BANE: avenge

chapter 22

After that episode, Almira - surprisingly - brought me the coins she had collected & stayed by my side while I contemplated what to do.

Of course, I ended up deciding to go inside the house. What else was there to do? The last time I hadn't listened to the voice - Iris - it had all gone wrong & I had killed a man. I killed a man. Earlier today. It hit me like a wall. Why was I not affected? In most all the books I had ever read, killing someone had affected them immensely. I had completely forgotten, not even three hours later, I had not given it a thought.

Sighing, I took Almira's hand.

“Look, take these."

I handed her a few bits.

“Miss?"

I handed her a few more, but she shoved the extras away.

“No, no."

“Well?"

“I want to stay with you."

“Are you sure?"

“Absolutely."

“You going to start repeating that this time?"

“No, miss."

“Alright, I suppose you can come along with me. It really does seem as if you truly have nothing better to do."

She smiled happily. Poor child. She had no idea what she was getting into. The truth was, I hadn't the slightest idea myself.

********

I stared up at the door after having climbed the steps, holding Almira's hand, & knocked using the iron knocker on the front, almost afraid that the knocker would fall off from my use of it.

There was a blinding flash of light, & I shut my eyes. When they opened, Almira & I both gasped.

The hall before us was wide open & practically sparkling with cleanliness. It was circle shaped, & pillars surrounded us, outside the pillars being large, green mountains & a blue sky.

“Almira, I've a feeling we are not in London anymore."

“I had never been out, but I do not think there are any mountains near it..."

I looked around & saw a small, pale woman sitting upon a stool, looking into a shallow bowl set upon her hands. I pulled Almira with me towards the woman. After a small period of nothing, she looked up, dazedly.

“Olesya? You have come again? It has only been a few minutes, has it not?"

She looked back down to the bowl, which I could now see was filled with a pitch-black liquid.

“I have never come hence, I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."

“Ah, that is correct. It was the other one."

“The other one?"

“Yes, yes. The other one."

I looked down & saw I was wearing a white toga. Now how did that happen?

“There is another Olesya? I thought it was quite a rare name."

“No, no. Not another Olesya. Another one! Another you."

“Another me, but not another Olesya? No wonder they picked you as the Oracle. You speak in riddles!"

“In riddles? I tell you, there was another you, but he was not named Olesya!"

“He? There was another me?"

“Of course."

“Can I meet him then?"