Timeless - Mark Tuan

Chapter 36

"Arnisa?" My mom is in the hut, hugging herself on the floor as she sobs. She gets up and pulls me in her arms. "I'm sorry. Forgive me little one. You shouldn't have seen that."

Any thirteen-year-old girl would've done what I was thinking of doing, rebel and run away. But, something happened earlier while I was in the forest that made me come back. I don't know what force it was, or just the thought of leaving my mom alone, my feet just turned me around. And now, I'm back in the village, letting this woman wrap her arms around me and sob on my shoulder.

"I'm really sorry." She goes on. 

Even if I decided to come back, I still don't know what to tell her. As young as I am, what should I say? How should I react?

"Come." She says, finally letting go. She walks back out the door, her shoulders slumped, her head hanging low. "I should show you something." She is saying, though her voice is getting weaker as she goes farther out of the hut.

I sill can't let words come out of my mouth, yet my tears continue to fall. I start moving, as if I'm being dragged outside. I lag behind the woman, wishing I would be powerful enough to resist the hag.

My unending cursing and grumbling and wishing inside my head seems to have taken hours. We've been walking that long but, my feet don't hurt at all. The surrounding trees are different ... actually, there are lesser trees ... much less. I only see a handful.

"STOP!" I am, finally, able to release a small amount of fire through my eyes, letting it fly across her and hit the big rock ahead.

She jumps back in surprise, almost falling on her bottom. "AR-NI-SA!" She says, gritting her teeth as she turns to look at me.

"WHAT?" I shout at her. "Do I get another scolding from you? Will you try and lock me up again in a spell of yours? WHAT???? HUH? MOTHER?" I can't control my anger anymore. "What do you think a girl like me should do after seeing her mother .... doing .... doing ....AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!"

She bows her head, tears wetting the thirsty, cracking soil underneath her feet.

"How would I talk to a whore?" I yell still. "What, mother? Where are we going anyway?"

"I am not a whore, Arnisa." Her voice is soft, but I hear it from the distance I keep between us. "I did that for you. To protect you."

"HUH!" I scoff in disbelief. "Protect me from what? What are you trying to imply? That you ... having  .... SEX with different men would be good for me? What mother would say that?"

"Arnisa." She comes near me. "Just please. You'll know everything when we get there."

"Where?"

_____

We stand in front of an old, crumbling structure made of stones. It used to be a huge house, but time and the dampness of the forest made it uninhabitable. There are giant roots of trees through the cracks on the rocks and the walls are covered in different kinds of green moss and ivies. 

"This is what you want me to see?" I roll my eyes, breathing out loud. 

"Go inside." She orders. 

Resisting her words, I try to stand where I am. But, the force pushes me from behind, making my feet move towards where the woman wants me to be. "Now what?" I ask, still with the same attitude, once I've stepped inside. 

In contrast to the house's wreck from the view outside, I'm surprised to see how intact the inside still is. The wide staircase in the middle, leading to the floor upstairs, doesn't seem to have been touched.