me about where I got my crown from? Perhaps they feel it's best to leave some things unanswered. I head back to my room. I see my black dress from yesterday. "This will not do. I have to look astonishing tonight.
When the crown touches my head, I should look ravishing. I close my eyes, slowly pacing, and I begin to think. It has to be a long black dress. Not just any black. Rather a black that seems to grab everything in its path. The ends of it should drag behind me well over a few feet. Spikes. I want spikes. This time. The spikes will be golden and run down the arm of the dress. The back of it will be open and the left leg should have a slit that runs all the way down. This slit will give me a promiscuous edge. The top of the back of my dress will rise just above my neck, similar to a fan. I open my eyes and there it is. This magnificent piece of work that I have manifested in my mind had been made real. Before I could say anything else about my masterpiece, I hear running down the hallway. A guard rushes to my door and says, "Queen Aurora, we have found your family."
A rush takes over my body. At this point, I'm so excited, I scrummage through my closet and pick the first dress I find. I then storm out of the room with excitement. The guards lead me to where my family is being kept. I stop suddenly. I run to them and give each of them a big hug. Bradley says his usual, "hey ugly," and dad just looks like he's lost or something. His silence pesters me for the first time. My mom was the most excited to see me. Her face filled with surprise. "Aurora, my beautiful daughter Aurora. I have no clue how we got here. I was in the kitchen putting up pots and then I appeared here. Sweetheart, what's going on?"
We hold each other's hands tightly like if we let go, we'd lose each other. Knowing that I couldn't say anything in front of the guards, I pull her aside from everyone, looking around to make sure everyone is minding their business. "Mom, you're here because of me. I was at school a few days ago and these girls tried to hurt me. This wasn't their first attempt. The first time, I discovered I had the ability to control others. The second time, I found out that I could simply think about something and make it happen. That's why we're here. I kept having these images of being queen. I closed my eyes and well, here we are. I had no idea I could do this. Look, I know this is hard for you and understand that you're confused." She looked at me as if I were insane. She says, "I don't know what you're plotting at, but this isn't your fault. We're here because of some worldly disaster." I smirk, because she has no clue that it's entirely my fault. "Mom, this is all because of me. This is my doing." She looks at me like what happened to me. Then goes, "Sweetheart, I don't believe you. I've never said that to you, but I don't. Unless you can prove to me that this is all you, I'm going to talk to your father about finding a way out of this." I felt like I had to show her. But how? There was only one way that I could think of. My mom started to walk off. Time had run out. I faced the nearest guard. I lifted my hands and began to lift him off the ground. I wasn't hurting him, just levitating him. "I look to Barbados and my father. I sent them back to New York in the blink of an eye. I have no need for them. Dad would side with mother and I couldn't have that. And Barbados didn't need to see this. The rest of the guards begin to shuffle around and become squeamish. This alarms my mother to turn around to see what was happening.
She says, "Aurora, put him down please, in an alarmed tone." I settle him down and say, "Now do you believe me? I have control of this mom. I brought us here. I'm not leaving and neither are any of you. We could create a life here." My mom cuts me off and says, "This is sorcery. How do you know that you won't hurt anyone or worse?" "I don't. I can't guarantee that I won't harm anyone, but I can guarantee your safety mother." She fixes her lips and says, "Safety? There is no safety here Aurora. We must go back. You must stop this. These powers of yours aren't to be fooled with. God knows what you're capable of." After her last words, a silence falls over the room. I turn my back towards her. I clasp my hands together behind my back and stare at the floor. After all, I needed a moment to myself considering the circumstances.
The guards look at me with fear. My conscious tells me that they should be fearful. I gather my thoughts and say in a deep tone, "If you will not accept me or wish to stay, you leave me no choice. Guards, take them to the dungeons. If we didn't have one, I would easily create one for her. My last words to her were, "Oh and mother, I have a celebration tonight. You will be there whether you like it or not. I then tell the guards to find some women to dress her up and make them presentable. Don't harm her." She had angered me. My own mother won't accept me. What a pity. I gain my composure and ask, "Does anyone else have an issue with me or wish to leave?" The silence fills the room again. "Good, now get back to creating this festival for tonight." I walk off with a deep sense of control. My body vanishes into the coldness of the castle's stony halls.
