The Flame

CHAPTER 45

I do not know for how long I was sitting there crying but a soft poop sound, caught my attention again. I lifted my eyes, towards the source of the sound. It was the quest Pixie, who was now looking at me expectantly.

"It's time Rose", she said softly. I wiped off the tears from my face and instantly got on my feet.

"I'm ready", I told her, to which she smiled at me and made a portal. I silently moved ahead to slip in through, but she stopped me.

"If you want it to stop, just say that you want to go back", she told me plainly.

I nodded and I went through, to the other side of the dark portal.
      
                             ***

There was only fog and darkness around me at first. Then slowly the fog cleared out, and the surrounding became clearer to me. I was now standing alone in an open pasture. The dark clouds, the wet grass indicated that it has been raining as I was drenched too. I raised my feet to move ahead, my boots were splashed with wet mud. Boots? I did not wear boots when I came here, did I? I studied my attire. I had on a leather jacket, and matching boots. There was nothing to cover my head, and so my long dark hair locks were dripping water drops. I was cold, I wanted shelter. I wandered around, looking for something that could serve as a shelter. It felt like hours of walking after which I saw a building at a distance. As the distance was covered, I noticed that it was a church. I started running towards it believing that I would find someone inside, and ask them where I was. I opened the church door and entered inside, to interrupt an ongoing mass.

It was not an ordinary Sunday sermon, as I saw individuals dressed in black, individuals I knew. There was Alicia, Merlin, Allen, Clarke and Adrian seated at one side, and Tiffany, Evan, Scott, Rachael on the other side. They all turned around and plainly stared at me as I proceeded towards them from the back. There was a coffin, right in front of the alter, in which laid a lifeless body.

"Who is it?", I asked Merlin, who was standing nearest to me pointing at the coffin.

"Oh", Rose she said pulling me towards her and breaking down. I broke off from her, and started walking towards the coffin. Was it? What I was thinking? No it can't be. It just can't happen, and yet, I saw it right in front of me. Katy was lying in the coffin, pale as chalk, lifeless as a stone. What I feared would happen, had happened and I couldn't stop it.

"Nooooooo..." I screamed hugging her, "You cannot leave me like this Kat, you cannot. Please..." I cried "Please, come back to me.Pleaseee", I cried, taking her arms into mine, and just like that she dissolved into thin air.

Everything around me dissolved and darkness swallowed me again. What was happening? Where is Kat?

I was standing outside the church now, I raised my foot to go back in again, but someone stopped me.

"Rose..." Adrian called me softly; I immediately fell on his arms and cried.

"Rose, I want to tell you something", he continued, straightening me up and catching my attention "I'm going to get married Rose", he said.

"What...?", I asked, wiping off my tears. "Are you saying, with whom, with whom are you getting married?", I managed, with my shaking voice.

"Of course with Princess Genn, Rose what kind of question was that?" he asked laughing coldly, somehow it sent chills through me. "You think that a prince, like me will fall in love with a stupid red-blood like you? You don't even deserve to stand in front of me Rose...you are nothing to me. Now kneel before me", he said firmly. I was puzzled by his sudden change of attitude.

"What are you saying Adrian?", I asked him, staring at him puzzled.

"I said kneel before me", he ordered me. I was so terrified of him that my legs started shaking, swallowing my tears I replied him.

"NO", I said "I refuse to do what you ask me to do, as I do not consider myself any less than you", I told him fiercely.

"How dare you?", he said wide-eyed, "How dare you talk to me like that?" he demanded "Guards, take this filthy being out of my sight", he ordered, and right then dozens of guards marched towards me, forcing me away from him.

"Adrian, I'm your friend", I cried out aloud.

"I have no mucky friend as you", he screamed back. I did not know where the guards were taking me and it didn't matter, as I was already broken. My best friend was dead, and then my friend was ashamed of me. I didn't care whatever they did to me, but I never found out where they took me, as once again darkness swallowed me.

I was now sitting on a couch in my pajamas, when someone entered the room in was, in through the front door. I took in my surroundings quickly to learn that it was Tiffany's house. Tiffany, Evan and Scott entered the hall, stunned when they saw me.

"Who are you?" Tiffany asked confused "What the hell are you doing in my apartment, get out", she screamed.

"Tiffany, its me...Rose", I told her, puzzled at her reaction. It was almost like she didn't recognize me at all.

"Are you mad?", Scott asked. For a moment I thought he was talking to someone else, and so I turned around to have a look behind.

"Who are you calling mad Scott?", I laughed, assuming it must be one of his pranks.

"You, mad women", he said pointing out at me "Rose has been dead for ten years now, and now you claim you are Rose?" he said laughing "You lunatic, get out of here", he said pushing me out, and slamming the door at me.

I started walking off the door, pondering over what just happened. Why did they say that Rose was dead, when I was right there? Why? The question was killing me, and then realization hit me. 'The note' I breathed.

They thought I was dead, because of the stupid note I left back ten years. Ten years? It's been ten years? Puzzled I kept walking over the pavement and then my surroundings started to dissolve again. There was once again darkness around me.

I lifted my head up, to see a familiar face. It was Brandon.

"Oh, Brandon", I said, pulling him towards me. "No, don't go to Australia. Don't, go we will figure this out okay? Please don't go", I cried.

"Why Rose?" he asked "Now that your marriage did not work, you want me back again? This is what you do Rose. You use others for your own benefit, and then you throw them away, like a used tissue paper. You left your husband, after taking away all his fortune, and now you come back to me for what? You are a pathetic women. I have never seen such a selfish and ungrateful women, like you in my entire life".

"What are you saying?" I asked him wide-eyed. "I'm not married" I said lifting my arm up, to show him my fingers. But it wasn't he who was stunned, it was I. I was stoned at the sight of a glittery ring on my ring finger.

"You horrible women; you have done so many ill things to your husband. You should be hanged", he said marching towards me.

I broke into a run, and Brandon kept trying to chase me. Breathless, I dared to turn behind and see, still keeping up with my pace. There were dozens of people now trying to chase me. There was a stone, I did not notice and I tripped down. The mob gathered around me, slowly closing in the distance.

"NO, I did not do anything, please leave me, please" I cried out aloud. I closed my eyes, praying to whoever was listening, to end this... to end this nightmare.

"No, No leave me alone, please".