One of a Kind

Chapter 8

   We'd been walking for hours. I was tired. I had no idea how Castella was still alive. She had been walking fast when we had left and I had kept up with her for a while, but now I was just trudging along behind her.

   "Castella. . ." I panted, "Can we stop and rest for the night?"

   "No," she called back, "We save time by not taking long breaks. Besides, the city will provide us a much better resting place then out here in the middle of nowhere." I groaned, but kept going.

                                                                                ***********

   I'm not sure how I survived the night, but it was dawn now and I could see the city with my sleepy eyes. Finally! I thought, I was never going to walk again. Ever.

   Castella was right, there was much to the 'city'. A few stores and other buildings dotted here and there. Houses lined the streets, it was only a bit larger than my village. We strolled into the empty, sleepy city. After a few blocks, Castella turned down an alley. We continued to walk until about a little ways fast the half-way mark of the alley. Castella stopped and I nearly ran into her, then she sat and began to unpack her things.

   "May I ask what you're doing?"

   "This is where we'll stay while we're here." Castella casually said as if it were no big deal that we were squatting in an alley. In truth it really didn't matter, I was just relieved that I didn't have to walk another step. And with that I crashed on the blanket into a well deserved sleep.

                                                                                   ***********

   Throughout the night I was restless. Nightmares swirled around me; I couldn't escape them. Suddenly I was back at my village, standing alone in the middle of the dark village square. Only, I didn't feel alone . . . I nearly jumped out of my skin when I hear something clatter to the ground in the alley behind me. I turn and of course, no one is there.

   I hear scuttling as if someone's running. That's odd, I think, We don't have rats in the village. Now the sense that I'm being watched is stronger. I glance around and see faces peering through the windows and out of the alleyways, from behind carts and barrels. The whole village has gathered to spy on me, only I have no idea what I'm doing here. I hear more shuffling in the alley to my left. I stare in the general direction of the noise, what on earth was going on? My head snapped to the movement I saw in the corner of my eye, do I know her? I thought. My eyes grew wide, I did recognize who she was. My mother had staggered out of the alley coughing and wheezing, taking a deep breath and dropped to the ground. I lunged out to catch her before she could hit the sandy dirt. When I place her arm around my shoulder to steady her, I found a knife in her back. I was speechless from the horror of watching the blood spread through her white floral dress.

   "MOM!" I yell as if dying had made her deaf. "What happened? Why would anyone do this to you?" I cried. My mother looked me straight in the eye and coughed out her last words in a rasp.

   "Cathleen, remember who you are. You were always meant for greatness."

   "MOM! Mom, please, I can fix this. Somebody help me! I can see you all! Why aren't you helping me?! My mother is dying!" I turned back to face my mother, "Mom I'm so sorry I left you. I love you and I didn't want to hold you back. I love you mom, please don't leave me." Tears gushed from my eyes and spilled onto my mothers pale face. "Please," I pleaded. But it was all in vain, I saw the life drain out of her eyes and she fell to the ground. I watched my mother hit the cold earth, and for a moment I couldn't move. "Who did this?" I whispered. No one answered; no one moved. Everyone was waiting for my reaction. I didn't want to give them one. I didn't want to cry or scream to the heavens; I wanted to feel nothing. But I couldn't.