Queen Bright

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We walked in the door. "Hello!" Mom said. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes, a lot." I replied.

"You ready for dinner? Hungry explorers." I rolled my eyes, forever were we kids in her eyes I guess.

"Sure, need help?" I asked.

"Can you set the table? Oh and everything else is ready." Me, Caleb, and Mary set the table. When the table was set we sat down to eat. Mom brought out some corn potatoes and chicken. We never had so much before because we never had that kind of money.

"What's the occasion?" I asked confused. For a second no one answered.

"Your father got a promotion." Mom finally said. A promotion? How about it. I laughed to myself, and I thought we were going through something wrong.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that, that's fabulous!" I said. Everyone smiled. Most of dinner was silent. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if dad had dinner with us, or if we had someone out going to lighten up dinner. You know I think I will be the one to lighten up this dinner.

"Mother what has father been promoted to exactly?" I asked.

"Well," she said thinking, "He really hasn't been promoted to anything, he's just had his payroll raised because of his long service as guard at the castle." It is true, father had been working at the castle for as long as I could remember so maybe. That doesn't quite add up though. Oh well, who am I to question job promotions?

"That is truly great, can you do me a favor mom?" She smiled brightly.

"Anything."

"Could you tell dad how happy I am for him if I am not awake when he comes home?"

"Of course dear."

"Oh yeah could you tell him that I said that too?" Caleb said jumping into the conversation.

"Me too!" Mary exclaimed.

"Alright, alright I'll tell him all of you sent your congrats." She said calming us down. The table fell silent again. This time I had nothing to bring the life back into it.

When we were done Caleb and Mary said their goodbyes then left. I went upstairs to check my email. There was an email from James.

James: Sorry about earlier.

Me: That's okay, there was no way you could tell that there would be a bear attacking me the second you turned. Besides, we're alive, right?

James: guess so.

Me: Anything new at school?

James: just study on animating.

Me: What have you learned so far?

James: tons!

Me: Oh, okay.

James: Gtg.

Me: Okay, Bye.

James: Love u.

Me: love u 2.

I closed my laptop. I loved when he said, love you. It made me all soft and dreamy. It was only just a month ago did we decide we wanted to get married. James, the perfect person for me. Though he hadn't proposed, I knew he was going to work on it once he had graduated. I loved being his high school sweetheart. I thought of all those times we had during his parties. The thought of being married tired me and I quickly went to sleep.

I looked around there was a tiny girl in a bed she looked a lot like me. Wait, that was the same girl who was hugging the father in my mind! She had been reappearing in my mind so many times lately, but why?

She went to the door and opened it. Fire was all around. She put one foot out the door. "No!" I screamed. The girl seemed to not hear so she walked right out the door. Then the funniest thing thing happened she started glowing in the fire walking through it! Was she a ghost? She walked through shaking people. She screamed for help. She ran helplessly. If she only knew that those gruesome sights weren't actually ever going to wake up. Then she went out the door to a maid and a guard. A maid and a guard, just like my parents! They whispered something to the girl. They started walking when the girl noticed something, he was wearing a black cape he turned his face toward her. It all came to me.

"Uncle Arthur!" Mom came running.

"What?" She asked confused.

"He was the man in the black cape! Oh Mom this is great I have been trying to figure this out for as long as I can remember!" It all was coming back to me. I hugged Mom. She looked at me and sat on my bed facing me. Her look was a look of despair, something I had never seen before.

"Hey, it was just a dream. That doesn't mean that it was real." She squeezed my hand.

"Mom it was real, everything is all slowly coming back down to me!" I could suddenly remember sweet scents. 

"Honey, come on that doesn't mean everything and you know that." Was this why I couldn't remember anything before my 7th birthday? Did she... did she drug me?

"Mother are you doubting me? I can remember, are you... are you..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Kate...", she swallowed leaving the last words barley slipping off her tongue, "you're not my daughter."